10 Most Stressful Video Game Levels

After a long day there’s no better way to unwind than to escape into one of our favourite video games. Whether that involves tending to vital crops in Stardew Valley, blowing off some steam in Halo: Infinite's multiplayer, or simply losing ourselves for hours at a time in a massive RPG, video games are a wonderful way to release all that pent-up stress gathered throughout the day.

However, this isn’t always the case.

Alongside being an effective way to unload stress, video games can also be a source of stress too, with some levels guaranteed to make you more stressed out than you were when you first booted up your platform of choice.

Not defined purely as frustratingly difficult levels like Battle Toad's infamous Turbo Tunnel, the most effective stressful moments in gaming are best found within those drenched in abject terror, heart-pounding suspense, or nerve-shredding sections which put players under tonnes of pressure to make a major decision or complete their objective.

If it's a relaxing night of gaming you're looking for, then the following titles are best avoided.

And beware of spoilers ahead for the following.

When diving into the beautiful world of Subnautica for the first time, players are presented with an aquatic alien world bursting with colour and brimming with strange creatures. The opening hours of this survival game is like taking a snorkeling holiday to a tropical location.

But when players have scavenged enough materials to dive further into this world to uncover more of the mysteries it hides, they'll quickly learn that there's a lot of monstrous terrors lurking in the murky depths to be frightened of.

Bonesharks, crabsnakes, and the fearsome reapers are just some of the wildlife to keep you on your toes at the initial stages. But these are small fish in comparison to what awaits in the Blood Kelp Zone.

Upon approaching this area for the first time, the player's PDA will announce that this area contains many of the "preconditions for stimulating terror in humans", and it's not wrong.

Ghostly luminous kelp is the only natural light players will have to navigate the claustrophobic caves and trenches with. Meanwhile, an ominous soundtrack with a pulsating rhythm warns that there's more danger ahead.

The threatening atmosphere isn't without merit. The dreaded ghost leviathan roams this area, making any excursion to this zone a stressful ordeal.