The best 1980s indie games, ranked by reviews

Data report Built from live indielist data on 2026-07-24. Rankings update as data changes.

indielist tracks 16 1980s indie games on Steam, holding 668,850 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 264,182 reviews. Figures are tracked by indielist; sales numbers are estimates that each expand into their full formula.

The ranking

1. Vampire Survivors · 264,182 reviews · 98% positive · 2022
2. Poppy Playtime · 140,634 reviews · 88% positive · 2021
3. Hotline Miami · 108,002 reviews · 97% positive · 2012
4. Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number · 68,626 reviews · 94% positive · 2015
5. Duck Game · 25,231 reviews · 97% positive · 2015
6. Not For Broadcast · 10,227 reviews · 94% positive · 2022
7. Tiny Rogues · 10,150 reviews · 96% positive · 2022
8. Five Nights at Freddy's: Into the Pit · 10,088 reviews · 96% positive · 2024
9. MULLET MADJACK · 8,078 reviews · 98% positive · 2024
10. UFO 50 · 7,405 reviews · 95% positive · 2024
11. HROT · 6,469 reviews · 97% positive · 2023
12. Punch Club 2: Fast Forward · 3,740 reviews · 83% positive · 2023
13. Regiments · 2,789 reviews · 88% positive · 2022
14. Duck Season · 1,481 reviews · 85% positive · 2017
15. Tennis Elbow 4 · 1,036 reviews · 96% positive · 2026
16. #DRIVE Rally · 712 reviews · 80% positive · 2025

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.