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But with this frustration comes the unparalleled intense feeling of satisfaction once victory has been achieved. There is no better feeling than finally overcoming and defeating that difficult boss or bypassing a (literal) mountainous obstacle. Some of these games ask a lot from their players, like intense reaction times and the patience of a saint, but beating these games is truly worth the frustration.
10 The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe
Available on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch.
Ever experience deja-vu? That is essentially The Stanley Parable in a nutshell. Players take on the role of Stanley, a worker in an unnamed corporation whose coworkers have all mysteriously disappeared, leaving him as the sole person left. He sets off to find answers, only to discover that his every action is narrated by an omniscient voice.
With the brand new The Stanley Parable: Ultra Deluxe edition that expands on the beloved classic, there are now over 43 different endings that players can collect. It can be frustrating and slightly mind-numbing for players to mindlessly walk around the same corridors and hear the same voice lines repeatedly just to reach a different ending. The Stanley Parable is a game that plays the player.
9 Geometry Dash
Available on PC, iOS, and Android devices.
Geometry Dash combines an endless runner/platform game with the rhythm genre to create this absolute torturous beast of a game. Players must jump to the beat and clear dangerous obstacles like spikes and chasms that get in their way.
The only trouble is that the beat can become incredibly fast, meaning the player’s reaction times will be tested. Crashing into any obstacle means that their progress will be reset, and they need to restart from the beginning. Geometry Dash is sure to raise blood pressure as only one button press can be the difference between surviving and having to respawn and try again.
8 Crypt Of The NecroDancer
Available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, iOS, and Android devices.
Following on from the rhythm genre, Crypt of the NecroDancer is in a similar realm with rogue-like elements. It is a procedural dungeon crawler where the player and enemies must move to the beat on the game’s in-game soundtrack. There is even the option to load in player-own MP3 soundtracks, adding to a unique gameplay experience!
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Players must pay attention, as Crypt of the NecroDancer is about pattern recognition and perseverance. Players must wait for the right moment to strike at their enemies and get away unscathed. It isn’t the kind of game that can be rushed, and it is definitely one of those games that belong in the “easy to play, hard to master” category.
7 Octodad: Dadliest Catch
Available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
In Octodad: Dadliest Catch, the player takes on the role of Octodad, an octopus in a suit masquerading as an ordinary human going about their daily life. His very existence is a constant struggle as he attempts to master mundane tasks with his unyielding tentacles while keeping his nautical nature a secret from his human family.
Octodad’s wacky physics and controls create some hilarious yet occasionally frustrating moments as the player must try to control Octodad’s flailing tentacles. The gameplay can even be switched up with local co-op gameplay. 2-4 players could each control one of Octodad’s limbs and see how well they can coordinate and work together!
6 Dead Cells
Available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Dead Cells is a highly fast-paced rogue-like action platformer game. Players will explore a sprawling sidescrolling castle, faced with foes at every turn. There are no checkpoints, so one small mistake will result in an instant restart.
Dying is inevitable; the games’ progression system will make them feel like they are getting better after each respawn, whether through unlocking all-important items or through their own mechanical skill. There will be many rage quits, but as Dead Cell’s Steam store page says, ‘Kill. Die. Learn. Repeat.’
5 Undertale
Available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Undertale is an indie RPG game, with the added twist that the player can get through the entire game without having to kill anything! No matter what kind of monster battle, there will always be an option to spare or flee a fight to avoid killing them when playing through a pacifist run.
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The frustration with Undertale, however, arises from certain boss fights, which are unavoidable if players want to get through the main story campaign. The combat mechanics follow a brutal and fast-paced bullet hell style, so the player (a heart) must dodge all of these attacks, face severe damage, or even die. Don’t forget to stay determined!
4 Super Meat Boy
Available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch.
Super Meat Boy is a 2D retro platformer that requires pixel-perfect movement and throws players right into the proverbial platforming grinder with difficult levels and murderous obstacles. One wrong misclick and the player will be sentenced to instant death and have to begin the stage again.
The more the player dies, the more the level gets covered in Super Meat Boy’s blood. Though this sounds repetitive, there are, luckily, hundreds of levels to keep things interesting! The controls for this game are simple: just run, jump, and wall slide; but, precision in this game is everything.
3 Cuphead
Available on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch.
Cuphead features a plethora of complicated bosses that players are guaranteed to die to over and over and over again. The innocent retro-inspired art style and quirky music offset the frustratingly tricky nature of this game. Players must be prepared to lose multiple times to eventually feel that sweet taste of success.
Cuphead will truly test the player’s patience as they must memorize the bosses’ patterns and attack styles to triumph over them. Luckily, there is also a local co-op two-player mode to avoid instant death, as players can revive one another.
2 Dark Souls 3
Available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
One of the most rage-inducing franchises has got to be Dark Souls. Dark Souls 3, along with the rest of the series, is well-known in the gaming world for its brutal difficulty. It is the first game that pops into mind when thinking about challenging games. The Souls series has been praised for its worldbuilding and the uniqueness of the monsters. If players want a break from the main story, there ae plenty of overlooked NPCs that offer some side quests so they can go exploring.
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Overpowered enemies, random traps, and challenging bosses make for a lot of repetition, making players feel like they are living through their own version of Groundhog Day. Players should expect the see the mocking words “You Died” pop up on their screen a fair few times!
1 Getting Over It With Bennett Foddy
Available on PC, iOS, and Android devices.
Getting Over It puts players in the shoes, or instead pot, of a man climbing a mountain using only a sledgehammer for leverage. It requires finicky mouse movement, as that’s the only thing that will allow players to control their movement. One slight mouse twitch could also result in the player plummeting a heartbreaking distance from the top, punishing players for the slightest wrong move.
Coupled with Bennett Foddy’s consistent narration, the punishing nature of the map, and the game’s difficult mechanics, it is certain to be the bane of every player’s existence!
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