Underrated Difficult indie games you missed
These are underrated difficult indie games: titles with strong reviews but not yet the audience they deserve. indielist surfaces 14 difficult games that each hold at least 80% positive Steam reviews while staying under 5,000 total ratings : the sweet spot where a game has proven itself with real players but hasn't broken out yet. Together they hold 34,870 reviews at an average of 92% positive. They are ranked by review count, so the most-validated picks lead, and each links to a white-box sales estimate you can open and check rather than a black-box number. The most reviewed here is GemCraft - Chasing Shadows with 4,364 reviews. Review counts and ratings are from Steam; sales figures are modeled estimates, not official sales data.
Hidden gems
14
Avg positive %
92%
Total reviews
34,870
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GemCraft - Chasing Shadows
2015 · Action
4,364 reviews · 95% positive
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Heavenly Bodies
2021 · Action
4,344 reviews · 95% positive
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Electrician Simulator
2022 · Adventure
4,217 reviews · 80% positive
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Void Stranger
2023 · Adventure
3,410 reviews · 91% positive
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Star of Providence
2017 · Action
3,324 reviews · 97% positive
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Momodora: Moonlit Farewell
2024 · Action
3,141 reviews · 92% positive
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ZeroRanger
2018 · Action
2,166 reviews · 96% positive
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Slackers - Carts of Glory
2024 · Action
2,057 reviews · 91% positive
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The Chef's Shift
2025 · Casual
1,736 reviews · 98% positive
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Rusted Moss
2023 · Action
1,610 reviews · 89% positive
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Infectonator 3: Apocalypse
2018 · Indie
1,325 reviews · 83% positive
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Paquerette Down the Bunburrows
2023 · Adventure
1,240 reviews · 96% positive
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La-Mulana 2
2018 · Action
1,055 reviews · 85% positive
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SNØ: Ultimate Freeriding
2025 · Action
881 reviews · 97% positive
Frequently asked questions
- What are some underrated difficult indie games?
- indielist lists 14 underrated difficult indie games, each with 80%+ Steam reviews but under 5,000 ratings, led by GemCraft - Chasing Shadows (4,364 reviews).
- How are these "hidden gem" difficult games chosen?
- By a data filter, not opinion: a game qualifies if it holds at least 80% positive Steam reviews and has between 50 and 5,000 total ratings, enough to be validated by players but not yet mainstream. The list updates as the catalog grows.