Summary
- Unforgiving games offer a challenging experience with steep learning curves and brutal obstacles.
- Titles like BELOW and Dark Souls provide immersive atmospheres, punishing gameplay, and frequent setbacks.
- Overcoming the difficulty in games like Noita and Darkest Dungeon can lead to deeply rewarding and chaotic moments.
Accessibility is an important factor of any modern game, be it via controls or difficulty. However, some players may enjoy more inaccessible, unforgiving experiences. The challenge that these games offer leads to the often satisfying feeling that comes with overcoming overwhelming odds.
There are many games that feel like they don't want players to succeed, though there are few that genuinely don't want players to eventually reach the end. These are titles with steep learning curves, unforgiving gameplay loops, and frequent obstacles that provide a consistently bumpy road to success. For players seeking a rewarding challenge, these titles are the perfect fit.
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7 BELOW
Brutal But Atmospheric Dungeon-Crawling
Below
- Released
- December 14, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Indie Games
BELOW is a dark and deeply atmospheric adventure game with a penchant for immersive visuals and unforgiving gameplay. Death is common and often brutal, and there can and will be many a setback on each player's journey. When played on its default difficulty, BELOW is certainly a game that does not want players to succeed.
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The gameplay itself consists of a relatively minimalist hack-and-slash design, made more complex via survival mechanics and resource management. Its simple refusal to play fair won't appeal to every gamer out there, but BELOW excels with its immersive atmosphere and stunning visuals.
6 Rain World
A Brutal Ecosystem
Rain World
- Released
- March 28, 2017
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- E10+ For Everyone 10+ Due To Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood, Tobacco Reference
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Rain World is a hardcore survival platformer set in a harsh and hostile interconnected world. The game excels with its intuitive controls and immersive atmosphere, supported by a deeply simulated ecosystem that cares little for the player's survival.
The game's controls are intuitive, and the mechanics are easy to learn, but Rain World is an immediately difficult experience that's not afraid to punish players for making mistakes. However, the freedom of play and immersive nature of the game's intricate systems make Rain World worth checking out.
5 Noita
A Simulation That Threatens Instant Death
Noita
- Released
- October 15, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- Platformer, Roguelike
Noita is a roguelike dungeon-crawler that gives players the opportunity to combine and experiment with a huge array of magical spells. The game's fully simulated pixel-art world also facilitates a variety of emergent interactions with and without player input, many of which can be exploited.
However, almost everything in Noita is as dangerous as it is powerful. There's an abundance of ways to die in Noita, and many of them are swift and brutal. However, the sheer creativity on display and the pure expression that Noita affords its players more than makes up for its unforgiving loop.
4 Spelunky 2
Deadly Traps & Lethal Enemies
Spelunky 2
- Released
- September 15, 2020
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Platformer
Spelunky 2 is a roguelike dungeon-crawler with a steep learning curve. Although its controls are intuitive and its gameplay loop is straightforward, Spelunky 2 is jam-packed with deadly traps, enemies, and environmental hazards. These aspects of the game make simple exploration a consistently dangerous experience.
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However, the brutal difficulty can often lead to truly fun, chaotic moments, especially when playing in co-op. Furthermore, while Spelunky 2 may not want players to succeed, it does feature a variety of shortcuts to unlock that make the experience more forgiving as players progress.
3 Sifu
A Punishing Loop
Sifu
- Released
- February 8, 2022
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Roguelike, Beat 'Em Up
Sifu is a third-person action game with an emphasis on combos and methodical combat. Focusing heavily on martial arts, Sifu excels not only with its intricate combat system, but also with its cinematic visuals and the unique death system that it introduces.
Each time a player dies in Sifu, their character ages. While it's not the same as permanent death, this does provide deeply meaningful consequences for failing at any given level. Aging can take a serious toll on the player character, and at times, it can feel like the game wants players to fail, since the game grows more difficult with each death. However, persevering through increasing difficulty and some brutal boss fights is all part of the fun.
2 Darkest Dungeon
Brutal Combat & Unforgiving Mechanics
Darkest Dungeon
- Released
- January 19, 2016
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Alcohol Reference, Blood and Gore, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- RPG
Darkest Dungeon is a stylish turn-based strategy game that takes place in a grimdark fantasy world, rife with eldritch horrors and ragged adventurers with a failing resolve. The enemies in Darkest Dungeon are brutal, but more than that, it's the game's added systems for stress, afflictions, and even disease that ensure success is never achieved easily.
Worst or perhaps best of all, depending on a player's resilience to punishment, many of Darkest Dungeon's threats are compounding. It's easy for a dungeon-crawl to go wrong, and to snowball out of the player's control. Soldiering through these threats is tough, and requires a lot of tenacity, but it can be deeply rewarding when players finally triumph.
1 Dark Souls
A Harsh Gameplay Loop & Steep Learning Curve
Dark Souls Remastered
- Released
- May 23, 2018
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood and Gore, Partial Nudity, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Known for its notoriously steep learning curve and unforgiving gameplay loop, it's immediately obvious that Dark Souls doesn't want players to succeed. Offering punishing boss fights and providing very little in the way of hand-holding and/or explanation, this hardcore action-RPG is a brutal experience from beginning to end.
This is most apparent in the game's currency system, which has players collecting valuable souls to level up. These souls are dropped upon death, and will be permanently lost if the player dies before recovering them. This can be devastating if the player loses a significant number of souls, and only adds to the overwhelming difficulty that can beset newcomers.
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