The best 1980s indie games, ranked by reviews

Data report Built from live indielist data on 2026-09-07. Rankings update as data changes.

indielist tracks 17 1980s indie games on Steam, holding 570,061 reviews at an average of 93% 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 265,401 reviews. Figures are tracked by indielist; sales numbers are estimates that each expand into their full formula.

The ranking

1. Vampire Survivors · 265,401 reviews · 98% positive · 2022
2. Hotline Miami · 109,410 reviews · 97% positive · 2012
3. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number · 69,292 reviews · 94% positive · 2015
4. Poppy Playtime · 38,417 reviews · 88% positive · 2021
5. Duck Game · 25,255 reviews · 97% positive · 2015
6. Five Nights at Freddy's: Into the Pit · 10,946 reviews · 96% positive · 2024
7. Not For Broadcast · 10,318 reviews · 94% positive · 2022
8. Tiny Rogues · 10,230 reviews · 96% positive · 2022
9. MULLET MADJACK · 8,203 reviews · 98% positive · 2024
10. UFO 50 · 7,117 reviews · 95% positive · 2024
11. HROT · 5,296 reviews · 97% positive · 2023
12. Punch Club 2: Fast Forward · 3,798 reviews · 82% positive · 2023
13. Regiments · 2,817 reviews · 88% positive · 2022
14. Duck Season · 1,483 reviews · 85% positive · 2017
15. Tennis Elbow 4 · 1,067 reviews · 96% positive · 2026
16. #DRIVE Rally · 735 reviews · 80% positive · 2025
17. ROGUE FLIGHT · 276 reviews · 95% positive · 2024

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 estimates, not official sales data.

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