10 Underrated Hidden Gem Games to Play in 2025

What Are Hidden Gem Games?

Hidden gem games are titles that often fly under the radar whether due to limited marketing, small development teams, or simply getting overshadowed by AAA launches. These games may not appear on the front page of your gaming store, but they’re often bursting with originality, emotional storytelling, or unique gameplay mechanics. They're the diamonds in the rough of the gaming world.

Hidden gem games are proof that gaming’s best stories, worlds, and mechanics often live outside the spotlight. Whether you're into rich lore, emotional storytelling, or creative gameplay twists, there's something special waiting for you. So pick one from this list, hit play, and prepare to fall in love with gaming all over again.

Why Gamers Love Hidden Gems

Many gamers grow tired of repetitive triple A formulas. Hidden gem games often offer:

• Innovative mechanics unseen in major franchises
• Emotional depth that touches players personally
• Beautiful art styles that break conventional norms
• Indie charm with authentic storytelling
• Replay value with smart design

They’re made with love—and it shows.

How We Selected These Hidden Gems

We didn’t just pick random indie games. This list was curated based on:

• Critical acclaim: Games with solid review scores and community respect
• Unique gameplay: Not “just another” platformer or shooter
• Emotional or narrative hook: Stories that stay with you after the credits roll
• Community buzz: Passionate fanbases and underrated cult status
• Availability: Games still accessible on modern platforms in 2025

The Top 15 Hidden Gem Games to Play in 2025

1. Outer Wilds – PC, Xbox, PS, Switch

A space exploration game in a time loop where curiosity is your greatest tool. Every planet holds secrets, and every minute matters.

Explore a handcrafted solar system caught in a 22 minute time loop, when the sun goes supernova, everything resets, but your knowledge persists. Travel across planets like the mysterious Dark Bramble or the haunting Hourglass Twins, uncovering ancient civilizations and cosmic secrets through environmental storytelling. The physics driven puzzles are deeply integrated into the solar system mechanics, creating awe inspiring “aha!” moments. The game excels at weaving emotional resonance through minimal dialogue, letting discoveries speak volumes. Critics call it “one of the best exploration games ever made” with a “poignant space explorer” narrative

 

Why it's a hidden gem: It offers mind bending narrative discovery and physics based puzzles that reward exploration not combat.

2. A Short Hike – PC, Switch, PS4, Xbox One

You're a small bird on a big mountain, and your only goal is to make it to the top.

Play as Claire, a bird hiking Hawk Peak Provincial Park. Collect golden feathers to hike, climb, and glide, unlocking stamina boosts and secret areas. The game thrives on emergent exploration, hidden paths, quirky characters like a dragon myth, and optional fishing challenges. It’s lauded as “zenlike,” charmingly simple yet emotionally satisfying, with tonal shifts that surprise and delight

 

Why it's a hidden gem: It’s an experience of pure joy and peace perfect for gamers who just want to breathe.

3. Katana ZERO – PC, Switch, Xbox

A neon soaked side scroller with time slowing swordplay and deep narrative threads.

An elegant neon thriller combining one hit kill katana action with a noir style, psychologically twisted narrative. The blue drug serum slows time, enabling creative combat strategies. Dash through bullets, chain kills, or reroute attacks. Dialogue uses timed choices and interrupt mechanics that shape character relationships. The dark, mature plot explores trauma, memory, and conspiracy critics praised its “stylish, thoughtful combat” and “mesmerizing pixel art”

 

Why it's a hidden gem: Fast, fluid, and packed with surprises—it's action with brains.

4. Gris – PC, PS, Xbox, Switch

A story told without words. This platformer is an emotional journey through grief, rendered in watercolor beauty.

A wordless, watercolor odyssey through grief’s stages. Each color returning level introduces new platforming tools like floating fabrics or sound resonance mirroring emotional growth. It blends art and mechanics seamlessly. While the smooth, minimalist puzzles may lack challenge, the poetic experience touches many deeply.

 

Why it's a hidden gem: It’s visually mesmerizing and hauntingly poetic.

5. Slay the Spire – PC, Switch, PS, Xbox, Mobile

A roguelike deck building game where each decision counts and every card drawn can shift your fate.

Combine deck building with roguelike progression: pick one of four heroes, customize your deck, and climb a spire with escalating enemy encounters and modifiers. Variables like relics, events, and curses make each run uniquely strategic. Depth comes not from story, but from mastering synergies daily runs and high level “Ascensions” keep it addictive. It’s “narrowly focused, deeply satisfying” and its influence has reshaped the genre

 

Why it's a hidden gem: It pioneered its genre and still dominates it quietly.

6. Return of the Obra Dinn – PC, PS, Switch, Xbox

A ship has returned with its crew dead. Use a magical watch to piece together what happened.

You play an insurance adjuster aboard the ghost ship Obra Dinn in 1807. Using a supernatural watch, you can replay the final moments of 60 individuals to deduce their identities and fates. The signature monochrome "1-bit" graphics, paired with ambient audio and cryptic clues, make deduction addictive. It’s praised for making a “mediocre story” feel “satisfying and enjoyable” and for its complete embrace of its core mechanic

 

Why it's a hidden gem: Like solving a historical murder mystery, pixel by pixel.

7. Raji: An Ancient Epic – PC, PS, Xbox, Switch

Set in ancient India, this action adventure mixes mythology and breathtaking architecture.

A mythic action platformer rooted in Hindu lore. You guide Raji, a young girl chosen by gods like Durga and Vishnu, through battles, temples, and puzzles inspired by shadow puppetry. Gorgeous visuals, cultural narration, and boss fights evoke classic God of War vibes. Some technical hiccups occur, but the lush setting and cultural representation make it memorable

 

Why it's a hidden gem: It’s one of the few games that spotlight Indian culture so beautifully.

8. The Forgotten City – PC, PS, Xbox, Switch

Investigate a Roman city stuck in a time loop where sin triggers doom.

Investigate a Roman city cursed by divine law in this richly voiced, narrative heavy time loop adventure. Every citizen is trapped in a loop where one sin triggers collective destruction. You gather clues, influence characters, and pursue high stakes moral paths leading to multiple endings. The writing is “clever,” the cast is “diverse and engaging,” and the loop mechanics encourage creative experimentation

 

Why it's a hidden gem: It’s like a smart, interactive episode of Black Mirror set in ancient times.

9. Moonlighter – PC, PS, Xbox, Switch

By day, manage a shop. By night, dungeon crawl. Balance both to thrive.

By day, run a shop, set prices, manage customers, and upgrade your store. By night, delve into procedural dungeons, defeat monsters, and collect loot. Balancing risk (exploring deeper) vs. reward (higher tier gear), your choices directly affect business success. Its pixel art and charming animations evoke nostalgia, and the item evaluation system adds an engaging meta game loop.

 

Why it's a hidden gem: It's Zelda meets Stardew Valley—with pixel perfect charm.

10. Eastward – PC, Switch, Xbox

Follow two unlikely companions in a whimsical, post apocalyptic world.

Follow John and the mysterious child Sam in a beautifully pixelated, post apocalyptic world while uncovering emotional and quirky narratives. With dungeon puzzles, light combat, and minigames, the game blends Zelda like adventuring with Miyazaki inspired charm. Critics praised it for “impressive art pixel and narrative,” melding humor with occasional melancholy

 

Why it's a hidden gem: A visual and narrative treat, blending humor and heartache.

Tips for Finding Your Own Hidden Gems

• Browse Steam’s “Indie” and “Hidden Gems” tags
• Explore itch.io for experimental titles
• Check Reddit threads
• Watch indie showcases from Wholesome Games or Nintendo Direct
• Follow YouTube/TikTok creators who spotlight lesser known games

Final Thoughts on Hidden Gem Games

The joy of gaming doesn’t always lie in blockbusters. Sometimes, it's the quiet stories, the pixelated worlds, or the one person dev projects that leave the most impact.

By exploring hidden gem games, you're not just discovering new experiences you’re supporting the creativity that drives this industry forward.

FAQs About Hidden Gem Games

Q1. What defines a hidden gem in gaming?
A hidden gem is a game that’s critically or creatively excellent but lacks widespread recognition.

Q2. Are hidden gems always indie games?
Not always. While many are indie, even AA or older AAA titles can be considered hidden gems.

Q3. How can I find hidden gem games before they get popular?
Follow indie game festivals, developer blogs, and early access programs.

Q4. Are hidden gems cheaper than AAA games?
Generally, yes. Many are under $20, and some go on sale frequently.

Q5. Can hidden gems be multiplayer or co-op games?
Absolutely! Some have innovative multiplayer mechanics like Unrailed! or Deep Rock Galactic.

Q6. Do hidden gem games work on Steam Deck or handhelds?
Many do! Check compatibility tags or community posts for confirmation.