We all know the big esports names—League of Legends, Counter-Strike 2, Valorant. It isn’t just the most popular multiplayer games in the world that are esports, though. You might be surprised by some of the games out there with niche esports scenes.
The strange world of small esports
There are no right or wrong answers when it comes to picking an esport. These are just some of the most off-kilter ones we found with living fanbases and ongoing competitions. Maybe there’s even a league on this list you want to get involved with.
Digimon TCG
You’re probably surprised to hear Digimon still exists at all. Yes, it’s still around, and the card game is easily the most popular part of the franchise nowadays. The game is still mostly physical, and the bulk of tournaments take place in real life, like other popular TCGs. There’s an unofficial online Digimon TCG simulator too, and esport competitions occasionally pop up as a result. If Bandai Namco is paying attention, an official app will surely come at some point to further expand the scene.
Farming Simulator
“Farming Simulator esports league” feels like something from a sketch comedy bit, but it’s very real and surprisingly lucrative. Many of the 2023 Farming Simulator league tournaments had grand prizes of up to $16,000 USD. The competitions are team-based and require a lot of coordination to slowly haul bales of hay into a barn for points. It’s no Evo moment #37, but it’s fascinating to watch.
Uncharted 4
Naughty Dog’s popular action-adventure series Uncharted is known more as a single-player experience, but the last Nathan Drake game, Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End, has a multiplayer mode with dedicated fans eight years later. There isn’t a dedicated league with lots of money going around, like many other titles on this list, but there are still tournaments a few times a year.
Geoguessr
Geoguessr came out of the woodwork as a popular competitive game some time ago thanks to a few viral online content creators. There’s something mind-blowing about watching a guy pinpoint an exact location based on a picture of trees and asphalt with 99% accuracy. Geoguessr recently had its first World Cup in 2023, with players from over a dozen countries represented and tens of thousands of viewers tuning in to see the action.
Catherine
A story-driven puzzle game like Catherine doesn’t seem right for an esports scene, but here we are. The game’s tower-climbing nightmare sequences are the focus of this esport. Players compete to climb higher while trying to halt their opponent’s momentum. It’s not as big today as it used to be, but it has a popular history and even went to Evo a few times.
