The best modern indie games, ranked by reviews

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

indielist tracks 21 modern indie games on Steam, holding 180,731 reviews at an average of 87% 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 PC Building Simulator with 42,153 reviews. Figures are tracked by indielist; sales numbers are estimates that each expand into their full formula.

The ranking

1. PC Building Simulator · 42,153 reviews · 93% positive · 2019
2. Rhythm Doctor · 24,986 reviews · 98% positive · 2025
3. Call to Arms · 17,421 reviews · 79% positive · 2018
4. 911 Operator · 14,417 reviews · 89% positive · 2017
5. Liftoff®: FPV Drone Racing · 13,957 reviews · 95% positive · 2018
6. Yet Another Zombie Survivors · 13,876 reviews · 91% positive · 2026
7. Big Ambitions · 13,292 reviews · 92% positive · 2026
8. Car Dealer Simulator · 9,748 reviews · 89% positive · 2025
9. Onward · 9,303 reviews · 68% positive · 2025
10. Democracy 4 · 5,885 reviews · 82% positive · 2022
11. Animal Shelter · 3,643 reviews · 88% positive · 2022
12. Regiments · 2,817 reviews · 88% positive · 2022
13. Midnight Fight Express · 1,979 reviews · 89% positive · 2022
14. Into The Flames · 1,543 reviews · 81% positive · 2023
15. The Scourge | Tai Ương · 1,189 reviews · 94% positive · 2026
16. Nucleares · 1,117 reviews · 84% positive · 2023
17. Tennis Elbow 4 · 1,067 reviews · 96% positive · 2026
18. Scene Investigators · 952 reviews · 75% positive · 2023
19. Mad Smartphone Tycoon · 559 reviews · 71% positive · 2024
20. Emergency Cleanup Co. · 455 reviews · 90% 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.