Feeling like playing an old game, but not from the times when we talked about video games as “8-bit” or “16-bit”? I have some solid recommendations of great titles released on Steam in 2015 that are not as obvious asThe Witcher 3orFallout 4. These ones I’ll suggest are easy to pick up, cheap, and were decent hits when they released, with two of them becoming long-term franchises years later.
Crypt of the Necrodancer
In 2015,Crypt of the Necrodancersounded like the perfect mix for a fan ofGuitar HeroandSpelunkylike myself. It mixes the fast pace of electronic music with rogue-like elements and real-time tactics, forcing you to move around the map and attack monsters matching the beat of dark yet upbeat techno. The music builds up, and you get a damage boost as you stay in the rhythm, kill skeletons and slimes, and get close to running out of time on a stage.
Necrodancerforces you to react in its own timing, which is what makes it fun. It removes the planning during stages that some rogue-like players enjoy, but it’s a nice challenge and twist on the genre. I was often caught by surprise by a massive red dragon spitting fire and coming out of my field of vision, which forced me to find the exact position I needed to be to attack it without getting roasted. Getting kills without missing a beat in a packed room is always rewarding.
All enemies have their own movement and attack patterns, so if you’re a Souls-like nerd, you’ll enjoyNecrodancereven more.
If you feel like you’ve heard about this game or played it before with another name, it’s because it’s from the same creators ofCadence of Hyrule,a spinoff themed afterThe Legend of Zeldaand exclusive to the Nintendo Switch. It’s essentially the same game asCrypt of the Necrodancer,but with a Zelda skin.
Also, Vocaloid fans will enjoy the original game’s Hatsune Miku DLC.
Life is Strange
The game that defined the “story-rich” tag for me, the originalLife is Strangeis a masterpiece. It received a remaster in 2022, so you’re able to play it today with improvements.
You control Max, an aspiring photographer in school, who learns she can rewind time and change what she just witnessed.Life is Strangeis mostly a narrative game where you watch the story unfold and make choices. It’s unique because you can rewind time and undo your choices on the spot if you don’t like the immediate consequences, so you don’t need to save and reload the game if you’re curious about more than one outcome. Since the game is about the conflict in the long-term consequences of your choices, which you can’t undo, this time rewind mechanic doesn’t spoil the story.
While the game is a teenage drama—with bullies, love, and identity as some of its main themes—the gameplay twist makes the plot more interesting even if you’re well past your teenage years. The game’s first episode is free on Steam, so there’s no reason not to give it a try.
Life is Strangegot sequels inBefore the Storm, Life is Strange 2,Double Exposure, andTrue Colors, some with worse reviews than others. Luckily for you all new to the series, the original one I’m recommending is the highest-rated on Steam and Metacritic, so you don’t need to worry about skipping the story to play the best game in the franchise.
Downwell
I actually stopped writing for a bit to play this one again.Downwellcombines everything I love about rogue-likes: it’s fast-paced, low stakes, has easy controls, and a difficult progression system with upgrades.
It’s an action game where you progress by falling through a well with a white character wearing gun boots. If you shoot the boots, you damage enemies and destroy structures along the way while also slowing down your fall. Your goal is to survive the path to the bottom of each stage.
It’s a super lightweight and cheap game on Steam. You’ll see it looks like a great game to play on your phone, and you’re right. It’s also on Android and iOS, which always seemed like the perfect platforms to playDownwell. Not surprisingly, Destructoid gave the game theBest Mobile Game Award in 2015. The simple twist of falling down at high speed to win is enough to make the game interesting, and the randomized upgrades and maps make it timeless and worth spending a few hours on.
Despite being a great game and part of Devolver Digital’s celebrated catalog,Downwellnever got a sequel.
All the other games listed here are either much cheaper than titles released in 2025 or are constantly on sale. They’ll remind you that 10 years wasn’t so long ago and that this period had great games you might have missed.
