Top 30 Most Frustrating Video Game Levels

“God of War” (2005)

At a certain point in Kratos’ first adventure, he’ll be sent to the Underworld. And his only means of escape is through an agonizing platforming section. In between groups of enemies, players must jump between tiny platforms and walk precariously across spinning cylinders with giant blades sticking out of them. With one misstep, or brush against a blade, Kratos falls to his death, which is going to happen a lot. Throwing in an obstacle course like this, with little to no platforming in previous levels, annoyed a lot of players. The very worst part comes at the end, where you make a long climb up one of those rotating blade cylinders. Getting knocked down to the bottom is enough to make you rage.

“Mafia” (2002)

When Hangar 13 chose to remake “Mafia,” director Alex Cox stated one of the most prominent questions from players was whether they fixed this mission. That alone should tell you how infamous it has grown over the years. The problem comes at the end of the mission, where you must win a race. Something about the physics and handling of the 1930s cars just doesn’t mesh well, and the sharp turns only add to the supreme annoyance in anyone trying to come out on top. It seems so simple, right? We’ve all played racing games before. Well, this isn’t that. And every loading screen after every fail just let us stew in our anger.

“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.

“Max Payne” (2001)

In theory, confronting your severely damaged protagonist with haunting dream sequences of his family’s demise is a fantastic idea. In execution, though, it’s a test in patience. Max finds himself in a nightmare where he must relive some of his troubled past, and the developers seemingly wanted to make it just as hard on us. At a certain point, he’ll have to navigate a maze in a pitch black room, with only a thin red line as your path. It is very easy to get turned around in here or fall off the side and have to start over. Oh, and there’s a baby crying the entire time, which doesn’t exactly help you focus.

“Earthworm Jim” (1994)

Time limits are natural stress causers in any video game. This level in “Earthworm Jim” gets frustrating when players climb into a small submarine to navigate narrow paths. There are two things that make this a pain. One is that Jim has 30 seconds of oxygen, and must stop to refill at specific spots. Another is that running into walls causes the glass to crack, putting you at further risk of death. The second section is worse. While you start with 100 seconds of air, the path is significantly longer, with a hidden refill station that’s easy to miss. As the time ticks down and the sub cracks at every collision, it’s hard not to tense up.

“Conker’s Bad Fur Day” (2001)

When it comes to “Conker’s Bad Fur Day,” most are quick to praise it for its over-the-top humor and violence. What can be frustrating, however, is how it switches gameplay styles or mechanics for individual sections. During the prehistoric level, Conker will be mugged by a group of cavemen. In order to reclaim his hard-earned cash, he’ll have to chase after them on a hoverboard. This race can be infuriating, primarily because you have to hit each individual racer to get some money back. There’s also a dinosaur crossing the track that’s easy to run into. And on top of them being fast, knocking out a couple racers causes the track to change. Get ready to crash a lot.

“Hollow Knight” (2017)

Pretty accurate name, that one. In general, “Hollow Knight” is a challenging game. But the Path of Pain will make you miss the rest of it. Added in the Grimm Troupe DLC, the level can be found in the White Palace, itself famous among players for its difficulty. It requires the most precise platforming you can muster. There are a ton of spinning blades and most walls and floors are covered in prickly vines. You’ll also have to dash through several tricky spots, and bounce off enemies and spikes using your weapon. Simply put, there’s no way to make it through this without a lot of trial, error, and anger.

“Spyro 2: Ripto’s Rage!” (1999)

Ask any player their least favorite type of level and there’s a good chance ‘escort mission’ will be their answer. “Spyro 2” may be a wonderful sequel, but it still features one of gaming’s most enraging escort missions. In Fracture Hills, Hunter will ask Spyro to bring him the alchemist who accidentally encased his feet in stone. Said alchemist actually isn’t far away, yet he takes the longest possible path, and one that’s full of enemies. He’ll run straight for them, too, instead of just letting you handle them until the coast is clear. It only takes a single hit before you have to start over, easily making it the worst part of the game.

“Yooka-Laylee and the Impossible Lair” (2019)

It may not be as famous as other levels on our list. But trust us that it deserves its inclusion. The plot of this platformer has you freeing members of the ‘Beetalion’ in every level, each of which give you an extra hit point for use in the Impossible Lair, available to take on whenever you want. We know the name should tip us off, but the difficulty spike here is so far beyond anything the rest of the game prepares you for. Even with every single Bee, there are no checkpoints and it goes on for an absurdly long time. Plus, a lot of the traps require perfect timing that you have to wait for, adding tedium to an already maddening level.

“Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas” (2004)

All we had to do was follow the train, but sometimes things aren’t so easy, Big Smoke! In this mission, CJ must chase after a train in which a group of Vagos gang members are riding on the top of. Unfortunately, you have to do it on a dirtbike and rely on Big Smoke’s aim to take them out. You have to balance your distance from their train car so that Smoke can actually hit them, made harder by later turns and obstacles like cars and other trains. If you fail, which many of us did, frequently, the mission isn’t reloaded. Unless you had the foresight to save right beforehand, you have to backtrack all the way across town in order to try again.

“Super Meat Boy” (2010)

There are understandably a lot of rage-inducing levels in “Super Meat Boy.” That’s kind of the point. However, the one that will make you feel more anger than most is a hidden level in Chapter 5. Inspired by the near-impossible freeware game, “I Wanna Be the Guy,” these spike-filled sections, three in total, are sure to up your blood pressure. They seem so simple to look at, but actually playing through them is a nightmare. If one of your jumps is even a hair off in its precision, you’ll go careening straight into a spike and have to start that part of the level over. The third section is obviously the toughest; those high-speed spike walls are brutal.

“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.

“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’re 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.

“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.

“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.

“Resident Evil 6” (2012)

There are a lot of frustrating things about “Resident Evil 6.” But in terms of gameplay, Chapter 2 in the story of new protagonist Jake Muller takes the cake. It sees him and ally Sherry beset by several types of enemies at once. But what makes it unbearably difficult is the fact that it all takes place in the middle of a blizzard. Good luck trying to line your shots up with constant snowfall covering the screen. The enemies themselves are, of course, more annoying because of this. Some of them are quick-moving fliers while others take pot shots with sniper rifles, and the snow doesn’t seem to hinder their sight. It’s all an annoying mess.

“Crash Bandicoot” (1996)

One of the hardest 3D platforming stages in existence, the High Road from “Crash Bandicoot” can make you want to snap a controller in two. The late-game level features all of the worst types of platforms. Narrow ones with little space to stand, ones that break after just a moment of standing on them, and ones made of ice to send you sliding over the edge. Some of its jumps are excruciating as well, requiring Crash to hop onto a turtle to gain enough momentum. It was made even more frustrating in the remake since, while physics and controls were updated, stage layout wasn’t. There’s no room for error and the High Road eats more lives than any other in the game.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“Zelda II: The Adventure of Link” (1988)

The second “Zelda” game is probably the hardest in the whole series. So, it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that its final level is a doozy. The Great Palace has a lot of factors that can cause irritation. There are a literal ton of enemies, most of which are excessively powerful, some of which shoot fireballs from afar and others that are so intimidating, they only show up here. Add on an absurd amount of floors to backtrack through and plenty of traps to fall into, and navigating this gauntlet is sure to make you suffer. That’s not to mention two bosses instead of one, the Thunderbird and Dark Link, both of which are naturally pretty tough.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

“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.

What’s the most frustrating level you’ve ever conquered? How about one that made you give up completely? Share your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to subscribe for more great videos every day!