It is standard practice for a game to ease players in with a tutorial or at least a nice, easygoing section that gives players time to learn the controls and gameplay mechanics in a safe environment. That's not the case with the games on this list, however, as they all opt to throw players into the deep end of unforgiving difficulty from the start and force them to learn how to survive the hard way.
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When executed poorly, this "sink or swim" style of gameplay design can frustrate players right off the bat and sometimes cause them to drop a game in minutes. When done right, though, it can offer an experience that is immersive and engrossing right from the word go, pulling players into its world and never letting them loose, thanks to its brutal but rewarding and sometimes addictive challenge.
Bloodborne
FromSoftware's Descent into Lovecraftian Horror
Bloodborne
- Released
- March 24, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
The first, but not the last, FromSoftware game on this list, Bloodborne was a risky venture from the Japanese studio, due to its gothic Victorian-era setting that sits in stark contrast to the high medieval fantasy of Demon's Souls, Dark Souls, and Dark Souls 2.
Like the aforementioned trio of games - and as is now expected from the "soulslike" genre they are today recognised as being a part of - Bloodborne doesn't hold the player's hand, and ensures they have to adapt to the game's mechanics and world to survive. In Bloodborne's case, survival requires, counterintuitively, an aggressive playstyle, due to the ability to regain health upon striking an opponent, among other changes that made Bloodborne an exciting new challenge for those jumping over from the previous Souls games.
Cuphead
Don't Let the Cartoon-y Aesthetic Fool You
Cuphead
- Released
- September 29, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ for Everyone 10+: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Cuphead was destined to be a success thanks to its wonderful visuals and animation inspired by cartoons from the golden era of American animation. Thankfully, the gameplay not only didn't disappoint, but blew players away with the tremendous boss designs and run-and-gun gameplay.
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Don't let the visuals fool you, though, as Cuphead provides a punishing challenge straight from the jump that requires players to learn the ins and outs of each boss and stage before they have a chance of progressing.
Hades
Roguelike Royalty
Hades
- Released
- September 17, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Roguelite
The roguelike genre seldom holds players' hands, forcing them instead to fight, die, and learn from their mistakes. Hades is a great example of this, as although there are upgrade opportunities along the way, it's the player's experience at the game that will be most pivotal in their bloody and brutal ascent to Mount Olympus.
There are countless roguelike and roguelite games that could have made this list, but for the sake of variety and interest in ensuring only the best of the best and hardest of the hardest qualify, it is one of only two on this list.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Learn to Parry or Die Trying
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
- Released
- March 22, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
The second of three FromSoftware games on this list, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, like Bloodborne before it, was a break from the norm for the Japanese studio. Sekiro stands out from the company's other soulslike games as it ditches most of the RPG mechanics from previous games and features a combat system centred around parrying.
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This new combat system removes much of the "cheesing" that players can do to progress in other soulslike games, as it forces players to take on their foes in fights that are won and lost through sheer skill. That's not to say that bosses won't have a few tricks up their sleeves, but so can players, as they are a shinobi, not a ninja, after all, and graveyards are full of those who fought with honor.
Celeste
Precision Platforming at Its Most Precise
Celeste
- Released
- January 25, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Celeste is a precision platformer with the word "precision" in bold, underlined twice, and highlighted in red, as right from the start, players need to jump, grab, dodge, and climb with tremendous accuracy in order to progress from one screen to the next as they ascend Mount Celeste.
Thankfully, the game features quick restarts inspired by a game that will appear shortly on this list, ensuring that, while challenging, the game never gets too frustrating, as players can pick right up where they left off, leaving plenty of room for experimentation and exploration to find the game's many hidden secrets.
Returnal
A Memorable AAA Roguelike Experience
Returnal
- Released
- April 30, 2021
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Third-Person Shooter
Returnal stood out in 2021 and still stands out today for being one of the few big-budget roguelike games, as well as for its superb use of the adaptive triggers and haptic feedback on the PlayStation 5 remote.
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The big-budget flashy visuals and the fact that it was published by Sony led some players to believe that Returnal's difficulty would be watered down compared to other roguelike games, but this certainly wasn't the case, as Returnal ensures that any mistake is punished and players must conquer an area before they can put it behind them.
Super Meat Boy
A Pioneer of Indie Gaming Challenge
Super Meat Boy
- Released
- October 20, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Animated Blood, Cartoon Violence, Crude Humor, Language
- Genre(s)
- Platformer
Super Meat Boy was one of the most influential video games of the 2010s, thanks to helping consumers trust that indie games could be just as enjoyable as big-budget releases, and also for its removal of a lives system.
At a time when many games, particularly platformers, gave players a set of lives and would punish them with significant progress loss if they died too many times, Super Meat Boy decided to offer players unlimited restarts at a generous checkpoint. This approach was previously dismissed for making things too easy, but that certainly isn't the case with Super Meat Boy, which ramps up the difficulty through the roof to compensate, offering a tough but fair challenge where progression must be earned through blood -lots of blood - despite how close the end of the level appears.
Elden Ring
One of Gaming's Best and Most Brutal Open Worlds
Elden Ring
- Released
- February 25, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
For those who have completed Elden Ring multiple times or watched hours of content about the wonderfully well-designed world to learn all its secrets, it can be easy to forget just how daunting The Lands Between is on a first playthrough.
Without knowing a single thing about the map, recommended levels for certain bosses, or the best builds, progress in Elden Ring is a challenge that requires patience, skill, and a willingness to experiment with the countless weapons, armor, equipment, summons, and more. The game only gets harder as it progresses, leading to an end-game challenge that is brutally tough at any level when taking it on for the first time.
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