What are the best games you don't think anyone's heard of?

flOw

The core of Puzzle Quest comes down to its match-3 combat. You make a move, then your opponent gets a move. If you matched four gems or more in a row by the time your turn ends, you get a second turn. Gems have different colors: red, yellow, green, blue, and skulls. Matching gems of a color gives you that color mana, and instead of making a match, you can choose to cast a spell, which costs certain kinds of mana. Matching skulls takes HP from your opponent, and whoever runs out of HP first loses. Not too complicated, right? Until you realize that your opponent is wearing an item that makes him regenerate life when his yellow mana is full. So you decide to steal all of the yellow mana on the board to prevent him from regenerating life. He casts a spell that siphons your yellow mana and gives it to him. You both go back and forth, retaliating against the other's strategy, until only one person is left. The depth of the gameplay is limited by your ability to see it. Not only does your chosen class dramatically affect your playstyle in the game, but so does your gear and spellbook, often times changing how you play your character entirely. See More

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score 5 · Answer 1

Puzzle Quest

Top Pro

Surprisingly deep combat system

Top Con

AI "luck" is unquestionably unbalanced

There are many instances that see the player questioning the insurmountable luck the AI often receives as it will skip obvious moves that any person would play that end up resulting in a match 4 extra turn when more tiles fall down, as if it knew that would happen. Sadly this can happen often and is how the game increases difficulty. See More

Specs

The game supports PvP, where fighting an opponent who is just as smart as you can be challenging due to the great balance of play in multiplayer for evenly matched players. What is even better is that there are optional handicaps for matches between players that have different skill levels. See More

Top Pro

Good PvP implementation

Top Con

PSP version is extremely buggy

Companions have no effects, hovering over a certain Wizard's spell will lock the game (meaning you can't ever use that spell or any spell under it in the list), and others. While the game is fun on PC, and still is on the PSP, one must accept that some of the features are going to be off-limits for PSP users. See More

Top Pro

Combat, perfected in a match-3 game

The core of Puzzle Quest comes down to its combat. You make a move, then your opponent gets a move. If someone runs out of life, they lose. If you matched four gems or more in a row by the time your turn ends, you get a second turn. Gems have different colors. Matching gems of a color gives you that color mana, and instead of making a match, you can choose to cast a spell, which costs certain kinds of mana. Not too complicated. Until you realize that your opponent is wearing an item that makes him regenerate life when his yellow mana is full. So you decide to steal all of the yellow mana on the board to fuel one of your yellow-colored spells and to prevent him from regenerating life. He casts a spell that siphons your yellow mana and gives it to him. You both go back and forth, retaliating against the other's strategy, until only one person is left. The game is limited by your ability to play it. Not only does your chosen class dramatically effect your playstyle in the game, but so does your gear, often times changing how you play your character entirely. See More

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score 6 · Answer 2

Battleships Forever

Top Pro

Expanded gameplay with a ship maker program that is built into the game

Battleships Forever used to have a large cult behind it, due to people being able to create their own fleets and scenarios. See More

Top Con

The game isn't, and never will be, finished

Battleships Forever was big in its time, but that time has passed and its developers have moved on with their lives, as has its community. The final two missions of the game do not exist, occasional game-breaking bugs exist, and other issues exist that will probably never be fixed. While the game is fun and has infinite potential with custom made ships, it will never be complete. See More

Top Pro

Balances defensive and offensive tactics well

The beginning of the game requires the user to think on where they want to place ships in order to provide defensive as well as offensive ships. From there they are tasked with maneuvering in reaction to enemy ships in order to gain control of a map. It is through balance and forethought that the player will be able to obtain this. See More

The graphics of the game consist entirely of ASCII characters which keeps the design simple and easy to understand. See More

score 1 · Answer 3

Brogue

Top Pro

Simple and easy to understand design

Top Con

No classes

While not having any classes for the main character means that any item can be equipped it does make for less replayability due to not having different classes to try out on multiple playthroughs. See More

Specs

Genre:Roguelike

Co-Op:None

Controller Support:No

Top Pro

Can be played on persons preferred platform

It can be played on Mac OS X, Windows, or Linux, and on mobile devices running iOS or Android . See More

Top Pro

Random dungeon generation

With random seeds used every new game, the dungeon layout, as well as the effects for potions etc are different, creating a different and unique challenge every time. See More

Top Pro

Free to download and play for anyone

Doesn't cost a dime as the game is free to download and play. Which is great as there is no obstacle to one trying the game out. See More

CTF, DM, TDM, DDRace, among others. See More

score 1 · Answer 4

Teeworlds

Top Pro

Addictive gameplay

Specs

See All Specs

Top Pro

Free and open source

Top Pro

Varies game types

Top Pro

Small file size

It's less than 15 MB. See More

Top Pro

Lightwight

Runs well on old hardware. See More

The game has the user smartly use their environment against a boss which allows for critical thinking while trying to defeat a difficult character. This changes up the gamelpay from the regular platforming and shooting, which keeps things fresh for the player. See More

score 4 · Answer 5

Iji

Top Pro

Smartly uses environment in boss battles

Top Con

Movement is slow

Walking in the game feels quite slow which tends to drag out the gameplay and make things tedious. See More

Top Pro

Simple controls

The game mainly uses the arrow keys to control ones character, which is easy to understand and great for laptops. Other keys that are used are 6 keys together which allows the user to interact with the game while also moving. See More

Its fun to play the Missions, but it's even more fun to grind for better weapons and there are MANY weapons. See More

score 2 · Answer 6

Earth Defense Force 4.1: The Shadow of New Despair

Top Pro

Hours of gameplay

ChuckNorris's Experience

This is trash no question, but trust me, get a friend (it's also Splitscreen) and you will have a very good time. Maybe watch some reviews if you are not sure ;D See More

Specs

Players can play together locally and online in a cooperative manner, helping each other to defeat giant insect aliens that are attacking the city. The local co-op can be played on different devices (LAN) or even on the same device through split screen. The online multiplayer allows for easy access to friends and random people in order to play together. See More

See All Specs

Top Pro

Good co-op support

Top Pro

Solid PC port

EDF is a pretty good port for PC (originally a PS2 game ported to PS4) with a constant 60fps during gameplay (no matter how many giant insects are on screen) as well as good keyboard and mouse controls with a few PC centric settings to be found in the menus such as anti-aliasing (only on or off). This is all able to be done in full HD (1080p). See More

Top Pro

Fun theme that does not take itself too seriously

Much like a B movie, the game is themed as a low quality experience with dated looking graphics and a convoluted/outrageous story. The premise being, you are one of four playable characters whose job it is to destroy the onslaught of invading alien giant insects. There is little beyond this to be fleshed out, it is more aimed at being mindless fun. Luckily the little bit of story and dialogue you do get in the game often is a bit tongue in cheek, as it the game is often self aware of its role to play. See More

Top Pro

Endearing pure action gameplay

The premise of the game is to constantly be blasting giant alien insects in a slightly open world environment. Each level starts in a large sandboxed open world arena where alien insects will swarm the area. It is up to the player and the character they choose to use (of which there are four choices, each with their own skills/powers) on how killing these creatures will be carried out. Some of the available weapons for the different characters will be things like hand grenades, rocket launchers and automatic rifles. These weapons will be used in order to kill as many of the alien creatures that you can. Somewhat of a mindless style of play, blasting away anything that moves, but is appealing in its design due to the destruction that can be carried out. Each stage allows for compete destruction of all of its structures, meaning if there are enemies behind a building, you can just destroy the building in order to get to them. Overall the gameplay is quite fun and quirky in its B movie theme and design that allows for a never ending flow of creatures and areas to blast your way through. See More

Games usually last around a half hour in my experience, yet have so much going on in them. Your goal is to satisfy one of four conditions: Collect 4 spirit eggs and bring them to the king, freeing him from his corruption Become more corrupt than the king, replacing him on the throne Slay the king, taking his place the old fashioned way Have the highest influence upon the king's death, leading to him appointing you in charge Through this system, every game will be drastically different, as sometimes multiple players will compete to meet the same goal, and other times each player races to complete their own. See More

score 1 · Answer 7

Armello

Top Pro

Quick yet complex gameplay

Top Con

Lots of tutorial

This is not a game one can just download and play; the required tutorial explains each and every detail about the game rather than letting the player learn through experience. See More

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

There is an optional survival mode in the game that ups the challenge of the normal play for those that want more challenge out of the title. See More

score 2 · Answer 8

Dungeons of Fayte

Top Pro

Challenging survival mode

Top Con

Has glitches

Due to the game being made during a game jam type event there are a few bugs and glitches, though they do not make the game unplayable, just can be annoying. See More

Top Pro

Easy casual playstyle

The game is not all that difficult and can be completed in about an hour and a half, so makes for a good casual game to play in a short amount of time. See More

If the player is spotted by one of the family members in the house a battle will commence where the family member will try to kill the player through insecticides or swatting. It is up to the player to hit certain pressure points on the family member in order to subdue them. This takes a good balance of control skill and timing, which is challenging and fun. See More

score 2 · Answer 9

Mister Mosquito

Top Pro

Fun battle segments

Top Con

Poor collision detection

Many parts of the game have sub-par collision detection where even if the player is visibly away from an object the game still see them as too close meaning they may run into objects that are not there, depleting their health. This can be really frustrating as you never know which areas are going to have this problem until you have already run into them. See More

Top Pro

Unique gameplay

The gist of the game is that the player plays as a Mosquito inside of a families house, whose goal is to drain them of as much blood as possible without getting killed. See More

Secret Panchos has a growing active community that has helped the developer refine the game over the course of early access this last year. See More

score 1 · Answer 10

Secret Panchos

Top Pro

Active community

Specs

Steam Rating:Mostly Positive

Top Pro

Indie developer

The Indie developer group Switchblade Monkeys is a small group of friends working on this game over the last 6 years, creating quality content. They put a importance on player feedback and have used the community to refine the game over the last year, and are very active and vocal in the community. See More

Top Pro

Outlaw customization

Play to earn perks, skins, and reputation classes, all while seeing your outlaw grow in notoriety with a bigger bounty on your head! 10 Outlaws with different abilities, weapons and play styles make for diverse team make-up! See More

Top Pro

Spaghetti Western setting

Secret Panchos is set in a Spaghetti Western universe with colorful settings and characters. See More

Top Pro

Fast and fun gameplay

Secret Panchos is an isometric top down PvP shooter that pits teams of 3 against each other in several different modes of play. Games are quick, and the game mechanics are based on skill shots using a primary or secondary weapon that differs depending on which character you use. See More

It's turn-based puzzle, each turn you can either walk in one of 8 directions or turn by 45 degree. See More

score 1 · Answer 11

DROD: Gunthro and the Epic Blunder

Top Pro

Unique gameplay mechanics

Top Con

DROD is not a softcore or casual game.

If you're looking for easy puzzle, DROD is not your game of choice. Puzzles difficulty range from midcore to super-hard. See More

Maksim Litvinov's Experience

One of less known series of puzzle games. Many commercial review websites usually ignore it, when composing their "List of 50 best puzzle games". The reason is DROD is hard. And indie portals clearly state it as one of the best puzzle games ever made. I've spent hundreds hours in DROD series. See More

Specs

Genre:Puzzle (turn-based)

Top Pro

Many puzzles have additional optional challenges.

Challenges are not required to complete the game, but provide many hours of gameplay for hardcore players. See More

Top Pro

Each room is handcrafted puzzle

Each puzzle requires you to think. See More

Top Pro

Games are long

There are many levels, and each level can easily take many hours to solve. See More

Top Pro

Series of 5 games

Original order is following: DROD: King Dugan's Dungeon - remake of original game: Deadly Rooms of Death. DROD: Journey to Rooted Hold DROD: The City Beneath DROD: Gunthro and the Epic Blunder - prequel to all series. Remakes of parts 1,2,3 are available as DLCs. DROD: The Second Sky - available as standalone game. See More

There are hundreds of creatures in the game, with their special abilities, strengths and weaknesses, that you will fight and capture. See More

score 1 · Answer 12

Siralim 2

Top Pro

Hundreds of creatures to fight and capture

Top Con

Can get grindy

Summoning monsters, customizing, empowering, and breeding them, finding the perfect loot, may require you to grind. See More

Specs

Craft powerful artifacts, learn new spells, customize your monsters, team them up strategically, breed them, capture creatures, complete quests, gain the favors of gods, upgrade your castle, complete challenges, find rare treasures, collect resources, etc. See More

Top Pro

Deep game mechanics

Top Pro

Tactical combat

Fight monsters in tactical battles with up to 6 monsters in your team, cast spells, buff your team, debuff the enemies, exploit your monsters' special abilities, and the synergies between your monsters to win. See More

Top Pro

Randomized loot

Loot have randomized additional properties, similar to the loot in Diablo. See More

Top Pro

Create the perfect creatures, and the perfect teams

Customize your creatures with a great variety of spell gems and equipment, level them, breed them, and exploit the synergies between monsters to create the perfect teams. See More

You pick a race a weapon and 2 skills and battle through a world of monsters and demi-gods. See More

score 1 · Answer 13

Flamebreak

Top Pro

Action packed

Top Con

Very hard to beat

Game is not for the sleepy. See More

Specs

This game only requires 512 MB of RAM to run. Total file weight is 100 MB. See More

Answer 14

Emily is Away Too

Top Pro

Low system requirments

Top Con

Boring, repetitive gameplay

This game revolves around narrative much more than action. The gameplay mostly consists of typing one of the pre-recorded answer templates into the chat app. See More

Specs

This game builds upon the original Emily is Away game, but introduces some new interesting feautures, like profile customization in the chat app and new in-game services, like Facebook and Youtube. See More

Top Pro

Features in-game apps, such as retro versions of Facebook and Youtube

Top Pro

Your actions meaningfully influence the story

Emily is Away Too plays out differently, depending on the choices you make. The relationships can evolve in different ways, your actions can affect the situations other characters are in, you can discover different details about characters depending on how you approach the situations, etc. See More

Top Pro

Evokes a sense of nostalgia

Pixelated art, Windows XP-style game interface, early 2000's versions of Facebook and Youtube featured in the game, as well as numerous pop-culture references (including Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Eminem, and Red Hot Chili Peppers) will make players (given that they're old enough) nostalgic. See More

Top Pro

Heartfelt story

You take the role of the protagonist who unexpectedly gets contacted by his school crush and gets caught up in a love triangle. Seeing the characters interact, holding back their feelings, voicing their regrets, and figuring out what love is makes for a heartbreaking experience. See More

score 1 · Answer 15

Advanced Wars

score 1 · Answer 16

Everblue 2

Composed by Grant Kirkhope, the music in Viva Pinata really puts you in an unexplainable mood. When the sun sets, the animals falls asleep and "Tranquil Hours" plays, you will have a hard time not enjoying it. See More

score 1 · Answer 17

Stratosphere: Conquest of the Skies

score 1 · Answer 18

Viva Piñata

Top Pro

The soundtrack is amazing

Top Con

The game is a bit hard to get

You will need a physical copy and a controller to play, because the game was originally made for Xbox 360, and "Games for Windows Live" has been shut down. See More

Top Pro

It's a very casual game

Being a childrens game, it is not made to be played hours upon hours in one sitting, but makes it fun to get back to once in a while, without being boring or repetetive. See More

Top Pro

The feeling of achieveing something

If you're the kind of person that likes to hunt for secret items, hidden achievements, and rare events, this game is for you. You can cross-breed certain animals to get a new animal, feed them certain berries to change their color, make them evolve, and much more. The end goal of this game is to collect all the animals that are avaliable. See More