Tell us about unpopular games you love, or even just appreciate some aspects of, contrary to the inteenet hivemind?

Niche. It's a genetics game, where you control a colony of critters that hop from island to island.

It has a thousand flaws, and it gets repetitive/boring over time but damn, the breeding mechanic feels so right. Not just because it's "realistic", but also because it feels sensible and intuitive.