[dropcap]I[/dropcap]t’s a common complaint that video games have gotten too easy over the years. In-game deaths lack any real consequence and gameplay is streamlined for more casual players. Still, there is a slew of games out there that can give you a real challenge. If you’re looking for one, this list, while not comprehensive, may point you in the right direction.

In this list, we’re going to list five games on the Switch that might just try your limits. A few rules for this list will be in order. We’re not going to list games that haven’t released, yet. We’re not including Neo Geo games, as older games tend to be made by different rules. Obviously, everything in this list must be available on the Switch. Finally, the difficulty is based on potential, rather than average. The game when it’s at its hardest. So without further delay, let’s look at the Top 5 Switch Games!

#5 – Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

Challenge rating: 4/5

You probably knew at least one major release was going to make this list, yeah? There were a couple good ones but without the Hard Mode DLC, Breath of the Wild falls a little short. Nope, this spot goes to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe!

Of course, most readers might be a little confused. People don’t usually think of Mario Kart as a major challenge. Why is this one any different? The answer is simple. While you may have a perfectly easy time with Smart Steering on, playing at 100cc against computers, the difficulty gets insane when you take the safety nets off and play on 200cc.

In 200cc, players are zooming across the course at speeds not originally intended on by the developers. Tracks are built with 150cc in mind, which means that raising the speed limit makes those sharp turns deadly. Combine that with the lunacy of doubling the active items and Mario Kart’s tendency to want to keep players from staying in the lead, and you’ve got a rough climb ahead of you.

For an even greater challenge, you can try beating staff ghosts in time trials on 200cc. These guys are like the Expert ghosts from previous games. Instead of just being good at the game, though, they’re good at the game and forcing you out of your element. Good luck!

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe on Nintendo Switch is on a light sale here

#4 – Puyo Puyo Tetris

Challenge Rating: 4/5

So again, we’re listing a game when we gave no prior indication this game was actually all that crazy. This time, though, we did have a feature on it suggesting it might fit here. Puyo Puyo Tetris has many different game modes and expects a lot out of players.

Most notably Fusion expects you to keep track of two completely different games with completely different rules, at the same time. But then there’s Big Bang Mode, which will quickly start to put your skills to the test, requiring you to do crazy techniques like T-spins and L-spins to clear an otherwise impossible board. Even worse, the Puyo side of Big Bang makes you clear entire screens in one go.

This mode is deceptive, of course. It starts off easy and scales in difficulty based on how well you do. But if you want to stay competitive online, you’re going to have to master some really tricky stuff! The main reason these two have stayed so low, though, is that the challenge is either self-imposed or based on the other players and your own skill. The rest of the entries in this list won’t follow this pattern.

You can checkout and buy Puyo Puyo here

#3 – Has Been Heroes

Challenge rating: 5/5

This game marks the start of a trend you’re gonna see throughout the rest of this list. Roguelikes are naturally very difficult, as they have a habit of resetting your progress whenever you meet your untimely end in each run. You’re unlikely to see much progress until you get a feel for the game’s mechanics and have enough static upgrades to really rise to the challenge.

Has Been Heroes is no exception to this rule. In this RTS roguelike, you have to control three heroes at once and manage your skills and abilities to take down any foe that comes your way. What makes things tricky is that until an enemy is vulnerable, any attack is as good as any other. The tank won’t knock away more stamina per hit than the rogue. And characters can and will swap very often. If any of your heroes falls, it’s game. You’ll have to restart.

This game also likes to try and tantalize players with mystery. It tells you little about what each hero can do and lets you try them out for yourself. Power-ups in-game also come without much description. You’ll just need to experiment to figure things out. This game is on this list primarily for its difficulty and learning curves. It didn’t make any higher placing because it allows you to pause and strategize and even pauses after each hit to let you plan out your next steps. Still, this game will definitely give you a challenge, if you like strategy in your roguelikes.

Has Been Heroes is currently on sale here

#2 – The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth +

Difficulty Rating: 666/5

Ok, you had to know this game would be on here. The only thing less surprising is the one after it. The Binding of Isaac has always been a difficult title. As a roguelike, luck plays a very prominent role in how far you make it, each run. However, your skill determines how much you can make out of what you’re given. There are no cop outs, here. This game will push you to your limits, but if you lose, you really have no one but yourself to blame.

The Binding of Isaac uses a surprisingly intuitive system where you move with one control stick and aim with the other. As simple as that is, doing both in tandem is actually one of the first barriers to overcome. Once you can control Isaac adeptly, the real difficulty of the game kicks in. Sometimes you get amazing power-ups on the first few floors. Sometimes you get a bunch of monsters and some of the hardest bosses, instead.

What’s more, this game emphasizes knowing as much about the game as you possibly can. You could easily pick up a power-up that puts you in a very risky position without even realizing it. Or you could drop a card that you were probably going to need, soon. The game doesn’t explain everything, as with most roguelikes, and expects you to experiment to learn everything, yourself. That in context with how much there is to do in any given run makes this one of the harder games of the modern era, let alone on the Switch.

The Game with it’s second new cover can be purchased here

#1 – Tumbleseed

Difficulty rating: Oh God Why/5

Ok. Admit it. If you read our review of this game, you saw this one coming a mile away. It’s no surprise that as frustrating as this game is, we’d put it right at the top. This one is, again, a roguelike and it has many of the same problems. The reason this one is so much higher is that the odds are so stacked against you, many reviewers admitted they weren’t even able to finish it.

Just a few examples of what makes this game so hard. Any hit you take strips you of all your weapons. Falling into holes and dropping too far makes you take multiple hits of damage, potentially killing you. Which means if you didn’t set a recent checkpoint, falling into a hole will probably end your run. Sometimes just being set that far back without your weapons is enough to make you want to give up. Some enemies can appear under the ground beneath you, causing you to drop in a hole.

We could probably do an entire article just on what makes Tumbleseed so difficult, but we think you have the gist of it, by now

Note on Challenge

Before leaving this article where it stands, we’d like to make one point clear. Difficulty is and will always be subjective. You can like, dislike, enjoy, or despise any mechanics in any game that you like. Our opinion doesn’t make you right or wrong any more than your opinion affects anyone else’s. We designed this list based on what we felt made a game difficult. You may have your own opinions, and we’d actually like to hear what you have to say, in the comments below.

You can find a list of the most exciting Nintendo Switch Games coming this year right here.