Video games are meant to be enjoyable and ideally reduce stress. That being said, an incredibly easy title can sometimes be even more frustrating than a punishingly hard game. It’s a difficult balance to reach, but there’s been a revival in games with steep difficulties, with Cuphead being one of the hardest titles of this gaming generation.
Platformers have always excelled in this style of challenging gameplay, and while many will have gamers pulling out their hair from stress, there’s also nothing quite like the satisfaction that’s felt upon victory. Cuphead has helped set a new standard, but many other platformer titles can pose an even greater challenge.
Updated July 3, 2022 by Jack Pursey: Cuphead's highly anticipated DLC, Cuphead: The Delicious Last Course, was finally released on June 30th, 2022. The DLC has been well-received by fans and critics, particularly due to the generous amount of content that it offers at a low cost, with new bosses to face and weapons to take them down with. Unsurprisingly, The Delicious Last Course is punishingly difficult.
The DLC will undoubtedly give players an itch for some more tricky platformers once they're finished, so we've updated this list to include a few more entries.
18 Rayman
Rayman's inclusion on this list may surprise some people who played the game as children many years ago. The game's iconic first stage Dream Forest will bring back fond memories for many players, particularly its nature-inspired visuals that were bursting with color. The first world wasn't too difficult, so many players may not immediately think of Rayman when picturing tough platformers.
However, Rayman certainly deserves a spot on this list as it has one of the sharpest and most unexpected spikes in difficulty in the genre's history. At around the halfway point, players will find themselves struggling to make progress as they're forced to make precise movements with zero room for error. Believe it or not, this level of difficulty wasn't intentional, as the developers didn't spend much time playtesting the game, so weren't aware of how hard it was.
17 Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time
Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time was released in September 2020 and finally gave players the chance to play a brand-new Crash game that utilized the series' iconic corridor-style level design. The game was well-received by fans and critics, with its visuals and level design being notable stand-outs.
Completing Crash Bandicoot 4's main story isn't too taxing, thanks to the abundance of checkpoints and new Modern mode that gives players unlimited lives. However, Crash games have always been about 100% completion and trying to perfect the bandicoot's latest adventure is an absolute nightmare. The eye-watering amount of gems to collect and hidden boxes to find, along with relic challenges that have frustratingly short time requirements make Crash 4 one of the hardest platformers ever when it comes to perfecting it.
16 Rogue Legacy 2
Rogue Legacy 2 was developed by Cellar Door Games and released on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and PC in April 2022, following an 18-month stay in early access. The game was a hit with critics, exemplified by its 90 Metascore on Xbox Series X/S.
As the name suggests, Rogue Legacy 2 is a rougelike that will see most players going through well over 100 cycles before reaching the game's conclusion. Rogue Legacy 2 keeps things interesting, though, with numerous classes to unlock, procedurally generated levels, and genetic traits that offer interesting and sometimes hilarious twists.
15 Battletoads
The first entry into the Battletoads series was released in 1991 on the NES and Famicom and put players to the test with one of the toughest challenges that the consoles had to offer. Rare's game blended its platforming gameplay with classic arcade beat 'em up sections, ensuring that players were tested in multiple ways.
Although the beat 'em up sections were punishingly tough, the riding levels are the most notorious, with Turbo Tunnel being one of the most infamous stages of all time.
14 N++
N++ is the third entry in the N franchise, with N and N+ coming before it. The 2015 game kept its gameplay similar to its critically acclaimed predecessor, though this wasn't perceived negatively, exemplified by the game's impressive 90 Metascore on PC.
The game's goal is simple; players need to reach the end of each level before the timer runs out while collecting gold pieces that will extend the clock. However, reaching the goal is far easier said than done, as players need to avoid a plethora of obstacles and projectiles on their route to the exit.
13 I Wanna Be The Guy
I Wanna Be The Guy is a freeware platformer that was released in 2007 and shot into the attention of mainstream audiences after YouTubers like Markiplier, Cr1tikal, and KSI gave the grueling game a try. Along with its punishing difficulty, the game is known for its numerous references to classic titles, such as The Legend of Zelda, Mega Man, and Punch-Out!!.
Following the game's success, multiple sequels were released, including a spin-off titled I Wanna Be The Guy: Gaiden.
12 Ghosts ‘n Goblins
Capcom's Ghosts ‘n Goblins was released in arcades back in 1985 before coming to multiple home consoles, including the NES and ZX Spectrum sporadically thought the years. The game became an instant hit upon release and was nominated for the Golden Joystick Awards' Arcade Game of the Year accolade, while Uridium ultimately won the award.
The game puts players in control of iconic hero Sir Arthur and tasks them with defeating dragons, demons, zombies, and other mythical creatures that will punish players for even the slightest mistakes.
11 Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
Much like I Wanna Be The Guy, 2017's Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy became an internet sensation following interest generated by YouTubers and Twitch streamers struggling to complete the game.
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy features some of the most unique gameplay mechanics in the platforming genre, as players control a character named Diogenes, who is refined to a cauldron and uses a large hammer to move around with. Maneuvering with the mechanics is just as difficult as it sounds, and players will frequently find themselves springing off in the wrong direction if they're not careful.
10 Runner3
Indie developer, Gaijin Entertainment, has made an impressive name for themselves. The Bit.Trip series helped establish the company, all of which push a more difficult style of retro gameplay. The Bit.Trip Runner series has gained the most acclaim, and while all of the entries push the limits of difficulty, Runner3 is the greatest challenge in many respects.
Runner3 learns from its predecessors and achieves a level of challenge that is just frustrating enough. The use of rhythm and music complicates the equation, plus the endlessly distracting visuals that occur in the background are sure to ruin some perfect playthroughs.
9 Super Mario Sunshine
It’s been incredible to witness how much the Super Mario series has evolved and added new gameplay mechanics to its titles over time, all of which shake up the platforming genre in a big way. The GameCube’s Super Mario Sunshine is one of the more contentious entries in the series as it adds a radically different mechanic to the experience in the form of water-based F.L.U.D.D.
Completing Sunshine’s base game isn’t too difficult, but those that want to 100% the game and obtain all of the blue coins will find themselves with one of the most challenging Mario titles.