Todayās random video game rec is: games youāve probably never heard of, which for the purposes of this post will be defined as āgames which, at the time of this writing, have fewer than ten reviews on Steamā (since ten reviews is the cutoff below which Steam refuses to calculate a score). Here we go ā
EarthNight - A surreal hybrid of the roguelike and infinite runner genres in which you skydive from orbit without a parachute in order to kill dragons. Iād say it makes more sense in context, but it really doesnāt! Best played in short bursts.
ERMO - A neat little atmospheric block-pusher that occasionally suffers from cryptic game mechanics and an English localisation that could have used another editing pass or three. Still, nice casual fun if you can get past those issues.
Exception - A hack-and-slash platformer where you play as an antivirus program beating up evil computer viruses. The gameplay is conventional for its genre, but the level design has to be seen to be believed. Fair warning: the keyboard controls are not friendly, so bring a gamepad.
Finding Light - This turn-based RPG is retro as in Game Boy, not Super Nintendo, so donāt expect fancy visuals. The third in a series, the previous titles are pretty standard RPGMaker shovelware, but this one isĀ several cuts above its predecessors.
Flux - I know I plug a lot of offbeat genre hybrids, but this one takes the cake: itās a rhythm-based cyberpunk visual novel typing tutorial. Atmospheric story sections alternate with typing minigames, plus light RPG elements for customising your cybernetic implants.
Ruby & Majesty: Treasure Team - An exploration puzzler whose gimmick is that you control two characters simultaneously, one with each joystick. The graphics take some getting used to, but there is a purpose ā itās not just weird for weirdās sake. (Though itās also that!)
Tales From the Windy Meadow - A slice-of-life visual novel with the graphical style of an old-school adventure game. Donāt let that fool you: this oneās a pure VN, with little interactivity beyond dialogue choices, though the side-scrolling perspective gives it more dynamism than most.
Treasure Hunter Man 2 - A medium-weight Metroidvania that takes its cues from the Wonder Boy series, this sequel to a freeware title from back in 2008 casts you as the first gameās protagonistās mom, questing to save him from a terrible curse.
Vesta - An action puzzler where you play as a little girl and her giant robot companion, swapping between the two in order to get through each area. I found the checkpoint placement a little thin for my taste, so be prepared to do a fair bit of replaying if you mess up.
Volvox - An environmental puzzler that plays a bit like a turn-based version of Lemmings. You control a brigade of single-celled organisms, each with one of several special abilities, and must use them to construct towers, build bridges, and so forth in order to reach each objective.