Most people play games to unwind and have fun. But some people are looking for more than just a bit of entertainment; they want to challenge themselves. Games manufacturers throughout history have been more than happy to provide players with games that will test their intelligence, creativity, patience, and more.
In this post, we’ll run through some of the world’s most difficult games. Some games are difficult from beginning to end; others are easy to get to grips with but difficult to master. Either way, they won’t be a stroll in the park by any stretch of the imagination. Happy playing!
Dark Souls
Dark Souls is the “classic hard game” that has frustrated and confused players since its release back in 2011. The difficulty comes from the sheer number of challenges that come at you virtually all the time. You step around a corner, and hey presto, something is waiting to kill you — and that someone is highly efficient at what they do.
The gameplay is also slower than it is for other action games. Sometimes, it has the air of that classic nightmare where you’re trying to run away from an enemy, but you can only run slowly. Difficult, indeed.
Contra
Contra is an old game that came out of arcade game culture. In that world, games had to be difficult; the company wouldn’t make any money if people weren’t spending a steady stream of coins because they wanted to keep playing.
Contra moved away from the arcade and into the home entertainment world with the 1987 NES release. But the difficulty didn’t go away. In the game, you have to battle your way through a world of enemies with much fewer lives than you would like.
The worst part? A single hit will finish you. If you intend to try this game, be prepared for many frustrating attempts. It’s good fun, though.
Go
Moving away from video games and towards historical games, let’s think about Go. It’s a game with a long history, having been invented some 2,500 years ago in China. Back then, it was a game played by intellectual scholars, which gives you some idea of the difficulty. To conquer this game, you’d have to take on ancient Chinese scholars. Think about that!
Misty-eyed mathematicians say there are more possible moves in Go than atoms in the universe, so don’t expect to have the game under control anytime soon. Plus, games at the highest level can take two days, so you better clear your schedule. It’s best for summer days spent in the park (ideally with someone who knows how to play the game).
Poker
Poker is difficult for multiple reasons. While the actual gameplay of the card game is pretty straightforward, you can’t predict the cards you’ll be dealt. You’ll be playing against opponents who also don’t want to lose, and that can make things difficult. It can be a pretty unforgiving environment if you’re inexperienced! Before you begin playing for real, we recommend that you get to grips with how things work by playing free poker. The more hands you play, the more you’ll understand just how complex this deeply fascinating game can be.
Magic
The Magic the Gathering universe is so vast that it’s surprising that it only dates back to 1993. There are thousands of rules and nearly 20,000 cards, which gives you an idea of the scale of the operation.
The world is so unpredictable that, despite the best efforts of MIT Researchers and the world’s best computers, there is still no optimal tactical strategy for winning games. It’s all chaos — and chaos is hard to handle.
