@dirtyferret
Yeah, those are certified underground classics only the most keen of gamers with impeccable taste heard about, alongside such indie hits like Fortnite, League of Legends and Grand Theft Auto.
I am going to add the Star Wars The Phantom Menace game (PC and PS1) as a true "hidden gem". Most people don't know about this game. It is basically a pseudo-RPG jammed into a 3D action adventure game. Items are persistent across levels for the same character until you switch to another character so there is a strong incentive to find the most efficient way to defeat your enemies. Level design is pretty intricate for a game this old, there are secrets all over the place with extra weapons goodies, and the music is straight from the film with added OST tracks. You get to fight with a lightsaber but that does not make you all-invincible like other Star Wars games like to make you, you have to use positioning and spacing to fight effectively. Blasters and grenades are some other weapons that can be necessary to defeat enemies in a health-efficient way. Bosses feel like serious obstacles, closer in tone to a FromSoft game with lots of health and a dangerous moveset that you can predict somewhat.
All that makes it a pretty great late 90s game but what takes it to the next level is the Mos Espa levels in the mid-game, 3 of them in total. The first two are basically open-world levels where you can walk around an entire town and with the exception of certain hostile characters and areas, you will not be attacked....unless you attack them first. I will expand on that in a bit.
These levels definitely feel the most like a RPG, there are quests with certain items that you need to obtain to move through the level, the game does not explicitly point out where you need to go so a sense of exploration is built into the level.
Ok, so this is a pretty fun game in general and very immersive for the Mos Espa levels, but what makes it a "gem"? The Mos Espa town massacres, that's what. On most levels, killing random civilians is ignored by the game. Killing important characters or destroying quest items will cause you to fail the level.
BUT on Mos Espa's first level, killing civilians triggers a mass war in the town. You kill enough random civilians and suddenly grenades start flying from off-screen all over the street you are on. Kill enough town guards and more explosive grenades start flying in. You kill enough Jawas and the remaining Jawas start equipping shields and firing increasingly powerful weapons. Of course, a town massacre will break your game, you won't be able to complete the level BUT the game won't end like the other levels unless you kill an important character.
There is a street on the first Mos Espa level where if you attack the Jawas, they keep jumping back from off-screen. You can escalate it to the point that they all have shields and are firing a laser machine gun that is actually firing explosive tank rounds at a very fast rate. You can get access to this weapon yourself by using cheat codes.
Overall, I am very impressed that for a basic movie-tie product, the developers put a bunch of Easter eggs in, included some great cheat codes, and allowed an entire level to become a GTA-type playground war zone.
Fails the "hidden" trait, everybody knew about this.
It may seem incredible for some, but playing a b&w game in text mode can be and was lots of fun. Unrelated, but once my BASIC skills were up to par, I did implement something like this for my ZX Spectrum clone. That was a different kind of fun.
It looked rather a lot better than that now, and is still in development. Pretty well hidden even for a train sim, yet still have competent physics modeling, sound, graphic, and better traffic modeling than almost everyone else.
As an aside, The Flare Path's own site has plenty of these hidden, and often raw, gems. I could name some classic Combat Mission games, but I have not played enough of the one I had to say much anything useful about it.
Okay, Final Fantasy XIII does escape my love as I generally just don't care about the series after X/X-2, and XIII is no exception to that, but I did like Final Fantasy II. It was definitely rather flawed though. It would have been interesting to see what Square might have been able to do if they attempted revisiting the concept because the concept was actually interesting, it just had a poor execution. Final Fantasy II is many times better than Final Fantasy III and I will not move from that hill! Actually, no, I take that back... "crossing those hills" is my favorite pastime.
@Princess Garnet I have already seen a few posts not follow the ten year rule, it's just a guideline really to try and keep people on track, I think I speak for everyone here when we say we would be interested in your hidden gem favorites, so please do share even outside the 10 year time frame. your write up on FFIX was fascinating to read so I am curious personally
Oh, in that case... you asked for it! Here's the ones I could think of that are more recent than 10+ years ago. These are definitely not the only "good, less than very popular" games I've come across, but I'm trying to stick to some degree of "hidden" here. At the same time, most of these aren't going to be perfect/for everyone. Maybe some of these are slightly more popular than I realize. Also, these will be sticking to the PC side as if I go to the console side, I'd never be able to stop thinking and those go back even further.
I'll also include a "if you like the sound of this, also check this" for a few of these titles, but note that most of these are unreleased so I can't claim they are hidden gems right now, but they look like they could be similar to the titles I am listing, hence I thought I'd include them for some.
Them and Us
This one is a Survival Horror game that mimics the classic Resident Evil formula with modern visuals. It even has the choice between either a third person/over the shoulder perspective, or a classic fixed camera angle! I don't think (m)any others can claim that one.
Them and Us is a classic, survival horror game with a focus on atmosphere and player immersion. Discover the truth of Alicia’s past as she descends further into her strange, unending nightmare.
store.steampowered.com
(If you like the look of this one, also look into "Echoes of the Living".)
Echoes of the Living is a dark Classic Survival Horror inspired by the greatest hits from the 90's focused on reimagining visual horror, your goal is to make it alive while uncovering the truth about the incident.
store.steampowered.com
(If you like the look of this one, also look into "Post Trauma" which is more of a love letter taking inspirations from Silent Hill instead of Resident Evil.)
Post Trauma is a modern-day survival horror, inspired by genre-defining classics. You awaken to find yourself in a twisted reality full of mind-bending puzzles, breathtaking tension, and unspeakable nightmares. Will you find a way home?
store.steampowered.com
Beacon Pines
It's an adventure game (cute and creepy mix) presented as reading a book. If the concept appeals to you as it did to me, it's worth looking into.
Beacon Pines is a cute and creepy adventure set within a mysterious book. Sneak out late, make new friends, uncover hidden truths, and collect words that will change the course of fate!
store.steampowered.com
Alisa
It's a PlayStation-era survival horror genre imitation.
Pass through the threshold and enter a world born of memories. Defend yourself with a camera while solving death’s mysteries in a reverent evolution of 90’s survival horror, integrating both fixed cameras and over the shoulder perspectives.
store.steampowered.com
Endling Extinction is Forever
You play as the last fox alive, and try and survive while raising your three newborn foxes. I was crying at the start. And then again, at the end.
As the last mother fox on Earth, your cubs need all your care to survive in a merciless world that slowly destroys itself. You have to help them, teach them and save them. And you should never forget that extinction is forever – in the real world and in this 2023 BAFTA award winning experience.
store.steampowered.com
Itorah
If I had to recommend one game of all the ones I'm listing as the hidden gem of the last decade, this might just be it for me.
It's a 2D sidescrolling platform with a meso-American setting. It's a bit casual so it doesn't have a crazy deep story or gameplay, but it was fun.
Discover the world of Nahucan in this 2D action platformer. You are Itorah, the only human in this strange place. Explore, fight and survive to uncover your past and save Nahucan from its biggest threat, a mysterious plague!
store.steampowered.com
Eastshade
You are traveling on a ship which crashes on an island, and your goal is to paint the landscape. At night, it gets cold out and you can freeze so you need to seek shelter. That may sound annoying, but it encourages you to explore and talk to the characters, and it gives a small degree of challenge so it's not just entirely aimless. I think the phrase carries a bit of a negative connotation at times, but it's a walking simulator where you explore and paint. you find supplies to paint and you have certain things in particular your character wants to paint.
You are a traveling painter, exploring the island of Eastshade. Capture the world on canvas using your artist’s easel. Talk to the inhabitants to learn about their lives. Make friends and help those in need. Visit cities, scale summits, unearth mysteries, and discover forgotten places!
store.steampowered.com
The Tenth line
This one is a bit hard to describe, so I'll use the game's description here.
"A console-style RPG featuring a colorful cast of characters, unique battle and level-up systems, quick 2D platforming action, and an original, fantastical story about friendship, faith, and finding your place in the world."
A console-style RPG featuring a colorful cast of characters, unique battle and level-up systems, quick 2D platforming action, and an original, fantastical story about friendship, faith, and finding your place in the world.
store.steampowered.com
Lila's Tale and the Hidden Fores
Okay, just laugh and get it over with!
Done? Okay...
This is by no means some super great game full of depth and wide appeal. In fact, it's incredibly short, but if you're just looking for something short that's very easy and casual, and cute charm (yeah, yeah, it makes for a good "little kids game" for real), then I figured it deserved a mention. It's a sidescrolling platform where you collect things.
Help Lila and her friend Flee exploring the Hidden Forest of Solaria to save the Guardian Owls from the hands of the evil thiefs. Discover hidden passages, beat enemies and challenge yourself in this magical 2D platform game.
store.steampowered.com
Little Misfortune
In an attempt to redeem myself slightly from earlier embarrassment risk, here's something a little more serious. It's a point in click with a bit of a psychological horror undertone.
Claire is alone, lost, and hunted. The world has quickly becomes shrouded in darkness with unseen threats stalking Claire from the shadows. Aided by her dog and armed only with a flashlight, Claire must conquer her fear and find her comatose mother. However, there are others lost in the darkness...
store.steampowered.com
Torchlight
Mayyybe I'm stretching "hidden" a bit with this one? If not, it's probably hidden a bit due to age.
It's a procedurally generated dungeon crawler. I didn't care for any of the sequels as much, sadly.
Adventure awaits in the award-winning Action RPG debut from Runic Games! Explore the randomized depths of this boom town, collect loot, and level up to save Torchlight - and possibly the world.
store.steampowered.com
(If you like the look of this one, also look into "Ruined King". Not exactly like the above because it's not procedural nor quite "dungeon crawling" either, but it's an RPG with a similar presentation and feel. This is a League of Legends universe title, but [!] I think it's enjoyable even if you don't know, or even like, the game League of Legends itself. It's sad Riot ended "Riote Forge" which was responsible for leading/outsourcing these side developments, because think what you want of the main game itself, but the universe is full of potential and these side games were good but I guess just didn't sell enough?)
Rise Against Ruin - Unite a party of League of Legends Champions, explore Bilgewater and set sail for the Shadow Isles to uncover the secrets of the deadly Black Mist in this immersive turn-based RPG.
store.steampowered.com
There... could be more, but that's what I notice offhand glancing at what I got.
Lastly, here some honorary mentions that I didn't include above since I think they weren't quite "hidden" enough to qualify, but maybe they are unknown to someone.
Epic Battle Fantasy 3/4/5
The Book of Unwritten Tales 1/2
Evoland/Evoland II
The Deponia trilogy (Deponia, Chaos on Deponia, and Goodbye Deponia)
If I had to guess, it was region availability? Or was that one available everywhere?
I loved Terranigma, but it was a bit under the surface for the same reason. It was never available in NA back in its day.
NA missed out on that one, whereas EU missed out on Final Fantasy IV and VI (then called II and III on the SNES), so how people look at those titles is sometimes influenced by what region they lived in. It partly explains Final Fantasy IV and VI in particular being cult favorites for fans of the series (but VI was genuinely one of the best in the series), and it's why VII in particular was such a big deal, whether you like it or not. It was the first global one in series, it was when JRPGs went mainstream, and it was arguably the first triple A title period.
It looked rather a lot better than that now, and is still in development. Pretty well hidden even for a train sim, yet still have competent physics modeling, sound, graphic, and better traffic modeling than almost everyone else.
As an aside, The Flare Path's own site has plenty of these hidden, and often raw, gems. I could name some classic Combat Mission games, but I have not played enough of the one I had to say much anything useful about it.
I actually 100% agree with you on this, I owned it on PS1 (I think I still may). Man it was so good, well done too from what I remember. I remember being impressed by the graphics at the time too, I had a really nice higher end tube tv though, so I am not sure if that made a difference. I know it's a popular branding, but the game itself was pretty niche even back then from what I remember, I was only a kid though, so I might be wrong.
You are traveling on a ship which crashes on an island, and your goal is to paint the landscape. At night, it gets cold out and you can freeze so you need to seek shelter. That may sound annoying, but it encourages you to explore and talk to the characters, and it gives a small degree of challenge so it's not just entirely aimless. I think the phrase carries a bit of a negative connotation at times, but it's a walking simulator where you explore and paint. you find supplies to paint and you have certain things in particular your character wants to paint.
You are a traveling painter, exploring the island of Eastshade. Capture the world on canvas using your artist’s easel. Talk to the inhabitants to learn about their lives. Make friends and help those in need. Visit cities, scale summits, unearth mysteries, and discover forgotten places!
I added a couple of those to my wish list, thanks! I am breaking my own rule here, but I am surprised Eastshade was not already on my wish list, so I wanted to recommend another painting game. I was lucky enough to play this when it had a free demo and it was so amazing!!! I think if you liked Eastshade you will like this one. I haven't bought it yet, but the demo (demo is no longer available) this past summer was really fun. I am 100% buying it on its first sale.
Été (summer) is a relaxing painting game set in Montréal. Color the city to explore, create artworks on canvas, collect stamps in your album, decorate your studio, fulfill commissions from your neighbors, and unleash your inner artist!
I am going to add the Star Wars The Phantom Menace game (PC and PS1) as a true "hidden gem". Most people don't know about this game. It is basically a pseudo-RPG jammed into a 3D action adventure game. Items are persistent across levels for the same character until you switch to another character so there is a strong incentive to find the most efficient way to defeat your enemies. Level design is pretty intricate for a game this old, there are secrets all over the place with extra weapons goodies, and the music is straight from the film with added OST tracks. You get to fight with a lightsaber but that does not make you all-invincible like other Star Wars games like to make you, you have to use positioning and spacing to fight effectively. Blasters and grenades are some other weapons that can be necessary to defeat enemies in a health-efficient way. Bosses feel like serious obstacles, closer in tone to a FromSoft game with lots of health and a dangerous moveset that you can predict somewhat.
All that makes it a pretty great late 90s game but what takes it to the next level is the Mos Espa levels in the mid-game, 3 of them in total. The first two are basically open-world levels where you can walk around an entire town and with the exception of certain hostile characters and areas, you will not be attacked....unless you attack them first. I will expand on that in a bit.
These levels definitely feel the most like a RPG, there are quests with certain items that you need to obtain to move through the level, the game does not explicitly point out where you need to go so a sense of exploration is built into the level.
Ok, so this is a pretty fun game in general and very immersive for the Mos Espa levels, but what makes it a "gem"? The Mos Espa town massacres, that's what. On most levels, killing random civilians is ignored by the game. Killing important characters or destroying quest items will cause you to fail the level.
BUT on Mos Espa's first level, killing civilians triggers a mass war in the town. You kill enough random civilians and suddenly grenades start flying from off-screen all over the street you are on. Kill enough town guards and more explosive grenades start flying in. You kill enough Jawas and the remaining Jawas start equipping shields and firing increasingly powerful weapons. Of course, a town massacre will break your game, you won't be able to complete the level BUT the game won't end like the other levels unless you kill an important character.
There is a street on the first Mos Espa level where if you attack the Jawas, they keep jumping back from off-screen. You can escalate it to the point that they all have shields and are firing a laser machine gun that is actually firing explosive tank rounds at a very fast rate. You can get access to this weapon yourself by using cheat codes.
Overall, I am very impressed that for a basic movie-tie product, the developers put a bunch of Easter eggs in, included some great cheat codes, and allowed an entire level to become a GTA-type playground war zone.
This one was before Steam but my addiction to PC strategy started with Praetorians. A nice 20 Mission Campaign that combines Action RPG and RTS. Even had ladders to scale walls. Of course when I discovered TW Rome it was over. That is one of the best $5 I have ever spent. I actually used to upgrade my PC based on Total War releases.
This one was before Steam but my addiction to PC strategy started with Praetorians. A nice 20 Mission Campaign that combines Action RPG and RTS. Even had ladders to scale walls. Of course when I discovered TW Rome it was over. That is one of the best $5 I have ever spent. I actually used to upgrade my PC based on Total War releases.
This one was before Steam but my addiction to PC strategy started with Praetorians. A nice 20 Mission Campaign that combines Action RPG and RTS. Even had ladders to scale walls. Of course when I discovered TW Rome it was over. That is one of the best $5 I have ever spent. I actually used to upgrade my PC based on Total War releases.
Rome TW was so good (but also so broken once you learn the tricks of how the game works). Tower and wall fights, flaming pigs, elephants, war dogs, chanting druids, this game was pretty crazy.
My personal favorite was the Armored Hoplites with the Greeks (and the Carthage version in their Sacred Band hoplites).
Rome TW was so good (but also so broken once you learn the tricks of how the game works). Tower and wall fights, flaming pigs, elephants, war dogs, chanting druids, this game was pretty crazy.
My personal favorite was the Armored Hoplites with the Greeks (and the Carthage version in their Sacred Band hoplites).
I had to have at least 2 Units of Armored Hoplite Mercenaries in my late Rome Armies. Total War Games were a pig to run until 3 Kingdoms but they were also one of the Games that provided 80-90% performance improvement with Crossfire support.
I have played so much TWWH though that the others are just wistful memories. The first time I used a Dragon's breath to mow down some Archers it sucked me in but TWWH is in no way a hidden Gem.
Relive the celebrated real-time strategy classic Praetorians, re-imagined in high definition. Praetorians is set amidst the political machinations of an emerging Roman Empire.
store.steampowered.com
I'm actually going to give this a try, looks right up my alley. Surprised I never heard of it until now.
HD Remaster does look a lot better, but honestly the original isn't bad either for it's age based off the pictures.
Praetorians is set amidst the political machinations of an emerging Roman Empire. You will be transported back to the dusty battlefields of Egypt, the combat theaters of Gaul and finally to the heart of the Empire itself, Italy in the crusade to become Emperor.
Relive the celebrated real-time strategy classic Praetorians, re-imagined in high definition. Praetorians is set amidst the political machinations of an emerging Roman Empire.
store.steampowered.com
I'm actually going to give this a try, looks right up my alley. Surprised I never heard of it until now.
HD Remaster does look a lot better, but honestly the original isn't bad either for it's age based off the pictures.
Praetorians is set amidst the political machinations of an emerging Roman Empire. You will be transported back to the dusty battlefields of Egypt, the combat theaters of Gaul and finally to the heart of the Empire itself, Italy in the crusade to become Emperor.
Trust me it is a fun Friday night. It is also not easy once you get into it. The atmosphere is there too. I think it is on Steam now. I still have my physical copy though.
It's Friday anyone want to play a real modern hidden Gem in Aliens Fire Team? If you like Exoprimal these are Aliens. The Queen will make you step back the first time you see her and Missions are at least 20 minutes long with at least 3 objectives.
Yup and true! Believe you me, Terranigma and Seiken Densetsu 3 never coming here was VERY irritating. While we did eventually get SD3 as Trials Of Mana in both the OG form and in 3D, we've never gotten Terranigma. Thank the heavens for emulation and a freaken amazing community!
I am going to add the Star Wars The Phantom Menace game (PC and PS1) as a true "hidden gem". Most people don't know about this game. It is basically a pseudo-RPG jammed into a 3D action adventure game. Items are persistent across levels for the same character until you switch to another character so there is a strong incentive to find the most efficient way to defeat your enemies. Level design is pretty intricate for a game this old, there are secrets all over the place with extra weapons goodies, and the music is straight from the film with added OST tracks. You get to fight with a lightsaber but that does not make you all-invincible like other Star Wars games like to make you, you have to use positioning and spacing to fight effectively. Blasters and grenades are some other weapons that can be necessary to defeat enemies in a health-efficient way. Bosses feel like serious obstacles, closer in tone to a FromSoft game with lots of health and a dangerous moveset that you can predict somewhat.
All that makes it a pretty great late 90s game but what takes it to the next level is the Mos Espa levels in the mid-game, 3 of them in total. The first two are basically open-world levels where you can walk around an entire town and with the exception of certain hostile characters and areas, you will not be attacked....unless you attack them first. I will expand on that in a bit.
These levels definitely feel the most like a RPG, there are quests with certain items that you need to obtain to move through the level, the game does not explicitly point out where you need to go so a sense of exploration is built into the level.
Ok, so this is a pretty fun game in general and very immersive for the Mos Espa levels, but what makes it a "gem"? The Mos Espa town massacres, that's what. On most levels, killing random civilians is ignored by the game. Killing important characters or destroying quest items will cause you to fail the level.
BUT on Mos Espa's first level, killing civilians triggers a mass war in the town. You kill enough random civilians and suddenly grenades start flying from off-screen all over the street you are on. Kill enough town guards and more explosive grenades start flying in. You kill enough Jawas and the remaining Jawas start equipping shields and firing increasingly powerful weapons. Of course, a town massacre will break your game, you won't be able to complete the level BUT the game won't end like the other levels unless you kill an important character.
There is a street on the first Mos Espa level where if you attack the Jawas, they keep jumping back from off-screen. You can escalate it to the point that they all have shields and are firing a laser machine gun that is actually firing explosive tank rounds at a very fast rate. You can get access to this weapon yourself by using cheat codes.
Overall, I am very impressed that for a basic movie-tie product, the developers put a bunch of Easter eggs in, included some great cheat codes, and allowed an entire level to become a GTA-type playground war zone.
I actually just got the Star Wars Phantom Menace game running about a week ago - I haven't jumped back into it, just tested to make sure it ran. It's next on my retro game review when I actual get to playing it. I thought the game was pretty awesome back in the day. I thought the movie sucked (at least it's better than the drivel they put out for the last 3 movies), but the game was solid.
Yup and true! Believe you me, Terranigma and Seiken Densetsu 3 never coming here was VERY irritating. While we did eventually get SD3 as Trials Of Mana in both the OG form and in 3D, we've never gotten Terranigma. Thank the heavens for emulation and a freaken amazing community!
And sadly, many of those games never were made available later either.
I've always wondered if the companies could sell the old dumped format of the console game (and then letting the buyer rely on emulation) as a way to make most old titles accessible while being a low effort (no need to port) and small-but-easy profit ratio endeavor. Maybe that has more support headaches/customer questions/complaints from lack of guaranteed operation than they'd be willing to deal with.
I was going to list this both times I posted, but I didn't think it was "hidden" enough. It was quite popular and won a lot of awards. Definitely a gem, but not hidden in my mind.
Megaman Legends for pc!!!! One of the all time great console to pc ports. Can be a bit tricky to get running on newer hardware or OS, so I highly recommend firing up that old xp or 2000 rig and giving this one a play. I played it again recently after many years. Lacks a bit of the polish of the playstation version, but makes up for it with better rendering and res on pc.
One sleeper that came to mind recently that I want to replay. Chronicles of Riddick: Escape From Butcher Bay. It came out in 2004 amid a lot of truly great games so it just got lost and passed over by most. It used to be on Steam but it got pulled for some reason.
I thought Dark Athena focused too much on out in the open combat and didn't highlight the stealth aspect as good as they did in EFBB. At times it felt like you lacked areas you could sneak through, almost like some sections stealth was an after thought.
It was still pretty good, but it certainly could have been better.
I actually just got the Star Wars Phantom Menace game running about a week ago - I haven't jumped back into it, just tested to make sure it ran. It's next on my retro game review when I actual get to playing it. I thought the game was pretty awesome back in the day. I thought the movie sucked (at least it's better than the drivel they put out for the last 3 movies), but the game was solid.
First I got the game, which I thought was awesome back then, although I wouldn't really say that today. The isometric camera and weird controls made sure the game wouldn't age too well. I never liked the idea that you had to press "attack" to defend yourself with a lightsaber. Sometimes the game misunderstood your intention, and your character really made an attack move and got hit by blaster shots and you died. It was super annoying. Same with the platform jumping element of the game. What was the need for that, really? Also, with no side strafing? Pff... These things sucked, otherwise, it could have been a great game.
Then there was the movie, which I think was good (yes, throw your stones at me). It has a solid setup, solid pacing, mostly likeable characters (although I'm not as much of a fan of Jarjar now as I was back then), and some pieces of wisdom hidden here and there ("Your focus determines your reality" - Qui Gon - Brilliant). I also like the practical effects and sets which make it much more believable than today's CGI-saturated crap.
I was going to list this both times I posted, but I didn't think it was "hidden" enough. It was quite popular and won a lot of awards. Definitely a gem, but not hidden in my mind.
Fair enough. It's not a highly advertised, high-budget AAA game, it's currently sold at its full price of £23.99, which I think makes it hidden enough. But it's only a matter of perspective.
On most levels, killing random civilians is ignored by the game. Killing important characters or destroying quest items will cause you to fail the level.
