A game like Super Mario Bros. Is easy to describe to anyone. Players will move from left to right, with the ability to jump and even gain powers to fight monsters. Things get a bit more complex with other Mario titles, but overall, the majority of games have simplistic designs on the surface.
Games With The Most Addictive & Satisfying Gameplay Loops
Remember to care of your body while getting hooked on these addictive games.
Then there are some games where an entire article or hour hour-long video may not be enough to describe how complex the inner systems are. Between lengthy tutorials or hard-to-describe features, the following games will not click immediately. With enough practice, though, they can certainly become more accessible and may even become personal favorites.
Demon’s Souls
The Start Of Soulslikes
Demon's Souls
- Released
- October 6, 2009
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- M For Mature 17+ Due To Blood, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Soulslike, Action RPG
Demon’s Souls kicked off a new genre in 2009, and it was unlike anything that came before it. It was an action RPG that wasn’t just hard because the enemies were strong and ruthless, and there were traps around every corner.
It was also punishing in that progress could be permanently lost upon death, which seemed counterintuitive to an RPG experience. However, those who were patient and gave it a chance found a masterpiece, and now Soulslike games are huge.
Cuphead
Stylishly Challenging
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 is another challenging game that demanded patience and was something new visually. There were certainly boss-focused games before this, but none that were so brutal and lengthy. Players had to get good at recognizing normal attack patterns and pink attacks to get a counterattack opportunity.
Thanks to the colorful hand-drawn art style, this game was worth learning, no matter if a single boss took hours to master, because no one wanted to walk away from a game this gorgeous.
Final Fantasy 2
An RPG Turn
Final Fantasy II
- Released
- December 17, 1988
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Final Fantasy 2 is one of the oddest entries in the series, especially as the first follow-up. Instead of most RPGs wherein fighting monsters leveled up characters, individual actions would level up associated stats, or that specific action. For example, casting a Fire spell may evolve that spell to become stronger or increase the character’s overall Magic stat.
It wasn’t an easy system to game on the NES, but after years of ports and playthroughs, fans have found good ways to exploit the system, and eventually, Final Fantasy 2 gave rise to the SaGa series, which used a similar system.
Monster Hunter Wilds
Easiest Yet, And Still Hard To Start
Monster Hunter Wilds
- Released
- February 28, 2025
WHERE TO PLAY
It might be better to say that starting with the first Monster Hunter is the most impossible task, but no matter which one players begin with, they will have trouble, even in an accessible game like Monster Hunter Wilds. The idea of going out, hunting monsters, and then bringing back monster parts to craft new gear sounds like a solid gameplay loop, but there are caveats.
All fourteen weapon types require learning curves, monsters absorb a lot of hits and have no health bar, plus the control setup is very complicated. It’s one of those games where players just have to learn by playing or having a friend guide them on the first few hunts in order for things to really click.
Sifu
Kick, Punch, It’s All In The Mind
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 demanding roguelike wherein a martial arts trainee is looking for revenge. In each level, players have to go through rooms of combatants, each more skilled than the last, as this is no ordinary brawler.
If players die, they can get back up, but they will age in the process. They can keep going as long as they have enough age-based time left, but eventually the loop will restart without much progression in between runs. To win and get to their final revenge kill, players simply have to rely on themselves to “git gud.”
Celeste
Platforming Perfection
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 looks like an adorable platformer with colorful and simplistic graphics that would feel right at home on the NES. It is anything but cute, though, because the heroine, Madeline, is hellbent on climbing a mountain with more difficult platforming challenges than the entirety of Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
Players will need patience to platform and dash with pixel-perfect timing to reach the top, and after the hundredth attempt, it all may seem pointless. Like Madeline, players just have to keep the faith to move on.
Resonance Of Fate
Mastering Gunkata
Resonance Of Fate
- Released
- January 28, 2010
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- t
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Fantasy, Narrative
Resonance of Fate has one of the coolest-looking combat systems in a turn-based RPG ever, but good luck to any fan who can figure it out without going gray. Players can control three mercenaries in battle at all times, each holding a gun.
Targeting an enemy does not simply trigger the attack, as movement plays a role as well. If characters bump into others during their attack run, that will end badly, but if successful, battles can play out as if John Woo directed them.
The World Ends With You
Two Screens, One Player
The World Ends With You
- Released
- July 27, 2007
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
The World Ends With You’s most engaging edition is the original on the DS, wherein players will control one character, Neku, on the bottom screen. Different badges players collect can give Neku new attacks, like a straight line will be a slash, while scratching an area may cause a fire wall to appear.
Best Games That Are Just Non-Stop Gameplay
If you don’t have time for compelling stories, these games let you dive straight into the action and never pull you away.
On the top screen, Neku’s partner, who changes between chapters, can be controlled with the D-Pad and face buttons. The top-screen character technically doesn’t have to be controlled as the AI does a decent job, but to get a good combo, it’s almost necessary to look at two screens at once and control both characters, which is near impossible.
Baba Is You
This Or That Attack
Baba Is You
- Released
- March 13, 2019
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- e
- Genre(s)
- Puzzle
Baba is You is a puzzle game wherein players have to reach a flag in a room. There will be words in these levels that dictate what certain objects do, like a statement could read that walls are impassible, but if players remove walls from the sentence, then suddenly they can be walked through.
Players can even change their player character from Baba to a rock of all things. Baba is You is a better game to play than to read about, because the rules are almost too complex to describe.
Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons
Two Characters, One Controller
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons
- Released
- August 7, 2013
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Blood, Mild Language, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Adventure
Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons is a real brain teaser of a game on a similar wavelength to The World Ends With You. The story follows two brothers who are on a quest following a death in the family. Each brother is controlled by one analog stick, meaning players have to control two characters at once, and it’s not as simple as it sounds.
When the brothers are away from each other, like when one has to turn a crank while the other crosses a bridge, it becomes an easier puzzle game to visualize. Overall, it is the equivalent of someone scratching their belly and patting their head all at once.
The Most Replayable Video Game Of Every Year Of The 2010s
These games from the 2010s offered the best bang for your buck in each year, as they could be frequently replayed without losing any of their appeal.