The 28 Hardest Games You Can Try

 Meet the most difficult games that exist on NES, PC, Xbox 360, PS3, and other platforms. In this article, we have focused on making a selection of difficult video games both old and recent. Find out below what the great challenges of history are, with no more and no less than 28 games from Dark Souls to classics like Battletoads. Take a look now!

Dark Souls

• Release year: 2011 (2018 for the Remastered version).
• Platforms: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch y PC.

You have died! It's a screen we've seen in this game over and over and over again. Dark Souls is difficult for a number of reasons, and it has also become one of the most popular games of all time. We not only handle a character that, at times, is somewhat clumsy. Almost any enemy is capable of killing us if we are not careful!

Beyond the difficult enemies to take down, especially some final bosses, Dark Souls does not guide you step by step. You need to figure out where to go next, and while it's confusing, it's amazing how each area connects to another. One gets lost many times and it is common to fall into the void in the most stupid way you can imagine. But hey, it's quite entertaining!

Cuphead

• Release year: 2017.
• Platforms: PC, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch y PlayStation 4.

Cuphead is a platform and shooting game in which you have to get rid of every enemy that gets in front of you. Of course, you have to dodge the attacks and stay alive all the time. Saying it is much easier than doing it, and we already told you that, if you try it, you will get a few frustrations!

Cuphead was a success for two reasons: it's very high (but well-measured) difficulty and its incredible aesthetics. It's easy to get carried away by those charts and think that at least the beginning will be easy. But no! The game is challenging from start to finish, with a few extra challenges for those looking for the ultimate challenge.

Battletoads

• Release year: 1991.
• Platforms: NES, Mega Drive, Game Gear, Amiga, Amiga CD32, and Xbox One (Rare Replay compilation). It has come out on other platforms, but with differences.

Are you looking for one of the ultimate challenges as a gamer? Well look no further and try to beat Battletoads, a beat'em up platform game. Attention: we do not say beat the game, or even half, but the third level! Fame precedes this title, for the mere fact of being absurdly difficult, so much so that not many players have completed Battletoads. Will you be one of them?

Super Meat Boy

• Release year: 2010.
• Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Wii U, Nintendo Switch y PC.

For challenging platformers, Super Meat Boy is one of the best in recent years. Honestly speaking, the main story isn't that frustrating or too difficult to complete. But what if you're looking to do 100%? Well, it's up to you to prepare yourself psychologically to retry hundreds of times on many of the levels.

Super Meat Boy is a game that, playable, is a delight. The graphic and sound sections are tremendous, even without having the slightest pretense of standing out. Regarding the level design, it is masterful. Each phase has something new, a different detail that forces you to give your best and achieve that muscle memory. If you are one of those players who like to have all the achievements, you will have many hours of gameplay!

Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels (Super Mario Bros. 2)

• Release year: 1986.
• Platforms: Famicom Computer Disk System. Ported and ported to the Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo Switch, and the Nintendo Virtual Console.

Known as Super Mario Bros. 2 in Japan, The Lost Levels showed us that rescuing Peach isn't always that easy. Taking advantage of the success of the first Super Mario Bros., it was decided to make a more difficult sequel. Interestingly, the change was so pronounced that it has become one of the most challenging games in the industry.

There were several design changes that influenced that difficulty. For example, some pipes can throw you back in the phase, or some mushrooms turn out to be poisonous, even killing you. From time to time, you have to jump on invisible blocks or, even worse, the wind blows you away in the middle of a jump. The Lost Levels requires precision, attention, and patience, or you will never complete the game!

Mega Man

• Release year: 1987.
• Platforms: NES. It has come out on other platforms, but with differences.

The first Mega Man was the beginning of a great saga of renowned platform games, and completing it was quite a challenge! It is one of the most punishing games, as the levels must be beaten from start to finish. If you get the "Game Over" screen, you must start the level from scratch!

That alone makes it a difficult game, but there is also another important issue. Some final bosses have weaknesses depending on which weapons. This implies that we must decide well in which order we will overcome the levels, obtain the weapons of the fallen bosses and thus exploit the weaknesses of the rest. And do you know the best of all? To beat the last level, you need to beat all the bosses again, one after another!

Nioh

• Release year: 2017.
• Platforms: PlayStation 4 and PC.

Nioh is a brutal action role-playing game based on Japanese folklore. Set in the 1600s, you put yourself in the shoes of a man from the West who makes his way into Japanese lands, gradually becoming an experienced samurai.

If the combat of Dark Souls can give us enough war, the truth is that Nioh becomes even more difficult. Ki management (which works as a resistance bar) and the choice of combat posture are key factors in defeating enemies. If you want to win, you must perfectly execute every attack, defense, and dodge. Not for people just looking to pound buttons.

Spelunky

• Release year : 2008 (original), 2012 (remake).
• Platforms: PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 y PlayStation Vita.

In Spelunky we play speleologists crossed with a tiny version of Indiana Jones. It is a very fun platform and roguelike game, as well as interesting. The mission is simple: rescue and obtains treasures. Each level is randomly generated, so it never gets repetitive!

But why is such a game on the list? Well, it turns out that Spelunky, despite having such a nice appearance, is anything but an easy game. There are not a few times when you die from silly mistakes. Some areas contain dangerous enemies and very damaging traps, although the game never becomes unfair. If you want great results, you have to work hard!

Against

• Release year: 1987.
• Platforms: Arcade and NES. It has come out on other platforms, but with differences.

Contra is a shooting game that, without being definitely the most difficult on the list, is one of those that requires repetition and practice. One loses life for any fall into the void, attack received, or finish the countdown before overcoming the level. The attempts are not many and therefore one has to give everything at each level!

This action title is divided into three types of phases. In the first of them, we move like a platform game. The second was groundbreaking for the time, as we were moving towards the background as if we were in a 3D environment. The third, with a fixed screen, challenges us to defeat a fearsome final boss. Each type of phase has its own challenges; it is advisable to arm yourself with courage and not get carried away by frustration!

F-Zero GX

• Release year: 2003.
• Platforms: GameCube.

In racing games, F-Zero GX is one of the most difficult and complicated to master perfectly. The saga has always been based on high-speed and impossible circuits that defy the laws of physics. However, F-Zero GX takes this formula to its fullest.

To win races consistently, on all the tracks available in the game, you will need a lot of time to practice. It is totally important to memorize the circuits, where there is each obstacle, turbo, or any element of the track. Also, having good reflexes is vital, especially when close to other opponents. F-Zero GX is a devilishly difficult game!

The Witness

• Release year: 2016.
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 y Xbox One.

In puzzle games, The Witness is one of the best games and also a very difficult one. You appear alone on an island that, under the undeniable beauty, hides a story of sadness. The setting is impeccable, although the number of puzzles to be solved is even better. They are more than 650! All of them are grouped according to the rules that define them, rules that, by the way, you will have to discover for yourself. Nobody tells you anything!

If you dare with The Witness, try to beat it in its entirety without looking at any guides. At times it's very frustrating, but it's a matter of continuing to explore, clear your mind, and sooner or later you'll find the solution to the puzzles.

X-COM: Terror From the Deep

• Release year: 1995.
• Platforms: PC and PlayStation 1.

Let's do a bit of history first. UFO: Enemy Unknown, also known as X-COM: UFO Defense, was a great tactical strategy game hit by a hilarious bug. Regardless of the difficulty selected, after the first mission, the game always continued on the lowest difficulty. Following complaints from the players themselves, the developers did not think to respond with a sequel of hellish difficulty.

X-COM: Terror from the Deep builds on the same foundation as its predecessor of preparing the best defense and attack against invading aliens. The threat now rises from the depths and you must do what you can to neutralize it. Do what is possible, yes, because we already told you that you will have to squeeze your strategic mind if you do not want to fail. If the creators had no mercy!

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

• Release year: 2019.
• Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One y PC.

Sekiro is a game whose main attraction is to fight against powerful enemies and win in 1 on 1 matches that are as intense as they are exciting. The creators are the same as Dark Souls, so it couldn't be an easy game! In fact, it can be even more challenging because it requires perfect timing and movement control.

Jump, dodge, deflect or attack. Read the enemy's movements well and look for effective ways to lower their guard. In Sekiro, it's not as simple as walking up to an opponent and attacking without thinking. You must act as a silent and deadly ninja, who takes advantage of every distraction and weakness to emerge victoriously. You will die many times, but the satisfaction of defeating strong final bosses is not taken away by anyone!

Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number

• Release year: 2015.
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One y Android.

Hotline Miami is enchanted for its retro aesthetic, wild and frenetic rhythm, and for being challenging. The sequel, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, improved in some ways and presented a bigger challenge. Despite having a variety of characters and skins with different aptitudes and abilities, one thing is clear: you are going to have to retry numerous times.

In Hotline Miami 2, you have to think and act fast. Most enemies will barely give you a second to initiate, and many times it will be even less. Everyone wants to fill you with lead, so you better do it first!

Celeste

• Release year: 2018.
• Platforms: PC, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One y PlayStation 4.

Celeste is a very beautiful and emotional platform game that is also difficult to beat in its entirety. With mechanics as simple as running, jumping, and dashing through the air, Celeste requires to pinpoint precision of movement. You will find a series of obstacles that will make you scratch your head and, at times, wonder if you will ever complete the game. Do not lose hope!

Darkest Dungeon

• Release year: 2016.
• Platforms: PC, Xbox One, iOS, PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita y Nintendo Switch.

In this dungeon crawler roguelike RPG, you'll lose allies like it's your daily bread. Darkest Dungeon lives up to its title in quite a few ways, not just because of the distinctly dark aesthetic, but because of how difficult it is. Forming the best team of heroes is essential to winning, but it is not as simple as leveling up and having better abilities.

In addition to managing the equipment and roles of each character, you will need to manage the status of your heroes. At any moment they can end up stressed or sick, which prevents them from fulfilling their role in combat. All these details make each dungeon and turn a constant challenge.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne

• Release year: 2003.
• Platforms : PlayStation 2.

Atlus is a company that has created a challenging as well as an interesting saga in Shin Megami Tensei. Almost all installments have a good depth in the characters, history, and gameplay, which also always bring curious mechanics.

Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne is one of the most difficult turn-based JPRGs in the saga, in which you will need a lot of time to develop and be able to advance. It is a game that has combats that do not forgive or have mercy on the player. If you dare with this game, you can already have patience and enjoy the saga, or you will end up throwing the control knob out the window!

In 2020 the HD Remaster of this game arrives, although it will have differences from the original.

FTL: Faster Than Light

• Release year: 2012.
• Platforms: PC.

Faster Than Light is a game that, if you don't know what to expect, can overwhelm you and even despair. This title launches us with the important task of saving the Galactic Federation from the rebels. The journey is long, and the enemies are numerous. Many games have led us to believe that galactic battles are limited to targeting and shooting down enemy ships, before falling down. It is more than that!

In each Faster Than Light confrontation, you must not only attack the enemy but also keep an eye on your own ship. You'll have to manage its energy and crew since you'll need to put out fires, recover shields, and avoid oxygen loss... In short, there are quite a few details that you have to think about all the time. Look for tips to perform better, or you will be overwhelmed!

Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy

• Release year: 2017.
• Platforms: PC, iOS, and Android.

Do you want to be hairless? Break keyboards and cell phones? Well, play Getting Over It. It's a platform game in which you control a man stuck in a cauldron and wielding a hammer. The goal is clear: climb to outer space. The thing is that it is VERY difficult to overcome many of the obstacles.

And that is not the most difficult. What makes this game one of the most challenging ever is that depending on where you fall, you can sometimes lose all your progress!

Ninja Gaiden Black

• Release year: 2005.
• Platforms: Xbox.

Ninja Gaiden Black is a tweaked version of Ninja Gaiden that previously came out on Xbox, with new content and difficulty levels. It is a hack & slashes famous for its difficulty and great playability. Each enemy we face requires a different tactic, so we must use different weapons and objects depending on the situation.

On the standard difficulty, Ninja Gaiden Black is challenging. In case you want to venture into a greater challenge, this version of the game includes the Master Ninja level, in which you must be the most perfect ninja in all of history. It is not an exaggeration; As long as you are not clever and skillful, you will die without any remedy!

Super Hexagon

• Release year: 2012.
• Platforms: PC, iOS, and Android.

Super Hexagon is a music game where reflexes are the only thing that matters. You can play on six different difficulty levels, but don't be fooled: it's challenging even on the easiest difficulty! You will have to move a small triangle in a hexagonal plane that, little by little, walls appear that you must dodge.

It is a rhythmic game in that you cannot memorize phases but you can learn to react. That is the crucial part of the game, because the pace and speed increase with the passing of seconds, and the phases are always random. For all that, the game has become one of the most difficult of all time.

Ghosts'n Goblins

• Release year: 1986.
• Platforms: Arcade, NES, Amiga, Atari ST, Amstrad CPC, Commodore 16, Commodore 64, Game Boy Color, MSX y ZX Spectrum.

We continue with Ghosts'n Goblins, another platform game because, to be honest, there are a lot of difficult platforms! Just like in the Super Mario games, in this title, we arm ourselves with the courage to rescue a princess. The catch is that you lose a life for every two hits you take, and there's only one checkpoint in the middle of each phase. If you lose a life just before, you'll have to start over!

Ghosts'n Goblins requires great skill from the player to complete the game. Getting to the first final boss is quite an odyssey, but the surprise is that you don't finish the game that way. It is necessary to beat the game a second time, on a higher difficulty, to finally face the true ending. If you don't break a sweat playing this game, you are inhuman!

Mushihimesama Futari (Ultra)

• Release year: 2006.
• Platforms: Arcade, Xbox 360, and iOS.

Mushihimesama Futari in his Ultra mode is one of the most infernal bullet hells of all time. In truth, many games of this genre are crazy that only the absolute fans are capable of beating. However, that mode of Mushihimesama Futari raised the bar in terms of difficult games. Do you think you can with a game like this? Well, I think the image already gives you a clue of what awaits you.

VVVVVV

• Release year: 2010.
• Platforms: PC, Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Switch, iOS, Android, PlayStation 4 y PlayStation Vita.

VVVVVV is a very simple puzzle platformer in terms of gameplay, but it's hard to master! The handling of the character is as simple as walking and manipulating gravity to fall down or up. The rest is a matter of the level you are at, as there will be numerous traps, some moving platforms, and enemies to avoid.

The difficulty of this game is that the levels are quite difficult to overcome. Although it is appreciated that there are enough control points throughout the phases, that does not mean that you will have to repeat many parts. To complete VVVVVV, you need to act and react quickly, and it's best if you memorize what's on each screen.

Shinobi

• Release year: 2002.
• Platforms : PlayStation 2.

Shinobi, a hack & slash for PS2, is part of a great saga of action video games, but none is as challenging as this one. The protagonist, Hotsuma, carries a sword that needs to consume souls all the time. Do you know what the catch is? If you go too long without defeating enemies, it will begin to consume Hotsuma's soul.

Therefore, Shinobi is a game in which every player must continuously move and fight. In addition to the sword, you can use shurikens and three types of magic to take down enemies. If you're adept at attacking, you'll have no trouble completing the game, but the path of the ninja is far from easy. And even more so if we talk about Shinobi!

They Are Billions

• Release year: 2019.
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4 y Xbox One.

There are different strategy games that can be challenging, but They Are Billions is one of the most difficult on the market. The world is inundated by a nearly endless zombie horde, and to deal with them, you need to collect resources, plan your builds, and take the risk of exploring.

From time to time, hundreds of zombies will come out to destroy everything in your path. If you are not prepared and believe us, it will happen several times, you will lose a lot of progress or even the game! It often takes several tries to learn the best ways to progress, especially when tackling bigger challenges.

La-Mulana

• Release year: 2005.
• Platforms: PC.

La-Mulana is a great action-adventure game that every Metroidvania fan should try. Especially if you are looking for a good challenge. It maintains that essence of leaving the player free to explore the phases at their own pace and in any order. Of course, the ruins hide numerous dangers and dead ends, and it is not so easy to heal!

The creators wanted to give the player the feeling of exploring a ruin that is doing its best to get rid of intruders. This is why restarting parts and losing progress is common. You go into the game thinking you're going to be the next Indiana Jones or Lara Croft, but the difficulty gives you a reality slap!

Later, La-Mulana received a remake for different platforms, but it is not as difficult as in its original version.

Dwarf Fortress

• Release year: 2006.
• Platforms: PC.

Dwarf Fortress is strange and unique in several ways. To begin with, the graphics are based on letters and symbols, also differentiated by colors. It is a management and simulation game in which you will have a titanic task ahead of you: help the dwarves to become the most powerful civilization. We give you a spoiler: you will almost never make it.

Dwarf Fortress is a deep game due to the possibilities and factors that affect each moment of the game. Each dwarf has his tastes and needs, and each game generates a totally new world. Not only do you face the conditions of the environment, but also enemies that, sooner or later, will decide to invade you. It's a game that can be frustrating but hey, it can be quite addictive!