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Short hidden gems on Steam
Every game here is tagged Short on Steam, sits between 1,000 and 5,000 reviews, is rated at least 80% positive, and carries a catch drawn from its own negative reviews. All 25 of them, most reviewed first. How these pages are made.
Plug & Play85% positive from 4,928 reviews2015Deck Verified
An interactive surreal animation. Players connect plugs to explore a short, abstract experience.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique, minimalist puzzle design, comparing it to an abstract, interactive art piece.
The catchThe whole thing is over in about ten minutes and has no replay value.
Games like Plug & Play →
Cozy mystery game where you interview characters and use deduction to solve a conspiracy. Features a short, fully voice-acted narrative with a unique observational mechanic.
What players likedPlayers praise "Duck Detective: The Secret Salami" as a charming, funny, and cozy point-and-click mystery with excellent voice acting, similar to Frog Detective or Ace Attorney.
The catchVery short; completable in well under an hour
Games like Duck Detective: The Secret Salami →
Psychological adventure game about student life. Features hand-drawn art and multiple endings.
What players likedPlayers praise its short, deep, and artistic psychological story, often comparing it to other indie games.
The catchThe writing is shallow and spells out its message, with pretty art the only draw.
Games like Looking Up I See Only A Ceiling →
A wordless puzzle adventure where you guide a microscopic alien through obstacles. It features a serene, visually driven experience with environmental interaction.
What players likedPlayers praise its imaginative puzzle adventure and memorable experience, proving that short games can leave a lasting impression.
The catchScreens are so dark you end up clicking blindly to find what can be clicked.
Games like The Old Tree →
Zup! 490% positive from 3,082 reviews2017
A minimal physics puzzle game with explosions. Players solve over 60 levels by strategically detonating objects to achieve goals.
What players likedPlayers praise improved, insightful puzzles that feel like a more optimized continuation of previous games.
The catchThe easy levels are over in about half an hour and exist mainly to spam achievements.
Games like Zup! 4 →
Single-player adventure-puzzle game. Manipulate time to solve puzzles in dreamlike gardens, exploring friendship.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique time-manipulation puzzles and relaxing, combat-free atmosphere, reminiscent of other "walking simulator" puzzle games.
The catchPuzzles are so simple they nearly solve themselves, leaving the pace slow and boring.
Games like The Gardens Between →
Chop Goblins97% positive from 2,491 reviews202248% finish itDeck Verified
Chop Goblins is a fast-paced FPS microshooter where players battle time-traveling goblins with unique weapons across diverse eras. Its short, action-packed campaign offers a satisfying break with replayable challenges.
What players likedPlayers praise this short, funny micro-FPS with solid gunplay and replayability, often comparing it to classic flash games or "Dusk."
The catchThe whole thing is over in under an hour and the levels feel basic and samey.
Games like Chop Goblins →
TREE93% positive from 2,319 reviews201866% finish itDeck Playable
TREE is a free, short narrative experience about a boy and his lifelong bond with a tree. It features Steam Achievements and a reflective, personal feel.
The catchIt crashes a minute or two in, often before you see much of it.
Games like TREE →
A narrative-driven adventure game where players experience the humorous delusions of a self-important protagonist. The core loop involves navigating Vinty's misinterpretations of reality.
The catchOver in well under an hour, ending abruptly with nothing resolved.
Games like Without Within →
KIDS83% positive from 1,991 reviews2019Deck Verified
Interactive animation exploring crowd movement and disappearance. Experience a short, contemplative journey.
The catchRuns about fifteen minutes, far too short to justify the asking price.
Games like KIDS →
Cozy mystery adventure game. Interview suspects, find clues, and solve a case.
What players likedPlayers praise its charming art, humor, and voice acting as a worthy successor to the first game, improving its detective puzzles.
The catchSolutions demand answers the given clues don't support
Games like Duck Detective: The Ghost of Glamping →
A witty, family-friendly adventure game where players solve mysteries by talking to characters. It's the final installment in the Frog Detective series.
What players likedPlayers praise it as a short, sweet, simple, and fun game with humor, suspense, comedy, and romance.
The catchGameplay is fetch quests and errands with no puzzles or meaningful choices.
Games like Frog Detective 3: Corruption at Cowboy County →
Sprout96% positive from 1,759 reviews201868% finish itDeck Verified
A casual botanical puzzle-adventure game where players grow and sprout into different plants to solve puzzles and explore. The core loop involves learning skills and overcoming obstacles to become a mighty oak.
The catchIt is over in roughly ten to fifteen minutes and ends feeling like a tutorial.
Games like Sprout →
Pilgrims95% positive from 1,563 reviews201933% finish itDeck Verified
Playful adventure game with a non-linear puzzle-solving loop and hand-crafted animations. Features replayability through achievements and original music.
What players likedPlayers praise Pilgrims as a charming, replayable point-and-click adventure with a unique hand-drawn art style and humorous, multi-solution puzzles.
The catchProgress relies on blind trial-and-error to find next steps
Games like Pilgrims →
The Yawhg83% positive from 1,454 reviews2014Deck Verified
A 1-4 player choose-your-own-adventure with randomized stories and over 50 endings. It offers a dark, consequence-driven narrative about a town facing impending doom.
What players likedPlayers praise its unique atmosphere and writing, comparing it to a simple, short, and fun party game.
The catchEach run ends in ten to twenty minutes, with little content for the price.
Games like The Yawhg →
Adios91% positive from 1,341 reviews202122% finish itDeck Playable
Cinematic first-person narrative game. Players make choices in a tense day with a hitman, impacting the story's outcome.
What players likedPlayers describe "Adios" as a short, emotional walking simulator or visual novel, highly praising its well-done voice acting and impactful story.
The catchBarely an hour of mostly listening to dialogue, with dull filler minigames.
Games like Adios →
eversion91% positive from 1,341 reviews201024% finish itDeck Playable
Eversion is a retro-style platformer with dimension-shifting mechanics that alter levels. It offers a surprising plot and hand-drawn pixel art for a unique, unsettling experience.
What players likedPlayers praise its charming, unique descent into madness and parallel universe physics, influencing later games.
The catchHalf an hour of content for the price, with a free version already available.
Games like eversion →
A short, humorous point-and-click adventure game where players investigate a mystery by talking to quirky characters. The core loop involves gathering clues and solving puzzles to uncover the culprit.
What players likedPlayers praise its humor and wholesome narrative, building on the first game with a unique investigative process.
The catchThere is no real detective work, just fetch quests and dialogue with no puzzles.
Games like Frog Detective 2: The Case of the Invisible Wizard →
Port of Call88% positive from 1,279 reviews201538% finish it
Narrative exploration game. Players interact with characters and environments to uncover a forgotten past.
What players likedPlayers praise its well-written, mysterious narrative, reminiscent of classic adventure games with a psychological twist.
The catchIt crashes often and has no save system, forcing a restart from the very beginning.
Games like Port of Call →
9.03m84% positive from 1,139 reviews2013
This is a narrative exploration game where players find butterflies on a beach. It has a somber, reflective feel, with proceeds donated to disaster relief charities.
What players likedPlayers praise its simple yet emotional design, beautiful art, and wonderful music.
The catchMinimal interactivity; a short guided walk, not really a game
Games like 9.03m →
Windosill92% positive from 1,134 reviews2009Deck Verified
A short, toy-like puzzle game with ten rooms. Players solve simple, surprising puzzles in a tactile, interactive environment.
The catchThe whole game is over in under an hour, which feels thin even at its low price.
Games like Windosill →
Locke(d)93% positive from 1,102 reviews202372% finish it
A short, linear visual novel with point-and-click elements, featuring atmospheric mystery and dialogue. It's a ~30-minute reading experience inspired by John Locke.
What players likedPlayers praise its atmospheric, dialogue-driven philosophical horror, akin to a sci-fi visual novel.
The catchChoices change nothing, leaving a short passive read rather than an interactive game.
Games like Locke(d) →
This is a narrative adventure game where you play a cat influencing historical events. Its core loop involves interacting with the environment to guide a historical figure.
What players likedPlayers praise it as a short, interactive learning experience, more than a typical platformer.
The catchIt lasts about ten minutes and the puzzles are so trivial it barely counts as a game.
Games like The Cat and the Coup →
This is a short, atmospheric point-and-click adventure game about finding meaning in a world of endless labor. It features a unique art style and soundtrack, offering a brief existential experience.
What players likedPlayers praise its good story, making it a worthwhile free experience despite terrible controls.
The catchObject interaction is imprecise, often needing repeated clicks
Games like Sisyphus Reborn →
Stealth puzzle game with a light-filling mechanic. Avoid enemies in a dark world.
What players likedPlayers praise this free, atmospheric indie game about a candle, comparing it to short, relaxing experiences.
The catchEnemy detection is arbitrary, so you get caught even while properly hidden.
Games like Flicker of Hope →
