Top 20 Most Frustrating Video Game Levels

Script written by Johnny Reynolds

Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 20 Frustrating Video Game Levels. For this list, we’ll be looking at stages from games that bring an unfair level of difficulty or tedium. We won’t be including levels from bad games, since the whole experience is frustrating. We also won’t be including levels that only consist of a boss fight. Which of these levels made you want to scream in anger? Share your thoughts in the comments.

#20: Demolition Man

“Grand Theft Auto: Vice City” (2002)

Players are tasked with completing all kinds of dangerous activities in “Vice City.” But we’d rather take on the most hardened criminals than do this mission again. In ‘Demoltion Man,’ Tommy Vercetti is hired to destroy a construction site. Rather than take the easy route, like sneaking in at night to plant the explosives, you must pilot a remote helicopter to place the bombs at specific spots during the day. The vehicle’s controls are certainly not the smoothest, even by early 2000s standards. Making everything more annoying are the workers and guards trying to knock the helicopter down. It doesn’t have the high-stakes thrills of many other missions, and failing can make you want to snap your controller in two.

#19: Blighttown

“Dark Souls” (2011)

Along with most of FromSoftware’s catalog, there are a lot of sections in “Dark Souls” that are going to cause frustration. The one that scarred players the most was Blighttown, a gigantic poisonous swamp. The upper area can be confusing with its multitude of moving bridges, easily turning you around. The actual swamp lower down, on the other hand, is even worse. There are plenty of tough enemies prowling around, many of which will inflict Poison damage and some of which will be able to do so from afar. Traversing this hell hole eventually leads you to Quelaag's Domain, where you’ll have to fight the titular witch. Just like every other enemy in this game, that isn’t exactly easy.

#18: Labyrinth Zone

“Sonic the Hedgehog” (1991)

Water levels are usually some of the most notoriously frustrating stages developers can include in their games. Sonic can’t swim, so his immense speed doesn’t help him when it comes to the Labyrinth Zone, the fourth level in the game. Even if you are managing things, you won’t be able to escape the infamous drowning theme, which originated here and can cause stress in even the surest of players. Combined with traps and enemies, the slowed movement and panic-inducing music will ensure Sonic’s watery grave at least a few times. The level’s third act is naturally the hardest; on top of worrying about drowning, the game throws seemingly endless spikes and exploding enemies at you.

#17: Waterfall

“Contra” (1987)

This classic action platformer epitomized the phrase ‘Nintendo Hard’ by flooding your screen with enemies and giving you a single-hit health bar. It likely caused many players to memorize the Konami Code to start with 30 lives rather than 3. However, that probably still didn’t help much when it came to the third level. As the only stage in the game that scrolls vertically, you have to ascend through the hail of gunfire. The layout certainly takes some getting used to, but it’s far harder in co-op. If one player moves up too quickly, it will cause the screen to move and kill the other. It makes you communicate about movement, but that’s a lot easier without a horde of enemies trying to murder you.

#16: The Library

“Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001)

Of all the enemies in “Halo,” the Flood still terrifies us. But being trapped in a restrictive library while they’re swarming all over the place will do that to you. During the campaign’s seventh mission, Master Chief is confronted by the aptly-named parasites on a near-constant basis. What makes the level so frustrating is how quickly they move and how slowly you’re forced to progress. You’ll be following 343 Guilty Spark around, who isn’t exactly nimble and who must pause to slowly override locked doors. And at every one of them, players will have to unload all their weapons just to keep the Flood at bay. The ones with rocket launchers are a particular pain.

#15: Playing as Ashley

“Resident Evil 4” (2005)

During the third chapter of the original “Resident Evil 4,” players are put into Ashley’s shoes for a change. If you thought she was annoying before, just wait until you play as her. She won’t have any way to attack enemies she comes across other than throwing a lantern at them. Or she can simply hide under a table. While we didn’t expect any combat prowess, that doesn’t make it any less fun. However, making things worse are several cranks she must slowly turn in order to progress. If an enemy stops you, the crank will slowly turn back, making everything take that much longer. Needless to say, you’ll be missing having control of Leon throughout.

#14: Parking Garage Tutorial

“Driver” (1999)

Tutorials are a necessary feature for games to teach the player the basics. Some may be boring, but they’re usually helpful. That is, except for the case of “Driver.” Before you get into the story about an undercover cop in a criminal organization, you have to pass a test to prove you can be a getaway driver. Said test takes place in a parking garage, where you must perform a series of maneuvers in an extremely short time frame. Some are simple, while others are complex; unless you’re a fan of skiing, you probably won’t know what a slalom is. Plus, if you damage the other cars around you too much, you have to start over.

#13: Welcome to the Machine

“Ecco the Dolphin” (1992)

One might expect a game where you play as a dolphin to be pleasant. But that is definitely not the case with “Ecco.” Players must combat an invasive alien race throughout the game, culminating when Ecco visits their home planet. ‘Welcome to the Machine’ is an auto-scroller with an abundance of paths, giving it a maze-like quality as well as a plethora of ways to kill you. Unless you’re able to memorize the exact routes, Ecco is going to get crushed. If he’s not, it’ll be the drones that dive in from off-screen that do you in. All of this is plenty awful, but it’s compounded by the fact that there are no checkpoints.

#12: Can’t Wait to Be King

“The Lion King” (1994)

Even if you haven’t played this tie-in, there’s a good chance you’ve heard about its ridiculously high difficulty for a children's game. The second level, which recreates the “I Just Can’t Wait to be King” sequence, is far less enjoyable to play through than it is to watch. Simba uses a variety of animals to get through different platforming sections. Riding an ostrich and jumping over quick-coming hazards is certainly tricky. However, the most irksome sections deal with monkeys that toss Simba between them. You can roar to make pink monkeys change their direction. But with most hidden off-screen, there’s still no telling where you’ll end up without a lot of trial and error. It takes the utmost patience to make it through.

#11: The Great Maze

“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” (2008)

“Super Smash Bros. Brawl” is often considered one of the weaker entries. Something it has above all others, though, is the Subspace Emissary, a grand story mode that brings in all characters. However, right before you reach the final boss, you’re hit with a level that is both boring and frustrating. Not only does the Great Maze recycle all of the level environments you’ve already played through, but also many of the boss and mini-boss fights. The layout is exceptionally annoying since you’ll often reach a dead end and have to work your way back. It’s meant to act as a penultimate challenge, but all it manages to do is suck out all the fun the story mode had managed to build up.

#10: Elphael, Brace of the Haligtree

“Elden Ring” (2022)

It’s good to see that FromSoftware has never lost its edge amidst the pleas for an Easy mode. But that doesn’t mean we can’t get frustrated when its games pummel us into the ground. As an optional dungeon found during the endgame, Elphael is reserved for the most hearty of players. It’s a massive castle with plenty of branching paths, so there’s a lot to uncover here. Unfortunately, exploring means encountering the toughest enemies the game has to offer. Given the studio’s reputation, that’s saying a lot. It’s an onslaught of damage that you’ll likely be unprepared for, no matter what. It ends with a fight against Malenia, who quickly became known as the most grueling boss in the game.

#9: The Great Bay Temple

“The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask” (2000)

We’re sure many of you were expecting the Water Temple from “Ocarina of Time”, but we honestly think its hate is overblown. The Great Bay Temple, on the other hand, could do with a little more hatred. It’s already more tense given the game’s three day time loop, which will force you to do certain things over if you don’t finish quickly enough. Its layout is also confusing. Most areas are connected by a central pool, whose flow affects what rooms you have access to. You’ll end up swimming through its pipelines numerous times, either to fix something you missed or, more likely, by accident. Retreading ground in a game with a giant time limit is a recipe for stress.

#8: Stage 6-2

“Ninja Gaiden” (1988)

“Ninja Gaiden” shows players how deadly the life of a ninja can be, especially in this infamous level. The objective here is as simple as it is in all the rest: reach the end without dying too much. What makes this near impossible, however, is the onslaught of enemies. Some of them are placed in cheap locations while others divebomb you from the side of the screen. And since any step in either direction, no matter how slight, causes those off-screen enemies to respawn, you’ll have your work cut out for you. It’s also a pretty lengthy stage. Considering each level has a time limit, there will be no moments of peace here.

#7: Aztec

“GoldenEye 007” (1997)

We all have fond memories of pouring hours into “GoldenEye,” whether it be the iconic multiplayer or the campaign recreated from the movie. But none of our fond memories are of this place. The Aztec level is unlocked after completing the story on Normal difficulty. And it is much harder than the game will have prepared you for. Every enemy, including the powerful Jaws, will have high-powered weapons on top of improved accuracy and reaction time. Which is to say they’re going to hit you and it is going to hurt. If you die…sorry, when you die, you’ll be forced to start the level over. This is where your skills as an agent are really put to the test.

#6: The Meat Circus

“Psychonauts” (2005)

You know things are bad when later releases have to fix a level’s difficulty. “Psychonauts” tasks players with platforming through the minds of its various zany characters. The final level, “Meat Circus,” is the product of two psyches brought together. However, it also brings elements that are exceedingly maddening. One section has you escort a character with little health, while others are comprised of unforgiving platforming. You have little lives, very few checkpoints, and some of your objectives are simply unclear. It has a reputation for its massive spike in difficulty, making it an unbalanced nightmare in an otherwise extremely enjoyable game. We’re grateful it was scaled back so that future players could actually end on a positive note.

#5: Farewell

“Celeste” (2018)

Even some of the most beautiful, emotionally fulfilling games can have levels that make you want to rip your hair out. “Celeste” is one of those games. Following its release, the developers issued a free DLC titled “Farewell.” To say that it made every other level look like a cakewalk would be an understatement, which is saying a lot considering how tough the majority of the game is. “Farewell” was designed with the hardcore in mind. It’s incredibly long and some areas are mostly hazards with a small safe path and no spots to rest. It also enforces techniques you’d really only need beforehand if you were speedrunning. The temptation to turn on any of its Assist Modes will be strong.

#4: “Through the Fire and Flames”

“Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock” (2007)

You may scoff to find a “Guitar Hero” track so high. But that must mean you’ve never tried to make it through Dragonforce’s “Through the Fire and the Flames.” One of the most shreddiest metal songs in existence, this track will have your fingers stumbling over the keys even on the lowest difficulty. You won’t even have time to register what’s happening before you’re at least a dozen notes behind. And at that point, you may as well start over. That was the pain many of us faced when attempting to conquer this track. Only those who practiced over and over could perfect the timing. With songs like this, “Legends of Rock” was a suitable name.

#3: The Dam

“Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” (1989)

In the late 80s, the Ninja Turtles were everywhere. Kids may have been excited to get an NES game with the heroes in a half shell. But that excitement turned sour almost immediately with one of the most famously unfair levels in gaming history. This underwater section has you diffuse eight bombs as one of the turtles. The swimming controls are pretty poor, but that’s not the worst part. There’s also electric seaweed surrounding pretty much everything, leaving you little room for error. Still, maybe players could’ve done this slowly if not for the time limit of 2 minutes and 20 seconds. It basically forces you to act quickly, ensuring you’ll get killed in the process.

#2: The Perfect Run

“Super Mario Galaxy 2” (2010)

“Super Mario Galaxy 2’s” Grandmaster Galaxy is a gauntlet bringing together many of the mechanics, enemies, and platforming elements seen across the game. It’s the final level you unlock, and so it naturally poses a pretty big challenge. But after you’ve beaten it, you then have the option to do it again. Only this time, you die in one hit and there are no checkpoints. With so many different ways to die here, it’s probable you’ll experience all of them during the Perfect Run. It’ll take everything in you not to snap your Wiimote in half once you reach the double digits. Anyone can play Mario, but only the strongest can reach this level’s end.

#1: Turbo Tunnel

“Battletoads” (1991)

“Battletoads” is one of the most challenging, frustrating games ever created. It’s even harder in co-op since there’s no way to turn off friendly fire! It reaches peak difficulty (and, as a result, iconism) during the Turbo Tunnel level. Following some standard beat ‘em up gameplay, you’ll be forced to make it the rest of the way on bike. The bike’s speed is so immense, you’ll barely have time to think before you crash into one of the many, many walls. But that’s only the first section. As it goes on, you’ll also need to hit ramps, dodge holes and other hazards, all of which come at you with lightning-fast speed. This level will likely remain in infamy for all time.