Best Difficult games on Steam

Unlike generic lists, our difficult game recommendations are based on a rigorous analysis of Steam user reviews. We believe that player feedback is the most reliable indicator of a game's true quality and enjoyment. Our algorithm evaluates user reviews to identify difficult games that consistently deliver exceptional experiences. This means you can be confident that our lists feature only the best difficult games on Steam, validated by the community itself.

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Legend of Dungeon

Legend of Dungeon is a randomly generated action RPG Beat'em'up with heavy Rogue-like elements, striking visuals, and dynamic music.

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.1
Release 13 Sep 2013

Volgarr the Viking

Return to the Golden Age of arcades with a hardcore action platformer that pulls no punches! Possesses all the hallmarks of true classics like Super Ghouls 'N Ghosts (SNES), Rastan Saga (Arcade), Castlevania (NES) and more with precise controls, high challenge, and meticulous design.

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.8
Release 13 Sep 2013

Aarklash: Legacy

In Aarklash: Legacy take command of a mercenary squad in search of truth and guide it through countless battles.Welcome to Aarklash, a land of chaos where incessant battles between the forces of Light, Destiny and Darkness have lasted since the beginning of time.

Price 13.29€
Rating 7.0
Release 12 Sep 2013

Wizardry 8

A New Wizardry for a New GenerationThe universe is in the throes of violent upheaval and change. Vast and mysterious forces are preparing for the final confrontation. A small group of heroes from distant lands must plunge into the heart of the maelstrom, to uncover long-forgotten secrets, and bring about a new era.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.5
Release 10 Sep 2013

Zafehouse: Diaries

Stuck in a remote, abandoned town, you must lead five survivors with conflicting motivations, fragile relationships and fiery prejudices to safety from the roving undead. A sophisticated engine generates new survivors, towns and content so every adventure is a different experience, and you can use built-in editors to add yourself and...

Price 1.99€
Rating 6.5
Release 06 Sep 2013

Outlast

Hell is an experiment you can't survive in Outlast, a first-person survival horror game developed by veterans of some of the biggest game franchises in history. As investigative journalist Miles Upshur, explore Mount Massive Asylum and try to survive long enough to discover its terrible secret... if you dare.

Price 19.50€
Rating 9.5
Release 04 Sep 2013

Castle of Illusion

Mickey Mouse returns to star in Castle of Illusion, a fantastical reimagining of the Sega Genesis classic.

Price 12.99€
Rating 8.7
Release 04 Sep 2013

Game Dev Tycoon

In Game Dev Tycoon you replay the history of the gaming industry by starting your own video game development company in the 80s. Create best selling games. Research new technologies and invent new game types. Become the leader of the market and gain worldwide fans.

Price 9.49€
Rating 9.3
Release 29 Aug 2013

Rayman® Legends

Michel Ancel, the celebrated creator of Rayman®, Beyond Good & Evil®, and the Raving Rabbids®, returns to unleash his innovative creativity on this new entry into the Rayman® franchise.When Rayman, Globox, and the Teensies discover a mysterious tent filled with captivating paintings, they are suddenly transported to a series of...

Price 19.99€
Rating 8.7
Release 29 Aug 2013

Electronic Super Joy

Electronic Super Joy is a brutally hard platformer set in a world of pulse-pounding electronic music. Run, jump, smash & fly your way through 45+ weird & different levels, with low-gravity, world rotation, giant monsters & swarming missiles.

Price 5.99€
Rating 8.7
Release 23 Aug 2013

DuckTales: Remastered

DuckTales: Remastered is a beautiful hand-crafted reimagining of one of the most cherished 8-bit titles of all time. Go back to one of the golden ages of gaming, now refined with a level of detail that will please the most hardened devoted Disney or retro Capcom fan alike.

Price 13.99€
Rating 8.5
Release 13 Aug 2013

Spelunky

Spelunky is a unique platformer with randomized levels that offer a challenging new experience each time you play. Journey deep underground and explore fantastic places filled with all manner of monsters, traps, and treasure.

Price 14.99€
Rating 9.0
Release 08 Aug 2013

Papers, Please

Congratulations. The October labor lottery is complete. Your name was pulled. For immediate placement, report to the Ministry of Admission at Grestin Border Checkpoint. An apartment will be provided for you and your family in East Grestin. Expect a Class-8 dwelling.

Price 9.75€
Rating 9.6
Release 08 Aug 2013

Inquisitor

Action-oriented combat with a deep and involving tale of betrayal, torture, madness, and infernal damnation. If a gritty old-school open-ended isometric RPG is what you looking for, look no further. Inquisitor will provide you with hours of gameplay and a dark, involving story.

Price -66% 3.31€
Rating 6.6
Release 07 Aug 2013

Teleglitch: Die More Edition

In a cold, dark future dominated by mega-corporations, a small lonely planet on the edge of habitable space is the site of a shadowy research facility specializing in necrotic tissue reactivation. You are a scientist who has suddenly awoken to the realization that you are the lone survivor.

Price 12.99€
Rating 8.2
Release 24 Jul 2013

Dota 2

Every day, millions of players worldwide enter battle as one of over a hundred Dota heroes. And no matter if it's their 10th hour of play or 1,000th, there's always something new to discover. With regular updates that ensure a constant evolution of gameplay, features, and heroes, Dota 2 has taken on a life of its own.

Price Free to play
Rating 8.1
Release 09 Jul 2013

Shadow Warrior Classic Redux

The definitive version of the cult classic shooter, Shadow Warrior Classic Redux features remastered visuals and two massive expansion packs. Corporations rule every facet of life in a near-future Japan and employ Shadow Warriors, one-man armies of unparalleled skill, to protect their power and forcefully remove all opposition.

Price 9.75€
Rating 8.7
Release 08 Jul 2013

Bleed

Wryn is a girl with a big arsenal and big dreams -- she wants to be the ultimate videogame hero! Help her take down the Greatest Heroes of All Time in an action-packed bid to claim the title for herself and show the world what a true hero looks like!

Price 4.99€
Rating 8.8
Release 03 Jul 2013

The Swapper

What if someone knew your mind better than you did? The Swapper is an award-winning, narrative driven puzzle game set in the furthest reaches of space.

Price 13.99€
Rating 9.1
Release 30 May 2013

Wargame: Airland Battle

2 SIDES, 12 NATIONS, 750 UNITS: THE STRATEGY GAME REFERENCE IS BACK! Richer, more beautiful and more accessible, Wargame AirLand Battle is the sequel to the explosive real-time strategy game Wargame European Escalation! 1985.

Price 19.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 29 May 2013

Element4l

Element4l is an immersive and experimental indie platform game, with a strong focus on flow and smooth gameplay, wrapped in an exceptional soundtrack by Mind Tree.

Price 7.99€
Rating 7.9
Release 24 May 2013

Super Puzzle Platformer Deluxe

The title says it all. Take one part falling block puzzle game, combine one part old-school platformer, add a couple thousand pixels, blend and serve. Why match colored blocks when you can just shoot the hell out of them? Your goal is to survive as long as you can. From celebrated indie developer Andrew Morrish and Adult Swim Games.

Price 7.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 24 May 2013

Dragon's Lair

Haven't heard of Dragon's Lair?! Well, you play the heroic Dirk the Daring, a valiant knight on a quest to rescue the fair princess from the clutches of an evil dragon! Originally released in the summer of 1983, Dragon's Lair has solidified itself as a cultural icon in gaming.

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.3
Release 17 May 2013

Super Sanctum TD

Super Sanctum TD is a retro-styled Tower Defense game that focuses on strategy, customization and replayability. Build advanced mazes and construct powerful towers to prevent alien hordes from reaching the Core!

Price 4.99€
Rating 8.3
Release 09 May 2013

Receiver

Receiver was created for the 7-day FPS challenge to explore gun handling mechanics, randomized levels, and unordered storytelling. Armed only with a handgun and an audio cassette player, you must uncover the secrets of the Mindkill in a building complex infested with automated turrets and hovering shock drones.

Price 4.99€
Rating 7.7
Release 29 Apr 2013

Don't Starve

Don’t Starve is an uncompromising wilderness survival game full of science and magic. Enter a strange and unexplored world full of strange creatures, dangers, and surprises. Gather resources to craft items and structures that match your survival style.

Price 8.19€
Rating 9.5
Release 23 Apr 2013

Eador. Masters of the Broken World

Eador is a universe made of countless shards of land drifting in the Great Nothing. Each of the shards is a little world unto itself, with geography and denizens of its own. The power over the shards is bitterly contested by Masters, the immortal beings mortals believe to be gods.

Price 18.99€
Rating 6.7
Release 19 Apr 2013

Surgeon Simulator

Surgeon Simulator is an over-the-top operation sim, stitching together pitch-black humour with life-saving surgery. Become Dr. Burke, a would-be surgeon with a less than conventional toolkit, as he performs procedures on patients including the Heavy from TF2! ...is that a hammer?

Price 9.75€
Rating 8.1
Release 19 Apr 2013

La-Mulana

LA-MULANA is an “Archaeological Ruin Exploration Action Game,” bringing the classic appeal of adventure with the punishing difficulty of retro-inspired gaming. Search inside ancient ruins, seeking out the “Secret Treasure of Life” – which sleeps in the sprawling ruins of “LA-MULANA” and is said to be the beginning of all civilization.

Price 14.99€
Rating 7.7
Release 15 Apr 2013

Another World – 20th Anniversary Edition

Also known as Out Of This World™, Another World is a pioneer action/platformer that released across more than a dozen platforms since its debut in 1991. Along the years, Another World™ has attained cult status among critics and sophisticated gamers alike.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 04 Apr 2013

Ms. Splosion Man

You got a problem? Yo, she’ll splode it. At the Big Science after-party celebrating the capture of Splosion Man, a spill of champagne shorts out the safety protocols on the splosionatrix and from it emerges Ms. Splosion Man. The latest creation from Twisted Pixel Games, the creators of Splosion Man, The Maw, and Comic Jumper, Ms.

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.4
Release 03 Apr 2013

Trials Evolution: Gold Edition

Trials Evolution: Gold Edition marks the Trials franchise’s triumphant return to the PC gaming platform. RedLynx’s signature franchise, the Trials series first made its mark in gaming with the 2008 release of Trials 2 SE for the PC.

Price 19.99€
Rating 7.3
Release 21 Mar 2013

Ultratron

Experience the addictive gameplay of old-school arcade favourites, updated and improved for the 21st century! Unique retro-futuristic sound and graphics, player responsive difficulty, and a subtle system of tactics combined with classic gameplay make Ultratron a fun and hypnotic arcade blast.

Price -35% 7.01€
Rating 8.3
Release 18 Mar 2013

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2

Sniper: Ghost Warrior 2 takes the bulls-eye precision of its predecessor to new and exciting heights!

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.4
Release 11 Mar 2013

TrackMania² Canyon

TrackMania² Canyon will let you experience the fun and adrenaline of racing stunning cars on sensational tracks in a major enhanced sequel to Nadeo Studio’s online racing phenomenon TrackMania, already enjoyed by millions of players.

Price 19.99€
Rating 7.8
Release 27 Feb 2013

BIT.TRIP Presents... Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien

Step into rhythmic bliss with Runner2! Best Indie Game winner, Guinness World Record holder, and narrated by Charles Martinet. Unleash vibrant moves and beats in 120 levels!

Price 13.99€
Rating 8.8
Release 26 Feb 2013

The Bridge

The Bridge is a logic puzzle game that forces you to reevaluate your preconceptions of physics and perspective. It is Isaac Newton meets M. C. Escher. Manipulate gravity to redefine the ceiling as the floor while venturing through impossible architectures.

Price -80% 1.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 22 Feb 2013

Super House of Dead Ninjas

Super House of Dead Ninjas is an action arcade game with roguelite elements. Race against a 30 second timer as you descend floor after foe-filled floor and attempt to unlock the secrets of this deadly tower!Play as the fearsome Crimson Ninja, wielding an arsenal of deadly ninja weapons and attacks.

Price 6.99€
Rating 9.1
Release 18 Feb 2013

Ys I & II Chronicles+

Long, long ago, there was an ancient kingdom called Ys which prospered under the auspices of two heavenly Goddesses. Over time, the kingdom came to be known as Esteria, and its divine history was largely forgotten by all but the descendants of those who once preached the Goddesses’ will.

Price 11.99€
Rating 8.5
Release 14 Feb 2013

RaceRoom Racing Experience

RaceRoom is the premier free-to-play racing simulation on PC and home to official race series like DTM, WTCR, the WTCC and ADAC GT Masters. Enter RaceRoom and enter the world of a professional race car driver.

Price Free to play
Rating 7.4
Release 12 Feb 2013

Antichamber

Antichamber is a mind-bending psychological exploration game where nothing can be taken for granted. Discover an Escher-like world where hallways wrap around upon each other, spaces reconfigure themselves, and accomplishing the impossible may just be the only way forward.

Price 18.99€
Rating 9.3
Release 31 Jan 2013

Tomb Raider II (1997)

The second instalment in the Tomb Raider series invites you to join Lara as she travels around the globe to retrieve a precious artefact before it falls into the wrong hands. The legendary artefact, the Dagger of Xian, is said to give its possessor the power of a fire breathing dragon.

Price 6.99€
Rating 8.3
Release 28 Nov 2012

Stealth Bastard Deluxe

Armed with only your wits and a pair of Stealthing Goggles, it’s your job to sneak your way through a deadly facility that’s determined to extinguish your fragile little life.

Price 8.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 28 Nov 2012

Tomb Raider III (1998)

Thousands of years ago a meteor crashed into Antarctica and the shockwaves of its impact are being felt in the modern age. Lara Croft will follow clues leading to a deadly secret, boldly leaping chasms and blasting monsters that no one has leaped or blasted before. This time she faces a mystery that's from way out of this world.

Price 6.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 28 Nov 2012

Super Hexagon

Super Hexagon is a minimal action game by Terry Cavanagh, with music by Chipzel.

Price 2.99€
Rating 9.5
Release 27 Nov 2012

Hitman: Absolution™

The original assassin is back! Betrayed by the Agency and hunted by the police, Agent 47 finds himself pursuing redemption in a corrupt and twisted world.

Price 19.99€
Rating 9.1
Release 19 Nov 2012

Fly'N

Somewhere between a platformer, a puzzle game and a great big dollop of pure fun, Fly’N will challenge your skills through more than forty levels set in a luxuriant world. Experiment with the four Buds to save the World-Trees from Dyer, the loony hair-dryer who intends to destroy their Helys!

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.1
Release 09 Nov 2012

Pid

You are stranded on a strange and peculiar planet. It’s time to embark on your journey and find your way home! Explore a gravity defying and challenging platformer with striking visuals and a captivating story that transports you to a world beyond ours.

Price 19.50€
Rating 8.0
Release 31 Oct 2012