The best 1980s indie games, ranked by reviews

Data report Built from live indielist data on 2026-10-23. Rankings update as data changes.

indielist tracks 17 1980s indie games on Steam, holding 572,886 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 252,503 reviews. Figures are tracked by indielist; sales numbers are estimates that each expand into their full formula.

The ranking

1. Vampire Survivors · 252,503 reviews · 98% positive · 2022
2. Hotline Miami · 110,606 reviews · 97% positive · 2012
3. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number · 70,086 reviews · 94% positive · 2015
4. Duck Game · 39,087 reviews · 97% positive · 2015
5. Poppy Playtime · 38,486 reviews · 88% positive · 2021
6. Not For Broadcast · 10,377 reviews · 94% positive · 2022
7. Tiny Rogues · 10,297 reviews · 96% positive · 2022
8. Five Nights at Freddy's: Into the Pit · 10,217 reviews · 96% positive · 2024
9. MULLET MADJACK · 8,332 reviews · 98% positive · 2024
10. UFO 50 · 7,189 reviews · 95% positive · 2024
11. HROT · 5,358 reviews · 97% positive · 2023
12. Punch Club 2: Fast Forward · 3,859 reviews · 82% positive · 2023
13. Regiments · 2,832 reviews · 88% positive · 2022
14. Duck Season · 1,497 reviews · 85% positive · 2017
15. Tennis Elbow 4 · 1,123 reviews · 96% positive · 2026
16. #DRIVE Rally · 754 reviews · 80% positive · 2025
17. ROGUE FLIGHT · 283 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.