Small studios, big ideas: games made away from the big publishers, often bolder, more personal and more playful than the next sequel.
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How to find games that really suit you:
Select up to 5 games you have played and enjoyed. Playalike compares 50 traits such as combat, story and atmosphere and suggests games that hit exactly the same spot, even across genres.
A 2D sandbox adventure where you dig, build and craft while ever-tougher bosses unlock new gear tiers and biomes. Its huge item pool and hidden secrets make it a near-endless experience, especially with friends.
A 2D sandbox adventure where you dig, build and craft while ever-tougher bosses unlock new gear tiers and biomes. Its huge item pool and hidden secrets make it a near-endless experience, especially with friends.
2011PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified9.75 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 1,249,720 reviews on Steam
Lots to discover
Pixel art
Loot and gear
A 2D sandbox adventure where you dig, build and craft while ever-tougher bosses unlock new gear tiers and biomes. Its huge item pool and hidden secrets make it a near-endless experience, especially with friends.
A minimalist auto-attacking roguelite where you only steer while your weapons fire on their own, snowballing through clever upgrade synergies into a screen-clearing force against thousands of monsters. Short runs and constant unlocks make it wildly addictive.
2022PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified4.99 €98 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 252,833 reviews on Steam
Pixel art
Strong character progression
Runs that play out differently every time
A minimalist auto-attacking roguelite where you only steer while your weapons fire on their own, snowballing through clever upgrade synergies into a screen-clearing force against thousands of monsters. Short runs and constant unlocks make it wildly addictive.
A chaotic physics battle sandbox where you place wobbly units from eras ranging from the Stone Age to fantasy and watch them hilariously clash. Figuring out the perfect army on a tight budget meets glorious slapstick absurdity.
2021PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified18.99 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 145,323 reviews on Steam
Lots of humour
Sandbox with your own goals
Distinctive, stylised art style
A chaotic physics battle sandbox where you place wobbly units from eras ranging from the Stone Age to fantasy and watch them hilariously clash. Figuring out the perfect army on a tight budget meets glorious slapstick absurdity.
A charming indie RPG where every fight can be resolved without violence, blending turn-based menus with bullet-hell dodging. Its quirky humor, memorable monsters and a story that remembers your choices made it a cult classic.
2015PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable9.99 €96 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 313,154 reviews on Steam
Strong, story-driven narrative
Pixel art
Choices with consequences
A charming indie RPG where every fight can be resolved without violence, blending turn-based menus with bullet-hell dodging. Its quirky humor, memorable monsters and a story that remembers your choices made it a cult classic.
Stranded on an ocean planet, you dive ever deeper into a gorgeous yet terrifying alien sea. You build bases and submarines while piecing together the planet's mystery, and the dark depths themselves become the real source of dread.
2018PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified29.99 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 343,949 reviews on Steam
Lots to discover
Sci-fi setting
Open world
Stranded on an ocean planet, you dive ever deeper into a gorgeous yet terrifying alien sea. You build bases and submarines while piecing together the planet's mystery, and the dark depths themselves become the real source of dread.
An endless physics sandbox on the Source engine where you spawn, weld and pose props, ragdolls and contraptions however you like. Its legendary status comes from countless community game modes like Trouble in Terrorist Town and Prop Hunt that deliver chaotic multiplayer fun.
An endless physics sandbox on the Source engine where you spawn, weld and pose props, ragdolls and contraptions however you like. Its legendary status comes from countless community game modes like Trouble in Terrorist Town and Prop Hunt that deliver chaotic multiplayer fun.
A wordless, oppressive puzzle-platformer in which a boy slips through a bleak dystopia, controlling bodies with his mind along the way. Masterful atmosphere and a disturbing finale make it unforgettable.
2016PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified22.99 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 70,405 reviews on Steam
Dark, serious atmosphere
Lavish presentation
Puzzles and brain teasers
A wordless, oppressive puzzle-platformer in which a boy slips through a bleak dystopia, controlling bodies with his mind along the way. Masterful atmosphere and a disturbing finale make it unforgettable.
As photography student Max, you discover you can rewind time and dig into a disappearance in a sleepy coastal town, with your choices shaping friendships and fates. It's a heartfelt coming-of-age drama with an unforgettable indie soundtrack.
As photography student Max, you discover you can rewind time and dig into a disappearance in a sleepy coastal town, with your choices shaping friendships and fates. It's a heartfelt coming-of-age drama with an unforgettable indie soundtrack.
You play a stray cat lost in a decaying, robot-inhabited neon city, climbing, sneaking and poking around to uncover what happened to it. Its charming feline interactions and dense cyberpunk atmosphere make this short adventure stand out.
2022PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified28.49 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 159,011 reviews on Steam
Sci-fi setting
Lavish presentation
Post-apocalyptic setting
You play a stray cat lost in a decaying, robot-inhabited neon city, climbing, sneaking and poking around to uncover what happened to it. Its charming feline interactions and dense cyberpunk atmosphere make this short adventure stand out.
A fast, fluid 2D roguelite with Metroidvania structure, where tight, punchy combat and a huge arsenal of weapons make every run feel different. Permanent unlocks and new routes give you a real sense of progress even as you die again and again.
2018PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified24.99 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 157,452 reviews on Steam
Runs that play out differently every time
Action-packed real-time combat
Pixel art
A fast, fluid 2D roguelite with Metroidvania structure, where tight, punchy combat and a huge arsenal of weapons make every run feel different. Permanent unlocks and new routes give you a real sense of progress even as you die again and again.
As rancher Beatrix, you vacuum up adorable slimes on a distant planet, feed them and sell their plorts to expand your ranch. It pairs a laid-back farming loop with relaxed exploration of a colorful world full of secrets and new slime species.
As rancher Beatrix, you vacuum up adorable slimes on a distant planet, feed them and sell their plorts to expand your ranch. It pairs a laid-back farming loop with relaxed exploration of a colorful world full of secrets and new slime species.
2025PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified23.99 €98 % positive
Toby Fox's follow-up to Undertale mixes menu-based party battles with bullet-hell dodging, and enemies can be spared instead of fought. A charming, funny cast, a standout soundtrack and an unsettling meta-mystery sit beneath its colorful surface.
2025PC, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified23.99 €98 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 129,413 reviews on Steam
Lots of humour
Strong, story-driven narrative
Companions and relationships
Toby Fox's follow-up to Undertale mixes menu-based party battles with bullet-hell dodging, and enemies can be spared instead of fought. A charming, funny cast, a standout soundtrack and an unsettling meta-mystery sit beneath its colorful surface.
A frantic top-down roguelike shooter where Isaac fires tears through randomly generated basements. Hundreds of items stack into wild combinations, making every run different and grotesquely strange.
A frantic top-down roguelike shooter where Isaac fires tears through randomly generated basements. Hundreds of items stack into wild combinations, making every run different and grotesquely strange.
Play as gruff space dwarves carving through fully destructible procedural caves with up to three friends, mining minerals and holding off massive alien swarms. Complementary classes, dry humor and a famously wholesome community make every dive a blast – Rock and Stone!
Play as gruff space dwarves carving through fully destructible procedural caves with up to three friends, mining minerals and holding off massive alien swarms. Complementary classes, dry humor and a famously wholesome community make every dive a blast – Rock and Stone!
An addictive poker roguelike where Jokers, card upgrades and wild synergies push your scores to absurd heights. Every run plays differently, and the hunt for the perfect build never gets old.
2024PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified13.99 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 162,769 reviews on Steam
Cards and deck-building
Tactical depth
Runs that play out differently every time
An addictive poker roguelike where Jokers, card upgrades and wild synergies push your scores to absurd heights. Every run plays differently, and the hunt for the perfect build never gets old.
A brutally tough boss-rush shooter animated like a 1930s cartoon, where precise dodging, parrying and shooting decide every fight. A swinging big-band jazz score and local co-op round it out.
2017PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified19.99 €96 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 200,988 reviews on Steam
Boss fights as highlights
Lavish presentation
Action-packed real-time combat
A brutally tough boss-rush shooter animated like a 1930s cartoon, where precise dodging, parrying and shooting decide every fight. A swinging big-band jazz score and local co-op round it out.
A colony sim where an AI storyteller turns raids, famines and your settlers' personal dramas into unique, often darkly funny emergent stories. Its deep simulation and per-colonist management make every run unpredictable.
A colony sim where an AI storyteller turns raids, famines and your settlers' personal dramas into unique, often darkly funny emergent stories. Its deep simulation and per-colonist management make every run unpredictable.
As a border inspector in the fictional Eastern Bloc state of Arstotzka, you scrutinize paperwork under time pressure while balancing duty, your family's survival, and the fates of desperate travelers. A bleak, morally gripping game with many endings.
As a border inspector in the fictional Eastern Bloc state of Arstotzka, you scrutinize paperwork under time pressure while balancing duty, your family's survival, and the fates of desperate travelers. A bleak, morally gripping game with many endings.
Play as Claire, a young bird climbing and gliding through a charming park toward its summit, chatting with quirky hikers and stumbling on little secrets everywhere. A short, heartfelt, pressure-free adventure with a lovely pixelated low-poly look.
2019PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified6.59 €99 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 19,507 reviews on Steam
Cosy, great for unwinding
Lots to discover
Pixel art
Play as Claire, a young bird climbing and gliding through a charming park toward its summit, chatting with quirky hikers and stumbling on little secrets everywhere. A short, heartfelt, pressure-free adventure with a lovely pixelated low-poly look.
An episodic superhero workplace comedy from former Telltale developers: as a dispatcher you assign a chaotic crew of reformed villains to city emergencies while making choices that shape relationships and the story. Sharp writing, a strong voice cast and a cartoon-like animated look carry the experience.
2025PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified28.99 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 176,989 reviews on Steam
Strong, story-driven narrative
Lots of humour
Dialogue and role-playing
An episodic superhero workplace comedy from former Telltale developers: as a dispatcher you assign a chaotic crew of reformed villains to city emergencies while making choices that shape relationships and the story. Sharp writing, a strong voice cast and a cartoon-like animated look carry the experience.
2020PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified32.00 €97 % positive
Stranded on an alien world, you grow a crude mining operation into a sprawling automated factory, endlessly optimizing belts, production chains and logistics. All the while you must defend it from native creatures angered by your spreading pollution.
2020PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified32.00 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 193,524 reviews on Steam
Building and crafting
Economy and management
Deep systems to master
Stranded on an alien world, you grow a crude mining operation into a sprawling automated factory, endlessly optimizing belts, production chains and logistics. All the while you must defend it from native creatures angered by your spreading pollution.
A brutally fast top-down shooter where one hit kills and every floor is mastered through rapid trial, error and instant restarts. Its neon visuals, pulsing synthwave soundtrack and unsettling, surreal story about violence make it unforgettable.
2012PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified9.75 €96 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 110,997 reviews on Steam
Action-packed real-time combat
Fast pace
Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A brutally fast top-down shooter where one hit kills and every floor is mastered through rapid trial, error and instant restarts. Its neon visuals, pulsing synthwave soundtrack and unsettling, surreal story about violence make it unforgettable.
What starts as a sugary anime dating sim about a school poetry club gradually turns into unsettling psychological horror that breaks the fourth wall and even toys with the game's own files.
What starts as a sugary anime dating sim about a school poetry club gradually turns into unsettling psychological horror that breaks the fourth wall and even toys with the game's own files.
An infamous first-person shooter where you spend a week as the Postal Dude running mundane errands in a small town, either peacefully or by unleashing total mayhem. Crude, provocative humor and an open sandbox town define the experience.
2003PC97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 116,058 reviews on Steam
Shooting and gunplay
Lots of humour
Sandbox with your own goals
An infamous first-person shooter where you spend a week as the Postal Dude running mundane errands in a small town, either peacefully or by unleashing total mayhem. Crude, provocative humor and an open sandbox town define the experience.
As a defenseless journalist armed only with a night-vision camcorder, you creep through a nightmarish asylum where hiding and running are your only options. Relentless, unfiltered terror with no way to fight back.
2013PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable14.79 €96 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 106,585 reviews on Steam
Dread and tension
Dark, serious atmosphere
Sneaking and hiding
As a defenseless journalist armed only with a night-vision camcorder, you creep through a nightmarish asylum where hiding and running are your only options. Relentless, unfiltered terror with no way to fight back.
A quirky first-person crime sim where you grow from small-time dealer to drug kingpin in Hyland Point. You experiment with recipes, hire staff, buy property and dodge the cops, ideally with friends in co-op.
A quirky first-person crime sim where you grow from small-time dealer to drug kingpin in Hyland Point. You experiment with recipes, hire staff, buy property and dodge the cops, ideally with friends in co-op.
You and your friends scavenge dangerous abandoned moons for scrap to meet the Company's quota. Proximity voice chat, lethal monsters and chaotic mishaps blend real tension with slapstick laughs.
You and your friends scavenge dangerous abandoned moons for scrap to meet the Company's quota. Proximity voice chat, lethal monsters and chaotic mishaps blend real tension with slapstick laughs.
2019PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified14.79 €97 % positive
A blistering neo-noir action platformer where one hit kills and each room plays like a puzzle solved with your katana, slow-motion and deflected bullets. It's wrapped in a twisted, fragmented story with dialogue choices and a superb synthwave soundtrack.
2019PC, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified14.79 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 66,672 reviews on Steam
Action-packed real-time combat
Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
Pixel art
A blistering neo-noir action platformer where one hit kills and each room plays like a puzzle solved with your katana, slow-motion and deflected bullets. It's wrapped in a twisted, fragmented story with dialogue choices and a superb synthwave soundtrack.
After a plane crash you build shelters and traps in a dense forest while tribes of cannibals stalk and attack you. Creepy mutant-filled caves and the mystery of your missing son drive the exploration, and it's best played with friends in co-op.
After a plane crash you build shelters and traps in a dense forest while tribes of cannibals stalk and attack you. Creepy mutant-filled caves and the mystery of your missing son drive the exploration, and it's best played with friends in co-op.
2016PC−40 %9.75 € 5.85 € until tomorrow98 % positive
A pixel-art puzzle adventure in which you help a child named Niko relight the dead sun of his world. The game breaks the fourth wall, involving your computer and your own decisions in touching and clever ways.
2016PC−40 %9.75 € 5.85 € until tomorrow98 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 60,002 reviews on Steam
Pixel art
Puzzles and brain teasers
Emotional impact
A pixel-art puzzle adventure in which you help a child named Niko relight the dead sun of his world. The game breaks the fourth wall, involving your computer and your own decisions in touching and clever ways.
Helltaker is a short sokoban-style puzzle game where you push through Hell to collect a harem of demon girls. Slick art, a driving soundtrack and dry humor make it stand out.
Helltaker is a short sokoban-style puzzle game where you push through Hell to collect a harem of demon girls. Slick art, a driving soundtrack and dry humor make it stand out.
A creepy card game played against a shadowy figure in a dark cabin, mixing deckbuilding with escape-room puzzles while constantly breaking its own rules. Beneath the surface lies a surprising, fourth-wall-bending mystery.
2021PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable19.99 €96 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 136,199 reviews on Steam
Cards and deck-building
Turn-based combat
Dark, serious atmosphere
A creepy card game played against a shadowy figure in a dark cabin, mixing deckbuilding with escape-room puzzles while constantly breaking its own rules. Beneath the surface lies a surprising, fourth-wall-bending mystery.
Ultrakill is an extremely fast retro first-person shooter that blends style-ranking from character action games with brutal carnage. You heal by bathing in enemy blood and must fluidly chain weapons, movement and combos.
Ultrakill is an extremely fast retro first-person shooter that blends style-ranking from character action games with brutal carnage. You heal by bathing in enemy blood and must fluidly chain weapons, movement and combos.
2025PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable9.49 €96 % positive
A chaotic online co-op game for up to six players where you haul fragile valuables through procedurally generated levels while monsters hunt you. Physics-driven slapstick mishaps and proximity voice chat blend big laughs with real tension.
2025PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable9.49 €96 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 349,166 reviews on Steam
Playing together in co-op
Co-op or multiplayer
Lots of humour
A chaotic online co-op game for up to six players where you haul fragile valuables through procedurally generated levels while monsters hunt you. Physics-driven slapstick mishaps and proximity voice chat blend big laughs with real tension.
A relaxed trucking simulator where you haul freight across the American landscape, grow from hired driver to company owner, and simply enjoy the open road.
A relaxed trucking simulator where you haul freight across the American landscape, grow from hired driver to company owner, and simply enjoy the open road.
MiSide traps you inside a mobile life simulation where your seemingly sweet companion grows increasingly unsettling. A short, story-driven horror adventure that surprises with genre shifts and stylish presentation.
MiSide traps you inside a mobile life simulation where your seemingly sweet companion grows increasingly unsettling. A short, story-driven horror adventure that surprises with genre shifts and stylish presentation.
A surreal RPG that contrasts bright dreamlike worlds and childhood friendship with psychological horror and heavy themes. Its emotional story and memorable soundtrack stand out, and turn-based battles use emotions as a core mechanic.
2020PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable16.79 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 80,438 reviews on Steam
Turn-based combat
Emotional impact
Strong, story-driven narrative
A surreal RPG that contrasts bright dreamlike worlds and childhood friendship with psychological horror and heavy themes. Its emotional story and memorable soundtrack stand out, and turn-based battles use emotions as a core mechanic.
A merciless survival game with a gothic, Tim Burton-esque hand-drawn style, where you scavenge, craft and fend off hunger, insanity and monsters in a procedurally generated wilderness. Death is permanent, but every run teaches you something new.
2013PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable8.19 €96 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 97,308 reviews on Steam
Resources and survival
Open world
Lots to discover
A merciless survival game with a gothic, Tim Burton-esque hand-drawn style, where you scavenge, craft and fend off hunger, insanity and monsters in a procedurally generated wilderness. Death is permanent, but every run teaches you something new.
2023PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified19.50 €98 % positive
A frantic, chaotic 2D platformer starring the manic pizza chef Peppino, built around momentum-based movement, score chasing and wildly hand-drawn animation. Its zany humor and driving soundtrack turn every level into a spectacle.
2023PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified19.50 €98 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 66,816 reviews on Steam
Jumping and platforming
Fast pace
Lots of humour
A frantic, chaotic 2D platformer starring the manic pizza chef Peppino, built around momentum-based movement, score chasing and wildly hand-drawn animation. Its zany humor and driving soundtrack turn every level into a spectacle.
A chaotic, hilarious cartoon brawler best enjoyed with up to four friends on the couch. Light RPG hooks like leveling, weapons and animal orbs keep you coming back between its absurd boss fights.
A chaotic, hilarious cartoon brawler best enjoyed with up to four friends on the couch. Light RPG hooks like leveling, weapons and animal orbs keep you coming back between its absurd boss fights.
A hilariously irreverent platformer from The Behemoth where you play a prisoner forced through tricky block-based stage levels, solo or in co-op. The sarcastic narrator, cartoon style and chaotic fun with friends define it.
A hilariously irreverent platformer from The Behemoth where you play a prisoner forced through tricky block-based stage levels, solo or in co-op. The sarcastic narrator, cartoon style and chaotic fun with friends define it.
A charming 3D collectathon platformer in the vein of N64 classics, where a tiny girl uses magical hats to bounce through varied, wonderfully weird worlds. Its chapters, from a mafia-run town to dueling bird film studios, overflow with humor and creativity.
2017PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified28.99 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 43,034 reviews on Steam
Jumping and platforming
Lots of humour
Dense, handcrafted world
A charming 3D collectathon platformer in the vein of N64 classics, where a tiny girl uses magical hats to bounce through varied, wonderfully weird worlds. Its chapters, from a mafia-run town to dueling bird film studios, overflow with humor and creativity.
You climb a Babel-inspired tower and decipher the distinct languages of its peoples by observing symbols and deducing meanings yourself. The striking comic-like art and the satisfying feeling of truly learning to communicate make it special.
2023PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified19.99 €98 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 31,587 reviews on Steam
Puzzles and brain teasers
Lots to discover
Distinctive, stylised art style
You climb a Babel-inspired tower and decipher the distinct languages of its peoples by observing symbols and deducing meanings yourself. The striking comic-like art and the satisfying feeling of truly learning to communicate make it special.
A physics-driven sandbox where you freely experiment with weapons, machines and odd gadgets on ragdoll characters. The fun comes from creative tinkering and the unexpected, chaotic results.
A physics-driven sandbox where you freely experiment with weapons, machines and odd gadgets on ragdoll characters. The fun comes from creative tinkering and the unexpected, chaotic results.
2012PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified4.99 €97 % positive
A tactile puzzle game where you twist, slide and inspect an ornate safe full of hidden compartments and clever mechanisms. Its moody, occult-tinged atmosphere makes every discovery feel eerie and satisfying.
2012PC, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified4.99 €97 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 30,557 reviews on Steam
Puzzles and brain teasers
Lavish presentation
A tactile puzzle game where you twist, slide and inspect an ornate safe full of hidden compartments and clever mechanisms. Its moody, occult-tinged atmosphere makes every discovery feel eerie and satisfying.
A fast speedrunning first-person shooter where card-based guns double as movement abilities. You optimize routes through short levels, wrapped in anime style, dating-sim-style dialogue and a driving soundtrack.
2022PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified23.79 €98 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 17,441 reviews on Steam
Action-packed real-time combat
Fast pace
Timing and reflexes matter (parrying, dodging)
A fast speedrunning first-person shooter where card-based guns double as movement abilities. You optimize routes through short levels, wrapped in anime style, dating-sim-style dialogue and a driving soundtrack.
Toem is a laid-back photography adventure set in a hand-drawn black-and-white world, where you help quirky locals by snapping pictures and solving small tasks. Charming, friendly and completely stress-free.
2021PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified18.99 €99 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 10,268 reviews on Steam
Cosy, great for unwinding
Distinctive, stylised art style
Lots to discover
Toem is a laid-back photography adventure set in a hand-drawn black-and-white world, where you help quirky locals by snapping pictures and solving small tasks. Charming, friendly and completely stress-free.
A moving narrative game where you wander the sprawling Finch family home and relive each relative's final moments through short vignettes, each with its own inventive gameplay twist. Melancholic, creative, and unforgettable in just a couple of hours.
2017PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified18.49 €95 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 47,637 reviews on Steam
Emotional impact
Strong, story-driven narrative
Lavish presentation
A moving narrative game where you wander the sprawling Finch family home and relive each relative's final moments through short vignettes, each with its own inventive gameplay twist. Melancholic, creative, and unforgettable in just a couple of hours.
A chaotic run-and-gun platformer starring parodies of action movie heroes, where nearly everything is destructible and explosions tear levels apart. With up to four friends in co-op, the mayhem becomes gloriously over-the-top fun.
2015PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable14.79 €96 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 49,636 reviews on Steam
Action-packed real-time combat
Pixel art
Shooting and gunplay
A chaotic run-and-gun platformer starring parodies of action movie heroes, where nearly everything is destructible and explosions tear levels apart. With up to four friends in co-op, the mayhem becomes gloriously over-the-top fun.
As an insurance investigator, you use a magical pocket watch to relive the final moments of a ghost ship's crew and deduce the identity and fate of every sailor. Its striking 1-bit visuals and brilliant deduction design make it a one-of-a-kind detective game.
2018PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck verified19.50 €96 % positive
Overwhelmingly positive, 32,905 reviews on Steam
Puzzles and brain teasers
Strong, story-driven narrative
Distinctive, stylised art style
As an insurance investigator, you use a magical pocket watch to relive the final moments of a ghost ship's crew and deduce the identity and fate of every sailor. Its striking 1-bit visuals and brilliant deduction design make it a one-of-a-kind detective game.
A deep colony sim inside an asteroid where you keep your Duplicants alive by managing oxygen, heat, food and waste through interlocking physics-like systems. Spectacular failures are part of the fun, often with dark humor.
A deep colony sim inside an asteroid where you keep your Duplicants alive by managing oxygen, heat, food and waste through interlocking physics-like systems. Spectacular failures are part of the fun, often with dark humor.
You and your friends play ghost hunters, using EMF readers, spirit boxes and cameras to work out which kind of ghost haunts a location. Voice recognition and sudden hunts make for genuine panic and plenty of hilarious co-op moments.
2020PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck playable18.99 €94 % positive
Very positive, 686,738 reviews on Steam
Co-op or multiplayer
Playing together in co-op
Dread and tension
You and your friends play ghost hunters, using EMF readers, spirit boxes and cameras to work out which kind of ghost haunts a location. Voice recognition and sudden hunts make for genuine panic and plenty of hilarious co-op moments.
Indie games tend to focus on one strong idea and build everything around it. That is why this list covers so much ground: a relaxed farming sim, a precision platformer, a deckbuilder and a physics comedy sandbox all sit side by side. Because the range is so wide, the best way to choose is to decide what kind of session you want before you look at the genre.
Difficulty is the first thing to check. Celeste and Hollow Knight are tagged as difficult, with Celeste built around precise platforming and Hollow Knight around exploring a hand-drawn, atmospheric world. If you want something gentler, Stardew Valley is tagged cozy and relaxing, and it also offers co-op. Subnautica suits players who like slow, atmospheric exploration, though its horror tag means it can get tense.
If you like short runs you can repeat, look at the roguelikes. Hades pairs fast action with a story-rich mythology setting, Slay the Spire is a difficult turn-based deckbuilder, and Balatro takes the deckbuilder idea in a stylish, strategy-focused direction. For laughs with friends, Garry's Mod is a multiplayer, co-op sandbox with a comedy tag, and it is the only game here listed for PC alone. Most of the others are also available on consoles, but on PC you can pick any of them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best indie game on PC for beginners?
Stardew Valley is a good start, since it is tagged cozy and relaxing and has no difficulty tag. Undertale is another approachable option, with turn-based combat and a story-rich, comedic tone.
Which indie games on PC are good for co-op?
Stardew Valley, Vampire Survivors and Garry's Mod all carry a co-op tag. Garry's Mod is the most playful of the three, with multiplayer and comedy tags.
Which indie games on PC are the most challenging?
Hollow Knight, Celeste and Slay the Spire are all tagged difficult. Hollow Knight tests exploration and combat, Celeste tests platforming precision, and Slay the Spire tests your deckbuilding strategy.
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