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For those of us who get all caught up in AAA production cycles and top-end game releases, such as Tekken 8 or Dragon's Dogma 2, it's easy to forget that there's a whole world's worth of other, more experimental and prospective lower-end games out there. That's where this article comes in!
Down below, we've prepared a package of delightful games that the vast majority of gamers have probably simply forgotten about or, heck, never even knew about them in the first place. What this means is that we've got a whole selection of games that'll surprise you in more ways than one. Whether that's a comprehensive deconstruction of modern Americana or, perhaps, a story about truck maintenance and life on the road, we've got oodles of that sort of stuff.
READ MORE: Build a Family Game Library with 2Game on PC!
The Best Games You Forgot to Play - May 2024 Edition
Xenonauts 2
Sure, we're cheating a tad with this one, but Xenonauts 2 has simply gotten too good to ignore over the past couple of updates. This retrofit of the classic X-COM (not XCOM, mind!) anti-alien warfare formula delivers an unfathomably good retelling of what the old titles were all about. At the same time, you're not foregoing cutting-edge gameplay and QoL improvements that have come to the genre in the years since. A must-have, in our book.
Men of War 2
A hotly anticipated sequel to one of the greatest WW2 real-time strategies of all time, Men of War 2 is one of the most cinematic examples of the genre yet. Intense, impeccably balanced, and just a plain delight to observe in motion, Men of War 2 isn't perfect, but it sure as heck did get us back into the groove of the early aughts, and that's a massive success in its own right.
Alone in the Dark
A re-envisioning of the game that kickstarted the survival horror genre (no, it was not Capcom's Resident Evil that kicked it off), Alone in the Dark is a delightfully compelling take on classic Lovecraftian horror that won't leave you disappointed. Return to Derceto Manor with Jodie Comer and David Harbour, and see if you can unravel the game's horrific mystery down to its impossible truth.
Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley
One of the coziest RPGs we've ever played, Snufkin: Melody of Moominvalley is a charming environmentalist tale of perseverance and friendship, where Snufkin needs to explore Moominvalley proper and solve puzzles to help his friends. Inspired by the works of the legendary Tove Jansson, this game will take you into some unexpected places while delivering tried-and-true feelings of warmth and accomplishment. Don't sleep on this one.
Millenia
A civilization-building 4X unlike most anything else, Millenia is similar to other genre offerings while delivering its own take on this tired old niche. Compared to Civilization, for example, you're getting an arguably more engaging and polished overall experience that, while lacking in sheer depth, provides a valuable new take on how combat, colony management, and civ progression ought to work. We highly recommend it if you want something a tad different, but familiar!
Contra: Operation Galuga
A phenomenally nostalgic revival of Contra, Operation Galuga is the super-fast side-scrolling shooter that veteran gamers have been waiting for. What you get here are absolutely copious amounts of running, gunning, and alien blasting, and more content than you could shake a laser carbine at. With over half a dozen unique stages to fight through, multiple playable characters, weapons both old and new (with stackable upgrades!) and more, Operation Galuga is a must-play.
Outcast - A New Beginning
The old gamers among us will know and appreciate the original Outcast: a true pioneer of the open-world sandbox gameplay we now know and love. A New Beginning is the long-lost sequel that never materialized back in the day, only to come back roaring in 2024. Oh, sure, it's janky alright, but you probably know by now: jank does not preclude awesomeness, and Outcast is nothing if not awesome.
American Arcadia
A first-person exploration game combined with an Inside-style 2.5D platformer, American Arcadia tells the story of a man attempting to escape from an oppressively dystopian reality TV show. American Arcadia is highly regarded as an accessible, immersive, and interesting exploration of two distinctive characters - each with their own unique gameplay systems - that need to work together to survive.
Loddlenaut
Into ecology and picking up trash to save the environment? Loddlenaut is the game for you! Step into the shoes of an interstellar custodian working to clean up an otherwise delightful ocean paradise. Loddlenaut tasks you with the exploration and recovery of GUP-14, an open-world planet where curious axolotl-looking loddles take an interest in your activities. If you need a comparison, this is basically a low-pressure Subnautica without monsters out to get you.
For the King 2
A sequel to one of our favorite hotseat multiplayer games of all time, For the King 2 is a virtual tabletop RPG experience where you (and your optional friends, pets, and family) set out on an adventure and solve various proc-gen quests on the go. Tactically challenging and infinitely entertaining, For the King 2 has kept us busy for hours on end already, and we can even confirm that it works amazingly well on the Steam Deck! Lots of flexibility and content to be found here, so we highly recommend checking it out.
Alaskan Road Truckers
Sometimes, what you really need in a game is a whole new universe to immerse yourself into, and Alaskan Road Truckers is precisely just that - with a particular focus on, well, trucking. What's special about this game is that it is incredibly in-depth, to the point where the whole trucking schtick is just the start of it. The really interesting bit, in our book, is that whereas most driving-focused games turn you into the vehicle you're driving, Alaskan Road Truckers gives you an actual personified avatar you'll need to feed and whatnot. And yes - you can just walk around the wilderness, if that's what you want!
From Space
If you're more interested in twin-stick isometric shooters than anything else, From Space is not the game to sleep on. Fast, fun, and as zippy and arcadey as they get, this solo and co-op shooter is practically Killing Floor from a bird's eye point of view. From Space is less immersive than, say, Alaskan Road Truckers, but it makes up for this with how easy it is to get into it, and with how much content there is to choose from. And look, if you're just in the market for a good opportunity to gun down some monsters, this is the cheapest new option you've got!
Stay Tuned for More!
This is, of course, just the start of this particular adventure. We'll tune back in with an update every so often, so if you're often on the hunt for niche and underappreciated PC games, this is the place to be. We'll keep the list topped up with new AA and indie releases as we get them, of course, but we've also got heaps of other content for you to check out:
- Unlock all the Swords in Ghostrunner 2 Today
- Forgive Me Father 2 Goes Hard
- Why Now's the Time to Play RoboCop: Rogue City
- Risk of Rain Returns is Awesome
And, naturally, if you're reading this early on, you've got the opportunity to snag some of 2Game's best-ever discounts through our Black Friday sale. In fact, many of the games featured on this list are also available at lowered prices thanks to the sale! Make use of 2Game's deals while you can, then, and play games that you won't really find if you only keep track of mainstream gaming media!
Get in the Game ! 
