What is the hardest game in the world?

There's no single hardest game in the world, because difficulty depends on what you find hard: precise platforming, reflex-heavy combat, punishing physics or mastering competitive play. Games most often named as the hardest include Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Ninja Gaiden Black, Cuphead, I Wanna Be the Guy and fan-made Kaizo Mario levels. If you mean the browser game literally called The World's Hardest Game, see the FAQ below.

Hard for different reasons

• Punishing physics: Getting Over It, Jump King and Pogostuck can send you back to the start after one mistake.
• Precision platforming: Celeste's Farewell chapter, Super Meat Boy, I Wanna Be the Guy and Kaizo Mario hacks.
• Demanding combat: Sekiro, the Dark Souls series, Elden Ring, Ninja Gaiden Black and Cuphead.
• Retro difficulty: Ghosts 'n Goblins, Battletoads and many NES-era games with limited lives and no saves.
• Simulation: flight and rally sims like DiRT Rally ask for a lot of practice and precision.
• Competitive games: chess, StarCraft II or fighting games have no fixed difficulty; your opponent sets it, and reaching the top takes years.

Hardest FromSoftware games

Among Souls-like games, Sekiro is usually considered the hardest to finish because its parry-based combat leaves little room to brute-force fights with builds or co-op. Elden Ring is huge and hard, but summons, builds and open exploration give you more ways around a tough boss. Dark Souls 3 sits in between for many players.

Is "hard" good?

Hard games stay memorable because beating them feels earned. Many now include assist options, such as Celeste's Assist Mode, that let more players finish them without changing the core design.

Hardest to learn, not just to beat

• Dwarf Fortress, EVE Online, Microsoft Flight Simulator: deep systems that take months to understand.
• StarCraft II and fighting games at pro level: extremely high skill ceilings, where you face humans who keep improving.

Hardest board games

Go has far more possible positions than chess and was the last classic board game where top humans beat computers, until AlphaGo in 2016. Chess is the other common answer.

FAQ

Which is harder, Elden Ring or Sekiro?

Most players find Sekiro harder, because you can't level up or summon your way through bosses as easily as in Elden Ring.

Which is harder, Elden Ring or Dark Souls 3?

Opinions differ. Elden Ring's late bosses are tougher, but its open world and summons give you more ways to prepare.

What's the most difficult shooter?

Tactical shooters like Escape from Tarkov or high-level competitive play in Counter-Strike 2 are often named.

What makes a game hard?

Precise timing, harsh penalties for failure, limited saves or lives, and opponents or systems that require deep knowledge.

What is "The World's Hardest Game"?

It is a free browser puzzle game in which you guide a red square past moving blue dots. Its name made it famous, but it is not the hardest game in general.

What game is harder than chess?

Go is generally considered harder for computers and humans to master, because of its huge board and number of possible moves.