10 Challenging Video Games That Are Endlessly Rewarding

10. Dark Souls

Dark Souls requires a massive amount of patience, requiring players to learn from their mistakes by treating death as though a learning tool. The opening sequence – The Undead Asylum – introduces a boss right away, encouraging players to avoid danger where possible, accumulate weapons which complement certain stats, and progress gradually through the game.

In this respect, the game can easily wear a person down, but the rewards are considerable. There are countless secrets, optional quests, covenants and NPCs to discover, many of which are not communicated to the player. It’s your responsibility to uncover these aspects because the game refuses to hold the player’s hand, meaning every achievement is incredibly personal.

Each challenge is considerable. The Catacombs, for instance, contains skeletons which reanimate constantly unless the player first targets the necromancers. Likewise, several bosses – including the Gargoyles – appear remarkably early in the game, which refuses to communicate important information, and is constantly throwing obstacles in your path.

Rather than frustrating, the game is gratifying because it trusts the player to figure things out for themselves, and provides ample clues to help them out.