Top 20 Most Stressful Video Games
#20: “Overcooked: All You Can Eat” (2020)
Overcooked 2 Video Review! - MojoPlays
In “Overcooked,” it’s your job as chef to keep fulfilling the orders of customers no matter what. Unfortunately, the orders never stop coming and the cartoonish environments always have obstacles and hazards. Each world brings new, more complicated recipes and, just to add a little bit more stress, the fate of the world is on the line. It’s a game designed with co-op in mind, which is definitely the best way to play. But that still requires good communication to keep all the various spinning plates from falling. “All You Can Eat” features both games as well as all DLC, for the definitive, stress-inducing experience.
#19: “This War of Mine” (2014)
Another Top 10 Insanely Stressful Video Games (ft.Todd Haberkorn)
This indie survival game places you in control of several citizens during wartime and tasks you with keeping them alive. All of them have different strengths and weaknesses, but which of the dozen characters you get is randomized. In addition to scavenging for resources and crafting necessary items, you’ll be confronted with incredibly tough decisions outside your home. Do you help your fellow man or take advantage of them? When you’re not pondering these moral quandaries, you’ll need to monitor each survivor in your group to maintain their health and mental state. If you don’t, not everyone will be making it to a time of peace.
#18: “Cuphead” (2017)
WTF is Cuphead? Top 5 Things You Need To Know
When Studio MDHR first showed off “Cuphead,” we were all dazzled by the 1930s animation style and the incredible jazz soundtrack. When we got our hands on it though, it was a bit hard to admire its aesthetics when being pounded into the dirt. Following some unwise gambling, Cuphead and his brother Mugman must collect souls owed to the devil. Mostly comprised of multi-phase boss battles, it arms you with the most basic of weapons and puts you up against titans. Each one demands quick reflexes and, more importantly, an unwavering spirit. Playing in co-op does lighten the load a bit. But it’s still a stressful endeavor.
#17: “Metroid Dread” (2021)
20 Times Metroid Infiltrated Other Games
‘Stress’ is the name of the game in most “Metroid” titles, but “Dread” is the pinnacle of that ideology. With an incredibly deadly parasite on the loose, it’s up to Samus to make sure it doesn’t reach the wider universe. Making this much, MUCH harder are the E.M.M.I., a group of robots commissioned by the Galactic Federation that have gone rogue. These killing machines hunt you throughout, with each one bringing a new gimmick to up the ante. They kill you in one hit and can only be destroyed by charging Samus’s arm cannon at specific locations. All that on top of the labyrinthine design and soul-crushing bosses the series is known for.
#16: “Super Meat Boy” (2010)
10 Hidden Secrets In Super Mario Games
If you don’t like seeing your characters crushed or eviscerated over and over again, “Super Meat Boy” may not be the game for you. The plot is simple; you must rescue Meat Boy’s girlfriend, Bandage Girl, from the evil Dr. Fetus. The level layout, though, is anything but. Every single one is a literal death trap with moving walls, lava, pits, spinning sawblades of all sizes, and a whole lot more, all precariously placed at just the right points to turn our hero into ground beef. “Super Meat Boy” has been praised as one of the most challenging platformers around. With more than 300 levels to die in, we certainly agree.
#15: “Until Dawn” (2015)
Top 10 Most Stressful Moments in Video Games
It’s always nerve-wracking when the lives of multiple characters are placed in your hands. That’s especially the case in a game where the odds are stacked against their survival. “Until Dawn” follows a group of friends reuniting after a tragedy. Trapped by a devastating blizzard, with the threat of a murderous psychopath and a couple of vicious Wendigos, it’s bound to stress anyone out. Developer Supermassive Games also emphasized our decision-making skills, or lack thereof. If players reacted poorly during quicktime events or simply made the wrong decision, it could result in a violent end. And it’s not as if you’re given much time to make those decisions. It’s a good thing most of these characters are bad people…
#14: “Ghosts ‘n Goblins” (1985)
Top 10 Video Game Ghosts
When Capcom developed “Ghosts ‘n Goblins,” it seemingly tried to think of every way it could overwhelm the player. As the knight Arthur, you must rescue a princess from legions of monsters. As basic as the premise is, these monsters are not for the faint of heart. The spawn rate on any given level is insane; enemies will consistently pop out to begin rushing you, meaning you’ll be spamming your one attack button. Arthur goes down in two hits unless he regains his armor, which will make you very comfortable with the Game Over screen. The series never lost its edge as new games were released, creating a legacy of suffering.
#13: “Amnesia: The Dark Descent” (2010)
Amnesia: The Dark Descent vs. Outlast
Having to explore a deep, dark and eerie castle doesn’t sound bad at all, does it? While the environment, puzzles and enemy designs are all unnerving enough, the real kicker here is a gameplay mechanic that affects the player’s ‘sanity’ meter. The longer you are in dark areas or surrounded by disturbing scenery, the lower the said ‘sanity’ meter will drop which will consequently create a barrage of both visual and auditory hallucinations meant to do nothing else but screw with your head. Having to constantly keep your character’s mental state in check while questioning what’s real and what isn’t is sure send many players into a heightened state of fear and frenzy.
#12: “Battletoads” (1991)
‘Nintendo Hard’ is a phrase used for the toughest games released on the company’s earlier consoles, which is to say some of the most difficult games ever. No game epitomizes the term better than “Battletoads.” While you are given a health bar and the ability to refill it, the game attempts, and likely succeeds in throwing so much at you that it won’t matter. Infamously tough stages have earned it a strong reputation. It might not be so bad if there were a save or password feature. But as soon as your three lives run out, it’s back to the start. Additionally, co-op doesn’t even help as there’s no way to turn off friendly fire.
#11: “The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)
Top 10 Legend of Zelda Games of All Time
This Zelda game is just as massive as others in the series, however it has one major catch that changes things up entirely: you only have three-in game days to save the world. Before this, Zelda games could be enjoyed at your own pace, but now, the player needs to be on the ball 24/7…er…24/3, in order to successfully stop a moon from crashing into the land of Termina, under the strict time constraints. This added layer of gameplay endows the player with a true sense of responsibility as they quite literally race against time to save countless lives – no pressure.
#10: “Subnautica” (2018)
To some, “Subnautica” is a tense survival game due to being stranded on an unknown alien planet. But to those who suffer from thalassophobia, or the fear of the deep sea, it is something else entirely. You’re the only survivor of a shipwreck on a planet entirely submerged in water. Only by braving the depths, collecting resources, and avoiding its hostile wildlife do you stand a chance of escaping. The survival mechanics are sure to make you a bit stressed out, but it’s the environment that really does the trick. You never feel safe even in spots without clear danger. The planet isn’t fit for human life which “Subnautica” will make very clear to you.
#9: “Don’t Starve” (2013)
Top 10 Insanely Stressful Video Games
With the name of the game itself being your only real set of instructions or tutorial, the player is immediately plunged into the game world, with their only clear objective being: “don’t starve”. Blood pressure and panic may rapidly set in, as its not totally obvious what you can interact with and what you can’t, forcing the player to ‘figure it out’, exploring the environment and experimenting with what they find in order to gather resources and survive. Just when you think you’ve got the hang of it, night-time falls and you’d better pray you’ve got a fire going or else you’re going to be some freaky monster’s snack.
#8: “Five Nights at Freddy’s” (2014)
Top 20 Most Stressful Moments in Video Games
Who knew fuzzy looking animatronic machines could be such haunting nightmare material. The player controls a security guard, who while working a night shift, has to endure a squad of terrifying animatronics, who have inexplicably come to life. The animatronics exhibit a vicious lethality as they charge towards the player, demanding a high sense of patience and focus on the various security cameras to keep track of the looming danger at all times. There isn’t much room for error here, as one slight misstep is all one of those animatronics need to rush towards the player and deliver a startling jump scare. We didn’t feel like sleeping much tonight anyhow.
#7: “XCOM 2” (2016)
Strategy games are recognized for being highly meticulous and complex in design, but oh-my-GAWD does ‘XCOM 2’ kick things up a few notches. The battles can become excruciatingly overwhelming rather quickly, so its important for the player to be five, no, ten steps ahead in order to not be trampled over by the game’s enemy A.I. On top of this, the game features an interesting storyline and compelling characters. What does this have to do with anything? Well, as you progress, you’ll find yourself legitimately caring about said characters and with such a connection established and death so frequent on the battlefield…this game is sure to break some hearts as players struggle to keep their soldiers alive.
#6: “Outlast” (2013)
Outlast is Horrifying! | Playing the Top 10 Horror Games of All Time
Living up to its name, this first-person horror game’s only goal is to survive being in a dilapidated mental hospital, practically overflowing with deranged, homicidal psychos and sickos around every corner. With your video camera being the only real way to see anything in extremely dark environments, you’ll need to always scavenge around in search of batteries to keep it fully charged. But you don’t exactly want to do that because of the aforementioned weirdos trying to tear your face off…but you kinda do want to look around so that you can get the hell out of this insidious place. You might even go insane yourself after playing through this one.
#5: “Papers, Please” (2013)
How stressed out would you feel if your job was a border crossing immigration officer in a dystopian landscape, reviewing people’s documents to ensure they are eligible to be granted entry into the country? It’s a lot of weight to have on your shoulders, especially when you have a family to feed, and it really bears down on you the more you progress in this game. The descriptions of each new immigrant become increasingly more dense and complex, requiring you to be fully attentive to catch any fraud or mistakes that appear. Furthermore, the game punishes you if you screw up by providing you with less money to take care of your family. So, uh, yeah, have ‘fun’.
#4: “Darkest Dungeon” (2016)
The 10 Darkest Moments In Lego Games
Sometimes, a video game’s name really nails what it’s all about. In “Darkest Dungeon,” you control a group of adventurers exploring underneath your newly acquired mansion. Not only is it dark in a literal sense, but also a thematic one. Sure, it’s a tough-as-nails turn-based RPG with plenty of intimidating creatures to face. But what earned it so much recognition was the stress meter. Depending on a variety of factors, each character’s stress can rise to dangerous levels, which in turn can produce different, mostly negative effects. If it rises too high, it can spell disaster, as the game also features permadeath. Oh, and everything is procedurally generated so you won’t know what’s coming next.
#3: “Mario Kart 8” (2014)
Why Mario Kart Leaves Other Racing Games in the Dust
At first glance, it’s strange to think anything starring the family-friendly Mario can be stressful. But under the right circumstances, “Mario Kart” gets our hearts pounding like no other. The recipe for stress has always been there, as anyone who’s been hit by a Blue Shell on the final lap can tell you. Nintendo has only built on that with every release, adding more insane tracks and items. The eighth installment is the peak of stress, especially when trying to play online when one mistake or attack can cause most other racers to pass you instantly. A 2022 study tracking players’ heart beats found that “Mario Kart” was the most stressful game of those tested. Yeah…big shocker.
#2: “Bloodborne” (2015)
Building upon the already strenuous gameplay found in their ‘Dark Souls’ series, FromSoftware unleashed ‘Bloodborne’, a game that is arguably more difficult for multiple reasons. Whereas ‘Dark Souls’ places emphasis on defense, ‘Bloodborne’ instead opts for much more fast-paced and brutally offensive combat. This requires the player to constantly be on their toes, acting with split-second reflexes and holding their breath as they carefully time their strikes and evasions in hopes of victory. The relentless onslaught of towering boss battles and vicious enemies, makes traversing the maze-like environments in ‘Bloodborne’ a blood-pumping experience well worth the dozen or so near-heart attacks you’ll suffer while playing it.
#1: “Alien: Isolation” (2014)
Top 10 Alien Species in Video Games
Perfectly replicating the atmosphere present in the 1979 film, ‘Alien: Isolation’ nails what its like to be trapped on a derelict space station with an extraterrestrial killing machine. With the environments so dark and claustrophobic and your supplies so minimal; avoiding the Xenomorph is unbelievably nerve-wracking. Your guard constantly needs to be up, as the creature could appear anytime, so you never actually feel a moment of safety during the experience. You’ll be in such a nervous sweat, that even the slightest sound will cause you to jump in your seat. In space, no one can hear you scream; but your neighbors can… so…try to keep it down if ya freak out.
