The best 1980s indie games, ranked by reviews

Data report Assembled from live indielist data on 2026-06-06. Rankings update as data changes.

indielist tracks 11 1980s indie games on Steam, holding 528,416 reviews at an average of 94% positive. This list ranks them by Steam review count, the most reliable public sales proxy, with a white-box sales estimate behind every title. The most reviewed is Vampire Survivors with 248,792 reviews. Figures are tracked by indielist; sales numbers are modeled estimates that each expand into their full formula.

The ranking

1. Vampire Survivors · 248,792 reviews · 98% positive · 2022
2. Hotline Miami · 104,245 reviews · 97% positive · 2012
3. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number · 67,285 reviews · 94% positive · 2015
4. Poppy Playtime · 38,264 reviews · 88% positive · 2021
5. Contraband Police · 24,005 reviews · 95% positive · 2023
6. Five Nights at Freddy's: Into the Pit · 10,807 reviews · 96% positive · 2024
7. Tiny Rogues · 10,567 reviews · 96% positive · 2022
8. MULLET MADJACK · 9,163 reviews · 98% positive · 2024
9. UFO 50 · 7,306 reviews · 95% positive · 2024
10. HROT · 6,393 reviews · 97% positive · 2023
11. Duck Season · 1,589 reviews · 85% positive · 2017

How this list is built

Games are ranked by Steam review count, the most reliable public proxy for sales when actual figures are private. Each title links to its indielist page, where the white-box sales estimate expands into the full Boxleiter formula, so you can audit the number rather than trust a black box. Review counts come from Steam; sales figures are modeled estimates, not official sales data.

Want the underlying estimate for your own game? Try the sales estimator, or browse the full game directory.