While one might assume that major Triple-A titles possess the resources to create genuinely challenging gaming experiences, this is often not the case. Interestingly, it tends to be indie developers who bravely tackle the creation of difficult games that truly test players’ skills.
Many games present an inherent challenge, but an even greater difficulty arises when players aim to complete every aspect of the game, including all achievements. In my exploration, I have encountered several titles that appear manageable at first glance but become nightmarishly complex when aiming for full completion. In this article, I will spotlight indie games that offer authentic challenges derived from their straightforward mechanics while avoiding those that rely on unreasonable requirements or “wiki-exploration”for completion.
Without further ado, let’s delve into the ten most challenging indie games that require significant effort to achieve 100% completion.
10 Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye
A Terrible Fate
Outer Wilds holds a special place in my heart, but achieving all the in-game accomplishments poses a significant challenge. Most achievements demand players to complete seemingly impossible tasks on their initial playthrough.
Warning: Story spoilers for Outer Wilds ahead.
For example, attempting to land on the Sun Station or accessing the core of Giant’s Deep can be extremely frustrating, particularly for those who prefer not to rely on guides. The challenges in the DLC are even more arduous.
While several achievements are attainable, others—like evading an Owlk’s attack—are convoluted and often feel out of reach, exacerbated by the very specific conditions needed to unlock them. Perhaps the pinnacle of frustration is trying to ride the wave in The Stranger; it demands exceptional precision using a physics-based mechanism that lacks reliability, making it an endeavor that could require dozens of attempts lasting over 10 minutes each.
9 Risk of Rain 2
Avalanche of Accomplishments
Risk of Rain 2 is a roguelike game that offers an extensive amount of content, largely thanks to its myriad unlockables. However, achieving many of these unlocks hinges on completing specific accomplishments.
While a substantial portion of the achievements are straightforward and achievable through repeated gameplay, around 20 of them present formidable challenges within an already punishing game environment, especially without utilizing the baby mode.
Defeating Mithrix using a supply beacon demands impeccable timing and resource management, while finishing off an Imp Overlord with the Preon Accumulator often depends on RNG for success. The most frustrating achievement, Ethereal, requires succeeding in a Prismatic Trial as a Mercenary without taking damage—a tall order when these trials are inherently randomized.
8 Balancing
Trick Up Your Sleeve
Balatro is a card game roguelike that has captivated players, but its achievement system is notoriously grind-heavy, necessitating both strategic planning and a considerable time investment.
While some rare trophies can be earned through careful gameplay, the completionist achievements are particularly arduous. To unlock these, you must discover every Joker and Spectral Card, a task that requires purchasing each at least once and can feel like a never-ending grind. Furthermore, winning with every deck at Gold Stake difficulty is both a monumental achievement and a serious time sink.
The must daunting of these tasks is acquiring a gold sticker on every Joker by winning a run with all of them at Gold Stake—a task that’s nearly impossible for those not adept at the game.
7 Celeste
500 Meter Dash
Celeste is an inherently challenging precision platformer. While navigating the main eight levels might be manageable, the subsequent B and C sides, along with Chapter 9, ramp up the difficulty significantly.
Obtaining every B and C side achievement, plus collecting all strawberries, builds the foundation for a full completion journey. However, the challenges escalate further with requirements to carry 10 strawberries unscathed or complete the WOW task in Chapter 9.
The game’s ultimate challenge involves collecting Golden Strawberries at the start of each level and completing the entire run without dying—a feat that tests even the most skilled players.
6 Hollow Knight
Bugged Up
Hollow Knight combines hand-drawn aesthetics with Dark Souls-like combat, crafting intense confrontations that can deter players from pursuing full completion.
The base game offers various formidable adversaries. However, once players venture into the Godhome content, they encounter a series of boss gauntlets that enhance the difficulty even more dramatically.
The challenges culminate in Pantheon 5, where players must face every boss in succession; a single death resets the entire challenge. The Absolute Radiance fight can be particularly punishing, especially for new players.
Moreover, the achievements demand extraordinary feats: completing the game in under five hours, finishing it in permadeath mode, and optimizing for a complete run under the same parameters. One can only imagine how demanding the upcoming Silksong will be.
5 Terraria
Brick by Brick
Ah, Terraria! A beloved title that rewards players with a challenging road to platinum. Achieving full completion translates to significant time investment, potentially exceeding a hundred hours.
Many achievements necessitate grinding and patience, especially those involving random occurrences such as blood moons or specific enemy drops. Some challenges, like acquiring the Cell Phone, Ankh Shield, and Zenith are particularly laborious, requiring extensive exploration and combat.
Most daunting, however, is the upcoming achievement for reaching a 100% bestiary completion, which is already infamous among players. If you’ve ever struggled for a specific banner drop, you know the pain!
4 The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth
Divine Dedication
Roguelikes prominently feature on this list, and The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth warrants inclusion for its staggering total of 640 achievements.
Completing the game necessitates obtaining every item, engaging in specific tasks, and conquering various bosses with each character—a true test of dedication.
Luck plays a considerable role, as many achievements depend on randomized elements. Players may find themselves repeatedly restarting to acquire essential items like Gulp! Pills, while also needing to take on multiple daily challenges successfully.
3 Stardew Valley
Hell in Paradise
Though many view Stardew Valley as a charming farming simulation, delving deeper reveals a daunting completion process. The journey to achieving Perfection involves building maximum relationships with every NPC, shipping every item, and accumulating an impressive fortune of 13 million gold coins for structures you’ll barely use in the late game.
Beyond Perfection, players face additional challenges such as collecting every book and maxing out all skills, along with the notorious Journey of the Prairie King, an arcade minigame that requires a flawless run without dying—a challenge so difficult that even the game’s creator struggled to complete it for some time.
2 Cookie Clicker
Surprisingly Strategic
At first glance, Cookie Clicker may seem like a mindless idle game, yet acquiring all achievements requires an intricate strategy. Among the 637 achievements, approximately 8% demand substantial planning, build optimization, and skillful interaction with Golden Cookies to unlock.
Advancing to the endgame entails far more complexity than merely assembling a competent build. Completing the final achievements involves extensive time investment, typically requiring hundreds of years of in-game time; many players find themselves idling while maintaining vigilance over Golden Cookies and other resources.
1 Tower Unite
Just Keep Gambling
If you’re searching for a non-VR alternative to VRChat, filled with various mini-games and attractions, look no further than Tower Unite. This unique game boasts an astounding 651 unlockable achievements with a meager 0.0% average completion rate—a remarkable feat that speaks volumes about its difficulty.
While some achievements can be stumbled upon easily, many are deceptively challenging, such as achieving a hole-in-one on 67 different mini-golf holes or attaining a score of 5000 in a piano arcade game.
While I play this title for enjoyment, the prospect of pursuing platinum status feels overwhelming, and anyone asserting they’ve earned it legitimately leaves me incredulous.
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