Games You Must Play Once
There are probably hundreds of thousands of games out there all vying for your attention. However, some are far better than others, but if they’re not popular, you’ll never hear about them. With that in mind, this list sheds light on 20 lesser-known games that really should be on your list. If you already play some of these, then you’ve got great taste.
1. RimWorld
RimWorld is a science fiction colony simulation game where players oversee settlers stranded on an alien planet. Players must balance survival, resource management, and interpersonal dynamics as they build a thriving colony. The game's deep storytelling system creates emergent narratives that make each playthrough unique and full of surprises. RimWorld's blend of strategy, creativity, and dark humor makes it a must-play for fans of simulation and management games.
2. Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup
Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup is a roguelike game first released all the way back in 2006. The latest version, 0.32, was released in September of 2024. Despite its age, it's a modern game in terms of design and has some of the best quality-of-life options out there. Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup is a strategy game with roguelike elements that players of all skill levels can easily pick up and have fun with. It features a wide variety of character classes, tons of strategic gameplay options, and plenty of tough dungeons to explore.
3. A Short Hike
A Short Hike is an adorable and relaxed indie adventure game where you explore a vibrant open-world island as a small bird character named Claire. The game features light platforming elements, lots of secrets to discover, cute treasures to find, and fun characters to interact with along the way. This charming and calming experience is the perfect game to play if you are looking for a laid-back adventure game with relaxing gameplay and a cute art style.
4. Return of the Obra Dinn
Return of the Obra Dinn is a mystery adventure game by Lucas Pope. As a player, you take on the role of an insurance investigator who has to find out the fate of the crew aboard a 19th-century merchant ship. The game uses a single-color art style and a rewind-time mechanic to help you use the clues you can find to identify each crew member and determine how they perished.
Nikita Kachanovsky on Unsplash
5. Monster Sanctuary
Monster Sanctuary is a monster-collecting and Metroidvania-styled game. In Monster Sanctuary, players journey through connected areas, collecting and training monsters to fight with them as they progress. It mixes turn-based combat with exploration and environmental puzzles, creating an expansive play loop with varied activities to engage players in.
6. Tunic
Tunic puts you in the paws of a small fox as you traverse a mysterious, beautifully rendered world riddled with secrets and puzzles. Its ingenious level design, cryptic clues, and skill-based combat ensure that there is always a sense of discovery and wonder on every step. Tunic's unique premise, satisfying gameplay, and charming presentation make it a must-play for any fan of exploration and adventure games.
7. Okami
Okami is an action-adventure game that puts you in the paws of Amaterasu, the wolf goddess, as she uses her magical brush to solve puzzles, explore, and fight evil. The game's imaginative setting and gameplay fuse elements of fantasy, adventure, and hack-and-slash in a hand-painted recreation of Feudal Japan with a watercolor visual style. Okami's distinctive gameplay, visual artistry, and innovative game mechanics have made it a cult classic and an absolute must-play for any video game art connoisseur.
Willian Justen de Vasconcellos on Unsplash
8. Lost Odyssey
Lost Odyssey is a beautiful JRPG from the Xbox 360's library. Following Kaim, an immensely powerful immortal with little memory of his life, Lost Odyssey weaves a gripping tale of loss, memory, and connection while presenting an interesting cast of characters and stunning art design. A must-play for fans of turn-based Japanese RPGs, this is a true gem of the Xbox 360 library.
9. Jade Empire
Jade Empire is an action RPG developed by BioWare, originally released for Xbox in 2005. The game is notable for its fully original story and setting, which draw heavily on Chinese folklore and culture. It features a real-time combat system, as well as a morality mechanic that allows players to influence their character's development.
Aleksandr Buynitskiy on Unsplash
10. Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines
Bloodlines is a tabletop RPG and adventure game hybrid in which players create and customize their own vampire character and explore a detailed, contemporary environment, including a wide array of different storylines, such as frenetic combat, sneaky infiltration missions, and the exploration of haunted locales. With a highly detailed game world, rich storytelling, and cult-classic status, Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines is a must-play for fans of role-playing games and horror.
11. Mad TV
Mad TV is a business simulation video game for the Commodore 64, Atari 8-bit, and MS-DOS in which the player acts as manager for a television station, with the overall duties of programming, advertising, and staff management. The player can experience the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat as they rush about keeping track of contracts, station managers, and their boss. The premise, challenge, and replay value in Mad TV are reasons why it has been overlooked.
12. Blade of Darkness
Blade of Darkness (Severance) is an action-adventure game that has a remarkably brutal and satisfying melee combat system that is very difficult to master but extremely rewarding when one does. It has beautiful graphics, especially its lightmapping, and a realistic damage system that makes each fight feel visceral and immersive. It also has multiple characters with diverse weapons and playstyles, along with a host of unique abilities to unlock and use.
Paul Pastourmatzis on Unsplash
13. Heretic
Heretic is a first-person shooter video game, released shortly after Doom. Heretic has a full-fledged fantasy atmosphere: there are no guns, only magical items, spells, and monsters like familiars and mummies. The unusual in-game atmosphere, a true original, and faithful to the roots of the FPS makes Heretic a must-have.
The Cleveland Museum of Art on Unsplash
14. Guacamelee
Guacamelee is a vibrant action-platformer that blends Metroidvania-style exploration with fast-paced beat 'em-up combat. Players take on the role of a luchador, using wrestling moves and special abilities to defeat enemies, solve puzzles, and traverse lush, interconnected worlds. With its hilarious humor, tight controls, and satisfying level design, Guacamelee is a joy to play and a must-have for fans of action and platforming games.
15. Battletech
Battletech is a turn-based strategy game. The player controls an army of giant mechs in tactical combat on various battlefields. Although not a popular title at the time of its release, it is an excellent deep-strategy game for those who enjoy the mechanics of mech battles. In addition, it has an active modding community that creates more content to expand replayability.
16. Adventure Quest
AdventureQuest is a browser-based RPG where players create a character and embark on quests, fighting monsters and leveling up through turn-based combat. The game is known for its simple yet addictive mechanics, as well as its easy-to-understand user interface. It also features a light-hearted fantasy setting that appeals to players of all ages.
17. Timeshift
Timeshift is a FPS game that involves controlling time as a tactical element, allowing players to slow, stop, and even reverse time during combat. The game features a unique time-control mechanic, which is integrated with fun gunplay and engaging environments. Timeshift is a standout experience for fans of action and FPS games due to its unique gameplay concept and strategic combat.
18. Tails of Iron
Welcome to the wonderful world of Tails of Iron, where you play as a tiny but valiant rat fighting your way back to your throne in a hand-drawn, war-torn kingdom. With hard-hitting combat, deep crafting, and tough strategic choices, Tails of Iron is a blend of action-RPG and crunchy, turn-based tactics. It’s an action game for anyone who loves a challenge in an atmospheric world.
Daniel Diesenreither on Unsplash
19. Banner Saga
The Banner Saga is a turn-based tactical RPG set in a hand-drawn, Viking-inspired world. As the leader of a caravan of characters, players must navigate epic battles and difficult choices that affect the story and the group's survival. With its strategic combat, rich storytelling, and striking art style, The Banner Saga is a must-play for fans of Viking lore and tactical RPGs.
20. Champions of Norrath
Champions of Norrath is an action RPG set in the world of EverQuest. Players can select from a variety of classes and races, each with their own unique abilities and characteristics. The game features fast-paced combat, and players can explore dungeons, fight enemies, and loot treasures either solo or in cooperative gameplay.
