Why Some Platformers Are Tougher Than Dark Souls

18 October 2025

When someone mentions a brutally hard video game, there's a good chance “Dark Souls” is the first title that comes to mind. It’s become the gold standard for challenging gameplay. But here's the kicker—some platformers out there are even tougher than Dark Souls. Yep, you read that right. There are quirky, colorful 2D games that will chew you up and spit you out faster than you can say “Bonfire lit.”

It might sound crazy, but once we break down what makes both genres tick, you'll start to see why some platformers deserve the hardcore crown. Let’s dive headfirst into pixelated madness and talk about why some platformers are not just tough—but downright brutal.

The Deceptive Simplicity of Platformers

Platformers wear a smile on their face and hide a dagger behind their back. Most of them look deceptively simple. Cute graphics, funky soundtracks, and straightforward mechanics. Run, jump, maybe throw something. Easy, right? Wrong.

The simplicity is part of the trap. There’s less room for error. Controls are tighter. Timing is everything. In some cases, one pixel can mean the difference between glorious success and soul-crushing failure. If you think tapping “jump” is all there is to it, try doing that perfectly—50 times in a row—while dodging lasers, spikes, and enemies that reset your progress completely.

Think Super Meat Boy or Celeste. These games demand absolute precision, lightning-fast reflexes, and monk-level patience. You're not just fighting the game; you're fighting your own instincts.

Dark Souls: Tough, But With a Safety Net

Don’t get me wrong—Dark Souls is tough. It punishes you for every mistake. You’ll die. A lot. But here’s the thing: it’s also kind. In its own twisted way.

The Souls series builds tension and atmosphere. It tests your patience and strategy. But it also gives you tools to overcome challenges—bonfires (checkpoints), leveling systems, co-op play, gear customization, and careful enemy placement. You can grind to get stronger. You can dodge and block. You have options.

Platformers? Not so much.

The Platformer Brutality Index

Let’s break down why some platformers push you to your absolute edge:

1. Permadeath and No Mercy Checkpoints

In a Souls game, you die, you come back to a bonfire. Maybe you have to fight through some mobs again, but it’s manageable. In tough platformers like "I Wanna Be The Guy" or "The End is Nigh," death sends you waaaay back. Sometimes even to the start of the level—or the whole game.

That kind of punishment plays with your head. It’s not just muscle memory anymore. It becomes psychological warfare.

2. Trial-and-Error Gameplay

Platformers often thrive on trial and error. You learn by dying—repeatedly. Want to know where the next spike pops up? Oh, you’ll find it… after it impales you. Over and over again. Learning the level layout becomes part of the challenge.

Games like “N++” and “VVVVVV” introduce mechanics that you’re not even sure how to process the first time. Gravity shifts, wall jumps, disappearing blocks—it’s like trying to play chess with a Rubik’s cube.

3. Twitch Reflexes and Precision

Dark Souls tests your endurance and tactical brain. You dodge roll, parry, and hope your stamina doesn’t run out. Now take that feeling and compress it into a millisecond window.

Platformers demand razor-sharp precision. One wrong move and it’s game over. You can’t button mash your way to victory here. It's a rhythm, a dance, a memorized symphony of movement that must flow perfectly. Miss one beat, and you’re toast.

4. No Power Scaling or Leveling Up

In Dark Souls, you can grind for souls, level up, and come back stronger. In platformers like “Celeste,” “Super Meat Boy,” or “Fez,” there’s no such safety net. Your character stays the same from start to finish. The only thing that levels up is your skill.

It means the game doesn’t get easier. You get better. Or you rage quit. Your call.

5. Steep Learning Curves and No Hand-Holding

Most brutal platformers dump you into the chaos with little to no instruction. There’s no fairy guide, no tutorial holding your hand. It’s sink or swim. And most of the time? You sink. Hard.

It’s part of the masochistic charm. You’re expected to experiment, fail, and try again—using nothing but your instincts and a lot of stubbornness.

Psychological Challenge vs. Mechanical Challenge

Let’s talk head games.

Dark Souls breaks you down by making the world feel oppressive. The story is vague. The enemies are relentless. You feel small and powerless. But if you’re cautious, you can overcome it.

Platformers break you mechanically. They challenge your dexterity. They’re like solving a Rubik’s cube while juggling flaming torches—blindfolded. There’s no breathing room. You’re always one input away from disaster.

It’s the difference between being emotionally crushed and physically defeated.

Platformers That Go Beyond Hardcore

If you're still not convinced, take a look at some platformers that are notoriously harder than Dark Souls:

1. Super Meat Boy

This one's become legendary. You play as a cube of meat trying to rescue Bandage Girl from Dr. Fetus. It sounds silly—and it is—but it’s also insanely difficult. Every level is a gauntlet of buzzsaws, spikes, and death traps. The movement is buttery smooth, but that just means the game expects god-like mastery.

2. Celeste

Celeste is beautiful, emotional, and also pants-on-head difficult. You're climbing a mountain with nothing but jumps, dashes, and sheer willpower. It introduces mechanics gradually but never lets up on the challenge. Some post-game levels? They make Dark Souls look like kindergarten.

3. I Wanna Be The Guy

Notorious for its unpredictability and troll-level design. Invisible traps. Random falling ceilings. Apple trees that shoot apples sideways. It’s more like a cruel joke wrapped in retro aesthetics. Beating this game is the gaming equivalent of running a marathon blindfolded.

4. N++ (N Plus Plus)

This minimalist masterpiece is all about momentum and reflexes. One mistake, and you explode into tiny pixel bits. The game gives you thousands of levels, each more punishing than the last. If you ever wanted to test your platforming limits, N++ is your final exam.

5. Cuphead

Yeah, it looks like a 1930s cartoon. But don’t let that fool you—it’s an absolute beast. Part platformer, part bullet hell. Cuphead doesn’t just challenge your fingers; it cooks them. The boss battles are fast, unpredictable, and a massive test of your coordination.

Why Do We Keep Coming Back?

So why do we do it? Why subject ourselves to this pixelated torture?

Because beating a hard platformer feels like scaling Mount Everest with your bare hands. It’s pure, rewarding satisfaction. You feel every small victory in your bones. There’s something primal about mastering movement and timing on such a precise level.

Also, let’s be honest—gamers love a challenge. And nothing says “I’m a gamer god” like beating a platformer that chewed up thousands of others.

It's Not Always About Graphics and Scope

Dark Souls has epic bosses, intricate world-building, and combat that demands strategic thought. But platformers strip all that away. They’re pure gameplay. No distractions. Just you, your avatar, and the cruel world around you.

That minimalism is what makes them so hard—and so rewarding. There’s no leveling up or cheesing the boss. It’s just raw skill vs. raw difficulty.

Are Platformers The Real Souls Games?

Maybe Soulslikes get all the glory and memes, but platformers have been torturing players for decades. Long before “You Died” became iconic, players were already breaking controllers over games like Ghosts ’n Goblins and Contra.

So next time someone says “this game is the Dark Souls of platformers,” maybe flip that around and say, “Dark Souls is the Super Meat Boy of action RPGs.”

Final Thoughts: Choose Your Pain Wisely

At the end of the day, both Dark Souls and brutal platformers offer incredible, unforgettable challenges. But if you want fast, focused, twitch-based agony with no safety net? Platformers are where the real pain lives.

They look cute. They sound fun. But they’ll tear you apart faster than Ornstein and Smough on caffeine. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.