While most PlayStation collectors focus on the obvious heavy-hitter titles like Final Fantasy VII, Metal Gear Solid, and Crash Bandicoot, the console's vast library contains numerous hidden gems that are rapidly increasing in value.

Sony's willingness to take risks on experimental titles created a breeding ground for unusual games that flew under the radar. Many saw limited print runs or were only released in specific regions. Others just failed to find traction in an over-saturated market. Today these titles are becoming increasingly sought after due to rarity.

As with almost all PS1 games, there is a real desire for sealed copies. Copies that are CIB (Complete in Box) fetch just a fraction of the sealed prices.

Experimental Titles

Jumping Flash! is a 1995 platformer in which the player takes the role of a giant mechanical rabbit who leaps across floating islands. It was perhaps one of the first console titles to feature a true full 3D world. Sealed, highly-graded copies can go for nearly $2000.

Incredible Crisis is one of the most unusual games on the PlayStation. It follows an average Japanese family who each try to get home to celebrate their elderly relative's birthday, but are sidetracked by anything from bank robberies to encounters with aliens. On top of that, the whole game is set to a distinctly 90s ska soundtrack. Sealed, graded copies have been known to go for as high as around $400.

Brigandine: The Legend of Forsena is a tactical turn-based game with intriguing roleplay elements. Originally published in Japan and re-released for the North American market, the US versions are the ones most readily available today. A sealed 9.8 sold in June, 2025 for $960, but a sealed 7.0 went for only $212 in March, showing the great difference in value for just a few cosmetic differences.

Tail of the Sun is a unique game about being a caveman. The player is free to roam wherever they choose, though by intent, the game becomes rather aimless after a while. In addition, the character may suddenly fall asleep, no matter the context, even if doing so will result in disaster (the American release was changed to allow the player to wake the caveman when this happens). Developer Kazutoshi Iida jokingly claimed that he set out to make an "un-fun" game, but Tail of the Sun nevertheless found a fanbase intrigued by its one-of-a-kind design.

Survival Horror

1996's OverBlood is a sci-fi survival horror game in which players switch between three different protagonists to solve puzzles - two humans, Raz and Milly, and Pipo, a tiny robot helper - to escape a mysterious facility. The game's jank factor, as well as the slightly awkward presentation of the story, have made it something of a minor cult hit. Graded copies usually go for a couple hundred dollars.

Clock Tower (1996) is another survival horror. The original Clock Tower for the SNES, despite being exclusively released in Japan, has become a well known cult classic nowadays, but the PS1 sequel (called Clock Tower 2 in Japan, but confusingly just Clock Tower internationally) is perhaps less well-known. The game features the return of the iconic “Scissorman”, and was praised for its strong atmosphere. Sealed copies of Clock Tower (1996) can go for around $2,000 when in decent condition and over $3,000 when in mint condition.

JRPGs

The PlayStation quickly became the home of JRPGs, giving rise to iconic titles like Final Fantasy 7 through 9, Chrono Cross, Vagrant Story, and many more. Amid these classics, though, a great many smaller titles flourished.

Arc The Lad Collection was the most ambitious release by American localization team Working Designs. This four-disc set compiled three complete RPGs that had never been released outside Japan. Arc was produced in limited quantities and sold exclusively through specialty retailers. A graded and sealed copy in excellent condition sold for $2400 in 2024. However, beware that prices fluctuate wildly. A similar sealed copy only reached $475 in May, 2025.

Koudelka boasted a very unusual setting for a JRPG - instead of the usual high fantasy worlds, it took place in a Welsh monastery in the year 1898. The protagonist, too, was uncommon - a Romani psychic. The game was modestly successful in Japan - enough to spawn the more popular Shadow Hearts series for the PlayStation 2 - but rather unknown outside of it. Sealed, highly-graded copies have been known to sell for $1000 or more.

If Koudelka sounds a little too gothic horror for you, Guardian's Crusade offers a much brighter tone. The game puts you in the role of a knight (imaginatively named "Knight") who is accompanied by both a fairy ally and a strange pink creature named "Baby". In addition to the usual JRPG gameplay, the player must raise Baby by taking care of it, and thus gaining its affection. If raised well, Baby may transform into a dragon-like creature to aid in battle. The game goes for about $250 when sealed.

As the PlayStation approaches its 30th anniversary, interest in its complete library continues to grow. The lesser-known titles that once languished in bargain bins are finding new appreciation among collectors who understand that gaming history encompasses more than just the biggest hits.