Where Fun Meets Frustration Fast
Gaming mastery isn't just about finishing the story—it's about achieving the elusive 100% completion that haunts perfectionists worldwide. Some games push boundaries with obscure requirements and completion barriers that would make most players abandon hope entirely. They separate casual players from legends through brutal challenges that test determination and skill. Wondering where you stand? Here are the 20 hardest games that most people won't even bother trying to complete 100%
FINAL FANTASY X REMASTERED Gameplay Walkthrough FULL GAME (4K ULTRA HD) No Commentary by Shirrako
1. The Binding Of Isaac: Rebirth
This game isn't just long, it's endless chaos. Isaac: Rebirth offers an epilogue plus eleven endings, with two more from Wrath of the Lamb, totaling thirteen. Every run randomizes mechanics, items redefine gameplay, and unlocking hidden characters requires downright bizarre conditions.
The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth - Gameplay Walkthrough Part 1 - Isaac First Run (PC) by ZackScottGames
2. Cuphead
Don't let the charming 1930s cartoon art fool you—forty bosses with multiple phases await. Each encounter demands pixel-perfect timing and boss memorization, with no difficulty reduction for completion trophies. This animated nightmare tests your reflexes relentlessly.
Cuphead: The Incredible Story by ChrisShwafer
3. Celeste
In Celeste, beyond the main story lurk ultra-hard B-Side and C-Side levels spanning over 700 unique platforming rooms. Collecting every strawberry and heart becomes an obsession as the narrative explores mental health through increasingly punishing gameplay challenges.
Celeste Gameplay by Gaming With Bacon
4. XCOM 2
True completion in XCOM 2 demands victory under the harshest conditions: Ironman plus Legendary difficulty. Unlocking all soldier types and upgrades means surviving permadeath squads, since RNG chaos constantly throws campaigns off track. One misstep and everything collapses.
XCOM 2 - Gameplay (PC/UHD) by SergiuHellDragoonHQ
5. Super Meat Boy
Your death counter will climb into the thousands across 300+ levels of frame-perfect platforming torture. This game tracks every gruesome failure while unlockable characters alter gameplay physics and force you to master multiple control schemes for completion.
Super Meat Boy trailer by NintendoEverything
6. Returnal
Every biome demands all Scout Logs, Xenoglyph Ciphers, and Xeno-archives for surveys and trophies. The cruel twist in Returnal? Each death throws you back to square one, ultimately resetting progress and grinding patience in its endless loops.
Returnal - Official Gameplay Trailer by IGN
7. Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Completion in Sekiro requires precise parries and mastery of stealth. Players here must clear all endings, from Shura to Purification. Bosses further demand tailored strategies instead of brute force, and resurrection is allowed only once during each boss or mini-boss fight.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - Gameplay Overview Trailer by GameSpot Trailers
8. Hollow Knight
In Hollow Knight, finishing needs defeating optional bosses and locating the hidden areas. With no handholding and an ever-expanding map, this metroidvania keeps its secrets locked behind skill walls. Its true ending requires completing the Pantheon of Hallownest.
Hollow Knight - Release Trailer by Team Cherry
9. Final Fantasy X
Chocobo racing and lightning dodging rank among Final Fantasy X’s toughest trials, joined by near-impossible bosses like Penance and Nemesis. Add in the grueling Blitzball grind and completing every Sphere Grid node, and you’ve got a true test of skill and patience.
FINAL FANTASY X REMASTERED Gameplay Walkthrough FULL GAME (4K ULTRA HD) No Commentary by Shirrako
10. Red Dead Redemption 2
Completing Red Dead Redemption 2 isn’t just about the story. It’s mastering hunting, fishing, collecting, and every side challenge. With missable events and hidden locations, chasing 100% stretches past 150 hours. The journey is exhausting, but it still feels unforgettable.
Red Dead Redemption 2 - Official Gameplay Reveal Trailer by GameSpot
11. The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
Forget handholding—Morrowind drops players without quest markers, forcing everything through reading. Some quests even bug out and require odd fixes. The world itself reacts unpredictably to every choice, and levitation becomes essential to uncover hidden areas buried in its intricate design.
The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind ... (PC) [2002] Gameplay by 10min Gameplay
12. Bloodborne
The mysteries of Bloodborne lie scattered across item descriptions and atmospheric details, with Chalice Dungeons offering unique enemies in their randomized layers. To truly finish it, players must uncover multiple endings while mastering a combat system that demands relentless speed and punishes hesitation.
Bloodborne (FULL GAME) by jacksepticeye
13. Spelunky 2
Spelunky 2 veterans know pain, but Spelunky 2 turns it up. True completion means reaching brutal hidden realms like the Cosmic Ocean. Every procedurally generated level punishes mistakes instantly—one slip or one wrong jump, and hours of progress vanish without mercy.
Spelunky and Spelunky 2 - Launch Trailer - Nintendo Switch by Nintendo of America
14. Dead Cells
Beating the game requires surviving on the highest difficulty, where procedurally generated levels ensure each run feels different. With permadeath allowing no margin for error, players then begin managing five equipment slots: two for weapons, two for skills, and one for an amulet.
DEAD CELLS Gameplay Walkthrough FULL GAME (4K 60FPS) No Commentary by Shirrako
15. Dark Souls
No map, no quest log. Dark Souls strips away modern conveniences, forcing players to master punishing combat while deciphering obscure lore paths. The game’s hidden endings depend on cryptic NPC interactions, with some achievements demanding multiple full playthroughs.
I finally played the so-called best Dark Souls game by zanny
16. Path Of Exile
Finishing league challenges and defeating every Atlas map is just the start in Path of Exile. Its mammoth skill tree—with 1,300 passives—demands mastery. Combine that with complex crafting and a barter-driven economy, and completion quickly feels like real work.
Path of Exile | Launch Trailer | PS4 by PlayStation Europe
17. The Witness
Scattered across a mysterious island lie over 500 puzzles, most without instructions. Further, environmental challenges based on shadows and perspective will bend your mind. The final test? A timed, randomized challenge that caps off this cryptic brain-teaser.
The Witness - A Great Game That You Shouldn't Play by Joseph Anderson
18. Devil May Cry 5
To finish everything in Devil May Cry 5, you must achieve S-ranks on every mission across brutal difficulties. Unlocking all abilities and secret missions requires perfect execution. Each distinct combat style punishes mistakes harshly—one error ruins flawless high-level performance.
19. Monster Hunter: World
Monster Hunter: World defines completion as forging every weapon and full armor set. This means hunting down every monster variant, tempered ones included. Limited-time event creatures add another layer of complexity, forcing players to chase rare encounters just to check the box on true 100%.
Monster Hunter World by videogamedunkey
20. Nioh 2
Completing Nioh 2 requires conquering every mission and punishing the Twilight variant. Players must master weapon stances and devastating Yokai powers, while the enemy AI constantly adapts to tactics. Just when that feels unbearable, the DLC raises the challenge with nastier bosses.
