Every year, developers push out Triple-A titles for millions of gamers worldwide. Some of these games go big and rake in lots of money. Others… not so much. Does that mean that they aren’t any good? Not exactly. There are many obscure video games out there just waiting to be discovered.
From simple platformers to whole shooters you’d think were made by big names like Electronic Arts. These video games might lack the budget or only appeal to a small audience. Nevertheless, many deserve way more credit than is given to them. Sometimes, they are known when they come out but are eventually forgotten about, in spite of how great they were.
Take Untitled Goose Game for example. At first glance, the game doesn’t even make any sense. How does something so cheesy get so popular? The answer is simple. That’s it! It is, well, simple. A simple game like this comes off as refreshing in a world that’s too fast-paced.
The market is flooded with so many First-Person Shooter titles and massive open-world games that there’s barely any time to beat them all. Furthermore, a lot of these games end up getting expansions and DLCs that keep you coming back. Before you know it, you’re hooked. Your obsession grows until you lose sight of why you play video games in the first place: to have fun.
For those of you looking to break this mold, you’re in the right place. This list is for those looking for something fresh or just to get away from the normal day-to-day video game market. You just want to enjoy video games again, and we want to help you on this mission.
Without further ado, here are some obscure video games that might interest you.
Specs Ops: The Line
[Image via Take-Two Interactive]
- Initial Release Date: June 26, 2012
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, and PC
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Spec Ops: The Line is a third-person shooter set in a Dubai ravaged by relentless sandstorms. You play as Captain Walker who tries to make sense of the situation and the mysterious messages left by Colonel Konrad. Konrad along with the “Damned 33rd”, an infantry battalion, defied the military and deserted.
You play as Walker, a man that must journey across the sandy wasteland to find out “what really happened.” The story has multiple endings, and your decisions play a huge role in how things turn out.
Spec Ops: The Line has received praise for its story as well as its overall gameplay. If you’re a fan of more story, with a good helping of gunfights, then this game is for you. Unless you live in the UAE, then you probably might not get it since it’s banned over there.
Beyond Two Souls
[Image via Quantic Dream]
- Initial Release Date: October 8, 2013
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, and PC
If you love movies but don’t like how most video games play, check out Beyond Two Souls. It’s an interactive drama meaning it’s basically a movie, but you decide what happens. You play as Jodie and an entity named Aiden connected to Jodie via a psychic link.
Jodie is able to channel spirits from the Infraworld and allow them to talk to actual people in real life. During play, you will learn to control Aiden, travel the world, and find out more about the entities and where they come from. The game’s a little creepy but not full-blown horror. Decisions also play a big role in determining what ending you get.
Beyond Two Soul’s strong narrative and plot twists will keep you coming back to see what you could’ve done differently.
Army of Two: The 40th Day
[Image via Electronic Arts]
- Initial Release Date: January 8, 2010
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, PlayStation Portable
Couch co-ops seem to have fallen off over the last few years. It doesn’t have to be that way. If you enjoyed the most recent couch co-op, A Way Out, Army of Two is worth checking out. This is a game I would describe as the epitome of teamwork.
Army of Two is a third-person shooter where you play as either Tyson Rios or Elliot Salem. Rios is a large man with a bigger frame while Salem is lighter and nimbler. A simple meeting with a contact in Shanghai takes a turn for the worst when the city is attacked by terrorists.
Fight your way through the chaos and find the man responsible for the hell you endure. What you do with him when you find him is up to you.
Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time
[Image via Sony Computer Entertainment]
- Initial Release Date: February 5, 2013
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita
Raccoons have always looked like robbers what with those dark circles around their eyes. Fortunately for us, someone took this concept and ran with it to make Sly Cooper. The Sly Cooper series are games centered around stealth where you play as Sly Cooper, a raccoon from a long line of great thieves.
Like the other titles, Thieves in Time features a cartoonish art style with animal characters in place of humans. The game picks up after the events of Sly 3: Honor Among Thieves. You have to get the gang back together to mend the Thievius Raccoonus, a priceless book about the Cooper family history. The pages are going out of whack because of a time-traveling villain you need to confront.
Grab your cane and creep through the shadows in Sly Cooper: Thieves in Time on PS3 and PSVita.
Life Is Strange
[Image via Square Enix]
- Initial Release Date: January 30, 2015
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, Android, iOS, Linux, and Mac
Decisions. Decisions. Life Is Strange is another “movie game” in this list driven by player choices. You play as Max Caulfield, a teenage girl with the ability to rewind time. You first discover this power after you witness another girl get killed in the bathroom by an out-of-control student.
These powers also come with visions of the future where a storm destroys your hometown, Arcadia Bay. Max must do what she can to save everyone and stop the storm from happening. But then again, she can choose not to… “you” can choose not to.
Life Is Strange is a fun game with strong characters, amazing voice actors, and an incredible soundtrack. It is divided into five episodes and even has a prequel and sequel for those hungry for more.
SSX
[Image via Electronic Arts]
- Initial Release Date: February 28th, 2012
- Platforms: PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360
Out of all the sports games put out by EA, winter games never really managed to get much of the spotlight. That is until the SSX series first came along in late 2000. It was one of the first of many sports games put out by the “EA Sports Big” publishing label, which dealt mostly with arcade-type sports titles.
As the years went by, these games slowly fizzled out leaving fans of the franchise wanting more. The last SSX in the series for console came out in 2012 and still holds up pretty well. Despite ditching some silly elements for a darker tone, SSX still managed to win over critics.
In this installment, you play as Team SSX; Zoe, Mac, and Tane, in a race to beat former teammate, Griff, in conquering the nine descents. The bulk of what made SSX is still there making this one of many obscure video game titles you need to play ASAP.
While some may not put this under the obscure video games tag, the fact that EA never really highlights this series nowadays is worthy of note. It’s infuriating for those of us that loved playing it growing up.
Killing Floor 2
[Image via Tripwire Interactive & Saber Interactive]
- Initial Release Date: November 18, 2016
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC
Killing Floor 2 takes place after Killing Floor where the outbreak has spread beyond Europe. You play as a character of your choosing from the select screen and fight your way through waves of Zeds.
Your arsenal is broad ranging from dual pistols to shovels and even an eviscerator that shoots blades. Survival is the name of the game. Zed hordes attack you each round and increase the longer you survive. At the end of each round, you stock up on ammo using cash earned from kills.
If you’re a fan of zombie games, this is a game worth checking out. It’s reminiscent of the Doom series except for its survival. Killing Floor 2 can be played solo or online with friends in teams of up to six players.
Tricky Towers
[Image via WeirdBeard]
- Initial Release Date: August 2, 2016
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Mac, Linux, and Nintendo Switch
Tricky Towers is basically Tetris but with a twist. Instead of building on a long flat surface, you stack blocks onto a narrow tower. The block shapes are the same as Tetris except for the line at the bottom, which doesn’t clear when completing it. The game is physics-based, so you’ll have to go as high as you can without tipping the tower depending on the game mode.
Speaking of which, the are three modes: Race, Survival, and Puzzle. Race focuses on who can build the tallest tower past the finish line quickest. Survival involves placing a certain number of blocks without dropping too many or you lose. Finally, in Puzzle, you have to place a certain number of blocks below a marked cut-off point.
Tricky Towers is light and great for casual play with no clear-cut objective. Obscure video game titles don’t get much sweeter than this.
Journey
[Image via Thatgamecompany]
- Initial Release Date: March 13, 2012
- Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PC, and iOS
No blood, violence, or suggestive themes; just pure tranquility. Journey is one of the most peaceful games you will ever play. Its breathtaking soundtrack and gentle flow of your main character make for a very relaxing gaming experience.
You control a robed figure trekking through the vast desert headed for a mountain way out in the distance. Along the way, you can encounter other players also “journeying” to the same mountain. Should the two of you complete a section simultaneously, you begin the next one together.
Singing is the main form of interaction with the environment which can trigger massive changes to the landscape. All in all, Journey takes around two to three hours to complete.
Unravel Two
[Image via Electronic Arts]
- Initial Release Date: June 9, 2018
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch
Unravel Two builds on its predecessor, Unravel, did quite well with the addition of another player character. You play as one of two Yarny’s, which is a tiny yarn figure. During the game, you maneuver your way through multiple puzzles in the game.
Unravel is divided into seven chapters each lasting about twenty to thirty minutes. Much of the game happens in the foreground with another story unfolding in the background. The story in the back involves two teenagers trying to escape abusive adults in an adoption home.
The levels vary from deep in the forest to the nooks and crannies of an old factory. The bottom line here is that there’s enough variation, so you won’t get bored. You can choose to play alone or with a friend for the ultimate teamwork experience.
Shift Quantum
[Image via Red Panda Interactive]
- Initial Release Date: May 28, 2018
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch
Shift Quantum is one of many obscure video games that didn’t get enough marketing. It’s “a cyber-noir action-puzzle platformer” in black and white, with a unique gameplay mechanic called “SHIFTING”. You play as a cool-looking guy in a black robe stuck within a square puzzle. Your goal: find the clearly marked exit and get out.
Shift Quantum looks a lot like those boxes in cartoons the nerdy kid always kept his ants in. In this box, you’re the ant. There are boxes you move around to help create new paths and platforms for you to jump on.
In order to reach the end, you’ll have to “shift” the world upside down. When done correctly, the world rearranges itself opening up new passages towards the exit. Interestingly enough, the only color in the game can be found on the scarf of a mysterious girl running away from you.
She appears every now and then, but no explanation is given why. You’ll just have to find that out for yourself.
Xenon Racer
[Image via Soedesco]
- Initial Release Date: February 27, 2019
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch
Xenon Racer is Formula One meets Wipeout meets Need for Speed. Set in the future where cars fly, the vehicles you use seem to be the last with wheels. Like most racing games, Xenon Racer doesn’t need much explaining. Get to the finish line first, and that’s pretty much it.
That being said, it doesn’t mean the game is boring. Not at all. There are elements of it that remind you of past arcade racers like Burnout. Your car has a health bar that decreases with every hit. If it drops to zero, your car respawns. This makes the game a little challenging, but not unplayable.
There is a degree of satisfaction finishing a race with minimal bumps and grinds. The cars look good, and the tracks are for the most part, pretty decent.
If you crave a return to arcade games past, obscure video game titles like Xenon Racer are definitely worth your time.
Mafia III
[Image via Take-Two Interactive]
- Initial Release Date: October 7, 2016
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Mac
If this game’s story doesn’t get you, then the soundtrack surely will. Mafia III is set in the 1960s in a fictional American city, New Bordeaux. The cultures and lifestyles there are inspired by actual real-life cities in the south like New Orleans.
You play as Lincoln Clay after his return from duty in the Vietnam War. In order to clear a debt, you help mob boss Sal Marcano pull off a heist which ultimately results in him betraying you. Despite a close call with death, Clay survives with help from Father James. Seething with rage, Clay swears to get revenge on the Marcano family.
Mafia III has multiple endings giving the player the freedom to choose which one. Despite being a bit repetitive, it still provides quality gameplay at its best. The game may have been known during its time, but 4 years later, people have almost completely forgotten about it. Truly, it needs to be played once again. Perhaps, we’ll finally get that fourth installment with more fanfare behind the third.
Lost Orbit: Terminal Velocity
[Image via PixelNAUTS]
- Initial Release Date: July 16, 2019
- Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Nintendo Switch
As the name suggests, Lost Orbit: Terminal Velocity is played in space. Your character is a maintenance worker whose ship gets mysteriously destroyed while out on duty. Without any help in sight, it is up to you to find your way home.
Swim through space and use the gravity from planets to propel yourself even further. Collecting “obtanium” as you go gives you a higher rank and unlocks upgrades. Lost Orbit is a very simple game where you dodge obstacles in space to reach the “finish line”.
The controls are straightforward, and the story is filled with “risk, loneliness, wonder, and death.” Lost Orbit: Terminal Velocity is perfect for a lazy day when you don’t want to get too invested in a game.
Quantum Break
[Image via Remedy Entertainment]
- Initial Release Date: April 5, 2016
- Platforms: Xbox One, PC
Wrapping up our list of obscure video games is Quantum Break. From the developers of Control, Remedy Entertainment also gave us Quantum Break. Quantum Break is a third-person shooter action-adventure game set in Riverport. A botched time-traveling experiment grants Jack, our main protagonist, time-travel abilities.
Consequently, the machine gets damaged and causes a fracture in time.
Enemies include Monarch security guards, Strikers, and Juggernauts that attack you in different ways. Jack also has a few tricks up his sleeve. He can freeze time, dash towards enemies almost instantly, and speed up time. Just like Control, Quantum Break also features live-action elements such as in cutscenes.
If you’re in the mood for a single-player game with an interesting story, this game gets the job done.
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