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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Oddworld: Abe's Exoddus®

Abe's peaceful retirement was shattered when visited by a vision from the Mudokon Spirit Guides. Abe™ learned the Magog Cartel was mining Necrum, the sacred Mudokon city of the dead, to collect bones to make super-addictive SoulStorm Brew.

Price 2.99€
Rating 9.0
Release 28 Aug 2008

Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee®

Selected by the fickle finger of fate, Abe™, floor-waxer first class for RuptureFarms, was catapulted into a life of adventure when he overheard plans by his boss, Molluck the Glukkon™, to turn Abe and his fellow Mudokons into Tasty Treats as part of a last-ditch effort to rescue Molluck's failing meat-packing empire.

Price 2.99€
Rating 8.3
Release 28 Aug 2008

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon®

Eastern Europe, 2008. War has broken out on the borders of Russia and the fate of the world hangs in the balance. That's when the call goes out for the Ghosts—an elite handful of specially trained Green Berets, armed with the latest technology and trained to use the deadliest weapons.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.8
Release 15 Jul 2008

Trackmania United Forever

TrackMania is the most entertaining car racing game ever. Millions of players play it in single or multiplayer modes. TrackMania United Forever is the ultimate TrackMania edition thanks to the numerous additions and innovations it has to offer.

Price 29.99€
Rating 9.1
Release 16 Apr 2008

TrackMania Nations Forever

A free game in the truest sense of the word, TrackMania Nations Forever lets you drive at mind-blowing speeds on fun and spectacular tracks in solo and multiplayer modes.TrackMania Nations Forever offers a new "Forever" version of the Stadium environment, a solid solo mode and 65 brand new, progressively challenging tracks.

Price Free to play
Rating 8.8
Release 16 Apr 2008

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas 2

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas 2 - the sequel to the award-winning next-generation first-person shooter - returns to Sin City. Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Vegas 2 is your last chance to rescue America's sexiest city from an escalating terrorist siege that will force you into heart-pounding action from beginning to end.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.2
Release 16 Apr 2008

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six® Vegas

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six makes its next-generation hardware debut in the most dramatic installment of the renowned first-person shooter franchise to date. Rainbow operatives take to the chaotic streets of Las Vegas as an escalating terrorist siege in 'Sin City' threatens to take world terrorism to new, uncontrollable heights.

Price 9.99€
Rating 7.6
Release 09 Apr 2008

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell®

Infiltrate terrorists' positions, acquire critical intelligence by any means necessary, execute with extreme prejudice, and exit without a trace! You are Sam Fisher, a highly trained secret operative of the NSA's secret arm: Third Echelon.

Price 4.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 01 Apr 2008

Far Cry®

A tropical paradise seethes with hidden evil in Far Cry®, a cunningly detailed action shooter that pushes the boundaries of combat to shocking new levels. Freelance mariner Jack Carver is cursing the day he ever came to this island.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 01 Apr 2008

Manhunt

You awake to the sound of your own panicked breath. In Manhunt, you must run, hide and fight to survive. If you can stay alive long enough, you may find out who did this to you. This is a brutal blood sport.

Price 9.99€
Rating 6.9
Release 04 Jan 2008

Quake III Arena

The greatest warriors of all time and space have been summoned to battle for the amusement of an ancient alien race. Wield a variety of guns and power-ups as you fight for glory against ruthless combatants in this fast-paced single-player and multiplayer FPS.

Price 14.99€
Rating 9.2
Release 03 Aug 2007

DOOM + DOOM II

Developed by id Software, and originally released in 1993 and 1994, the definitive, newly enhanced versions of DOOM + DOOM II are available as a combined product.

Price -25% 7.49€
Rating 9.4
Release 03 Aug 2007

Wolfenstein 3D

World War II rages. The Nazis are planning to build an unstoppable, mutant army. On a mission to steal the secret plans, you were captured and imprisoned. Now, a lucky break gives you the chance to escape, but a maze of passages and trigger-happy Nazis stand in your way.

Price -79% 1.06€
Rating 9.0
Release 03 Aug 2007

HeXen II

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse lurk in the shadows before you. They are Death, Pestilence, Famine, and War. They are the root of all that is evil, but the least of your worries. The last of the three Serpent Riders yet lives.

Price 4.99€
Rating 7.5
Release 03 Aug 2007

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved

Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved is a old school style shooter, but remixed for the 21st century with next generation graphics and deep, modern gameplay. Playing is simple: you are a geometric "ship" trapped in a grid world, facing off against waves of deadly wanderers, snakes, and repulsars.

Price 3.99€
Rating 8.6
Release 18 Jun 2007

X-COM: Terror From the Deep

The war continues... X-COM: UFO Defense brought you to a galactic battlefield. X-COM: Terror from the Deep brings the alien terror into a totally new dimension.Seeking to take advantage of a weakened Earth, X-COM's deep space foes unexpectedly change strategy and launch a powerful second front against planet Earth.

Price 4.99€
Rating 8.6
Release 04 May 2007

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl tells a story about survival in the Zone – a very dangerous place, where you fear not only the radiation, anomalies and deadly creatures, but other S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, who have their own goals and wishes.

Price -78% 3.59€
Rating 9.3
Release 20 Mar 2007

Hitman: Codename 47

As the enigmatic Hitman, you must use stealth and tactical problem solving to enter, execute and exit your assignment with minimum attention and maximum effectiveness. For a price, you have access to the most devious devices, but how you use them will determine if you retire as a millionaire or get permanently retired.

Price -87% 1.00€
Rating 7.0
Release 15 Mar 2007

Hitman: Blood Money

Money Talks. Silence Pays. Prepare to Make a Killing. When assassins from Agent 47's contract agency, The ICA, are eliminated in a series of hits, it seems a larger, more powerful agency has entered the fray. Sensing he may be a target, 47 travels to America, and prepares to make a killing.

Price -89% 1.12€
Rating 9.2
Release 15 Mar 2007

Hitman 2: Silent Assassin

Enter the realm of a retired assassin, forced back into action by treason. You may be a hired killer but you still have a sense of loyalty and justice. Visit the dark recesses of a world corrupted by crime, greed, degradation and dishonor. And a past that catches up with you.

Price -89% 1.00€
Rating 8.0
Release 15 Mar 2007

Commandos 2: Men of Courage

Commandos 2: Men of Courage is a tactical action/strategy game set against the backdrop of World War II. Take control of an elite group of commandos who must venture deep into enemy territory and utilize their combined expertise to complete a series of mission-based objectives.

Price -80% 1.00€
Rating 8.2
Release 15 Mar 2007

Commandos: Beyond the Call of Duty

You have been selected for active service in the Commandos Corps, and must now mobilize in a series of 8 new dangerous missions.

Price 4.99€
Rating 8.4
Release 15 Mar 2007

Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines

Commandos: Behind Enemy Lines is a real-time tactics game set in World War II that puts you in command of a small squad of elite troopers. Send them behind enemy lines on a series of hazardous missions, and bring them back alive.

Price 4.99€
Rating 8.7
Release 15 Mar 2007

Peggle Deluxe

Take your best shot with energizing arcade fun! Aim, shoot, clear the orange pegs, then sit back and cheer as 10 whimsical teachers guide you to Peggle greatness.

Price 4.99€
Rating 9.5
Release 06 Mar 2007

FlatOut

Ram through pile-ups and smash through your windshield as you push racing to the edge! FlatOut™ delivers more heart-stopping thrills than any sane driver can handle!

Price -80% 1.39€
Rating 8.9
Release 02 Feb 2007

Call of Duty® (2003)

Call of Duty® delivers the gritty realism and cinematic intensity of World War II's epic battlefield moments like never before.

Price 19.99€
Rating 9.2
Release 13 Oct 2006

DEFCON

Inspired by the 1983 cult classic film, Wargames, DEFCON superbly evokes the tension, paranoia and suspicion of the Cold War era, playing on the fascinating aspects of psychological gameplay that occur during strategic nuclear warfare.

Price 9.75€
Rating 8.4
Release 29 Sep 2006

Insaniquarium Deluxe

The craziest aquarium game ever! Tend to your fish, keep them happy and they'll reward you with coins and jewels. Buy tank upgrades or egg parts which hatch different in-tank pets. These pets can help you feed your fish, collect coins, or even protect against the aliens that will invade your tank.

Price 4.99€
Rating 9.3
Release 30 Aug 2006

Zuma Deluxe

Deep in the jungle lie hidden temples bursting with traps and trickery, and it's up to you to uncover their treasures. Fire magical balls from your stone frog idol to make matches of three or more and clear the deadly chain before it reaches the golden skull.

Price 4.99€
Rating 9.2
Release 30 Aug 2006

The Ship: Murder Party

The Ship is a murder mystery multiplayer.

Price 9.99€
Rating 8.3
Release 11 Jul 2006

Dangerous Waters

S.C.S. - Dangerous Waters allows you total control over multiple air, surface, and submarine platforms in a modern-day naval environment. Take direct control of individual crew stations and also plan and execute combined arms naval strategies from a top-down 'Commanders Eye' perspective.

Price 14.99€
Rating 7.4
Release 07 Feb 2006

Counter-Strike: Source

Counter-Strike: Source blends Counter-Strike's award-winning teamplay action with the advanced technology of Source™ technology.

Price 9.75€
Rating 9.5
Release 01 Nov 2004

Day of Defeat

Enlist in an intense brand of Axis vs. Allied teamplay set in the WWII European Theatre of Operations. Players assume the role of light/assault/heavy infantry, sniper or machine-gunner class, each with a unique arsenal of historical weaponry at their disposal. Missions are based on key historical operations.

Price 4.99€
Rating 8.8
Release 01 May 2003

Mafia

It’s 1930. After an inadvertent brush with the mafia, cabdriver Tommy Angelo is reluctantly thrust into the world of organized crime. Initially, he is uneasy about falling in with the Salieri family, but soon the rewards become too big to ignore.

Price -67% 3.29€
Rating 8.6
Release 28 Aug 2002

Deathmatch Classic

Enjoy fast-paced multiplayer gaming with Deathmatch Classic (a.k.a. DMC). Valve's tribute to the work of id software, DMC invites players to grab their rocket launchers and put their reflexes to the test in a collection of futuristic settings.

Price 4.99€
Rating 8.0
Release 01 Jun 2001

Gothic 1

War has been waged across the kingdom of Myrtana. Orcish hordes invaded human territory and the king of the land needed a lot of ore to forge enough weapons, should his army stand against this threat. Whoever breaks the law in these darkest of times is sentenced to serve in the giant penal colony of Khorinis, mining the so much needed...

Price -75% 4.99€
Rating 9.0
Release 15 Mar 2001

Half-Life

Named Game of the Year by over 50 publications, Valve's debut title blends action and adventure with award-winning technology to create a frighteningly realistic world where players must think to survive. Also includes an exciting multiplayer mode that allows you to play against friends and enemies around the world.

Price 8.19€
Rating 9.5
Release 19 Nov 1998

POSTAL

Take control of The POSTAL Dude in his infamous first outing as he battles to survive in a world gone mad! POSTAL is a classic isometric shooter filled to the brim with fast-paced explosive action.

Price Free to play
Rating 8.8
Release 14 Nov 1997

Shadow Warrior Classic (1997)

Strap on your combat sandals...Lo Wang is coming to the Land of the Rising Sun to turn out the lights. Experience total blood immersion. If you can't touch, kill or drive something...then blow it away! Whether you're wielding shurikens, an Uzi, or a freshly plundered Guardian head...you've got your work cut out for you.

Price Free to play
Rating 8.8
Release -

Serious Sam Fusion 2017 (beta)

Serious Sam Fusion is a central hub for several existing Serious Sam games developed by Croteam. Cool new features, engine upgrades, patches and updates will be released to existing owners for FREE!

Price 14.99€
Rating 9.0
Release -