Most games start with tutorials or easy levels to help players learn how to play. But the games on this list are different – they immediately challenge you with intense difficulty, forcing you to quickly adapt and learn through trial and error.
Look, I’ll be honest, when a game throws you into the deep end with no tutorial, it can be super frustrating. I’ve quit games within minutes because of that! But when it works? Oh man, it’s amazing. It just sucks you in, makes you feel totally immersed, and you can’t stop playing. It’s tough, yeah, but that challenge is so rewarding, almost addictive. It’s a risky design, but when it pays off, it really pays off.
Bloodborne
FromSoftware’s Descent into Lovecraftian Horror
Bloodborne, one of several FromSoftware games on this list, was a bold move for the studio. It traded the high medieval fantasy settings of games like Demon’s Souls and the Dark Souls series for a darker, gothic Victorian atmosphere.
Similar to games like Dark Souls, Demon’s Souls, and Sekiro, Bloodborne doesn’t offer much guidance, forcing players to learn its rules and world to stay alive. What makes Bloodborne unique is that being aggressive is key to survival – players regain health by attacking enemies. This, along with other changes, created a fresh and exciting experience for fans of the Souls series.
Cuphead
Don’t Let the Cartoon-y Aesthetic Fool You
From the start, Cuphead looked promising with its beautiful art style, clearly inspired by classic American cartoons. Luckily, the game lived up to the hype, offering challenging and creative boss battles alongside fast-paced, action-packed gameplay.
Okay, so Cuphead looks all cute and charming, but don’t be fooled! This game is hard. Seriously, right from the beginning, you’re going to be challenged. You really have to learn each boss’s patterns and how each stage works if you want to get anywhere. It’s a tough but rewarding experience!
Hades
Roguelike Royalty
Roguelike games are known for being challenging – they don’t offer much help, and you’re expected to improve by learning from each failure. Hades perfectly embodies this style; while you can gain upgrades, your own skill and experience are the most important factors in overcoming the game’s difficult battles and reaching Mount Olympus.
Many excellent roguelike and roguelite games exist, but we’ve limited this list to showcase only the very best and most challenging. This game is one of just two that met our strict criteria for variety and difficulty.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Learn to Parry or Die Trying
Like Bloodborne, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was a departure for FromSoftware. This second game from the studio on our list moved away from typical RPG elements and focused on a combat system built around precise parrying.
The game’s combat system focuses on skill-based battles, eliminating the easy exploits often found in similar games. While bosses will still present challenges, players aren’t helpless – they’re powerful shinobi, and the fallen prove that honor alone isn’t enough to win.
Celeste
Precision Platforming at Its Most Precise
Celeste is a challenging platformer that demands precise movements. From the very beginning, players must jump, grab, dodge, and climb with great accuracy to make it through each screen as they climb Mount Celeste.
The game is designed to be challenging but not overly frustrating thanks to quick restarts – you can jump right back into the action after failing, letting you experiment and discover all its hidden secrets.
Returnal
A Memorable AAA Roguelike Experience
Returnal was a standout game when it launched in 2021, and remains unique today as one of the few large-scale, high-budget roguelike titles. It’s also praised for how well it utilizes the PlayStation 5’s adaptive triggers and haptic feedback features.
A lot of people, myself included at first, figured Returnal would be a bit easier than other roguelikes because it looked so polished and Sony published it. We thought they’d pull back on the difficulty. Boy, were we wrong! This game really makes you pay for every mistake. You absolutely have to master each area before you can move on, or you’re going to have a bad time.
Super Meat Boy
A Pioneer of Indie Gaming Challenge
Super Meat Boy was a hugely important game in the 2010s. It proved that independent, or ‘indie,’ games could be just as fun as those made by large companies, and it was also innovative for letting players keep trying without a limited number of lives.
Many older games, especially platformers, limited players with a set number of lives and harshly penalized them for mistakes. Super Meat Boy broke from this tradition by offering unlimited restarts with frequent checkpoints. While some thought this would make the game too easy, it didn’t. Super Meat Boy is incredibly difficult, but fair, demanding skillful play and persistence—you’ll die a lot, even when you’re close to finishing a level—to truly earn your progress.
Elden Ring
One of Gaming’s Best and Most Brutal Open Worlds
If you’ve beaten Elden Ring many times or spent a lot of time learning about its detailed world, it’s easy to forget how challenging it can be for new players experiencing The Lands Between for the first time.
Playing Elden Ring is difficult, especially when you’re starting out and don’t have any guides or advice. You’ll need to be patient, skilled, and willing to try different weapons, armor, and strategies to make progress. The game becomes increasingly challenging, and even experienced players will find the final bosses incredibly tough on their first playthrough.
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2025-11-02 01:37