Great games with almost no reviews

Whenever a big AAA game comes out, there's a chance it'll overshadow something else. For example, Mad Max came out on the same day as Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain in 2015, so it had no chance to compete. It's even worse for indie games, as it can be harder for developers to break into the mainstream.

Sometimes websites at least try to highlight these games and other times they don't have enough manpower to cover every game. Alien hominid invasion, DuneCrawland Gravity circuit are all games that didn't get that many reviews, so let's highlight why they matter, along with some other options.

This sampling is based on Open-Critic website reviews, not user reviews.

Alien hominid invasion

Fight the men in black

Alien hominid invasion is a sequel to the original run-and-gun platformer, and the gameplay and art style are similar. Players can play as an alien that is fully customizable and battle through roguelike levels, fighting government goons and completing certain objectives to advance. It's a roguelike, so the design is very random, and once players die, that's it.

This means that the game is less punishing than most roguelikes, and with a fully supported co-op system, players could consider the game to be another excellent running platformer and not a roguelike at all.

DuneCrawl

Treasure from top to bottom

DuneCrawl is one of the latest games that hasn't received much attention since it was launched earlier in 2026. It's a top-down action-adventure set in a small open world where players can attack enemies with various weapons such as swords and bows, but the main gameplay hook involves bug-like creatures that they can ride.

Small ones appear on the maps, along with larger ones that resemble moving bases, leading to incredible battles between bases. The story may not be compelling, but the world, its lore, and gameplay hooks are easily established DuneCrawl one of the most underrated titles of 2026 so far.

Ember Knights

The flames are blazing

Ember Knights is another roguelike that hasn't been given its proper time to shine in the sun. As a flaming humanoid, players can customize their color and then venture into randomly selected dungeons in a top-down fashion.

After death, players can spend currency to purchase permanent upgrades from new weapons to increase stats. They start with a sword, but another example of a weapon is a bow. The game also supports co-op, but the difficulty level and reward system make it a fairly balanced experience, so co-op isn't really required, it's just a nice cherry on top.

Gravity circuit

Mega man in spirit

For those who miss Capcom production Mega Man X games, Gravity circuit is the next best thing. Instead of blasting robotic enemies with a beam cannon, this is a melee-focused action platformer that's intense, fast-paced, and controls like a dream.

Players can unlock token upgrades to gain new abilities or stat boosts to change how the game works, a nice incentive to rescue NPCs stuck in levels. With cutting-edge gameplay, pixel-perfect artwork and a soundtrack to rival it Mega Man's the greatest work, that is a crime Gravity circuit it didn't reach as big a size as other pixel games Knight of Spades.

Prison City

A perfect tribute to the NES

Prison City is an homage to the NES era, specifically it feels like an unofficial sequel to me Shatterhand or Power Blade. Like Mega man game, players are given a world map to choose which level they want to master first, from a train level to a single set in an abandoned factory full of goons. They can attack enemies with a boomerang-like weapon that can gain a temporary boost in levels.

Prison City it emulates the 8-bit era so well that it's almost indistinguishable from an NES game of the era, with the only key differences being the confident over-the-top nature of the gameplay and characters, elaborate bosses, and tweaked controls that just make it play better.

The king is watching

I just can't wait to be king

The king is watching is part city builder, part RTS, and players will start off in a fairly basic kingdom. In each run, since this is a roguelike, players will need to build up their city, including building various resource areas to fund buildings for NPCs to flourish. They need workers to harvest materials and defenders at the gates to prevent slaughter.

It can be a lot at first, but the gameplay loop can be learned fairly quickly after a few tries, and players will inherently want to try again and again, hoping to earn enough money to buy the next upgrade that could change everything.

Little Noah: Descendant of Paradise

Bravely Default Meets Persona

Little Noah: Descendant of Paradise is another roguelike, this one set on a series of floating islands with an art style that's a lot like Bravely Default, in a good way. As treasure hunters, players will traverse 2D dungeons with an expanding map that they can twist without any resource management, making exploration a breeze.

Players won't be fighting directly as they will gain pawns called Lilliputs to attack enemies ranging from large golems to nimble knights to magical wizards. It's a bit like Summoning Persona in that title series, except it's an action game rather than a turn-based RPG.

Oblivion Override

Fast action roguelike

• Developer: Humble Mill

• Publisher: Paleo

• Released: January 24, 2024

• Platform: PC

Oblivion Override is the last roguelike on the included list Mega manpart of Metroidvania. Players start with one mecha suit, but can unlock several more throughout the campaign, each of which functions as a class in the RPG. Some will be slow with high defense and attack stats, while others will be more agility focused, like a ninja.

Players will also unlock a variety of weapons that will be randomly assigned to them at the start of their run but can be swapped out later, including swords, axes, spears, large fists, and more. Action is as good as Hadesan acclaimed action roguelike with a great combat system that is fast, fluid and easy to control.

Rusty moss

Swinging through the ruins

Rusty moss is a full 2D Metroidvania experience with a cool gimmick surrounding the grappling hook. Set in a ruined city, players will explore with their grappling hook and weapons to platform around tight corridors full of enemies and traps.

It's also similar to a bullet game, as enemy projectiles can often obscure the screen, requiring players to quickly learn the ropes of their grappling device to avoid attacks. It's a challenging Metroidvania, not for the faint of heart, as the challenge can be challenging, so Hollow Knight crowd might be of particular interest.

The yellow taxi goes to Vroom

I'm going here

• Developer: Panik Arcade

• Publisher: These Awesome Guys

• Released: April 9, 2024

• Platform: PC

The yellow taxi goes to Vroom is a platform game in which players control a stretch taxi instead of an animal or humanoid character. The art style has a polygonal cel-shaded look that screams PS1 era and helps the game look different. Players will explore fairly open levels and complete tasks for NPCs to slowly expand the map.

The controls take a while to get used to as players often need to navigate obstacles at breakneck speed, but practice makes perfect. The art style alone makes it a must and the overall vibe is just silly enough to be compelling.