Obscurest (Good games) on your Steam library

[Guilion]

After Arnox recommended Oneshot in another thread and since the Steam sale is halfway-through I thought this would be a good time as any to recommend to each other games that are pretty obscure and people on this forum wouldn't find about otherwise, if not for this steam sale for the next one. So without futher ado, here is my list (Which I based on the amount of reviews for each title and how much I enjoyed them):

FOTONICA
Fotonica is an extremely basic runner which, unlike many other runners, takes place from a wire-frame first person perspective and it's fast. The title itself contains roughly about 10 levels, however it took me roughly 4 hours to finish it due to how difficult the latest levels can be, I would recommend getting it for under 5 dollars as I haven't touched it since I finbished it but otherwise I would consider it a good game for those that like runners and mirror's edge.

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6owHH93RWY
[/youtube]

Grapple
Grapple is by far one of my favorites (If not my favorite) game of 2015. Although the game looks stupidly simple and plays stupidly simple (You are a blob of goo that grapples itself to wals in order to get to a goal) it may be (In my humble opinion) one of the best 3-d platforming implementations ever, every time I fell to the void in this game it genuine felt as if it was my fault rather than a camera issue and completing the last levels is immensely satisfying due to the absurd amounts of jumps requiring pin-point precision that you have to perform. There are some bullshit levels here and there (Particularly the ones where the designer just said "Fuck it" and threw a bunch of objects together without any rhyme or reason and added a time limit) but it generally is a great game and I would recommend buying it even at full price if you're up for a challenge.

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOMbGsmWKeM
[/youtube]

Riff Racer
Probably one of the best known games in this list. Riff racer is a procedural audio generated game ala audiosurf where rather than avoiding, destroying or playing objects tracks instead generate a race track, it's a ridiculously simple concept but a very fun one. The only disadvantage that comes with this one is that it's entirely server-reliant which means unlike other procedural generated you cannot play online, on the other hand you get ghosts of competing players which serves as a ressurance that the high-scores aren't rigged (Unlike in say.... Audiosurf 2). It's one of my most played games on steam and I recommend it even at full price.

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBRuQh2CznQ[/youtube]

Symphony
Another procedural audio generated game, this one is an interesting one as it's a vertical space shoot-em up that feels as if you were playing that trophy-earning game from smash brothers (Where you launch coins at trophies) with customizable ships that get destroyed depending on the parts that get damaged ala Starfox and boss battles that appear once you complete every 10 songs or so.

I recommend it on sale as I haven't played it in quite a while after I completed it, however bear in mind that it took me 22 hours to complete despite the fact that it only contains about 5 bosses.

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKspwSHkOWg[/youtube]

Thumper
Whoever decided to name this one after Bambi's companion is an absolute idiot, but I digress. Thumper is a "rythm" (With very large quotation marks) about a bug trying to get to the end of the level, that's it. However I find Thumper oddly... enthrancing I'm just starting to play it and as such I'm having a hard time forming opinions on it but I still think it's worth playing on a sale

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpeB5r_gn6Y[/youtube]

War of the human tanks/ War of the human tanks Alter/ War of the Human Tanks - Limited Operations
I have zero idea as to how there are three games on these series considering how unpopular they are (Then again 2 and 3 just countain recycled code from 1....). War of the human tanks is for those that for whatever reason liked Battleship as kids, this particular instance of battleship, however, incorporates RPG and RTS elements where the main objective is to find and destroy the enemy commander's rather than their entire fleet and players can defend themselves with things like anti-missile units designed to defend more important units and units can be equipped with items to better their stats.

I recommend getting and playing the first one on sale and if you like it and think it won't get old get the other two, otherwise avoid the rest of the series as it really never evolves beyond the gameplay of the first game.

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux6CbTCb4_4[/youtube]

Wasted
The other one that's probably well known thanks to the late totalbiscuit. Hey, do you like First person rogue-lites that make you lose all your progress once you die? No? Then you'll probably hate this game, yay.

As described above Wasted is a soul-crushingly hard rogue-lite FPS that consists of venturing into obvious ripoffs of vaults from the fallout universe in order to get rich or... something (It takes place in a post-apocalyptic world based on 80's culture where only the most stupid humans survived and as such the story is kind of difficult to explain, if not nearly non-existent). Unlike other Rogue-lites all your stats are dependent on your equipment and said equipment can be stored at your safe-house, therefore the game expects you to die multiple times in a row while storing good equipment in your safe-house before trying a successful run or trying a run that awards you good perks (As the only way to obtain perks is by reaching the end of the "Segment" of the vault and the perks on the first segment are always rubbish).

I had fun with it but a major flaw that I found was the difficulty curve; once I cleared the first "Cooler" (Vault) the game became surprisingly easy because the games never became harder as they only do more damage and never change tactics. I recommend it only on a sale.

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sak6K3oRpYk[/youtube]

Z.A.R.
(If someone actually heard of this one before this post I'll be genuinely impressed). This one I can recommend only to people that fulfill three criteria:

• People that like Old-School first person shooters like Doom
• People that like single-player, projectile-based arena shooters like Serious Sam
• People that for some reason think voxels were the shit

If you fulfill the three criteria bove, I cannot recommend this game enough, as it contains all of those three things in spades and even goes one step beyond to fulfill the second and third bullet by removing all hitscan weapons. It's one of those weird shooters that got lost in the 90's along with others such as Strife and to be honest I was enjoying the shit out of it before I reached an escort mission (Which I'm pretty sure must've been groundbreaking back in the day and highly praised but now it feels dated and stupid).

Get it on sale, and believe me when I say that finding the ROM for this one is hard, so chances are if you want to play it you'll have to buy it.

Spoiler

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hQP9cm5Us8k[/youtube]

Games that I left out of this list because I feel they're popular enough: Drunken Robot Pornography, Beat Hazzard, Party Hard, Neon Drive, Parallax, Recettear, Retro/Grade, Revolver360: Reactor and Rise of the Triad 2013 (Yes, really, although it istill is buggy as shit)

 

[Arnox]

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare

XD Kidding. Alright so these games may not be THAT obscure per se, but I know for a fact a lot of people still haven't played them and need to.

In alphabetical order:

Antichamber - A first-person puzzler. It's a really abstract looking game but it's also beautiful. And beautiful in its simplicity. The ending just blows super hard though. Even the creator wasn't satisfied with it, but he spent so long making the damn thing that he burned himself out and he just wanted it over with. Despite that though, the rest of the game is well worth playing and the journey it takes you on is peaceful and contemplative.

The Beginner's Guide - A "walking simulator" but it's cheap, short, and WELL worth the money. And I don't think this game could have been any better if there was more added to it, no matter what it was. So it's fully justified in being what it is. In fact, this is a game I think every gamer or critic of art should play.

Blade Symphony - I heard this game was basically Jedi Academy for those who wanted a sequel, but the devs abandoned it. Maybe give it a look.

Consortium - A game with tons of choice and dialogue. Unfortunately, it just didn't grab me, and the load times. Oh hell, the LOAD TIMES. The problem is the devs are well are of this and can't do anything to fix it because the engine it's built on (Source) was never meant to do the things they made it do. Nevertheless, if interesting characterization and dialogue are your cups of tea, definitely give this one a look at least.

Dust: An Elysian Tail - A beautiful game with some serious heart and passion to it. A game that you can just point to and truly say without a doubt that the devs made this because they had a vision and a goal to see it through instead of wanting to meet sales numbers. The game is not that challenging at all, even at the higher levels, but it's alright because the combat is still fluid and mostly satisfying. This is one of those wholesome games that still manages to tackle some modern issues in a serious and mature way. Definitely play this one.

HeXen: Beyond Heretic - Then on the opposite side of the spectrum here, we have Hexen. Made by Raven Software and published by id using the Doom engine. This game isn't all that well made, gameplay wise, and the level design is some of the most obscure I've seen. But despite these huge problems, I still finding myself really loving this game. It just has this... Theme. This world that just draws you in. And it's all in the little details. Like the fantastical stained glass in the first level and the fucking badass Arc of Death spell. If there's a game that needs a remake, it's this one. A remake could REALLY make this game shine like no other. It just needs some love.

MIND Path to Thalamus - Like Antichamber and The Beginner's Guide, this is a beautiful looking game. In fact, it's so beautiful that it's pretty much the only reason why I recommend you should play it. It doesn't really have very much at all, gameplay wise. But the areas are so beautifully designed that it's hard to care. Just look up a walkthrough and play it that way so you can enjoy the sights without frustration.

OneShot - This game... This fucking game is so damn good. It's got problems. But the core of it is so fucking good... It made me legit cry. It made me feel for the game for at least a week. And after a month of finishing it, I was still thinking about it. That is a feat. Unfortunately, this is one game you need to go into blind to get the full effect. The other games I mentioned above, I praised for looking beautiful. But if there was one game that was... Emotionally beautiful, if that makes any sense at all, it's this one. Unlike Undertale, it doesn't really dick around. It focuses much more on the characters themselves. And the soundtrack is orgasmic and fits the game perfectly. Anyway though. I'm starting to ramble here. Just play this game please.

Race The Sun - A fun little game to pass the time. Dodge the obstacles and use your jump and other abilities to get as far as you can. Every day the map is scrambled and regenerated so there's always a fresh new challenge.

Raptor: Call of the Shadows - People tell me there are better shoot 'em ups than this one. OK. Like what? I've looked at MANY of these alternatives and they all suffer in some way compared to Raptor. Most notably, they're complete bullet hells and don't really offer the same features this game does. Now, Raptor isn't perfect. Especially at the high difficulty levels. This game is practically impossible then. But putting that aside, the game is visceral and solid. A slow steady march of satisfying destruction. Tyrian comes pretty close, but that's not sold on Steam, so we can't count that. But hey, if you guys can give me another alternative that can match or exceed this one, I'll gladly replace it.

The Talos Principle - This game is as good a puzzler as Portal 2. That's right. You heard correctly. Maybe even better considering all the things The Talos Principle tackles so well. I like to quote a reviewer. I went in to evaluate The Talos Principle but the The Talos Principle instead evaluates you. And it doesn't presume to hold all the answers. But it does ask some pretty damn poignant questions. Besides that, the story is also incredibly solid and the soundtrack is... <3 Literally one of the best game soundtracks I've ever heard. You wouldn't think Croteam had such talent behind them to make a good puzzler, but they totally did it.

Ultimate Epic Battle Simulator - Incredible almost purely for the "wow" factor. The game may not have much of a point, but it's worth seeing what exactly it can do at least once.

Universe Sandbox 2 - This game is also like UEBS due to its "wow" factor but not having much point to it. This one though is utterly jaw-dropping in its capabilities and just KEEPS GETTING BETTER. And even though people may not ever really play it, like me, even though they're very fond of the game, I still firmly believe everyone should buy this game because the technical know-how and work the devs put into this game is worthy of an award.

 

[PointlessKnowledge]

OK, let’s try this.

Eversion

A simple platformer that is actually a bit creepy despite it’s simple colourful artstyle. It was made in 2010, so it wasn’t made during the recent rush of “lol, let’s make a creepy game hidden behind colouful graphics” trend, that seems to be much more current these days. Also, it is quite short, so it doesn’t overstay its welcome. Sadly, not on sale during this Steam sale, but if you see it on sale, you might want to try it.

Nidhogg

Pixel fencing game. The combat system is actually very good, while still being simple. Fights are tense and can easily become a good back and forth affair, leading to tense moments. The reward for winning a fight is great, and well worth the effort. The game is on sale, as well as Nidhogg 2, which I recommend avoiding, as it lacks the charm of the original.

Puzzle Agent

An obscure Telltale puzzle game. You want a Twin Peaks style story surrounded by some decent puzzles? If yes, then you aren’t going to do much better then this. This doesn’t feel like a typical Telltale game, so if you dislike their normal style of storytelling, this one might be up your alley. A good story and a chance to prove that your brain hasn’t shriveled up and died and being on a 75% sale, how can you lose? You might want to pass on its sequel (maybe a trend with games I like?), as its story feels much weaker then original.

Recettear: An Item Shop Story

A charming little game about a young girl and her debt collector. The game switches between a store management game, where you buy/sell/haggle trying to get closer to paying off your debt, and a Legend of Zelda style dungeon crawl where you take everything as a cheap source of merchendise. The game’s anime artstyle may rub some the wrong, and the dungeons look quite dull, but there is a fun game with a great sense of humour. There are numerous different mercenaries you can hire to enter the dungeons, giving some variety to how you tackle dungeons. It is on sale, so you might want to give it a try.

Super Amazing Wagon Adventure

You ever wish that Oregon Trail was a bullet hell made by crazy people? If so, have I got the game for you! Your pilgrims are going to die inglorious deaths as everything can and will murder you. Different unlockable wagon types provide different ways to tackle this almost certainly doomed journey. Attempts are short, so failing doesn’t feel to terrible. The game is dirt cheap even when not on sale, and it currently is!

Viscera Cleanup Detail

Ever get that feeling while playing Doom or Dead Space of “Man, I would hate to be the janitor for this”? Now you get to feel what that poor sod has to go through! Scoop, mop and incinerate the results of a previous bloodbath in a strangely zen-like game. A fine game to play while listening to some podcasts, as your brain can just leave as you clean. It is on sale, so if you need a brainless game, you could do worse.

 

[Arnox]

Viscera Cleanup Detail

Ever get that feeling while playing Doom or Dead Space of “Man, I would hate to be the janitor for this”? Now you get to feel what that poor sod has to go through! Scoop, mop and incinerate the results of a previous bloodbath in a strangely zen-like game. A fine game to play while listening to some podcasts, as your brain can just leave as you clean. It is on sale, so if you need a brainless game, you could do worse.

I never understood why the makers of one of the best weapon mods I've ever seen for any game hands down would decide to make a game about being a janitor. Talk about a waste of potential...

 

[Signa]

Viscera Cleanup Detail

Ever get that feeling while playing Doom or Dead Space of “Man, I would hate to be the janitor for this”? Now you get to feel what that poor sod has to go through! Scoop, mop and incinerate the results of a previous bloodbath in a strangely zen-like game. A fine game to play while listening to some podcasts, as your brain can just leave as you clean. It is on sale, so if you need a brainless game, you could do worse.

I never understood why the makers of one of the best weapon mods I've ever seen for any game hands down would decide to make a game about being a janitor. Talk about a waste of potential...

Did you even play it? The game is fantastic! I wouldn't play it alone though. It's exactly the same as being asked to clean up someone's mess all by yourself. Co-op is a blast because the janky physics makes the game go from a work simulator to an episode of the 3 stooges.

 

[PointlessKnowledge]

I never understood why the makers of one of the best weapon mods I've ever seen for any game hands down would decide to make a game about being a janitor. Talk about a waste of potential...

Did you even play it? The game is fantastic! I wouldn't play it alone though. It's exactly the same as being asked to clean up someone's mess all by yourself. Co-op is a blast because the janky physics makes the game go from a work simulator to an episode of the 3 stooges.

See, Signa knows what is up.

 

[Guilion]

OK, let’s try this.


Recettear: An Item Shop Story

A charming little game about a young girl and her debt collector. The game switches between a store management game, where you buy/sell/haggle trying to get closer to paying off your debt, and a Legend of Zelda style dungeon crawl where you take everything as a cheap source of merchendise. The game’s anime artstyle may rub some the wrong, and the dungeons look quite dull, but there is a fun game with a great sense of humour. There are numerous different mercenaries you can hire to enter the dungeons, giving some variety to how you tackle dungeons. It is on sale, so you might want to give it a try.

I omitted that one because I felt it was popular enough based on the amount of Steam reviews, however I really like that game.

Viscera Cleanup Detail

Ever get that feeling while playing Doom or Dead Space of “Man, I would hate to be the janitor for this”? Now you get to feel what that poor sod has to go through! Scoop, mop and incinerate the results of a previous bloodbath in a strangely zen-like game. A fine game to play while listening to some podcasts, as your brain can just leave as you clean. It is on sale, so if you need a brainless game, you could do worse.

I never understood why the makers of one of the best weapon mods I've ever seen for any game hands down would decide to make a game about being a janitor. Talk about a waste of potential...

I found it to be a pretty original concept and quite fun in multiplayer. It does require a lot of polish, however.

I swear I've died more times from clipping through physics objects in that game than in some modern FPS games for being shot at.

 

[Signa]

I've been avoiding posting here, because where the hell do I start? I have over 800 games, and while I've never played a ton of them, there's a good deal that are under appreciated, forgotten, or are exactly as the thread title describes; Obscure. I'm just going to go down my list and write some blurbs on the game that catch my eye because I want to talk about them.

Devil Daggers
I'm not a huge fan of games that make you start over each time you play, or if said game has one-hit deaths for the player. Yet, somehow, this game is incredible. You are just some dude stuck in hell fighting for his life endlessly. More and more enemies spawn in, and you have to keep dodging and collecting powerup gems. It's like if Geometry Wars was first person, was made for the PSX, and took place in hell. Good stuff!

Factorio
Oh. My. God. Do not play this game. It's will eat your time like a succubus eats your soul. Ok, go play the game, but don't say I didn't warn you. You will find that the 8 hour stints you played actually took 12 hours off the clock. It starts as a basic resource collecting game, much how Terraria or Minecraft starts out, but by the end, you're building conveyor belts and contraptions to help you build complex materials to launch a rocket into space. On the surface it looks enjoyable, but once you dive in, you get so lost time becomes meaningless. There is only conveyor belts in this bottomless black hole of bliss

Path of Exile
Probably the least obscure game I'm going to mention tonight, but it lacks the popularity of other games in its genre, yet it's probably the best. Move over Diablo II, there is no need to ever install you again.

Portal Knights
From the makers of one of the console ports for Terraria comes a blend of Minecraft voxel based world building with a more robust (although somewhat lackluster) combat and quest system. It gets a thumbs up from me because it's not the same chore Mincraft is and it's something different than Terraria, which I put way too much time into.

Sanctum/Sanctum 2
These guys got class. Coffee Stain Studios made an amazing blend of a tower defense game combined with a 4-player co-op FPS. Each game is wildly different from the other that it's amazing it was the same people behind both games. The core concept is the same, but the implementation is entirely different. And neither makes the other obsolete by being better than the other.

Turok 2
I'm mentioning this because the HD PC release was the best port I've ever seen. If you liked the N64 game, this is the best way to ever play this. The game isn't obscure, but I think the port is.


I got to give a nod tonight to Okami as I passed that one over. As well known as it is, it's also criminal how poorly the game has sold over its life.