Super Meat Boy — Team Meat, 2010
A platformer built on precise jumps and instant retries after every failure. It teaches you not to fear mistakes and to try again.
Game catalogue
Game catalogue
This catalogue covers the games people mention most when difficulty comes up, plus online games with large communities. For each one we list the studio and release year and briefly explain what makes it hard or different. It's not a ranking or a buying recommendation: the catalogue helps you get your bearings and find the right sections of this reference.
In a good game, difficulty isn't punishment — it's a conversation with the player. Each of these games teaches patience in its own way.
How this section works: we describe games with facts — studio, release year, what makes them hard — and we don't give scores, compile rankings or quote prices. Information comes from the official websites of developers and publishers; check dates and terms there too.
Games known for their difficulty
Eight games often cited as examples of tough but fair challenges.
Dark Souls — FromSoftware, 2011
An RPG where combat demands close attention to enemy attacks and careful stamina management. Many call it the model of a hard but fair game.
Cuphead — Studio MDHR, 2017
A game made almost entirely of boss fights in the style of vintage cartoons. Every fight is a set of patterns you need to learn.
Hollow Knight — Team Cherry, 2017
Exploration of a vast underground world with tough bosses and platforming sections. Finding your way around and backtracking matter a lot.
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy — 2017
An unusual game about climbing a mountain with unfamiliar controls, where one mistake can send you far back down. More a test of patience than reflexes.
Archived post: rage quit (in Russian)
Celeste — 2018
A platformer about climbing a mountain with demanding jumps. It has an Assist Mode that lets you, for example, slow the game down.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice — FromSoftware, 2019
A swordplay game where it's not enough to dodge — you have to meet enemy attacks at the right moment. It demands precision and a calm head.
Elden Ring — FromSoftware, 2022
An open-world RPG with tough enemies. The freedom to explore lets you leave a hard boss for later and come back when you're ready.
Online games and communities
Six online games and upcoming titles people often ask about. Check dates and terms with official sources.
World of Warcraft — Blizzard, 2004
An MMORPG with raids for large groups. The WoW Token is the official way to exchange gold and game time; Blizzard prohibits trading for real money.
Final Fantasy XIV — Square Enix
An MMORPG; the A Realm Reborn relaunch came out in 2013. Known for its story and group content.
Genshin Impact — miHoYo (HoYoverse), 2020
An open-world game with co-op. New characters and events arrive in updates, so keep an eye on official announcements.
Aion 2 — NCSOFT
An Unreal Engine 5 game with the Elyos and Asmodian factions. Launched in South Korea and Taiwan in November 2025; the global version arrives on 5 October 2026 on PC (Steam and the PURPLE launcher), free to play.
Grand Theft Auto VI — Rockstar Games (not yet released)
Scheduled for release on 19 November 2026 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S; a PC version has not been officially announced. Set in the fictional state of Leonida, including Vice City; the two leads are Jason and Lucia.
Path of Exile 2 — Grinding Gear Games
An action RPG in early access since December 2024. The full 1.0 release is announced for 11 December 2026, when the game will become free to play.
Related sections
- Tips and mechanics
Core mechanics of hard games, a boss fight breakdown, difficulty and accessibility settings, and account rules.
- Game updates
New and updated reference sections, how to read patch notes, and announced game release dates.
- Gaming terms
A dictionary of gaming terms: combat and mechanics, online games, community slang.
Sources
- Official websites of developers and publishers
- Rockstar Newswire
- NCSOFT — official Aion 2 news
- ESRB
- PEGI
- Federal Law No. 436-FZ
Game information is based on the official websites of developers and publishers. Release dates, update contents and game rules change, so always check them with official sources.