You can only follow the hype cycle for so long before every big release starts to blur together. That’s where underrated games every gamer should play come in: smart, distinctive titles that never got the spotlight they deserved, yet still feel fresh years later.
Below is a curated mix of indies and AA blockbusters across PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo platforms. Each one appears again and again on “hidden gem games” and “underrated games” lists, even if they rarely trend on social media.
Shortly, these are the games people won’t shut up about once they finally discover them.
Why underrated games still matter
What does “underrated” really mean? “Underrated” doesn’t always mean “reviewed poorly.”
Often, these titles:
- launched against bigger blockbusters
- came from studios without marketing muscle,
- tried something experimental that didn’t fit trends at release
Many of the games below were reviewed well by critics or built cult audiences, but still sit outside the mainstream canon. You rarely see them in “top 10 of all time” lists, yet they show up relentlessly in “you have to try this” threads.
Hidden gem games carry an advantage: they don’t have to live up to a billion-dollar campaign. You go in with modest expectations, and the surprise does the rest. Recent roundups of hidden gem indie games highlight how smaller releases often deliver more personal stories, riskier ideas, and tighter design than safer blockbusters.
That’s the lens for this list: memorable mechanics, strong identity, and something worth recommending, long after launch.
15 Underrated Games Every Gamer Should Play at Least Once
Below are 15 underrated games every gamer should play at least once—hidden gems across genres and platforms that deliver fresh stories, smart design, and unforgettable gameplay experiences you may have missed.
1. Prey (2017) – The immersive sim that never got a fair shot
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One (playable on current-gen)
Genre: Immersive sim, sci-fi shooter
Arkane’s Prey dropped in 2017 with almost everything stacked against it: confusing branding, limited pre-release code for critics, and a name recycled from an unrelated 2006 shooter.
Underneath that messy launch sits one of the strongest immersive sims ever made. You roam the derelict space station Talos I, improvising solutions with gadgets, alien powers, and environmental physics. The station itself feels like a single interconnected puzzle box: every locked door, hidden lab, or corpse log leads to another story thread.
Why it’s underrated:
- It arrived quietly between bigger shooters.
- The “reboot” title confused fans of the original Prey.
Why you should play it once: if you enjoy system-driven games like Dishonored or BioShock that reward curiosity and lateral thinking, Prey offers a dense, replayable playground that still feels modern.
2. Sleeping Dogs – Hong Kong crime epic with heart
Platforms: PC, PS3/PS4, Xbox 360/One
Genre: Open-world action, crime drama
Sleeping Dogs often appears in lists of the most underrated open-world games of its decade. On paper, it’s “GTA in Hong Kong.” In practice, it leans more into melee combat, martial-arts choreography, and undercover-cop drama than cheap chaos.
Fights feel weighty and choreographed, with counters and environmental takedowns straight out of Hong Kong cinema. Side activities actually build Wei Shen as a character, not just a checklist to clear. The city has a believable scale: dense streets, neon markets, and enough verticality to make chases exciting.
Why it’s underrated:
- Modest marketing compared with other open-world giants.
- Franchise plans (and even a film adaptation) stalled, leaving it as a beloved one-off.
Why you should play it once: if you like focused crime stories with a strong sense of place, this is a tighter, more personal experience than many bigger-budget peers.
3. Titanfall 2 – A shooter masterclass buried by bad timing
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: FPS, mech combat
Respawn released Titanfall 2 in a brutal launch window between Battlefield 1 and Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare. Sales lagged, but years later, critics and players regularly call it one of the most underrated shooters of its era.
Its campaign runs at a brisk pace, each level built around a mechanical idea: time-shifting, platforming with wall-runs, or puzzle-like mech encounters. Movement feels frictionless. Gunplay remains crisp. And the relationship between pilot and Titan (your mech) gives the story more warmth than most shooters manage.
Why it’s underrated:
- Overshadowed at launch by other EA and Activision shooters.
- Multiplayer struggled to keep a stable player base despite glowing word-of-mouth.
Why you should play it once: it’s a single-player FPS you can finish in a weekend, and almost every mission tries something bold.
4. 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim – Time-travel epic disguised as anime VN
Platforms: PS4, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Visual novel + tactical strategy
From the studio behind Odin Sphere, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim looks like a niche anime visual novel at first glance. Under the hood, it tells a dense multi-timeline sci-fi story about thirteen teenagers piloting mechs to stop an invasion. Its Switch release and “underrated Switch games” roundups have helped, but it still flies under the radar compared to bigger JRPGs.
The narrative jumps between characters and eras, slowly revealing how their stories intersect. Combat sections play out as abstract tactical battles, letting you customize builds and loadouts without bloated menus.
Why it’s underrated:
- Marketing focused on its anime art and VN structure, which some players skip on sight.
- The best parts—pacing, twists, and structure—only show up once you stick with it.
Why you should play it once: if you enjoy complex sci-fi plots and don’t mind a slow burn, 13 Sentinels rewards attention like few other underrated games.
5. Outer Wilds – A time-loop mystery you can only play once for the first time
Platforms: PC, PS4/PS5, Xbox One/Series, Nintendo Switch
Genre: Exploration, time-loop adventure
Outer Wilds shows up constantly in modern “hidden gems and underrated games” roundups, especially when writers look for something to recommend once players feel they’ve tried everything else.
You explore a miniature solar system stuck in a 22-minute time loop. Each loop ends with the sun going supernova. You lose your body but keep your knowledge, turning navigation, environmental clues, and alien writing into the real progression system. There are no traditional quests. Curiosity drives the entire design.
Why it’s underrated:
- It’s hard to market “you wander around and figure things out yourself” without spoilers.
- The best moments rely on not knowing what’s possible.
Why you should play it once: it’s one of those hidden gem games that genuinely works only if you go in with as little information as possible and accept a bit of confusion.
6. Return of the Obra Dinn – The detective story you actually solve yourself
Platforms: PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One
Genre: Deductive puzzle, mystery
Return of the Obra Dinn casts you as an insurance investigator boarding an abandoned merchant ship. With a notebook and a magical pocket watch that shows people’s final moments, you reconstruct who everyone was and how they died.
Critics praised its 1-bit visual style and insistence on real deduction when it released in 2018, but it remains a niche reference point compared with more mainstream mystery games.
Why it’s underrated:
- The art style looks deliberately harsh in screenshots.
- It demands focus and note-taking rather than handing out quest markers.
Why you should play it once: if you like pure deduction, this is arguably the gold standard—no dialog wheel guesswork, just logic.
7. Northgard – Quietly brilliant Viking RTS
Platforms: PC, PlayStation, Xbox, Switch
Genre: Real-time strategy, survival
Northgard blends classic RTS base-building with survival and light 4X elements. You manage a Viking clan on a harsh new continent: food, fame, and winter storms matter as much as battles.
The game has quietly built a strong following and just received a Definitive Edition update that rolls in DLC clans and expansions, underscoring how much depth it has accumulated over the years.
Why it’s underrated:
- Arrived in a niche RTS space without a big publisher behind it.
- It’s slow, and seasonal pacing differs from the faster loop many players expect from strategy games.
Why you should play it once: for anyone who enjoys strategy with personality but doesn’t want to micro-manage hundreds of units, Northgard hits a sweet, contemplative spot.
8. The Falconeer – Airborne power fantasy over a dying ocean
Platforms: PC, Xbox, PlayStation, Switch
Genre: Aerial combat RPG
Originally released in 2020, The Falconeer puts you on the back of a giant warbird over a stormy, oceanic world. You dogfight airships and creatures, upgrade your bird, and piece together factions’ politics through missions. It never quite broke through at launch, but a recent “Revolution Remaster” overhauled visuals, controls, and content as a free update for existing players.
Why it’s underrated:
- Launch coincided with larger next-gen releases.
- Its unusual pitch—“avian air-combat RPG”—was hard to categorize.
Why you should play it once: if you miss flight games but want something more stylized than a simulator, The Falconeer feels like an illustrated fantasy novel you fly through.
9. Signalis – Retro survival horror with modern nerves
Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
Genre: Survival horror
Lists of hidden gem games often single out Signalis for its blend of PS1-style visuals, psychological horror, and queer sci-fi storytelling.
You play as a synthetic worker searching for her missing partner in a decaying off-world facility. Inventory limits, fixed camera angles, and sparse ammo nod to classic Resident Evil, but the tone feels closer to Lynchian sci-fi. The story leaves room for interpretation without feeling opaque for the sake of it.
Why it’s underrated:
- Low-budget visual style and marketing kept it under most players’ radar.
- It leans into discomfort rather than jump scares, which makes it harder to “sell” in clips.
Why you should play it once: it’s a compact horror experience that proves you don’t need photo-realism to unsettle players.
10. Pathologic 2 – The most stressful game you might end up loving
Platforms: PC, Xbox One, PS4 (digital)
Genre: Survival narrative, psychological horror
Pathologic 2 reimagines a cult 2005 Russian game as a bleak, first-person survival drama about a plague-ridden town. It appears in several “hidden gem games you need to play ASAP” lists precisely because it polarizes so strongly.
Time passes whether you’re efficient or not. People die off-screen. Quests fail permanently. Hunger, exhaustion, and trust all press in at once. On paper, it sounds hostile; in practice, that pressure turns small victories—saving a child, securing medicine—into meaningful beats.
Why it’s underrated:
- Many players bounce off early due to difficulty and scarcity.
- Its tone is relentlessly grim, and marketing never softened that.
Why you should play it once: if you want a narrative game where failure is part of the story, Pathologic 2 remains unmatched.
11. Heaven’s Vault – Archeology as linguistics, not loot
Platforms: PC, PS4, Switch
Genre: Narrative adventure, linguistic puzzle
In Heaven’s Vault, you don’t raid tombs; you translate. The game casts you as an archeologist deciphering an ancient hieroglyphic language across a network of moons.
Indie and “best games” lists regularly praise its writing and unique central mechanic, but it’s still overshadowed by louder indie hits.
Why it’s underrated:
- Screenshots make it look like a standard adventure game.
- Its biggest hook—gradually understanding a fictional language—doesn’t clip well for trailers.
Why you should play it once: it’s one of the rare story-driven games where you feel like a researcher, not just a protagonist clicking through dialog.
12. Roadwarden – A text-heavy RPG that feels surprisingly physical
Platforms: PC (primarily)
Genre: Text adventure, RPG
Roadwarden appears in several “hidden gem games on Steam” lists for good reason. It’s mostly text and simple visuals, yet it feels more physical than many 3D RPGs. You’re a courier travelling dangerous roads, balancing supplies, relationships, and time as you map an unfamiliar region.
Every decision carries trade-offs: detour to help a village and you might lose daylight reaching your real destination. Its tone is melancholic but grounded, more about quiet compromises than epic heroics.
Why it’s underrated:
- “Primarily text” scares off players used to voice-acted RPGs.
- It never had a strong marketing push beyond word-of-mouth.
Why you should play it once: if you’re willing to read, you get a role-playing experience that respects your time and intelligence.
13. Battle for Wesnoth – Free strategy deep enough to lose months in
Platforms: PC, macOS, Linux, mobile
Genre: Turn-based tactics, fantasy
Open-source strategy game Battle for Wesnoth often surfaces when writers talk about hidden gem tactics games and overlooked titles on Steam.
It offers dozens of campaigns, community-made scenarios, and a simple ruleset that hides serious depth. Units level up, terrain matters, and the infamous “Wesnoth RNG” keeps even routine fights tense. Despite being free, it has more content than many commercial tactics games.
Why it’s underrated:
- Open-source projects rarely get mainstream coverage.
- Visuals and UI feel modest compared to modern big-budget tactics titles.
Why you should play it once: if you enjoy Fire Emblem-style positioning and don’t mind old-school presentation, Wesnoth is a time sink in the best way.
14. Carrion – Play the monster for once
Platforms: PC, Switch, Xbox One, PS4
Genre: Reverse horror, Metroidvania
In Carrion, you’re not the terrified scientist hiding in vents. You’re the amorphous monster. You slither through ducts, crush doors, and drag screaming guards into vents. Recent articles on underrated games highlight Carrion as a stand-out example of flipping the horror formula.
The game combines light puzzle-platforming with grotesque animations and short, punchy levels. It doesn’t overstay its welcome; you get just enough time to revel in being unstoppable before the credits roll.
Why it’s underrated:
- Its pixel-gore aesthetic isn’t for everyone.
- Some players dismissed it as a gimmick rather than a full experience.
Why you should play it once: it scratches the power fantasy itch from the other side of the horror equation.
15. Days Gone – The open-world zombie game everyone wrote off too early
Platforms: PS4/PS5, PC
Genre: Open-world action, survival
At launch, Days Gone caught criticism for bugs and pacing. Today, several “underrated games worth playing right now” features defend it as a flawed but compelling open-world about biker gangs and grief in zombie-ravaged
Its trump card lies in the horde mechanics: hundreds of Freakers swarm dynamically, forcing you to use terrain, traps, and sheer panic to survive. As patches smoothed early technical issues, more players started to appreciate its atmosphere, day-night cycle, and surprisingly grounded performances.
Why it’s underrated:
- Launched into a saturated zombie market with technical issues.
- Many players never revisited it after initial reviews.
Why you should play it once: if you enjoy slow-burn open-world games and like the idea of planning your own horde takedowns, it’s worth a second look.
How to find more underrated video games on your own
The easiest way to discover more underrated video games is to look for lists that explicitly call out hidden gems, underappreciated titles, or “games you probably missed.” Publications and blogs now maintain regular features dedicated to this space, from indie roundups to yearly “underrated games” recaps.
If a list leads with “best of all time,” you’ll mostly see the usual canon. If it leads with “games you haven’t played but should,” that’s your signal.
Use community tools instead of marketing. Beyond curated lists:
- Sort digital stores by user reviews and filter for “hidden gem” or “underrated” tags.
- Browse forums and subreddits where people share “most underrated game you’ve ever played” threads; Outer Wilds, Titanfall 2, and Northgard show up there often.
- Check smaller blogs and newsletters; they often champion games that never trend on larger sites.
Over time, you’ll build your own mental list of underrated games every gamer should play, tuned to your tastes rather than the marketing calendar.
Final thoughts – why these 15 underrated games deserve one playthrough
“Underrated games” can be a moving target, especially as some hidden gem games slowly gain cult status. But each of the 15 titles above still sits outside the mainstream conversation, even while critics, bloggers, and players quietly recommend them year after year.
They won’t all land for you. That’s fine. The point of exploring underrated games every gamer should play at least once isn’t to complete another checklist—it’s to rediscover what you like when you’re not chasing the same three franchises as everyone else.
If you want a simple starting plan:
- Try one story-driven game (Outer Wilds or Prey).
- Try one strategy or tactics game (Northgard or Battle for Wesnoth).
- Try one smaller indie that feels far outside your comfort zone (Signalis, Heaven’s Vault, or Roadwarden).
Play them once with an open mind. You might find a new favorite from the underrated games that never appeared on a billboard, but absolutely deserve a spot in your personal top ten.
