The word hard games

Top Tips and Tricks

Time your movements decisively

Timing and precision are key to surviving a level in World’s Hardest Game. Make sure you find the most ideal moment to make your move — even a fraction of a second makes all the difference.

Learn the levels well

Unless you’re a speedrunning master, you’re going to be dying repeatedly. That gives you the opportunity to learn the level and see where you’re going wrong. Look at how the obstacles move and plan your tactics for getting through to the green square.

Find resting spots and checkpoints

Some levels feature spaces outside of the blue balls that let you pause for a breather. There aren’t many opportunities like this but they can help you collect your thoughts. Some levels also feature checkpoints where you can save your progress.

Keep a cool head

Even the first level in this game can be tricky, but it’s doable. Once you beat the first level, you’ll realize that you can go further if you keep calm and patient.

Features

• Genuinely the World’s Hardest Game
• Very relieving and satisfying to complete a level
• An original and popular game from the Flash days
• Simple but addictive — try it out and see how you fare

Developer

This game was made by Stephen Critoph.

Sequels

Try the sequel of this game, World’s Hardest Game 2.

Release Date

March 2008

Platform

Web browser

Technology

Flash, now emulated using Ruffle. You can browse our free Flash games for over 600 titles now playable without the need for Flash.

Controls

Use the arrow keys to avoid all the obstacles and finish each level!

‎Most people love to play games to escape the hardships of reality.‎ ‎But sometimes just a task of high difficulty can distract your mind from work, your family life, and other everyday problems.‎

‎Games used to be difficult because otherwise they would be very short.‎ ‎Now most games have over 40 hour campaigns, and serious difficulty has become a feature that hardcore gamers aspire to prove themselves.‎

‎So, what should you play if you want to challenge?‎

‎Let’s take a look at some of the hardest games in the history of gaming (which are still actually fun).‎ If you’re wondering «What is the hardest game in the world?» – I think you will find the answer in this rating.

‎30. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) (1989)‎

The 80s were a great time for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their fans, and Konami helped close the decade with a bang with the amazing TMNT arcade game.‎

‎This is ‎‎not‎‎ that game.‎

‎Together with the arcade release, Konami brought the action into the living room with a side-scrolling platformer for the NES.‎

‎Although not as fun and visually striking as the arcade beat-em-up, the game had great graphics and solid sound design.‎

‎It also had several high difficulty levels.‎

‎Smooth gameplay and great controls meant it was fun challenges to overcome rather than a chore.‎

‎29. FTL (2012)‎

‎Most of the games on this list challenge your motor skills and reflexes.‎

‎But if you’re interested in something that allows you to use your brainfolds, FTL should be at the top of your list.‎

‎You will have to manage your team and lead them into battle against the pursuing rebels who will set traps for you at the end of each FTL jump.‎

‎These events are randomly generated so you never know what to expect.‎

‎28. Monster Hunter Freedom (2006)‎

‎Monster Hunter Freedom on PSP is a remastered compilation of the first two games in the series.‎

‎And one of the most difficult games ‎‎in a franchise‎.

‎Hunting in MHF is brutal.‎

‎But there is a secondary reason for the high complexity: the controls.‎

‎The PSP’s lack of a second mini-stick throws everything you know about MH out the window, and it can be hard to get used to.‎

‎G-Rank missions are also a major challenge as they pit you against deadlier versions of some of the toughest monsters.‎

27. F-Zero GX (2003)

‎When it comes to racing games, you can’t be more ruthless than the F-Zero GX on the GameCube.‎

‎This high-tech hovercraft racing game is like 60 mph in a suburban area and tries to dodge every tree, dog, old lady and lemonade that gets in your way.‎

‎It is attractive and looks beautiful.‎

‎But take your eyes off the road for a second and you’re done.‎

‎The only way to get better at this game is by trial and error and remembering the dangers on each map so you can avoid most of them.‎

‎26. Spelunky (2008)‎

‎Don’t be fooled by Spelunky’s funny name and charming art style.‎

This game is as ruthless as it is addictive. And it’s very addictive.‎

‎Every step you take in these underground passages could mean your death if you’re not careful.‎

‎There are traps everywhere, the enemies are vicious, and sometimes too much happens at once.‎

Spelunky made a significant contribution to the ‎popularization of roguelike games‎‎ in the 2010s, and it’s something everyone should try at least once. It’s difficult, but not impossible.‎

‎25. Takeshi’s Challenge (1986) (JP)‎

‎If you’ve seen the classic game show Takeshi’s Castle, you’re familiar with the comedian Takeshi Kitano, also known as Takeshi’s Beat.‎

‎This Japanese TV presenter has been involved in countless projects over the years.‎

‎One of them is Takeshi’s Challenge, a side-scrolling game in which you play as a disgruntled Japanese salaryman trying to escape his corporate lifestyle by finding treasure in the South Seas.‎

Trying to survive attacks from the yakuza and other unexpected threats will not be easy. If you think you have what it takes, you won’t regret accepting Takeshi’s challenge.‎

‎Or maybe you will. It’s quite difficult!‎

‎Check out this review from Den of Geek‎‎ for more details on the title.‎

‎24. Mike Tyson kick!! (1987)‎

Known as «the baddest man on the planet,» heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson was the undisputed world champion for thirteen straight years — and he wasn’t about to star in a game where he was easy to beat.‎

‎Mike Tyson kick!! puts you in the shoes of Little Mac, the light boxer who always punches.‎

‎Because of his size, he is always at a disadvantage.‎

‎But if you look closely and learn the enemy’s stories, you can use your superior speed to avoid damage.‎

‎The most brutal fight in the game is, of course, Tyson himself.‎

‎It’s nearly impossible to beat unless you’re an expert on the game.‎

‎But if you’ve come this far, you probably are.‎

23. Mega Man & Bass (2003)

‎The Mega Man series has never been known for its lightness.‎

‎But his collaboration with Bass on the GBA is particularly difficult, even for blue soldier standards.‎

‎While previous bosses in the series usually follow set patterns that you can quickly memorize in a couple tries, this game requires you to have the reflexes to dodge unexpected moves.‎

‎The game was originally released on the Super Famicom as Rockman & Forte, which many people imported at the time.‎

‎By the time the GBA port came out, people already knew it was the hardest game in the franchise.‎

22. XCOM 2 (2016)

‎The original XCOM: Enemy Unknown by Firaxis left some big shoes behind for its sequel, and the developers didn’t disappoint.‎

‎The sequel doubles the high expectations of the original from the player. The primary campaign is challenging from start to finish.‎

‎Some missions require you to play ‎‎excellent‎‎ and you are very lucky, or you have lost half of your warriors in one fell swoop.‎

The game’s storyline is arguably better than the first, at least in tone. Reclaiming the Earth from its alien masters is the reason why you will feel compelled to see through.‎

‎21. I Wanna Be The Boshy (2010)‎

‎I want Be The Guy to be a ‎‎iconic name‎‎ when I was a kid.‎

‎My friends and I took turns trying to clean it up on an old laptop, laughing at the absurd complexity and insane amount of spikes on floors, walls, little squares in the air, and so on.‎

‎I Want to Be The Boshy is one of the best fan games inspired by the legendary IWBTG, aimed at silencing those people who brag about finding the latter easy.‎

‎The greater difficulty has made it a popular speedrunning game, with a ‎‎‎‎‎‎ record of 30m31s at the time of writing.‎

‎20. Bloodborne (2015)‎

‎This may be a controversial opinion, but I think Bloodborne is easier than Dark Souls.‎

‎While Bloodborne fights require faster reflexes and rewards by staying very close to your prey, the player character is also agile and very skilled with weapons.‎

‎You can get by with your reflexes without having to learn such specific clues and patterns until you enter the game.‎

‎Well, except for Father Gascoigne.‎

‎You will die a lot against Father Gascoigne.‎

‎19. Ikaruga(2003)‎

‎The spiritual sequel to Treasure’s Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga is one of those games that, as you can tell right off the bat, was designed to empty your pockets at the local arcade.‎

‎This is one of the most famous old school shooters, and its great difficulty is one of the main reasons. The sheer number of enemy projectiles on the screen at any given time speaks volumes about what kind of bullet hell it is.‎

‎Its fantastic graphics and sound design also contributed greatly to its popularity.‎

‎There may be countless bullets on the screen, but their patterns are great. Be careful not to get distracted!‎

‎18. Battletoads (1991)‎

‎You can find references to Battletoads all over the internet, thanks to creators around the world who were most likely traumatized by the game’s relentless difficulty.‎

‎The first couple of steps can trick you into believing you’re going to be ok.‎

‎But the difficulty curve of this game ‎‎cool‎.

‎Try to keep walking at least until you pass through the Turbo Tunnel. If you haven’t destroyed your controller by then, you may have cleared the game.‎

‎Many people complain about being born too late, but I’m comfortable that I was born three years after the release of this game.‎

‎If I had to struggle with this level of difficulty as a child, I might have given up on games altogether.‎

17. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986)

‎Just a few months after Super Mario Bros. was released worldwide for the NES, the Japanese already had a sequel in their hands — and it was very different from the game we in the West call «Super Mario Bros. 2».‎

‎The original sequel was more like an expansion, playing much the same as its predecessor, but with much more challenging levels designed to keep SMB veterans busy for a long time.‎

‎And Nintendo believed that their western audience was incapable of enjoying such a complex game at the time.‎

‎But we finally got a glimpse of that brutal experience when «The Lost Levels» was included on the 1993 SNES compilation Super Mario All-Stars.‎

‎And yes, it’s damn hard.‎

‎16. Mushihimesama (2011)‎

‎I’m an avid fan of Touhou Project’s hellish games, but even I have to admit that Mushihimesama is a lot harder due to unpredictable patterns.‎

‎While you can memorize the patterns for almost every boss in Touhou, Mushihimesama will make you think on the fly and test your reflexes.‎

‎This is a very visually appealing game. And while the music isn’t as good as Touhou’s, it’s a game to win for street cred if you’re a fan of the bullet hell genre.‎

‎15. Demon’s Souls (2009)‎

‎Demon’s Souls ranks slightly below Dark Souls in difficulty because some of the game’s «technical» limitations make the «cheese» of most bosses too easy.‎

‎I mean, you can exploit monsters in Dark Souls, but in Demon’s Souls, sometimes that seems like the only option.‎

‎These bosses ‎‎difficult‎‎ if you are not an experienced Souls player.‎

‎Exploring the fallen kingdom of Boletaria and unlocking the secrets of the Nexus is a timeless experience that already has everything that made Dark Souls so popular.‎

‎It’s challenging, you have a huge degree of control over your build, and the characters are incredibly memorable.‎

‎Be sure to check out the PS5 remake if you can.‎

‎14. Dark Souls (2011)‎

‎Dark Souls is what most modern people think of when someone mentions «hardcore video games.»‎

‎As fans of FromSoftware’s Souls franchise like to say, this action RPG is challenging but fair, which is part of what sets this game apart from many older titles.‎

‎You’ll have to learn the mechanics, understand your invincibility frames while rolling, and probably find some information about builds — but if you put in the hours, you’ll clear this game and feel huge rewards. You can even become a Souls fan.‎

‎And the 2018 remastered version is definitely worth a look.‎

‎13. Ninja Gaiden II (2008)‎

‎All games in the Ninja Gaiden franchise are pretty grueling.‎

‎But some are more difficult than others.‎

‎Ninja Gaiden II is the sequel to the 2004 remake. What’s unusual about this revived series is that it’s harder than the original NES game, not easier than most remakes.‎

‎You will repeat each level quite a few times until you manage to clear the game.‎

‎Fortunately, it’s a great looking game and the fast-paced combat is very exciting.‎

‎12. Nioh (2017)‎

‎The people behind Ninja Gaiden also bring us Nioh, a Dark Souls-inspired action RPG set in a dark fantasy version of Japan’s Warring States period.‎

‎In other words, this is Sekiro before Sekiro was a thing.‎

‎Team Ninja used their experience in making punishing action games, creating hard as nails boss fights and a treacherous world to explore.‎

‎You will see this Irish samurai die a lot at the hands of soldiers and youkai.‎

‎Its sequel, ‎‎also on PS4‎‎, is another challenging game that you should check out if you like this one.‎

‎11. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)‎

‎I expected Sekiro to be much closer to a normal single-player adventure than the Souls series.‎

‎And so I expected it to be easier.‎

‎I was wrong.‎

‎FromSoftware drew inspiration from Tenchu ​​and the Ninja Gaiden series. Both shinobi stars are similar to Sekiro, and both are amazingly tough.‎

‎While Souls games (including Bloodborne) usually catch you off guard with weird enemy placement and setting traps, Sekiro’s enemies are downright brutal.‎

‎You will have to become a parry master at the beginning of the game if you have a chance to progress.‎

‎10. The Witness(2016)‎

‎Most of the games on this list are challenging because staying alive in your digital worlds is a 24/7 fight to survive.‎

‎On the other hand, The Witness ‎not even‎ games on the screen.‎

‎This fantastic puzzle game has you making your way around a beautiful and mysterious island full of puzzles that you can solve in any order you want.‎

‎The fact is that some of these puzzles are designed in such a way that it is almost guaranteed that you will hit a dead end and have to look for a solution on the Internet.‎

‎Cleaning this game without help from the Internet is a big brain effort.‎

‎I would say the best way to enjoy it is with a friend or SO who will think, laugh and cry with you throughout the experience.‎

‎9. Celeste (2018)‎

‎Celeste’s main campaign is challenging but manageable for anyone with even the slightest bit of platforming knowledge.‎

‎In addition, there is additional content.‎

‎On the one hand, you have the B-Sides, more difficult versions of each level, unlocked by finding the cassette while playing the normal map.‎

‎If you manage to clear each of them (easier said than done), the C-Sides will become available.‎

‎At least Lena Rein’s music is just as good‎‎ at any of these levels, so you can work to MIDI-inspired rhythms while you lose all confidence in your playing skills.‎

‎8. X-COM: UFO Defense (1994)‎

‎Most people know X-COM from the 2012 reboot of the series.‎

‎But the original, released in PAL regions as UFO: Enemy Unknown, was already a fantastic and challenging game.‎

‎The X-COM series is known for its relentless AI, and this game is no exception.‎

‎These aliens are tough and surprisingly good at sneaking up on you.‎

‎Managing, building and expanding X-COM is also a challenging yet rewarding aspect of the gameplay.‎

‎7. Cuphead (2017)‎

‎One of the best games of recent times, which the Internet generally considers «as difficult as Dark Souls», is Cuphead, an unforgiving game with ‎‎some seriously difficult bosses‎‎.‎

‎Cuphead lures you into a sense of security with the first couple of bosses.‎

‎Of course, you died 15 times each. But you finally defeated them in the end. How much harder can the rest be?‎

‎As it turns out, the answer is «much more complicated.»‎

‎However, as long as you’re willing to take the time to memorize your enemies’ patterns and learn some breathing exercises to stay calm, Cuphead is a tamed beast.‎

‎6. Contra (1987)‎

‎If ever there was a time we needed a Konami code, it was at the start of Contra.‎

‎Even with 30 extra lives, clearing Contra is a work of patience and honest effort.‎

‎Running and shooting is easy enough. But keeping track of every enemy and projectile that comes your way is exhausting.‎

‎If you had someone to play with, it usually meant forming a deep soldier bond that would last a lifetime.‎

‎5. Ghosts’n Goblins (1985)‎

‎Ghosts’ n Goblins is a game that everyone loves to pick up, remembering how difficult games used to be compared to today’s less nerve-wracking adventures.‎

‎This addictive platformer / run-and-gun requires precision and lots of trial and error to clear.‎

‎One of the biggest problems is that you will be sent back to the beginning of the level after only being hit twice.‎

‎And these levels are not exactly short.‎

‎If you are an experienced gamer, you can get to the final boss (Astaroth) and defeat him, but it was all an illusion (made up by Satan).‎

‎If you want to save the princess and bring peace to the kingdom, you’ll have to play through the whole game again — but harder.‎

‎4. Super Meat Boy (2010)‎

‎Super Meat Boy is the kind of game that will make you physically frustrated with its difficulty.‎

‎Frustration will seep into your bones as you scream in anguish, and you might be tempted to hurl your controller at the nearest wall.‎

‎This fantasy platformer brings the insane difficulty of games like I Want to Be The Guy and a much bigger budget with a real development team.‎

‎You will need extreme precision and patience if you want to save your girlfriend from Dr. Fetus.‎

‎On the other hand, there’s nothing more rewarding than finally clearing a level while watching each previous attempt replay while enjoying the moment that last little Meat Boy steps ahead of the pack and makes it to the finish line.‎

‎It’s just sublime.‎

‎3. Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (2009)‎

‎Prinny and Prinny 2 on PSP are the most frustrating, deceptively hard games I’ve ever played.‎

‎In the world of Disgaea, the souls of criminals are reborn into penguin-like bodies to serve as slaves in the Netherworld as they pay for their sins.‎

‎They’re called Prinnies, and their lives are pretty hard — as these two gems show on Sony’s fantastic handheld console.‎

‎While the levels themselves are manageable, the boss fights in Prinny just aren’t fair — especially in the sequel, which is why you get a whopping 1000 health at the start of the game.‎

‎Trust me when I tell you, 1000 lives may not be enough.‎

‎2. Dwarf Fortress (2006)‎

‎With the ridiculous official name Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress, this dungeon building sim ‎‎is‎‎ The most challenging building game in the world.‎

‎You will have to create a rich and, most importantly, defensible stronghold for your dwarf people.‎

‎The surprisingly simple visual cues and interface can be a bit frustrating and slow down the learning process, but that’s part of the attraction.‎

‎This is a kind of game for people who have become addicted to stress in their daily lives and need their games to really challenge them so they don’t fall back into their workaholic tendencies.‎

‎1. Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)‎

‎Super Mario games have always been quite difficult, especially the Lost Levels mentioned earlier.‎

‎With that said, SMM2 brings it out ‎‎on a new level‎‎ thanks to its active user base.‎

‎This is basically a group of players who use the game’s powerful level building tools to create the most grueling and absurd Mario levels ever conceived.‎

What is the name of the hardest game? — Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)‎

‎Nintendo was pretty smart about it too.‎

‎They saw incredible support for ‎‎fan games‎‎, and especially all the super hard kaizo hacks we were getting.‎

‎So they jumped straight into action with their own name.‎

‎The best thing about SMM2 is that people ‎‎still‎‎ go to new levels. And they probably will be until the next Super Mario Maker comes out.‎

‎This should be the highest return for your dollar, that’s for sure.‎

About World’s Hardest Game

World’s Hardest Game is a must-play to play the hard and rewarding game. The world’s hardest game will challenge and entertain gamers of all levels.

World’s Hardest Game is a challenging platformer game developed by Snubby Land. The game is known for its high level of difficulty and is considered one of the toughest games in the market. In the game, you play as a red square that must navigate through a series of obstacles to reach the end of each level. The levels are filled with various dangers such as spikes, moving obstacles, and enemy squares, and the goal is to reach the end of each level without getting killed. Also, you can play Drift Hunters to experience the amazing drift-driving game.

How to play

The controls are simple, with the arrow keys used to move the red square, but the game requires precise timing and skill to complete. The levels are designed to be challenging, and players can expect to die many times before they successfully complete each level.

1. Spelunky

A master class in platforming game design and systemic emergent interactions, Spelunky rewards every second of player investment with caverns crammed full of hidden delights. Hard as nails, but definitely worth the trip to Hell and back.

2. Contra: Hard Corps

What if we took Contra, gave it a dose of Esteban Maroto blotter acid, and then cranked that up to 11? This seems to be the guiding design philosophy behind the blistering ray gun battles erupting in the litter-strewn streets of 2461. Dear god, what a game.

3. Trials HD

The biggest secret to creating a great game with high difficulty? Make dying hilarious. The ridiculous motorbike pratfalls in Trials are so fun, you almost don’t mind losing.

4. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels

The game that gave “Nintendo hard” a bad name. With the right mindset though, this forgotten sequel unfolds as an elaborate practical joke. You’ll need tenacity to make it through, but by the end, you’ll laugh along with the devious designers.

5. Super Ghouls ‘n Ghosts

Undoubtedly, this game requires the rapid reflexes of a rage-filled rodent and the patience of an ascended saint. Strap yourself in for an occult-laden lance straight to the beating heart of gaming’s greatest graveyard.

6. Super Hexagon

With a simple setup, and the hypnotic voice talents of the incomparable Jenn Frank to urge you on, this game distills the thrill of staying alive in the face of overwhelming odds. The humble blueprint ever expands, becoming vast and infinite.

7. God Hand

Few designers know how to deliver a skill spanking quite like Shinji Mikami. An old school brawler with one of the most deliciously complex combo systems this side of Bayonetta.

8. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

It’s uncommon for a character to star in his best game three decades after his debut, but Donkey Kong pulls off the impossible feat. Tropical Freeze is the hardest challenge he’s ever faced, and also one of the most Zen-like, “in the zone” gaming experiences around today.

9. Dark Souls

Ignore anyone who tells you to “git gud.” Dark Souls is a tough game that only opens up to a player with perseverance (and some helpful tips from a great guide). Hang in there and the game delivers a splendid sense of wonder around every corner.

10. Devil May Cry 3

In a rare turn of events, the initial American release had an even steeper difficulty than its Japanese debut. But every grueling defeat adds to Dante’s growing arsenal of flashy tricks, until you’re surfing and slashing like a true demon-hunting Goth god.

11. Super Meat Boy

In a twist on traditional platforming, SMB turns every death into a “teachable moment.” A trail of bloody flesh follows your fallen hero’s every mistake, allowing you to quickly iterate on your path. A smart game that makes you feel like a genius.

12. Dwarf Fortress

A game so hard that even simple screenshots confound. Hidden beneath the obtuse visual design is a thrillingly intricate tinker toy set with a mind-boggling level of complexity. And as the saying goes, “Losing is fun!”

13. F-Zero GX

The best game in Nintendo’s hardcore racing series unfortunately proved to be the finale of the franchise. With a difficulty unmatched in any other racer, this frantically fast blast of futurism carries an electric charge that singes every slight misstep.

14. Castlevania III: Dracula’s Curse

This early Castlevania game marks the perfect marriage between its maddeningly addictive difficulty and its satisfying rhythm of hop, stop and attack. Branching paths and multiple characters add to the atmospheric assault on Dracula’s clock tower.

15. Maximo vs. Army of Zin

If sidescrollers don’t float your boat but you still want to slash up some ghouls, Capcom created two marvelous 3D successors to Ghosts ‘n Goblins. Maximo features all the humor and, thankfully, half the hair pulling of its forefathers.

16. Ninja Gaiden

A monumental game that stands tall in the twitchy tower of 8-bit endocrine endurance tests. If stage 6-2 doesn’t hand you your ass: congratulations. You’re officially a wizard of the ninja arts.

17. Magician Lord

The Neo Geo was the last gasp for gorgeous sprite art, pushing the form to commanding heights before polygons reigned supreme. Magician Lord gives you plenty of pretty scenery to admire while your hero gets pummeled by invincible Death Bringers.

18. Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne

“True Demon Run Matador Battle” might be one of the most horrific phrases in the video game lexicon, but it’s only one of several tough-as-nails instances in this mother-of-all demonic dungeon crawls.

19. La-Mulana

If you loved scratching out maps to Metroid, it’s time once again to bust out the graph paper. La-Mulana may be gaming’s most cryptic love letter to sprawling subterranean secrets. The few who stick with it reap the greatest rewards.

20. FTL: Faster Than Light

Ever since Battlestar, many of us dreamed of becoming star captains facing cruelly insurmountable odds. Now, it’s possible to live the punishingly grim reality of RTS permadeath space battles. Spool up the FTL drives, so say we all!

Most people like to play games to escape the hardships of reality.

But sometimes, only a high-difficulty task can get your mind off work, your family life, and other everyday issues.

Games used to be hard because they would otherwise be very short.

Now, most games have 40+ hour campaigns, and serious difficulty has become a feature hardcore gamers seek out to prove themselves.

So, what should you be playing if you want a challenge?

Let’s take a look at some of the hardest games in gaming history (that are still actually fun).

30. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES) (1989)

The ‘80s were a great time for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their fans – and Konami helped close the decade with a bang by releasing the amazing arcade TMNT game.

This is not that game.

Along with the arcade release, Konami brought the action to the living room with a side-scrolling action platformer for the NES.

While not quite as fun and visually striking as the arcade beat-em-up, the game had excellent graphics and solid sound design.

It also had some high difficulty levels.

The fluid gameplay and great controls meant these were fun challenges to overcome rather than a chore.

29. FTL (2012)

Most games in this list challenge your motor skills and reflexes.

But if you’re interested in something that’ll put your brain creases to good use, FTL should be at the top of your list.

You’ll have to manage your crew and lead them in battle against pursuing rebels who’ll lay traps for you at the end of every FTL jump.

These events are randomly generated, so you never know what to expect.

28. Monster Hunter Freedom (2006)

Monster Hunter Freedom on the PSP is a remastered compilation of the first two games in the series.

And one of the hardest games in the franchise.

The hunts in MHF are brutal.

But there’s a secondary reason for the high difficulty: the controls.

The PSP’s lack of a second thumbstick throws everything you know about MH out the window, and it can be tough to get used to.

The G-Rank missions are also a major challenge, as they pit you against more deadly versions of some of the hardest monsters.

27. F-Zero GX (2003)

When it comes to racing games, you can’t get more ruthless than F-Zero GX on the GameCube.

This high-tech hovercraft racing game feels like doing 60mph in a suburban area and trying to dodge every tree, dog, old lady, and lemonade stand on your way.

It’s engaging and looks beautiful.

But take your eyes off the road for a second, and you’re done for.

The only way to get better at this game is through trial and error, and memorizing the hazards on every map so you can avoid most of them.

26. Spelunky (2008)

Don’t be deceived by Spelunky’s funny name and adorable art style.

This game is as ruthless as it is addictive. And it is very addictive.

Each step you take in these underground passages could spell your death if you’re not careful.

There are traps everywhere, enemies are vicious, and sometimes there’s just too much going on at once.

Spelunky was a significant contributor to the popularization of roguelike titles during the 2010s, and it’s one everyone should try at least once. It’s hard, but not impossible.

25. Takeshi’s Challenge (1986) (JP)

If you’ve seen the classic game show “Takeshi’s Castle”, you’re familiar with comedian Takeshi Kitano – also known as Beat Takeshi.

This Japanese TV personality has been involved in countless projects throughout the years.

One of them is Takeshi’s Challenge – a side-scrolling game where you play as a disgruntled Japanese salaryman trying to escape his corporate lifestyle by finding a treasure in the South Seas.

Trying to survive attacks from the Yakuza and other unexpected threats will not prove easy. If you think you’ve got what it takes, you won’t regret taking up Takeshi’s Challenge.

Or maybe you will. It’s pretty tough!

Check out this review from Den of Geek for more details about the title.

24. Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! (1987)

Known as “the baddest man on the planet”, heavyweight boxer Mike Tyson was the undisputed world champion for thirteen years straight – and he wasn’t about to star in a game where it was easy to beat him.

Mike Tyson’s Punch-Out!! puts you in the shoes of Little Mac, a lightweight boxer who’s always punching up.

Due to his size, he’s always at a disadvantage.

But if you look closely and learn your opponent’s tells, you can use your superior speed to avoid damage.

The most brutal fight in the game is, of course, Tyson himself.

He’s nigh-impossible to beat if you’re not an expert at the game.

But if you made it that far, you probably are.

23. Mega Man & Bass (2003)

The Mega Man series was never known for being easy.

But his collaboration with Bass on the GBA is especially challenging even for the blue trooper’s standards.

Whereas previous bosses in the series usually follow set patterns you can quickly memorize in a couple of tries, this game requires you to have the reflexes to dodge unexpected moves.

The game was initially released on the Super Famicom as Rockman & Forte, which many people imported back in the day.

By the time the GBA port came out, people already knew it as the hardest game on the franchise.

22. XCOM 2 (2016)

Firaxis’ original XCOM: Enemy Unknown left some big shoes for its sequel to fill – and the developers didn’t disappoint.

The sequel doubled down on the original’s high expectations of the player. The primary campaign is challenging from beginning to end.

Some missions require you to play perfectly and get extremely lucky, or lose half of your warriors in one fell swoop.

The game’s storyline is arguably better than the first one, at least in tone. Retaking Earth from its alien masters is a cause you’ll feel compelled to see through.

21. I Wanna Be The Boshy (2010)

I Wanna Be The Guy was an iconic title back when I was just a kid.

My friends and I would take turns trying to clear it on an old laptop, laughing about the absurd difficulty and insane amount of spikes on floors, walls, little squares in the air, and so on.

I Wanna Be The Boshy is one of the best fan games inspired by the legendary IWBTG, aimed at shutting up those people who boast about finding the latter easy.

The great difficulty has made it a popular game to speedrun, with the record sitting at 30m31s at the time of writing.

20. Bloodborne (2015)

This might be a controversial opinion, but I think Bloodborne is easier than Dark Souls by a long shot.

While Bloodborne’s fights require faster reflexes and reward staying very close to your prey, the player character is also agile and very skilled with weapons.

You can get by with your reflexes without needing to learn such specific tells and patterns until you’re well into the game.

Well, except for Father Gascoigne.

You’re going to die a lot against Father Gascoigne.

19. Ikaruga (2003)

A spiritual sequel to Treasure’s Radiant Silvergun, Ikaruga is one of those games you can instantly tell was designed to empty your pockets at the local arcade.

It’s one of the most famous old-school shooters around, and its great difficulty is among the main reasons. The sheer amount of enemy projectiles on screen at any given time is telling of the kind of bullet hell this is.

Its fantastic graphics and sound design also contributed a lot to its popularity.

There may be countless bullets on screen, but their patterns are gorgeous. Be careful not to get distracted!

18. Battletoads (1991)

You can find references to Battletoads all over the Internet, thanks to creators all around the world who were most likely traumatized by the game’s ruthless difficulty.

The first couple of stages might trick you into believing you’ll be fine.

But this game’s difficulty curve is steep.

Try to keep going at least until you race through the Turbo Tunnel. If you didn’t destroy your controller by then, maybe you’ll clear the game.

Many people complain about being born too late, but I’m comfortable having been born three years after this game came out.

If I had to contend with this level of difficulty as a kid, I might have given up on gaming altogether.

17. Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (1986)

Only months after Super Mario Bros. was released worldwide for NES, the Japanese already had their hands on the sequel – and it was pretty different from the game we in the West call “Super Mario Bros. 2”.

The original sequel was more like an expansion, playing almost exactly like its predecessor, but featuring much more challenging levels meant to keep SMB veterans busy for a long time.

And Nintendo deemed their Western audiences incapable of enjoying such a hard game at the time.

But we finally got a look at this brutal experience when “The Lost Levels” were included in the 1993 SNES compilation Super Mario All-Stars.

And yes, it’s pretty darn tough.

16. Mushihimesama (2011)

I’m a die-hard fan of Touhou Project bullet hell games, but even I have to admit Mushihimesama is a lot harder thanks to the unpredictable patterns.

Whereas you can memorize the patterns for almost every boss in Touhou, Mushihimesama will force you to think on the fly and put your reflexes to the test.

It’s a very visually appealing game. And while the music isn’t half as good as Touhou’s, this is the game to conquer for street cred if you’re a fan of the bullet hell genre.

15. Demon’s Souls (2009)

Demon’s Souls stands just barely below Dark Souls in difficulty because some of the game’s “technical” limitations make it way too easy to “cheese” most bosses.

I mean, you can exploit monsters in Dark Souls – but in Demon’s Souls, sometimes it feels like the only option.

These bosses are hard if you’re not an expert Souls player.

Exploring the fallen kingdom of Boletaria and discovering the secrets of the Nexus is a timeless experience that already has everything that made Dark Souls so popular.

It’s challenging, you have a massive degree of control over your build, and the characters are incredibly memorable.

Make sure to check out the remake on the PS5 if you can.

14. Dark Souls (2011)

Dark Souls is what most modern human beings will think of when someone mentions “hard video games”.

As fans of FromSoftware’s Souls franchise love to say – this action RPG is hard but fair, which is part of what sets this game apart from many older titles.

You’ll have to learn the mechanics, understand your invincibility frames while rolling, and probably look up some info on builds – but if you put in the hours, you’ll clear this game and feel immensely rewarded. You might even become a Souls fan.

And the 2018 remastered version is definitely worth a look.

13. Ninja Gaiden II (2008)

All games in the Ninja Gaiden franchise are pretty grueling.

But some are more difficult than others.

Ninja Gaiden II is the sequel to the remake released in 2004. What’s unusual about this revived series is that it’s harder than the original NES game rather than easier like most remakes tend to be.

You’re going to be repeating every level a fair amount of times until you manage to clear the game.

Luckily it’s a gorgeous-looking title, and the fast-paced combat is very absorbing.

12. Nioh (2017)

The people behind Ninja Gaiden also bring us Nioh – a Dark Souls-inspired action RPG set in a dark fantasy version of Japan’s Warring States period.

In other words, it’s Sekiro before Sekiro was a thing.

Team Ninja put their expertise making punishing action games to good use, crafting hard-as-nails boss fights and a treacherous world to explore.

You’ll see this Irish samurai die a lot at the hands of soldiers and yokai.

Its sequel, also on the PS4, is another challenging game you should check out if you liked this one.

11. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)

I expected Sekiro to be much closer to a regular single-player adventure than the Souls series.

And therefore, I expected it to be easier.

I was wrong.

FromSoftware took inspiration from Tenchu and the Ninja Gaiden series. Both star shinobi like Sekiro, and both are remarkably hard.

Whereas Souls games (Bloodborne included) generally take you by surprise with weird enemy placement and setting up traps, Sekiro’s foes are just brutal.

You’ll have to become a parry master early on in the game if you have any chance of progressing.

10. The Witness (2016)

Most games on this list are challenging because staying alive in their digital worlds is a 24/7 fight for survival.

On the other hand, The Witness doesn’t even have a game over screen.

This fantastic puzzler has you making your way around a beautiful and mysterious island full of puzzles you can tackle in any order you want.

The thing is, some of these puzzles are designed in a way that almost guarantees getting stumped and having to look up a solution online.

Clearing this game without help from the Internet is a big-brain endeavor.

I’d say the best way to enjoy it is with a friend or SO who’ll think, laugh, and cry with you throughout the experience.

9. Celeste (2018)

Celeste’s main campaign is challenging, but manageable for anyone who’s even a bit experienced with platformers.

Then there’s the optional content.

On the one hand, you have the B-Sides – harder versions of each level unlocked by finding a cassette while playing through the normal map.

If you manage to clear every one of those (easier said than done), the C-Sides will become available.

At least Lena Raine’s music is just as good in any of these levels, so you can jam to some MIDI-inspired beats while you lose all confidence in your gaming skills.

8. X-COM: UFO Defense (1994)

Most people know X-COM from the 2012 reboot of the series.

But the original – released in PAL regions as UFO: Enemy Unknown – was already a fantastic and challenging game.

The X-COM series is known for its unforgiving AI, and this game was no exception.

These aliens are tough and surprisingly good at creeping up on you.

Managing, building, and expanding X-COM is also a challenging but rewarding aspect of gameplay.

7. Cuphead (2017)

One of the best games in recent memory to be deemed “as hard as Dark Souls” by the internet at large is Cuphead, an unforgiving run-and-gun featuring some seriously challenging bosses.

Cuphead lures you into a sense of security with the first couple of bosses.

Sure, you died 15 times each. But you finally beat them in the end. How much harder could the rest be?

As it turns out, the answer is “a lot harder”.

Still, as long as you’re willing to put in the time to memorize your foes’ patterns and learn some breathing exercises to stay calm, Cuphead is a tamable beast.

6. Contra (1987)

If there has ever been a time where we needed the Konami code, it was at the beginning of Contra.

Even with the 30 extra lives, clearing Contra is a work of patience and honest effort.

Running and shooting are easy enough. But keeping track of every single enemy and projectile flying your way is exhausting.

If you had someone to play this with, that generally meant forming a deep soldier’s bond that would last for life.

5. Ghosts’ n Goblins (1985)

Ghosts’ n Goblins is the game everyone likes to bring up when remembering how hard games used to be, compared to today’s less nerve-wracking adventures.

This addictive platformer/run-and-gun requires precision and lots of trial and error to clear.

One of the biggest challenges is that you’ll be sent back to the beginning of the level after being hit only twice.

And these levels aren’t precisely short.

If you’re a skilled gamer, you might get to the final boss (Astaroth) and defeat him – but it was all an illusion (devised by Satan).

If you want to rescue the Princess and bring peace to the realm, you’ll have to go through the entire game again – but harder.

4. Super Meat Boy (2010)

Super Meat Boy is the kind of game that’ll make you physically distressed from its difficulty.

The frustration will seep into your bones as you cry out in anguish, and you may be tempted to hurl your controller at the nearest wall.

This fantastic platformer brings the insane difficulty of I Wanna Be The Guy-like games, and a much bigger budget with a real development team.

You’ll need extreme precision – and patience – if you want to rescue your girlfriend from Dr. Fetus.

On the flip side, there’s nothing quite as rewarding as finally clearing a level and watching the replay of every previous attempt at the same time, savoring the moment when that last little Meat Boy steps ahead of the pack and makes it to the finish line.

It’s just sublime.

3. Prinny: Can I Really Be the Hero? (2009)

Prinny and Prinny 2 on the PSP are easily the most frustrating, deceptively hard games I’ve ever played.

In the world of Disgaea, the souls of criminals are reborn into penguin-like bodies to serve as slaves in the Netherworld as they pay for their sins.

They’re called Prinnies, and their lives are pretty hard – as shown by these two gems on Sony’s fantastic portable console.

While the levels themselves are manageable, boss fights in Prinny are just plain unfair – especially in the sequel, which is why you get a whopping 1000 lives at the beginning of the game.

Believe me when I tell you, 1000 lives might not be enough.

2. Dwarf Fortress (2006)

With the ridiculous official name of Slaves to Armok: God of Blood Chapter II: Dwarf Fortress, this dungeon-building simulator is easily the most challenging construction game in existence.

You’ll have to create a wealthy and – most importantly – defensible fortress for your dwarven folk.

The remarkably basic visual cues and interface can be a bit frustrating and make the learning process slower, but that’s part of the appeal.

It’s the kind of game for people who’ve become addicted to stress in their daily lives, and need their gaming to really challenge them, lest they slip back into their workaholic tendencies.

1. Super Mario Maker 2 (2019)

Super Mario games have always been pretty challenging – especially “The Lost Levels” mentioned earlier.

With that said, SMM2 takes it to the next level thanks to its active userbase.

It’s basically a bunch of players that use the game’s powerful level-building tools to create the most grueling and absurd Mario levels ever conceived.

Nintendo was pretty smart about it too.

They saw the incredible support of fan-made games, and especially all the super-hard “kaizo” hacks we were getting.

So they jumped right into the action with their own title.

The best part about SMM2 is that people are still making new levels. And they probably will be until the next Super Mario Maker comes out.

It’s gotta be the most bang for your buck, for sure.

Most Difficult Games in The World: It used to be that games were more difficult. That’s the complaint now spoken by seasoned gamers anytime they come across a modern shoot-’em-up or action-adventure. It sounds like the type of nostalgic snobbery that music snobs engage in when criticizing current bands for failing to capture the legendary attributes of yesterday’s great. But it’s kind of true in games. As the industry has matured, major titles have begun to tone down the complexity in order to provide a seamless experience to as many players as possible.

Nowadays, if you want a true challenge, you must choose “hard” mode, which typically entails more foes and fewer ammunition. However, difficulty works best when it’s built into the game’s design: players must think about the game differently – and earn their advancement through their hard work. Some games are a stroll in the park for seasoned gamers, while others are plain challenging regardless of our skill level.

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World’s Most Challenging, Toughest And Difficult Games to Play

1. The bridge: The bridge is widely recognized as one of the greatest and most difficult card games ever devised. This ‘gimmick game’ uses a 52-card deck and four players divided into two parties. The aim is to get the most points by completing the most tricks and rounds. Dealing, bidding, playing, and scoring are all separate steps in each hand. Players must bid on tricks and explain their hands in a clockwise fashion during the bidding/auction stage. The round finishes when three players proclaim “pass,” indicating that they are unwilling to bet any higher.

The ‘contract‘ refers to the last player’s bid. The round is then scored when the winner claims their tricks. The procedure repeats again until one side has accumulated enough tricks from each player’s hand to win the game. Of course, this game has its own set of rules, which require players to consider the value and suit of each card they play. When a player is unable to lay down a card of the leading suit, trump cards can be used instead. The bridge may appear to be a simple game, yet the rules are sometimes subjective and vague.

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2. Magic: The Gathering: This is a collectible fantasy-based card game in which two or more players compete as wizards. For either player, the goal is to reduce their opponent’s life points from 20 to zero. Casting spells, capturing lands, and attacking the other player with creatures from a card deck are all ways to do this.

All participants must prepare their own decks of 60 cards in advance of the game, and they start with seven cards in their hands. If a player is required to perform a spell or participate in battle during the previous round, they must draw one additional card. Although it may appear simple at this point, there are roughly 20,000 distinct cards to collect in this game, as well as around 2,000 rules.

Although this implies an infinite number of options, there is an enormous amount of language on the cards, as well as a significant amount of strategy involved in playing. Some Magic players have been collecting cards and playing the game since it was first released in 1993, and they still struggle to understand the enigmatic mechanics.

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3. The Ghost ‘N Goblins: This is an excellent game that is also quite irritating. Although it appears to be a basic platform game, you will expire after being struck twice and must restart each level from the beginning. If that isn’t enough to make you rip your hair out, once you’ve completed the game, you’ll be required to replay it at a higher level in order to reach the final boss.

It’s difficult to put into words how depressed I felt after playing this game for the first time. It felt like a sword in the heart to spend hours and hours getting to the last boss and winning, only to be told I had to start over. Fortunately, Ghost ‘n Goblins is a really engrossing game, and I was able to finish it quickly.

4. The Battletoads: The Battletoads is another fantastic game, or so I believe, despite the fact that I never finished it. Battletoads are a gang of crime-fighting toads that were created as a competitor to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. You are responsible for saving Pimple and Princess Angelica from the Dark Queen in this game.

It is a fun game with some excellent comic artwork, but the challenge continues increasing as you advance. When playing with two people, the motorbike speeder level is quite tough, and I frequently found myself accidentally taking out my companion.

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5. Spelunky: As the name implies, players control a spelunker who explores a variety of tunnels and underground lairs in search of treasure while fighting adversaries and avoiding traps. Completing this game, like true spelunking, is extremely tough.

The stages are full of traps, and even the smallest error will result in you losing a life and having to start over. If you want to go far in this game, you must be aware of your surroundings and learn from your mistakes. Despite this, Spelunky is highly addicting and difficult to put down, even after hundreds of hours of gameplay with no advancement.

6. Demon Souls: Demon Souls is usually mentioned when discussing difficult games to complete. Demon Souls is a dark fantasy role-playing game with five separate worlds to explore. It’s been hailed by critics and players alike, but both say it’s ridiculously difficult to complete.

As you progress, you may increase your abilities and weaponry, but everything else about the game will have you ripping your hair out. There are no healing items, challenging adversaries, vicious bosses, or checkpoints. If you do manage to finish the game, you can choose to start over from the beginning, but with a 40% increase in difficulty. That is all there is to know about Demon Souls.

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7. Contra: Contra was a revelation when it originally came out since it was one of the first games to feature two-player simultaneous gaming. You play as one of two commandos, Bill Rizer or Lance Bean, on an island near New Zealand, against an extraterrestrial species bent on destroying the planet.

Contra isn’t your typical run-and-gun game, as players are pitted against waves of aggressive alien monsters seeking to wipe them off. Despite the fact that if you play for a long time, you can figure out the enemies’ routines, it’s still a tough game to master.

8. “The Lost Levels” in Super Mario Bros: Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels will irritate you more than any other game in the franchise. While it’s essentially a re-imagining of Super Mario Bros., this game amps up the difficulty tenfold, leaving you wishing you’d never played it.

The windpipes, which regularly blast you into foes or off-course, seem to be meant to frustrate and anger the player.

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9. Dark Souls: If you think Demon Souls is difficult, don’t even consider picking up Dark Souls. This third-person RPG is a spiritual sequel to the original game in the Souls series, and it’s packed of difficult-to-beat foes and difficult-to-navigate level concepts.

The worst aspect is that some foes not only steal your health but also damage your equipment and upgrades, which is a big pain in the neck. Furthermore, if you play online, other players might kick you out, which is a big nuisance. This one is only for the most seasoned gamers.

10. Flappy Birds: Flappy Birds is one of the most frustrating but addicting games ever created for mobile phones, despite being removed from both Google and Apple’s app stores. Flappy Birds is a side-scrolling platform game in which you must guide a yellow bird across blue skies without colliding with any pipes.

It was inspired by a variety of side-scrolling platform games, including Super Mario Bros. It appears easy, but it is far more difficult than you may think. Because the controls are so sensitive, if you press the button too soon or too late, you’ll end up crashing into a pipe and having to start again.

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11. Returnal: Returnal is incredibly challenging and has a lot in common with third-person survival horror shooters and the Souls series. Its strict criteria for growth are a big part of its challenge, although some of these concepts have now been changed to make the game more approachable.

This sci-fi adventure is not for everyone, but those who prefer punishing games, especially those who value a complex and well-told narrative, will find a lot to admire in it. Even if Returnal has its share of irritating moments, it’s worth it just to see the credits.

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12. Sifu: This one is harsh, unforgiving, and entirely skill-based, much like the old-school beat ’em ups. Sifu will be greatly appreciated by those who are adept at picking up patterns and movesets, and they will also be the most likely to survive. Sifu has certain features in common with the Souls series and Elden Ring, while being in a completely different genre, particularly when it comes to boss battles. One incorrect move can put an end to a player’s run, and to make matters worse, the game penalizes failure and death by aging the game’s titular character with each death.

Sifu has less chance to exact revenge the more times the player dies, and the elder he gets, the closer permadeath is for both of them. Similar to the lost souls system from a game by FromSoftware, but considerably more powerful.

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Conclusion

Arcade machines, which were intended to demand a continual feed of quarters to keep moving or to play another round, dominated the early days of video games. During this time, video games were also famously challenging, which led to you spending more of your hard-earned money. Video games were still quite challenging when the first home consoles were released, which might be ascribed to technical restrictions on the one hand, and the diabolical imaginations of their inventors on the other.

Video games have gotten considerably more accessible as they’ve moved into the contemporary period, thanks in part to more detailed in-game tutorials and a variety of difficulty levels. They’ve also grown a lot more cinematic, putting a lot more attention on the story rather than just the gameplay. Modern games, on the other hand, continue to test your talents, with many needing high precision, problem-solving, agility, or even simply an unyielding will to achieve.

Edeh Samuel Chukwuemeka ACMC, is a Law Student and a Certified Mediator/Conciliator in Nigeria. He is also a Developer with knowledge in HTML, CSS, JS, PHP and React Native. Samuel is bent on changing the legal profession by building Web and Mobile Apps that will make legal research a lot easier.