🔥 Best Games for When You Want a Real Challenge

Hard, but fair. The difficulty is the content.

There is a difference between a game that is hard and a game that is annoying. The good ones make failure informative: you know exactly what you did wrong and you want to go again.

These are the games where beating them means something, sorted by what kind of pressure you are in the mood for.

Combat mastery

Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
2019 · PC, PS5, Xbox
One correct way to fight and no build to hide behind. The most demanding FromSoftware game and the most satisfying to finally understand.
Elden Ring
2022 · PC, PS5, Xbox
Hard, but with an open world that lets you leave a wall and come back stronger. The friendliest entry point to the genre.
Nioh 2
2020 · PC, PS5
Deeper and faster than its inspirations, with stance switching that rewards obsessive practice.
Hollow Knight
2017 · PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch
A huge 2D world with boss fights that expect real precision. The optional late content is brutal.

One more run

Hades
2020 · PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch
Difficult, but every failed escape moves the story forward, so you never feel like you wasted the run.
Dead Cells
2018 · PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch, Mobile
Fast, precise and unforgiving, with difficulty tiers that keep escalating long after your first win.
Returnal
2021 · PC, PS5
Bullet-hell shooting with roguelike runs that can last hours. Genuinely stressful in the way it intends.
Enter the Gungeon
2016 · PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch
Dodge-roll bullet hell that takes many hours to click and then never lets go.

Precision and patience

Celeste
2018 · PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch
Frame-perfect platforming with instant respawns, so a thousand deaths still feels like progress. The B-sides are savage.
Super Meat Boy
2010 · PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch
The blueprint for fast-restart difficulty. Levels last seconds; mastering them takes far longer.
Cuphead
2017 · PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch
Boss rush with hand-drawn animation and pattern memorisation that never lets you coast.
Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection
2021 · PC, PS5, Xbox, Switch
A deliberate revival of arcade-era cruelty, with easier modes if you want to see the end.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the hardest game that is still fair?

Sekiro and Celeste are the usual answers — both are extremely demanding but every death is clearly your own mistake.

Which soulslike should I start with?

Elden Ring, because its open world lets you walk away from a wall and return stronger rather than grinding the same boss.

Are roguelikes good for short sessions?

Yes — Hades, Dead Cells and Gungeon runs are all built to end within an evening whether you win or lose.

Do hard games have easy modes?

Some do. Celeste has extensive assist options and Ghosts 'n Goblins Resurrection has multiple difficulty levels; FromSoftware games do not.