'Underrated Games You Need to Play' a list of games by whybmonotacrab | Backloggd (2024)

A 2D Action RPG that's a little bit Odin's Sphere and a little bit Ys. The writing manages to be both heart wrenching and absolutely batsh*t insane at the same time.

It's kind of like a mix of Doom, Stalker, and Metroid Prime. It's a f*cking weird game but if you can get past how the NPCs look you're in for something truly special.

Really cool throwback to the GBA, just a damn fun platformer with tons of variety and unlocks.

2D Zelda with dating mechanics. Does everything it sets out to quite well. I liked the writing and characters more than the puzzles, though dungeons do get better later.

An S Tier metroidvania. Seriously, this belongs in the same conversation as Hollow Knight. Pick it up right now.

Zelda/Mana like game with tons of charm and personality. Does the MMO come to life trope well. Funny dialogue, and it can hit you in the feels. Some of the dungeons get fiendishly difficult.

If you like boomer shooters and place gameplay above all else, check this one out. Some of the best combat encounters you'll see outside the doom modding scene.

Zelda but a bullet hell. Damn fine game.

A surreal 2D horror game where you morph your face into expressions rather than choosing dialogue options.

The ideal version of what I imagine when I think of a PS1/Sega Saturn platformer.

Another GBA platformer throwback, this is made by the people who made prodigal. Expect sharp writing, and wonderfully addictive platforming

Horror adventure game that is as dark as it is hopeful. A game that starts with an attempted suicide somehow manages to put a smile on your face just as much as it makes you squirm.

It's like if there was an oddworld soulslike.

Part survival game, part zelda, this is a game where you restore a post apocalypse desert to a lush landscape again.

A free 15 minute platformer with some of the most breathtaking art I've ever seen.

An Etrian Odyssey style dungeon crawler that has vibes for days and one of the most compellingly weird take on an SCP style mythos I've seen.

Precision Platforming Perfected.

Deliciously depraved first person horror throwback to Fulci films. A flawed gem.

A cozy little dungeon crawler. Has the feel of early Bethesda titles but with a condensed scope.

Honestly it's less of a Boomer shooter and more like an action packed dungeon crawler. I love the art style and it nails exploration.

Probably the meanest and bleakest game I've ever played. If you like the harder SMT games, Wizardry, or the really mean roguelikes, you'll probably love this.

Stumbles a bit in the last act, but this is a super creepy and immersive horror title that will keep you hooked.

This one is for the hardest of hardcore metroidvania junkies. If you place exploration and vibes above all else in the genre this will be your masterpiece.

Hexen meets Shantae. Weird combination but it works.

Easily the best game in the Devil Daggers-like genre.

One of the funniest games I've ever played that still manages to keep the stress of a horror game. Play it with a friend and you'll have a blast.

Really well written horror game. Definitely one to play for the story and vibes.

A metroidvania is all about the platforming and movement.

Short survival horror game with vibes for days. It's more or less a prologue to their upcoming full length release which I can't wait for.

One of the best 2D roguelites out there. Starts simple, but rather than unlocking power you unlock more stuff to do and more gameplay complexity.

A free itch.io horror game that is like a sci-fi Silent Hill. It's a two hour masterclass in building tension and I advise all horror fans to check it out.

It's basically Dresden Files, but Dresden Files rules so why the f*ck wouldn't you want it in game form?

First Person Resident Evil 1. Completely bonkers. Definitely keeping an eye on this dev.

Skyrim but good - mainly because its secretly a Gothic game.

Less bland Doom 3.

Roguelike Tower Defense Deckbuilder with a super sleek art design.

Fantastic RE7-like with neat perspective warping tricks.

A well made metroidvania that doesn't reinvent the wheel, but it adds some funny and charming writing to it and does everything quite well.

One part Half-Life 2, One part Halo, and it comes with a secondary mode that is very STALKER inspired.

Resident Evil mixed with Secrets of Mana/Ys works surprisingly well. An absolute blast if you like horror game mechanics but are a bit too chicken for something actually scary.

The closest thing we have to a modern King's Field game. Has plenty of its own ideas though.

Hollow Knight if the Path of Pain was the whole game. If you're a fan of precision platformers this is a must play.

The unofficial Silent Hill 5.

A boomer shooter that also really wants to be Arx Fatalis. If you don't mind backtracking or getting lost it's fantastic.

Czech Half-Life. Great vibes.

N64 3D Platformer Metroidvania with some of the best feeling movement in the genre. It could really use a map though.

Open World JRPG with 3D platformer elements and the job system from FF5. This one is pure gameplay, so if you only play JRPGs for the plot you might want to look elsewhere.

Another Zelda 2 style metroidvania that also has a healthy does of Wonder Boy thrown in.

Wow. 3D sonic can be good!

A mix of Ys, Zelda, and 3D Platformer. Strong PS1 vibes on this one.

A cute city builder that feels like Anno with all the stress removed. Nice and relaxing.

You know how PowerWash Simulator is a relaxing and meditative experience with low stakes? This is kind of like that, but you can die. And go into tremendous amounts of debt. And you almost definitely will.

Props to the writing, a scathing indictment of late stage capitalism and union busting that couldn't have come at a better time.

It's a game where you play as a child larping a Zelda game. It's adorable and deeply nostalgic.

An off-beat first person horror game that is absolutely beautiful to look at.

A very Half Life inspired Survival horror title bristling with interesting ideas. It's a little jank and corny, but it's a great time.

Zelda 2 but good. With Earthbound's writing.

If Shovel Knight was a metroidvania.

This game feels like when you're trying to explain a dream you had but you don't remember the specifics, only the emotions tied to them.

First Person Zelda, it's like if Metroid Prime was also Portal.

A survival horror game that's running on the Doom 2 engine that looks like a PS2 game. Insanely ambitious, and it works really well 90% of the time. Made by the guys that would go on to make Turbo Overkill.