Millions of people say gaming is their favorite pastime. Some of them prefer more elaborate games, like Cyberpunk 2077, others like playing something simplified, such as browser games and slots at the PlayAmo casino. And the main thing that unites them is that all these people prefer more popular games. However, some releases don’t get as much fans, but they’re still fantastic. These 3 are what you should try if you’re looking for something less popular but still thrilling.
Raji: An Ancient Epic
Raji is one of the most unfairly neglected games on the list. Despite being nominated for Best Debut at The Game Awards, it has received fewer than a thousand reviews on Steam. Major streamers also almost completely ignored it.
But Raji is worth playing if only for the rare setting in Western games: all the events take place in medieval India, so instead of Zeus or Odin, the main character Raji on her journey through the world will be guarded by Shiva and his warlike wives.
The visuals and music here are in tune with the story, so Raji can please both those who are familiar with Indian culture and those who are not.
But the setting is not the only thing that makes this game special. The main character Raji comes from a family of circus artists: she’s an acrobat who uses in battles with demons the moves and techniques learned in childhood. The girl jumps, pushes off walls, and runs across vertical surfaces with the dexterity of a veteran parkourist, climbs columns from which she strikes her enemies with the divine trident of Durga.
Death Crown
You have to take the role of Death, who sends his troops to battle with people to punish their king who tried to cheat him and live forever. In terms of style, sound and gameplay, Death Crown resembles games from the late 1980s. However, this is nothing more than an artful illusion. The pixel art and color scheme of the game brings to mind an old monitor, but the level of detail gives them away. The music tries to pretend to be a set of sounds from a library, while clearly having a wider range. The gameplay is not out of this trend: it is a simple, yet rather ornate process of map capture, resource generation, and troop creation.
Death Crown is suitable for those who are intimidated by RTS complexity. There are only three buildings, one type of army, and resources are automatically generated. There is no need to scout the territory as there is no fog of war in the game and the entire map fits on the screen. Troops can be given only one command – to go to a given point, destroying the enemy on the way. Troop creation is automated and does not require the player’s attention. Forget to give a command? Don’t worry, a unit won’t just sit around and go off in search of adventure.
Starwhal
Starwhal is the best game for an evening with friends. Multiple participants can play it together. The game session is a “royal battle” of narwhals on a field with ice blocks, boiling lava and pits filled with balls from children’s rooms. The goal of each player is to defeat their opponents. First, participants choose and customize their avatars, and then an epic battle ensues: the narwhals try to stab each other with their horns in the heart while preventing others from hurting themselves.
Controlling a clumsy hero can be difficult. However, no special skills are required to play Starwhal, so it will be fun for both beginners and experienced gamers.