10 Single Player Games With The WORST Grind

Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (2017)

No discussion on video game grinding is complete without a look at the Xenoblade series. The grind in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is notoriously tough due to its often convoluted progression systems. Unlocking Blade abilities requires completing specific, often obscure Field Skills or Trust levels, which demand repetitive side quests, pouch item farming, and affinity chart grinding. Randomized Blade summoning via Core Crystals means players may never get the Blade they want without putting in the hours. Add in rare item farming and high-level enemy gating, and the grind can feel endless.

Dark Souls II (2014)

Punishing enemy respawns, slower combat, and uneven soul farming, are all reasons people point to DS2 as the worst souls game when it comes to relentless grinding. Unlike other entries, enemies despawn after a set number of kills, limiting farming opportunities. Leveling up requires a steep soul investment, and dying repeatedly drains your max health unless you use limited Human Effigies. Item drop rates for rare weapons or upgrade materials are abysmally low, requiring constant grinding with barely any reward. Combined with slower movement and stamina recovery, the overall pace of this game feels more draining than any other entry in the series.

Final Fantasy XIII (2009)

Final Fantasy XIII is often and fairly criticised amongst fans of the series. It is filled with a lot of qualities that make it weaker than most other entries, but doesnt get the criticism it deserves from the terrible grinding, I guess because there are far more important things to complain about. A rigid structure and delayed access to key progression systems makes the grind in Final Fantasy XIII feel especially punishing. For much of the game, character growth is limited by the Crystariums level caps, which only expand after specific story events. Battles are frequent but yield minimal experience, and grinding for upgrades demands farming rare components with painfully low drop rates. A largely linear world that limits exploration and farming options has the grind feeling more tedious than rewarding until very late in the game.

Pokémon Gold & Silver (1999)

The grind in Pokémon Gold, Silver, and also Crystal is weird. Unbalanced level scaling and limited high-level training areas means that you can get locked pretty easily. The Johto regions wild Pokémon and trainers are often under-leveled, leading to sluggish experience gain. By the time you reach the Elite Four, your team may be drastically under-leveled unless you've done excessive grinding. Most post-game enemies are level 30, so getting to level 80 to fight Red is gonna require a LOT of time bending your neck down at your Gameboy.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018)

Assassins Creed Odyssey is easily one of the most grind-heavy entries in the series. Many players have voiced their frustration, especially those who focus only on the main storyline, as doing so often leaves you under-leveled and forced to grind just to progress. On top of this, Odysseys gameplay loop can start to feel repetitive, and as much as we enjoy taking on the Greek mythology as epic Spartan/Assassin/First Rate Wifey Kassandra, theres only so much flash that this game can provide to distract from how painful it can be to reach those higher levels.

Gran Turismo 7 (2022)

Gran Turismo 7 becomes a TRUE JRPG level grind when you start trying to get your hands on expensive cars. Earning enough credits to buy high-end vehicles requires running the same races repeatedly, with payouts that feel disproportionately low compared to vehicle costs, some topping 20 million credits. This imbalance forces players into tedious loops or pushes them toward microtransactions, which sparked HUGE backlash, backlash that should have been predicted, considering what happened with Gran Turismo Sport.

Revelations: Persona (1996)

The original Persona, especially the Japanese version, is notoriously grind-heavy. Random encounters occur every few steps, making even basic exploration exhausting. Early on, you're under-equipped with limited supplies, weak Personas, and few healing or offensive items. Progress feels painfully slow, forcing players to choose between grinding battles for experience or negotiating with demons to unlock stronger Personas, essential for advancing the story. Frequent backtracking only adds to the tedium, making first playthroughs especially grueling. But worst of all - a late-game decision can completely invalidate your progress if you're unaware of its consequences.

Disgaea 5: Alliance of Vengeance (2015)

The Disgaea series is infamous for its intense grind, and the fifth mainline entry is no exception. This tactical RPG centers on Killia, a young demon assembling an army to topple the Netherworlds ruler. With its strategic turn-based combat and signature quirky humor, Disgaea 5 delivers a fun and thrilling experience from beginning to end. Still, when youve got a 200 hour campaign, and a wealth of post-game content, and you still need to farm this much to be up to snuff, it loses a lot of its luster.

Parasite Eve (1998)

This cult classic action-RPG offers a prime example of how a games grind can break the games flow. Around level 25, the experience needed to level up skyrockets drastically, forcing players into tedious grinding for upcoming battles. This stretch is dull and discouraging, but those who persevere face a bizarre twist at level 38: every level from 38 to 99 requires the exact same 4,500 EXP. Considering that reaching level 38 requires 185,888 EXP, the grind from 24 to 38 feels brutal. wHILE the grind from 38 to 99 feeling a breeze. A smoother EXP curve would have been much clearer and less frustrating

Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (2018)

Ni No Kuni II stands out as one of the most disappointing sequels in recent years. With fewer cutscenes and much less voice acting, its clear the game cut major corners. The main story mostly feels like an easy sprint, until it abruptly slams into artificial roadblocks meant to extend playtime. At several points, youre forced to complete a string of side quests to recruit villagers before progressing. These missions are tedious, repetitive fetch quests that drag the game to a halt. This grind, more than any other on our list, feels like a frustrating waste that shows very little respect for players' time.