Top 10 hardest video games of all time

Curious about what the hardest games of all time are? Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree DLC may be one of the most well-known challenges in gaming but there are plenty more tough titles to overcome.

While many would argue that FromSoftware revolutionized the concept of difficult games, creating experiences that reward skill, patience, and perseverance, the Souls titles weren’t the first to employ this strategy.

If you’re just wrapped up another Elden Ring playthrough and want something similarly punishing, these are the 10 hardest games in the world right now.

10. Flappy Bird

Flappy Bird became infamous for its addictive gameplay, so much so its creator removed it from various app stores, sparking a wave of imitators. This only contributed to its legend, and now the simple game has become widely regarded as one of the most punishing.

Just one…more…try.
The gameplay features a single bird, that you control with one button to fly higher to reach the next area. There’s something about Flappy Bird that gets under your skin and makes you determined to keep going – no matter how many phones you get through which makes it one of the hardest games of all time.

In September 2024, it was revealed that Flappy Bird was coming back to desktop and web browsers in Q3 2024 and will be available for mobile devices in 2025. So you’ll be able to fly high again soon!

9. Returnal

Returnal is devilishly difficult and owes a lot to third-person survival horror shooters, and the Souls series. Much of its difficulty is due to the rigid rules surrounding progression, but some of these ideas have since been patched to make the game more accessible.

This sci-fi adventure is not for everyone, but those who enjoy punishing experiences will find a lot to love, particularly within the layered story. While Returnal can be admittedly frustrating at times, it’s worth pushing through the pain to get to the credits.

8. Ninja Gaiden (Series)

Every Ninja Gaiden game is ridiculously hard and only those who master its mechanics will ever truly love it. There is an easy mode, but the game will laugh at you and call you a Ninja Dog. The first is probably the hardest, but all three Ninja Gaiden adventures will test any player’s metal.

The combat in Ninja Gaiden is meaty, satisfying, and violent. It’s also relentlessly difficult as you’re swarmed by tons of angry enemies from all angles. Beating a Ninja Gaiden game, even on normal difficulty, is the mark of a true warrior and it’s one of the reasons the series has amassed such a loyal following.

7. Sifu

Sifu is a lot like the beat ’em ups of old, tough, uncompromising, and all about skill. Those who are good at learning patterns and movesets will appreciate Sifu the most. While it’s an entirely different genre to Elden Ring and the Souls series, it shares some similarities with them, especially when it comes to boss fights.

One wrong move can end a run, what’s worse, the game punishes death and failure by making its titular protagonist age with each death.

Sloclap / H2 Interactive

The more the player dies, the less chance Sifu has at finding revenge, and the older he gets the closer he – and the player – come to permadeath. This is a lot like the lost souls mechanic from FromSoftware’s games, but so much more impactful.

6. Cuphead

When Cuphead was first revealed, it looked like a homage to cartoons from the 1940s and 1950s. Little did players know that lurking beneath this cute exterior was one of the hardest games of all time. Don’t ever judge a Cuphead by its cover, and make sure you sip some chamomile tea to calm your nerves before tackling this one.

Largely consisting of bosses, Cuphead requires absolute concentration and precision. It’s always charming and honestly a creative masterpiece, but it will push the player’s buttons more than the player will push any of their own. Those who are feeling really brave can also try Expert Mode.

5. Ghosts ‘n Goblins

After all these modern games, it’s time to take a trip down memory lane and die a lot. Ghost ‘n Goblins can be realistically completed in under an hour, probably a lot less, but most won’t get that far. Newcomers will spend days, maybe weeks trying to finish it. While some make it look easy on YouTube, it never quite works out that way in reality.

The erratic movement patterns of enemies, the constantly respawning enemies, the ticking timer, and countless other factors make progression in Ghosts ‘n Goblins an exercise in futility at times. Whereas Souls games at least leave room for progressing your character, this doesn’t. Practice helps, but never makes perfect.

4. Super Meat Boy

At its core, Super Meat Boy is a basic, free-flowing, platformer. Its mechanics are well designed and the art style and concepts are engrossing. The only issue is that it will chew players up like yesterday’s dinner before throwing them in the garbage. Those who finish the main campaign and manage to endure its brutality then need to tackle the ‘Dark’ levels – which are even more extreme.

Super Meat Boy is a classic and only those who’ve spent some time with it and felt their eyes water in frustration will ever truly appreciate it.

3. Elden Ring, Dark Souls (1-3), Demon’s Souls, Bloodborne

Elden Ring falls into third place, but it’s sharing the space with its older siblings the Dark Souls trilogy, its cousin Bloodborne, and its grandsire Demon’s Souls.

We’re grouping the Souls family into one entry to stop the whole list from becoming dominated by FromSoftware’s titles. Most of the Souls games follow a similar but punishing, formula. Elden Ring is actually one of the easier options despite having some of the hardest late-game bosses such as Malenia or Promised Consort Radahn.

That being said, it’s the first Dark Souls game that deserves accolades when it comes to difficulty. The title took the Demon’s Souls formula and made it even harder, and bleaker, and filled its dark world with so many masochistic delights it would make a Cenebite blush. Elden Ring may have taken the series into the light, but it was Dark Souls that enveloped players in FromSoft’s addictive shroud.

Our list of the best Soulsike games also has similar titles from aren’t from FromSoft you can check out.

2. Sekiro

Some may be surprised to see Sekiro not included in games listed in the number three spot. The truth is, while Sekiro is also a FromSoftware release, it’s not a ‘Souls’ game. While it shares many similarities with Dark Souls, Elden Ring, etc, this is a hard-as-nails single-player-only adventure. In a Souls game, you can summon allies to help you take down a difficult boss, essentially letting them share the load. However, in Sekiro, players either “git good” or they die trying – many times.

It rewards mastery of its mechanics, patience, practice, and guile. Those who simply want to button bash their way through Sekiro won’t get very far. The game is easily the most unforgiving experience FromSoftware has ever crafted and is harder than any Souls game simply due to its lack of multiplayer and refusal to compromise. Yet those who conquer Sekiro will never have their skills questioned ever again.

1. Contra

Choose from any of the early Contra games and see what we mean. We hated it, but we grew to love it and crave its approval. Contra is certainly one of the hardest games ever made. It set the tone in terms of raw difficulty and remains hard as nails to this day. Those who get stressed easily should avoid it at all costs. However, if you fancy a real challenge, set aside some time for this one.

Sharing many of the same principles as Ghosts ‘n Goblins, Contra keeps its foot on the gas for the entire experience, forcing players to get to grips with the mechanics. There’s no time to regroup or panic, you need to be on top form if you want to survive.

Those are 10 of the hardest video games in the world. For even more listicles, check out our picks for the best shooting games, best RPGs, best games of all time, and the best survival games.