Endurance games are a niche category in the world of video gaming, captivating casual players and hardcore gamers alike. Designed to push a player’s skills, endurance, and stamina, they have gained much popularity among gamers who want the ultimate test of their abilities.
The criteria for selecting the most challenging endurance games revolve around several factors: the difficulty level, the length of gameplay sessions, the skills required to progress, and the player’s persistence in the game.
In this article, we’ll be exploring the top 10 most challenging games of all time, from older releases like Ghosts ‘n Goblins to the latest games in the Dark Souls game series. What makes these games a true test of endurance and skill? Let’s find out.
What Makes Endurance Games Challenging?
To understand what makes these endurance games so strenuous, let’s break down the core factors that contribute to these games being so challenging:
- Length of Gameplay – Endurance games typically require long hours of uninterrupted gameplay to master the game mechanics, identify patterns, and ultimately complete them. Players can sometimes play for days on end without pausing to complete a specific level or challenge.
- Level of Difficulty – These video games are known for being difficult and challenging. They often frustrate players with hurdles that take numerous tries to complete. They also require strategic thinking, adaptability, and lots of trial and error to get right.
- Complex Mechanics: Many endurance games feature intricate systems and mechanics that reward practice and perseverance. These games tend to provide minimal guidance and instructions, encouraging players to figure out what to do through trial and error.
- Community Perception: Feedback and general opinion in the gamer community are other important criteria for identifying endurance games.
The List of Top 10 Challenging Endurance Games
Following these key criteria, we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 most challenging endurance games that every serious gamer should try or know about.
1. Dark Souls (2011)
Often cited as the prime example of a true endurance game, Dark Souls is one of the most difficult video games of all time. It’s a gothic fantasy role-playing game with a horror theme, filled with dangerous encounters and intense combat.
Dark Souls is notorious for its difficulty spikes, particularly in boss fights that require precise timing and skill.
While the game can be incredibly frustrating for players, it can also be very rewarding. As Miyazaki explains, “hardship is what gives meaning to the experience” of Dark Souls.
2. Super Meat Boy (2010)
Super Meat Boy is one of the toughest and most unusual video games ever created. Released in 2010, Super Meat Boy puts players in control of a red cube character on a quest to rescue his girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the enemy Dr. Fetus.
The game features over 300 challenging levels, each presenting a unique and trickier challenge. Players need precision and accurate timing to navigate the levels and avoid hazardous obstacles.
With an estimated 100+ hours required to earn all the trophies, Super Meat Boy is an endurance game and a real test of patience. One player perfectly sums it up in this review: “Super Meat Boy reminds you all the time what gaming is all about. Swearing.”.
3. Bloodborne (2015)
Released in 2015 by the creators of Dark Souls, Bloodborne is a gothic-themed role-playing game that’s equally exhausting and exhilarating.
The game’s complex combat system punishes players for hesitating while rewarding aggressive play. Bloodborne requires extended gameplay sessions that require exploring areas to find shortcuts, excellent observation skills, and critical thinking.
Bloodborne remains a player favourite among gamers who love a challenge. One player commented, “It took me a few hours to get used to the gameplay, and when it finally clicked, the game was such a joy to play.”
4. Celeste (2018)
Celeste is a platforming adventure about a young woman climbing a mountain, representing both a physical and mental journey. The game features pixel-art graphics and emotionally charged storytelling that makes gamers strive to the end.
One thing gamers can agree about is that Celeste is immensely hard but very rewarding. Unlike other games where you can lose significant progress when you die on a particular level, this game makes it easier to keep trying, making it somewhat less frustrating.
One player wrote, “The checkpoints make it very forgiving, so although you may die 500 times on a level, it’s always easy to keep trying”.
5. Ninja Gaiden Black (2005)
Ninja Gaiden Black is an action-adventure game that features the character Ryu Hayabusa on a quest for vengeance while battling through hordes of enemies.
Known for its significant difficulty spikes, players often spend hours on the same level, with some players even describing it as an ‘impossible’ game. With lightning-fast attacks and difficult enemies in the first game chapters, players must spend long hours memorising enemy patterns and practising defence moves.
The community around Ninja Gaiden Black is passionate, but some players have criticised the game for being too hard to enjoy playing, some commenting that, “Every enemy felt like a boss, and bosses were absolutely frustrating.”.
6. The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth (2014)
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth is an action RPG shooter with rogue-like elements. Players accompany the strange character, Isaac, on a mission to escape his mother. His journey is filled with mysterious creatures, enemies, and bizarre treasures.
The randomly generated levels and permadeath mechanics create a unique experience for each run. Players must face challenging bosses with varying attack methods, demanding skill and adaptability over extended gameplay.
The Binding of Isaac boasts some of the highest ratings in the gaming community, with players describing it as “one of the best Steam games out there with so much replayability and to unlock”. Ultimately, Isaac is a true test of endurance, but that’s all part of the genre.
7. Cuphead (2017)
With its unique 1930s cartoon art style, Cuphead is an action game focusing mainly on boss battles. Players control Cuphead and his brother Mugman in a fight against various enemies, and the game’s unique style resembles classic animations.
The game is notorious for its intense difficulty, requiring precise movements and coordination. Cuphead has minimal tools to defend itself against fierce attacks from bosses, making it challenging to survive in the game.
The unforgiving gameplay of Cuphead makes it both frustrating and exciting to play, requiring players to play for long hours to beat one boss. As Forbes describes it, “Cuphead is a wonderful game, but it’s not for the faint of heart.”
8. Ghosts ‘n Goblins (1985)
Ghosts ‘n Goblins is a run-and-gun game originally released for arcades. Players take on the role of knight Arthur as he battles through hordes of undead creatures to save a princess. The mission sounds fairly simple, but its unusual design and frustrating damage system make it a true test of patience and endurance.
Players face relentless enemies and limited health. The levels must be completed twice to beat the game to make it even more challenging.
Despite being one of the oldest video games on the market, players are drawn to the game’s nostalgia and unique challenge. One player summed up the difficulty by describing it as “an extremely punishing yet fair game”.
9. Darkest Dungeon (2016)
Darkest Dungeon is a roguelike turn-based strategy game in which players control various heroes as they delve into dark dungeons filled with horrors, diseases, and darkness. With tough gameplay that verges on tediousness, Darkest Dungeon is a challenging game from the start.
The game’s permadeath mechanics and the unique stress system force players to make difficult decisions throughout their journey, creating a demanding psychological component that results in extended gaming sessions.
Often compared to Dark Souls, which was number one on our list, some players have described the game as being even harder because as one player commented, “there is too much random failure in this game.”.
10. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice (2019)
Set in a reimagined late 1500s Sengoku period in Japan, Sekiro is an action-adventure game that combines stealth and fast-paced combat. Players control a shinobi tasked with rescuing his kidnapped lord and seeking revenge on his enemies.
One of the game’s most challenging factors is that it requires quick reflexes and extremely precise timing, which often takes players long hours to master. There’s virtually no room for error in the game, and it typically takes nearly 70 hours to complete it 100%.
Gamers often express a sense of pride after achieving victories, and critics have described the game as “an enjoyable, yet deeply challenging game”.
Conclusion
The enduring pleasure of tackling complex challenges has solidified a unique community of gamers committed to mastering the toughest titles ever released. From the gothic horrors of Dark Souls to the frustrations and unpredictability of games like Ninja Gaiden Black, each game requires endless hours of committed gameplay, perfectly combining thrills, frustration, and reward.
The sense of achievement and accomplishment that comes with unlocking a level or defeating a boss in endurance games is why they remain so popular in the gaming world. These games have also created a niche community where gamers share experiences and tips and ask questions on dedicated forums.
Are there any endurance games we missed on this list? Share your own experiences or tips in the comments!
Sources
https://80.lv/articles/dark-souls-creator-explained-why-fromsoftware-games-are-so-difficult