Since its launch in 2003, Steam has become one of the biggest computer game marketplaces in the world, with thousands of video games releasing every single year and millions of users who will be playing games through the store's launcher. But, because there are so many games, it can be hard to stand out in the pack.
Many indie developers have made an effort to get their game setup on the platform and vying for users to pay attention to them enough to add the title to their wishlist. It's because of this that many have gotten lost in the shuffle, but there are a handful of hidden gems on Steam that deserve people's attention.
10 Sizeable
Hidden object games are not as beloved as other types of puzzle experiences, but there are plenty to choose from on the Steam Store. One hidden gem of a hidden object game is Sizeable, which lets you play around with a variety of cute dioramas.
Each level within Sizeable allows for increasing and decreasing the size of various objects that are in the diorama. This causes either the object to change or the area as a whole to be affected, leading to scenarios that involve discovering the three pillars that are necessary for officially completing the level.
9 Gibbon: Beyond The Trees
It is always powerful when you play a game and walk away feeling more impacted by the game's message compared to the game itself. This is a great way to describe Gibbon: Beyond The Trees, an experience by Broken Rules known for usually creating mobile titles.
The gameplay focuses on being a gibbon swinging across trees, learning how to keep the momentum of moving and jumping across the jungle with another gibbon. Gibbon: Beyond The Trees provides a message about deforestation and poaching in Southeast Asia while telling a story without any dialogue.
8 LumbearJack
Humans have certainly taken over the world, and in LumbearJack, the rest of the creatures are looking to take the world back. In this lighthearted adventure, you play as a bear named Jack who is looking to cut through the industrial world with the help of his axe.
Levels consist of various structures that Jack can use his axe on. As he does this, things like trees and flowers will begin to sprout from the ground as nature begins to be restored. Granted, some things are just too big for his axe normally. But if Jack makes a ton of progress in a level, he can grow his axe to a ridiculous size to take down anything.
7 Paradise Marsh
Walking simulators have been on the rise in the last decade and Steam is home to a lot of the biggest entries in the genre. But one entry that slipped under-the-radar in recent years is Paradise Marsh, a game about walking around nature and collecting creatures.
Equipped with a net, you will walk around different biomes that are procedurally generated. After catching these creatures, you will be able to look up at the stars at night and interact with celestial beings that embody these creatures. There are also many other trinkets to play around with, including bird poets and unique flowers.
6 The Spirit And The Mouse
Playing as a cute animal in a game has become a common trend, but one hidden gem on Steam is The Spirit and The Mouse, a game about a little mouse named Lila who gains shocking powers following a thunderstorm. The narrative adventure takes place on the streets of Sainte-et-Claire as Lila goes around helping the various systems.
With the help of the electric spirits called Kibblins, your job will be to figure out ways to power various aspects of the neighborhood after the electricity has gone haywire for most of the people in town. The Kibblins themselves will also need help and will send Lila on tasks that will help accomplish the various missions she is on.
5 Ynglet
Sometimes, games come across as more simple than they actually are. This is a great way to describe Ynglet, a 2D platformer where you are traversing between bubbles attempting to stay afloat. While this can be a rather chill experience, it is not without its difficulty points.
Floating through each of the bubbles, you will discover a variety of mechanics that can both launch the floating creature or greatly hinder movement. Either way, this game does have many cool moments when it comes to how the levels evolve while maneuvering and the colorful visuals that come with the adventure.
4 Sunshine Shuffle
Indie developers are some of the more innovative and inventive people out there that are making games that no one else is thinking of. Strange Scaffold is one of these developers who is constantly pushing new ideas, which includes a poker narrative game called Sunshine Shuffle.
You are a private investigator who has boarded a ship with a former bank robbing crew. The goal is to play Texas Hold 'Em and get more of the story as to what happened for the years they were running together and how they ended up there in the first place. There are also ton of customization options when it comes to boat decor and character outfits.
3 Roto Force
There is nothing like finding a game that is just nonstop action. One action title that is a hidden gem on Steam is Roto Force. This game is about playing as a slug who is serving as an intern on the Roto Force. It is up to you to complete various missions and take out targets.
This bullet hell game has you moving along a 2D screen that turns as you navigate. Meanwhile, hordes of enemies will attempt to attack and knock the slug out of the mission. Luckily, the slug will have its choice of a variety of weapons that can help dictate the overall playstyle.
2 PogoChamp
A lot of the biggest 3D platformers out there feature a popular mascot character who is running around vast worlds collecting items and fighting bosses. But PogoChamp instead puts you in control of a test dummy on a pogo stick with the sole goal of reaching to the end of levels.
The game is easy to learn but hard to perfect. You will need to learn how to properly control the stick and properly navigate various puzzles that range from simply getting through an obstacle to rolling in a ball to get to the destination at the end. No matter what, PogoChamp keeps you on your toes despite how weird it can get.
1 Mr. Saitou
Laura Shigihara may be known best as a singer and a composer, but she is also a video game developer. Her first title, Rakuen, told a story about a hospitalized boy and his Mom visiting a mystical new world. But a hidden gem is her newest title based in the same universe in Mr. Saitou.
After ending up in the hospital, a man who works an office job finds himself having turned into a creature that is part-llama, part-worm. He realizes that he is in a new world where his fellow workers are also creatures called llamaworms. He then meets a new friend who takes him on a journey that gives some perspective behind the meaning of life.