Games have been a part of human history for thousands of years. Evidence proves that board games have been played in ancient civilisations as early as 3000 BCE. With the advent of technology, the emergence of video games has forever changed the gaming scene.
Nowadays, there are games for every occasion, taste or preference. In the following lines, we will focus more on some of the most difficult games that you can find out there. Read along and find out what makes them so difficult and challenging to master.
Top 10 Hardest Games to Play– A Unique Selection
In this section, we have compiled a list of the top 10 hardest games to master in the world. These games are proven to have challenged even the most skilled players. Complex gameplay, intense difficulty level, and unforgiving mechanics are only a few of the aspects that you will encounter if you dare to try them. Here is an idea of what to expect:
- ⚫ Go
- ♟️ Chess
- 🃏 Bridge
- 🎲 Craps
- 👊 Contra
- ⚔️ Ninja Gaiden
- ✨ Magic: The Gathering
- ⚰️ Eldritch Horror
- 🥊 Boxing
- 🟥 World’s Hardest Game
Are you ready to test your skills and knowledge and take on these ultimate gaming challenges? Well, let’s dive into more details and see which games made the cut. We have featured board games, hardest video games, and even those that you can find among the most popular online casino games.
Go – Simple Rules, Complex Gameplay
Go, also known as Weiqi, is an ancient Chinese strategy game that is believed to have originated more than 2500 years ago. With that being said, the game is also perceived as one of the oldest board games in the world that is still played in the present day.
Although the rules of the game are simple, it is its complex gameplay that ranks Go among the hardest games of all time to master. With a vast number of possible moves and outcomes, you must come up with the right strategy and plan multiple moves in advance.
| 📛 Name: | GO |
| 🗺️ Origin: | China |
| 📅 Date: | Some 2500 years ago |
| 🎮 Type: | Board Game |
| 🎲 Players: | 2 |
Go is played by two players on a 19×19 grid board. Players take turns in placing black and white stones. The objective of the game is to catch your opponent’s stones by surrounding them with your ones. A point is awarded when there are no more possible moves or for each of the captured opponent’s stones.
If the game of Go turns out to be a true challenge for you, there are also popular Chinese gambling games that you can try out. What is more, all of them are part of the rich historical heritage of the Chinese culture, so there is a lot to learn with every game.
Chess – Classic Strategy Game
The second position in our list of the hardest games to play is awarded to chess. Believed to have originated somewhere in northern India, the roots of the game can be traced back to the 6th century AD. Over the following years, the game spread to the Islamic world, which evolved into the form we know today.
| 📛 Name: | Chess |
| 🗺️ Origin: | India |
| 📅 Date: | Around the 6th century AD |
| 🎮 Type: | Board Game |
| 🎲 Players: | 2 |
Like go, chess is a two-player game that is played with 16 pieces on a checkered board with 64 squares. The objective of the game is to checkmate the opponent’s king. Such a situation usually occurs when the king is attacked and cannot escape capture. Moving the pieces on the board is done in a specific way.
Chess is considered a hard game to master as it comes with an immense number of possible openings and positions of the pieces. This requires players to predict the consequences of each move in advance. Strategic thinking and a deeper understanding of the nuances of the game are key elements to the overall success.
Bridge – Ultimate Partnership Game
The ancestors of the modern game of bridge can be traced back to the early 18th century in England. Bridge-like card games that were played during that period were popular under the name “Whist”. The modern form of the bridge card game was developed around the 1920s, with Harold S. Vanderbilt playing a key role in the standardisation of the game and its rules.
| 📛 Name: | Bridge |
| 🗺️ Origin: | England |
| 📅 Date: | Around the 18th century |
| 🎮 Type: | Card Game |
| 🎲 Players: | 4 |
Bridge is considered to be one of the hardest games ever because of its high level of complexity and vast number of possible card combinations. Players must work closely with their partners to coordinate their plays and thus win the game. These along with other factors, are making bridge a challenging game to master, even for experienced card players.
Craps – Dynamic Entertainment
Craps is a dice game that is believed to have originated in the United States around the mid-19th century. A common belief suggests that the craps evolved from a similar dice game named Hazard that originated in England. Over time, the game was refined and is now played at some of the the best online casinos for 2023.
| 📛 Name: | Craps |
| 🗺️ Origin: | United States of America |
| 📅 Date: | Around the mid-19th century |
| 🎮 Type: | Dice Game |
| 🎲 Players: | 20 |
We have included craps among the world’s hardest games to play for several reasons. Firstly, the game has many potential bets and outcomes that players must take into consideration. What is more, the fast-paced nature of the game requires players to make quick decisions. Finally, the game has complex terminology, which can be confusing to some players.
If you are interested in challenging yourself with this dynamic game, we suggest that you explore the main rules of craps before you try it out for real money. The online casino scene is filled with plenty of operators where you can practice before becoming a skilled player.
Contra – Run-and-Gun Classic
Contra is our first choice for a difficult video game, a run-and-gun action video console developed by Konamis. Released in 1987, the game was originally meant.
| 📛 Name: | Contra |
| 💻 Developer: | Konami |
| 📅 Date: | 20 February 1987 |
| 🎮 Type: | Video Game |
| 🎲 Genres: | Run and Gun, Shoot’ em up, Platform game |
Contra is perceived by many as one of the hardest video games because of its challenging gameplay and difficulty level. Many players have found it extremely difficult to advance in the game due to the limited lives and continue. What is more, the fast-paced action and the challenging enemies are also making it hard for players to complete the game.
Ninja Gaiden – Non-Stop Adrenaline Rush
Ninja Gaiden is an action video game developed by Tecmo and first released in 1988. The game comes in several series that quickly became popular due to their challenging gameplay and fast-paced action. Since its initial release, the game has seen multiple sequels, spin-offs, and remake available for play on a variety of different platforms.
| 📛 Name: | Ninja Gaiden |
| 💻 Developer: | Tecmo, Team Ninja |
| 📅 Date: | 9 December 1988 |
| 🎮 Type: | Video Game |
| 🎲 Genres: | Action, Hack and Slash |
The game is loved by many players due to its engaging storyline and innovative gameplay. Still, winning is as difficult as it gets, especially when we talk about traditional arcade gameplay. Furthermore, two players can enter the game simultaneously, which doesn’t make it any easier. The ultimate objective is to defeat the evil cult led by Bladedamus. As you can see, this isn’t a traditional card game, and it certainly doesn’t have anything in common with our following entry.
Magic: The Gathering – Intriguing Storyline
Magic: The Gathering is an innovative tabletop card game that was created by Richard Garfield, a mathematician and game designer. It is believed to be the first-ever collectable card game. The game quickly rose to prominence due to its intriguing gameplay, complex rules, and engaging storyline. Over the years, numerous expansions and digital adaptations of the game have emerged.
| 📛 Name: | Magic: The Gathering |
| 💻 Developer: | Richard Garfield |
| 📅 Date: | 5 August 1993 |
| 🎮 Type: | Card Game |
| 🎲 Genres: | 2 or more |
The game features several decks of 60 cards representing magical spells, creatures, and artefacts. The comprehensive rules and mechanics are what makes Magic: The Gathering one of the hardest games to play. In addition, the game is constantly evolving as new cards are released frequently, making it even more challenging for players to stay up to date with the latest strategies.
Eldritch Horror – Epic Adventure
Eldritch Horror is a co-operative board game that will take you on a globetrotting adventure to stop the awakening of the approaching ancient horror. The game draws inspiration from the works of H.P. Lovecraft and other horror writers. In addition, the classic board game Arkham Horror is another inspiration for the creation of the game.
| 📛 Name: | Eldritch Horror |
| 💻 Developer: | Fantasy Flight Games |
| 📅 Date: | 2013 |
| 🎮 Type: | Board Game |
| 🎲 Genres: | 1 to 8 |
In Eldritch Horror, players work together to investigate, gather clues, and solve mysteries to prevent the awakening of a Great Old One. The complex rules and mechanics of the game, along with the constantly evolving board, are what make it one of the hardest games in the world.
Playing board games is a favourite activity of many players. Those types of games are often associated with being a fun pastime for a gathering with friends. However, in recent years board games have also found their way into online casinos. If you are a fan, take your time to discover some of the best casino board games for 2023.
Boxing – Ultimate Physical Challenge
When researching for this article, we decided to shift our focus from the well-known board and video games and instead include examples in other domains as well. We believe that games and sports are somewhat similar, particularly in terms of structure and objectives. In addition, both often involve competition and can also be a source of entertainment.
Although determining the hardest physical game is subjective, we wanted to offer one of the most difficult games to play. According to one of the most widely-accepted lists of the hardest sports in the world, boxing ranks as the most difficult sport in the world.
| 📛 Name: | Boxing |
| 🗺️ Origin: | Unknown |
| 📅 Date: | Around the 6th century CE |
| 🎮 Type: | Sport, Physical Game |
| 🎲 Players: | 2 |
Boxing is a physically demanding sport that requires a high level of skill, athleticism, and mental toughness. What is more, boxers must have excellent reflexes and strategic and tactical thinking. Planning not only their next moves but also those of their opponents is essential to winning. Taking into consideration all these factors lead us to believe that boxing is indeed one of the hardest sports ever.
World’s Hardest Game – Addictively Challenging
It seemed only reasonable to include in our list of the top 10 hardest games in the world a game called World’s Hardest Game. Developed by Snubby Land, this arcade puzzle game was first released back in 2008. The game features a simple but rather challenging objective that has posed difficulties for many players.
| 📛 Name: | World’s Hardest Game |
| 💻 Developer: | Snubby Land |
| 📅 Date: | 21 March 2008 |
| 🎮 Type: | Arcade Puzzle Game |
Players must guide a red square through a series of increasingly difficult levels while avoiding obstacles and collecting yellow coins. The game is considered to be among the hardest games to play because of its levels designed to require precise timing, careful planning, and quick reflexes. Yet, World’s Hardest Game has gained popularity among players thanks to its addictive nature.
Frequently Asked Questions
As usual, we are ending our blog post with a section dedicated to the frequently asked questions. Here, you will find information about the most challenging games to master in the world. Whether you are an experienced player looking for a new challenge or simply interested in learning more about what makes certain games so difficult, this section is for you.
What are the top 10 hardest games to master?
Undoubtedly, there are plenty of games nowadays that can be considered as difficult and challenging to master. If you have ever wondered what some of them might be or what makes them so hard to learn and play, well we have made things easy for you by gathering a list of the top 10 hardest games ever.
What is the hardest board game in the world?
One of the most difficult board games is Go. This Chinese game has been around since ancient times to challenge even the most experienced players. With its elegant and simple rules, the game comes with a complex strategy with a very high number of possible moves.
What is the hardest video game ever?
Determining the most difficult video game ever is quite subjective and varies based on many factors. Yet, one example of the most challenging video games is Contra. This run-and-gun action video game features challenging gameplay mechanics, punishing difficulty curves, and limited resources.
What is the hardest card game to master?
Although there are many complex card games that require significant skill and strategy to master, there is one that stood out for us. Many people believe that Bridge is the hardest card game in the world to master. A partnership game, that requires bidding, communication, and careful play. Bridge players must constantly analyse and adjust their strategies together to win over their opponents.
Can boxing be considered a hard game to master?
Games and sports often share many things in common. This is why we thought that it is only fair to include a sport in our list of the top 10 hardest games to master. According to several rankings, boxing is perceived as the hardest sport in the world. It requires a high level of physical conditioning, technical expertise, and tactical thinking.
Reference List – Reliable Sources
Before we write our articles, we dedicate enough time to do our research properly. We do so as we believe that research is one of the most important elements for the creation of any written piece. Using reliable sources adds up to our articles’ credibility and value.
Below we are offering you the list of the relevant sources that were consulted for this article. Explore them if you wish to deepen your understanding and knowledge of the topic and all aspects related to it.