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Games are meant to be entertainment above all else, no matter what your idea of fun is. As such, there are certain video games that, for one reason or another, we don’t believe most people that say they played them, actually did.
On the one hand, you have games known for being bad, broken, or oftentimes ‘unplayable,’ with only the most dedicated of gamers being able to push through them for one reason or another. On the other hand, you have games that are so hard, the level of dedication required to finish them often doesn’t align with having a job or career. These are the games we don’t believe most people finished.
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Bubsy 3D
Often listed among the worst platformers ever made, Bubsy 3D became infamous for awkward controls, terrible camera angles, and bizarre voice lines. Finishing it feels less like beating a game and more like surviving a punishment challenge.
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Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Yes, people absolutely finished Sekiro, but the game’s brutal bosses and precision-heavy combat convinced countless players they simply were not built for victory. Every win feels earned through equal parts skill, stubbornness, and emotional damage.
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Superman 64
Between endless fog, broken controls, and infamous ring-flying missions, Superman 64 gained a reputation as one of gaming’s most miserable experiences. Many players rented it out of curiosity and likely gave up before reaching the ending.
YouTube/Bennett Foddy
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
Designed specifically to frustrate players, Getting Over It punishes mistakes by sending you crashing backward through hours of progress. The combination of brutal physics and sarcastic narration turned rage-quitting into the entire appeal.
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Dark Souls
The original Dark Souls became legendary for difficulty so punishing that many players bounced off entirely. Fans love the challenge, but outsiders still look at late-game bosses and wonder whether anyone finished it without losing their sanity.
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Ride to Hell: Retribution
This biker action game became notorious for broken combat, awkward dialogue, and bizarrely unfinished cutscenes. Critics destroyed it on release, and its reputation became so bad many people joke nobody ever willingly completed the entire thing.
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Battletoads
The infamous Turbo Tunnel alone probably stopped generations of players from ever seeing the ending. Battletoads mixed fun co-op chaos with difficulty spikes so cruel that finishing it became a badge of honor.
YouTube/NintendoComplete
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
This NES game confused players for decades thanks to strange mechanics, punishing enemy placement, and almost incomprehensible progression. Many likely spent more time wondering how it worked than actually making progress toward the ending.
YouTube/Dosgamert
Lion King
Disney’s The Lion King became famous for crushing difficulty, especially the monkey puzzle and platforming sections. Plenty of kids rented it expecting a friendly Disney adventure and instead discovered psychological warfare disguised as a platformer.
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Cuphead
With nonstop boss fights and unforgiving timing, Cuphead turned old-school animation into a modern endurance test. The beautiful art style attracted huge audiences, but the difficulty probably scared away plenty before the credits rolled.
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Big Rigs: Over the Road Racing
Big Rigs barely functions as a video game, featuring broken physics, unfinished AI, and races opponents literally cannot win. The game became internet-famous precisely because completing it feels almost meaningless given how incomplete it is.
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Ghosts ’n Goblins
Not only is Ghosts ’n Goblins brutally difficult, but after finally beating it, the game famously demands players finish the entire thing again for the “real” ending. Countless people probably stopped right there out of pure disbelief.
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E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial
The Atari adaptation became a gaming legend thanks to confusing gameplay and endless falling into pits. Its reputation grew so disastrous that unsold cartridges were famously buried in a landfill, which somehow feels perfectly appropriate.
YouTube/NintendoComplete
Ninja Gaiden
The NES version of Ninja Gaiden remains notorious for punishing enemy placement and brutal late-game difficulty. Reaching the final levels only to get thrown backward after dying felt specifically designed to destroy players emotionally.
YouTube/Omni World
Fear & Hunger
This indie RPG intentionally embraces cruelty, throwing players into brutal survival mechanics, permanent consequences, and horrifying encounters. Its reputation for relentless punishment makes many curious players wonder whether anyone finishes it without consulting guides or completely breaking down.
The post 15 Games We Don’t Believe Anyone Actually Played All the Way Through appeared first on Den of Geek.
