Learn the pattern, die, learn the next one. These borrow the stamina bar and the bonfire logic without being the game everybody already played, and a few are short enough to finish over a weekend.
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. They work from the whole catalog, not just this list.
A lonely, punishing crawl through a hand-drawn underground kingdom where every corner hides a new threat and discovery.
Players say: Players praise the combat, atmosphere and music, but many flag the high difficulty and lack of direction. Reviews are split on the exploration: some love getting lost, others hate the backtracking and sparse save points.
A tense and punishing top-down bullet-hell with deliberate combat and a bleak hand-drawn world, where every boss demands careful movement and persistence.
Players say: Players praise the blend of bullet-hell combat with souls-like exploration and RPG mechanics. They highlight the deep build customization through enemy drops and the rewarding exploration with multiple endings. Some note camera issues in hectic boss fights, and many compare it to Realm of the Mad God.
A breathtaking and emotional journey through a gorgeous, hand-painted world with tight platforming and challenging combat.
Players say: Players say Will of the Wisps improves on the first game in nearly every way, with fluid platforming, much better combat, and boss fights. The art and music remain breathtaking. A few note difficulty spikes in optional challenges, and some find the darkness level frustrating.
A punishing fantasy adventure where you cautiously explore dungeons, manage gear, and rely on careful combat against dangerous foes, with optional online co-op to lighten the tension.
Players say: Players praise the short 3–5 hour run and cheap price, but are split on the deliberately slow, methodical combat: some find it rewarding once it clicks, others say it feels clunky and the stamina system overly punishes blocking and parrying. Cooperative play works well and the game runs fine on low-end machines, though a few report poor performance on very old hardware.
A frantic scramble through a grotesque lab, where you flee and shoot monstrous mutants while scraping together upgrades to survive permadeath and uncover a grim story.
Players say: Players describe it as a short, replayable looter shooter with multiple endings. The start is rocky and requires a tolerance for trial and error, but it opens up once you adapt. Several note the protagonist moves surprisingly fast, and some compare the feel to an old Half-Life 2 mod.
a tense, punishing, and darkly funny pizza-sim rogue-like where you manage finances, survive procedurally generated horrors, and feel the weight of perma-death
Players say: Players call it a short, atmospheric RPGmaker horror game set in a haunted pizzeria, clocking in around 10 hours for all endings. Some note technical issues on the engine, frozen screens, and a lack of Steam achievements, while opinions on the default turn-based combat are mixed.
A tense and punishing boss-rush roguelite where you fight through a dark, misty forest to purify it, with each run building on the last.
Players say: Players describe a short 2D action boss rush with tight controls and distinct character playstyles. The English translation and some performance issues hold it back, but the parry-based combat and increasing challenge keep people playing through multiple runs.
A fast-paced, challenging 2D platformer with dark fantasy aesthetics and tight, combat-focused exploration.
Players say: Players praise Hatone as a short retro action-platformer, about 2-3 hours long, with tough but rewarding boss fights and lots of secret rooms. The controls take getting used to, especially the jumping, but the dimension-switching puzzles and bouncy music keep it fresh. Some players find the bosses tiring, while others love the challenge.
A punishing but absurdly humorous action platformer that blends brutal difficulty with silly, lighthearted presentation.
Players say: Players like the humor and colorful atmosphere, but are split on the random fart mechanic that stops movement: some find it funny, others call it rage-inducing. The game is described as easy to start but tough to finish, with heavy reliance on traps.
A slow, melancholic trudge through a beautifully hand-drawn, rain-soaked ruin, where every discovery feels earned and every foe demands deliberate, punishing combat.
Players say: Players praise the game's gorgeous art, melancholic atmosphere, and the soundtrack by Mili, calling them the highlights. However, many criticize the map design as confusing, the combat as floaty or unrewarding, and a heavy reliance on enemy spam and forced fights in later areas. Player opinions split on whether the difficulty is fair or frustrating.
A grim, handcrafted open world where your choices shape the environment and you forge your path from nothing against dangerous spirits.
Players say: Players compare it to a 2D Gothic game, praising the world building and exploration. Combat divides opinion: some find it satisfying, others boring or frustrating against human enemies. The endgame is widely reported as extremely hard, with some players unable to finish or disappointed by an abrupt ending.
A fast-paced, retro-styled 2D action platformer focused on build customization and deliberate combat.
Players say: Players praise the Mega Man X-inspired gameplay and tight controls, with most completing the first act in 5-6 hours and waiting for more content. Some find enemies and the player character feel bullet spongy, making combat tedious at times.
A solo-developed monster-girl collection RPG blending soulslike exploration with turn-based strategic combat.
Players say: 玩家普遍夸战斗和收集, 弹性和Build自由度高, 探索藏了不少暗道和假墙很有趣. 但剧情几乎没有, 大地图小又绕, 暗黑墓地视野受限让人烦躁. 难度曲线偏松, 噩梦才是多数人觉得有意思的档位, 通关大概七小时.
A frantic, cute bullet-hell action RPG where you swap between magical girls and warriors to survive waves of undead.
Players say: Players praise the fun blend of Diablo and Touhou with cute characters and challenging, skill-intensive combat. They note the game is rough around the edges, with poorly designed rectangular levels, unfair expeditions, and awkward gamepad support.
A cute crow reaps souls in a dark, beautiful world where exploration is rewarded and combat demands precision.
Players say: Players call it a bite-sized action-adventure that blends Zelda-like exploration with light Souls combat. It is fairly short, around 20 hours for everything, and several say the difficulty is forgiving. A common complaint is the lack of a map and the resulting backtracking for collectibles.
A tense, dark fantasy platformer that blends cute pixel art with punishing combat and atmospheric exploration.
Players say: Players praise the tight controls and beautiful pixel art, though some find spike traps and certain boss attacks unfairly punishing. It is a short, polished metroidvania that many recommend as a good starting point for the genre, but players split on whether the difficulty is fair or frustrating.
a weird, darkly funny hack-and-slash with an obscure visual style and modest spectacle
Players say: Players call it a cheap but fun soulslike built entirely around fighting one evolving boss. The challenge draws praise and frustration, with some finding it rewarding and others calling it unfair or too repetitive. Disagreement runs deep, especially around balance and polish.
Playing as a hermit crab in a polluted ocean, you explore a colorful yet grim undersea world, fight oversized foes with trash armor, and uncover dark secrets with a lighthearted tone.
Players say: Players say this soulslike is tough but welcoming for newcomers, with a bright world and a surprisingly deep story about pollution and capitalism. The shell mechanic is a highlight, and the game is full of puns and dad jokes. Some note that controller controls take getting used to, and NG+ offers meaningful changes.
You play as an undead knight in a punishing top-down action roguelike, dodge-rolling through underground arenas and collecting resources to restore power.
Players say: Players describe a short, combat-focused roguelike with no story and several weapons. Many note the deliberate, slow attack combos that rely on precise blocking, and a few complain that the game is keyboard-only with some UI frustrations.
a cozy, oddly wholesome take on souls-like survival horror where you learn languages from cute mothers and visit friends' mothers online