In today's crowded gaming market, it's easier than ever for exceptional games to get lost in the shuffle. For every blockbuster release backed by massive marketing budgets, dozens of smaller titles quietly launch with little fanfare, despite offering innovative gameplay, compelling stories, or unique artistic visions. These hidden gems often provide some of gaming's most memorable experiences, yet many players miss them entirely.
At Strike Spiele, we're passionate about helping gamers discover great games across all platforms. While our game recommendation tool can help you find titles tailored to your preferences, we wanted to shine a spotlight on some specific underrated games that deserve more attention. In this article, we've curated a collection of hidden gems across various genres and platforms that you might have overlooked but should definitely consider adding to your playlist.
What Makes a Hidden Gem?
Before diving into our recommendations, let's clarify what we mean by "hidden gems." These are games that:
- Received positive critical reception but limited commercial success
- Offered innovative or exceptional gameplay experiences
- Flew under the radar due to limited marketing, release timing, or platform exclusivity
- Developed cult followings over time as players discovered their quality
These aren't necessarily obscure indie games (though some are), but rather titles that didn't receive the attention or player base they deserved relative to their quality. Let's explore some standout examples across different genres.
Action-Adventure Hidden Gems
Sleeping Dogs
Released in the shadow of Grand Theft Auto and other open-world crime games, Sleeping Dogs (2012) offers a compelling undercover cop story set in a beautifully realized Hong Kong. What sets it apart is its emphasis on martial arts combat over gunplay, with a deep melee system that makes you feel like the star of a kung fu film. The game's unique setting, strong narrative, and excellent voice acting (featuring actors like Emma Stone and Lucy Liu) create an immersive experience unlike any other open-world game.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Control
While Control (2019) received critical acclaim, it didn't achieve the commercial success or widespread recognition it deserved. Remedy Entertainment's supernatural action game combines telekinetic combat with a fascinatingly weird narrative set in a shape-shifting brutalist building called the Oldest House. With stunning visual design, innovative gameplay that lets you hurl objects with your mind and transform your weapon on the fly, and a story that draws inspiration from the New Weird literary genre, Control offers one of the most distinctive gaming experiences of recent years.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch (Cloud Version)
Gravity Rush 2
This PlayStation exclusive features one of gaming's most unique movement systems, allowing protagonist Kat to manipulate gravity to "fall" in any direction. This gravity-shifting mechanic creates exhilarating traversal and combat possibilities in a beautifully cel-shaded world. Despite its innovative gameplay and charming story, Gravity Rush 2 (2017) was overlooked by many players, and its online services were shut down relatively quickly after release. It remains a one-of-a-kind experience that showcases how movement mechanics alone can make a game special.
Available on: PlayStation 4
RPG Hidden Gems
Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning
Originally released in 2012 and remastered in 2020, Kingdoms of Amalur features one of the most satisfying combat systems in any action RPG. Created by a dream team that included fantasy author R.A. Salvatore, Spawn creator Todd McFarlane, and Elder Scrolls designer Ken Rolston, the game offers an expansive world with deep lore and incredibly fluid combat. Unfortunately, it launched just months before Diablo III and was overshadowed despite its quality. The remastered version gives modern players a chance to experience this overlooked classic.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
CrossCode
This indie gem combines 16-bit SNES-style graphics with modern game design in a unique way. CrossCode (2018) is set within a fictional MMO, but it's actually a single-player action RPG with puzzle elements. The combat is fast-paced and challenging, the puzzles are clever, and the story takes surprising turns that comment on gaming culture itself. With over 80 hours of content, including challenging dungeons and a vast overworld to explore, CrossCode offers tremendous value and a nostalgic yet fresh experience.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Dragon's Dogma: Dark Arisen
Capcom's open-world action RPG features some of the most exciting combat in the genre, allowing players to climb onto large monsters Shadow of the Colossus-style while battling them. Its unique "pawn" system lets you create AI companions that other players can recruit in their games (and vice versa), creating an asynchronous multiplayer experience. Despite developing a cult following, Dragon's Dogma (2012) never achieved mainstream success on par with its quality. With a sequel finally announced, now is the perfect time to discover this innovative RPG.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Strategy and Simulation Hidden Gems
Frostpunk
This city-building survival game puts you in charge of the last city on a frozen Earth, forcing you to make difficult moral choices to ensure your society's survival. Frostpunk (2018) stands out for how it blends resource management with ethical dilemmas—do you allow child labor to increase coal production? Institute radical religious law to maintain hope? The game's stunning steampunk aesthetic, haunting soundtrack, and emotional impact make it one of the most distinctive strategy games in recent memory, yet it remains underappreciated outside core strategy gaming circles.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, iOS, Android
Oxygen Not Included
From Klei Entertainment (makers of Don't Starve), this complex colony simulation game challenges you to manage a group of duplicants trapped inside an asteroid. What makes Oxygen Not Included (2019) special is its commitment to scientific principles—you'll need to understand thermodynamics, gas behavior, and electrical systems to succeed. The game's depth is staggering, with interlocking systems that create emergent gameplay as you try to build a sustainable colony. Despite its quality and depth, it hasn't achieved the recognition of similar management sims.
Available on: PC
Two Point Hospital
Spiritual successor to the classic Theme Hospital, Two Point Hospital (2018) revives the medical management sim with modern graphics and gameplay while maintaining the quirky humor of its inspiration. Patients suffer from fictional ailments like "Light-headedness" (having a literal light bulb for a head) or "Cubism" (becoming blocky like a Picasso painting). Beyond the comedy, there's a deep and satisfying management game that challenges you to design efficient hospitals while balancing finances and staff needs. Despite positive reviews, it hasn't achieved the widespread recognition it deserves.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Indie Hidden Gems
Outer Wilds
Not to be confused with The Outer Worlds, Outer Wilds (2019) is a masterpiece of exploration and discovery. Set in a miniature solar system caught in a 22-minute time loop, you play as an astronaut trying to uncover the mysteries of an extinct alien civilization. What makes it special is how it trusts the player's curiosity—there are no quest markers or explicit objectives, just a fascinating universe to explore where knowledge is your only permanent progression. Despite winning numerous awards, Outer Wilds remains criminally underplayed compared to its extraordinary quality.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Return of the Obra Dinn
Created by Lucas Pope (of Papers, Please fame), this detective game casts you as an insurance investigator in 1807, tasked with determining the fate of every person aboard a merchant ship that has returned to port with no one alive. Using a magical pocket watch that shows you the moment of a person's death, you must piece together what happened through logical deduction. The game's 1-bit monochromatic art style, outstanding sound design, and ingenious puzzle design make it one of the most unique gaming experiences available, though its distinctive look and deliberate pacing have kept it from reaching a wider audience.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
A Short Hike
This charming indie game follows bird protagonist Claire as she climbs a mountain to reach cell phone reception. Along the way, you'll meet colorful characters, discover hidden treasures, and engage in relaxing activities like fishing and collecting feathers that extend your flight ability. A Short Hike (2019) captures the joy of exploration in a compact experience (2-3 hours) with a distinctive visual style and heartwarming story. Despite universal critical acclaim, its short length and understated nature have kept it from reaching the audience it deserves.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Horror Hidden Gems
SOMA
From the creators of Amnesia: The Dark Descent, SOMA (2015) is a philosophical horror game set in an underwater research facility where something has gone terribly wrong. While it features stealth and survival elements, SOMA's true horror comes from its existential questions about consciousness, identity, and what it means to be human. The game's atmosphere is oppressively tense, and its story will stay with you long after the credits roll. Despite critical acclaim, SOMA was overshadowed by more action-oriented horror titles.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox
Darkwood
This top-down survival horror game creates tension through limited vision, resource scarcity, and a day/night cycle where staying alive after dark requires careful preparation. Darkwood (2017) stands out for creating horror without relying on jump scares, instead building dread through its oppressive atmosphere, mysterious story, and the constant feeling of vulnerability. The game's Eastern European setting and folklore-inspired elements give it a distinctive flavor rarely seen in horror games. Despite its innovations, Darkwood remains relatively unknown outside horror gaming circles.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Pathologic 2
Less a traditional horror game and more an exercise in sustained dread, Pathologic 2 (2019) places you in a plague-stricken town where you must survive for 12 days while trying to find a cure. The game deliberately makes itself difficult and uncomfortable—you'll constantly battle hunger, exhaustion, and infection while making impossible choices about who to help with your limited time and resources. Its unique atmosphere, dreamlike narrative, and commitment to player discomfort make it unlike anything else in gaming, though these same qualities have limited its mainstream appeal.
Available on: PC, Xbox
Narrative Adventure Hidden Gems
Kentucky Route Zero
Released episodically between 2013 and 2020, this magical realist point-and-click adventure follows truck driver Conway as he attempts to make a delivery along the mysterious Route Zero. The game defies conventional storytelling, blending elements of Southern Gothic literature, experimental theater, and economic critique into a wholly unique experience. Its distinctive visual style, hauntingly beautiful soundtrack, and poetic writing make it one of gaming's most significant artistic achievements, yet its unconventional nature has kept it from reaching a wider audience.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch
Night in the Woods
This narrative adventure follows college dropout Mae Borowski as she returns to her hometown and reconnects with friends while uncovering a dark mystery. Night in the Woods (2017) stands out for its authentic portrayal of small-town America in decline, mental health issues, and the challenges of early adulthood. Despite its anthropomorphic animal characters, the game tackles serious themes with nuance and humor, backed by gorgeous art direction and a stellar soundtrack. While it developed a devoted following, it deserves an even wider audience.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android
Disco Elysium
While Disco Elysium has received significant critical acclaim, it still hasn't reached the audience it deserves given its extraordinary quality. This isometric RPG casts you as an amnesiac detective solving a murder case in a city still recovering from a failed revolution. What makes it special is its unprecedented depth of role-playing—nearly every interaction is influenced by your character's skills, thoughts, and previous choices. With some of the best writing in gaming history, a unique skill system where your abilities talk to you, and a richly realized world inspired by diverse literary traditions, Disco Elysium (2019) represents a high-water mark for narrative in games.
Available on: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, iOS
Why Do Great Games Go Unnoticed?
You might wonder how games of such quality can fly under the radar. Several factors contribute to this phenomenon:
Marketing Budgets
AAA games often have marketing budgets that equal or exceed their development costs. Smaller studios simply can't compete for attention in traditional advertising channels.
Release Timing
Many hidden gems had the misfortune of launching near major franchise releases that dominated the gaming conversation. A great game released the same week as a new Call of Duty or Zelda title will struggle for visibility.
Platform Exclusivity
Some games remain exclusive to platforms with smaller user bases or launch as timed exclusives, limiting their potential audience during the crucial initial release window.
Genre Popularity
Games in less mainstream genres (like strategy games or visual novels) often receive less coverage from major gaming outlets regardless of their quality.
Unconventional Design
Games that take creative risks or defy easy categorization can be difficult to market effectively and may appeal to smaller, more specific audiences.
How to Discover More Hidden Gems
If you're interested in finding more overlooked games that might become your new favorites, here are some strategies:
Follow Curators
On platforms like Steam, follow curators who specialize in highlighting overlooked games. Many gaming journalists and content creators also focus on covering games that fly under the radar.
Explore Subscription Services
Services like Xbox Game Pass, PlayStation Plus, and Humble Choice often include lesser-known titles alongside major releases, making it low-risk to try something new.
Pay Attention to Year-End Lists
Many gaming publications create "best games you missed" lists at the end of each year, highlighting quality titles that didn't receive enough attention.
Join Community Discussions
Subreddits like r/patientgamers or r/gamingsuggestions are great places to find recommendations for overlooked titles that match your interests.
Use Discovery Tools
Our own game recommendation tool can help you find games across platforms and genres that match your preferences, including many hidden gems you might have missed.
Conclusion: Treasures Await
In an industry that produces hundreds of new games every month, it's inevitable that some quality titles will be overlooked. The games highlighted in this article represent just a small fraction of the hidden gems waiting to be discovered across various platforms and genres.
What makes these overlooked games so special is often what made them difficult to market—their uniqueness, their willingness to take creative risks, or their appeal to specific tastes rather than the broadest possible audience. By seeking out these hidden gems, you not only find fresh gaming experiences but also support the kind of creative diversity that keeps the medium evolving and exciting.
The next time you're looking for something new to play, consider stepping off the beaten path. That obscure indie game or overlooked mid-budget title might offer exactly the experience you've been craving—one that the biggest blockbusters, for all their polish and spectacle, simply can't provide.
Have you played any of the hidden gems we've mentioned? Do you have your own overlooked favorites you think more players should experience? We'd love to hear about them! And don't forget to try our game recommendation tool to discover more games tailored to your unique preferences.