Underplayed Gems

Joy Malignant (2026)

Joy Malignant cover
Developer
Petros Anastasiadis
Platforms
Windows
Genres
Adventure, Indie, RPG
Rating
4.9 of 5, 77 player ratings
Typical playtime
about 2.3 hours
Where to get it
Steam

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The 3D catalog: game boxes on wooden shelves, with the cat sitting at the counter next to its greeting.

The catalog in 3D

The same catalog has a room you can walk around in. The cat behind the counter is the AI Catbot, and they pick real games from it when you tell them what you feel like playing. Nothing is for sale, here or in there. Go in from here and this game is already out on the counter, with more like it waiting on the shelf next to it.

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How it feels

A surreal, dice-driven RPG where you navigate a cursed city through personal history and suffering, with every choice physically shaping your character.

surrealdice-basedatmosphericshortdarkcharacter-drivenchoice-focusedunsettling

What players say

Players praise the writing and the surreal art, with several comparing the mechanics to Citizen Sleeper. Most finish in two to three hours and call it short but good, while a few wish the ending felt more fleshed out after the final choice.

Screenshots

Joy Malignant screenshot 1Joy Malignant screenshot 2Joy Malignant screenshot 3Joy Malignant screenshot 4Joy Malignant screenshot 5Joy Malignant screenshot 6

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More by Petros Anastasiadis

This page is from Underplayed Gems, a catalog of older and overlooked games. Not quite it? You can browse by platform and genre, or take this one into the 3D catalog and ask the Catbot for something closer.