7 Most Challenging Games for PC

Sometimes it’s really satisfying to spend a while on a video game where you make progress quickly and easily. It feels like you fly through the challenges and nothing is too taxing. However, sometimes it’s nice to have a game that you can really get your teeth stuck into.

We’ve rounded up four of the most challenging games for PC users. Some of them require lightning-fast reactions, some require the logic skills of a chess grandmaster, but all of them will have you gripped for hours on end.

1. Minesweeper

The first game on the list is likely to be one that many are familiar with, but few have mastered. Minesweeper was one of the games that came as standard with the Microsoft package and blasting your way through the first couple of levels was relatively easy (if you bothered to read the instructions).

However, once it got past the first couple of levels, everything became a great deal more difficult. The aim of the game was to successfully identify all of the mines, without actually clicking on any of them and blowing yourself up. As the levels progressed, the grids got larger, and finding all of those pesky mines got a good deal more difficult.

2. Riven

If you’re into the puzzle solving element of games then Riven could be a good choice for you. It’s the sequel to Myst, a puzzle game that was fiendishly difficult, but universally beloved by fans of the genre.

Riven takes all of the brilliant elements of Myst and puts them into a slightly new, and much more confusing format. In Riven you can wander through the enormous map and have no idea which puzzle you’re trying to complete or why. It’s like a riddle in video game format and one that lateral thinkers will revel in.

However, if you’re not a lateral thinker, or you like to have your hand held through puzzle games, then this one is absolutely not for you.

3. Dota 2

Our next pick is a huge multiplayer game for PC, that is super popular and for good reason, it’s brilliant. This game requires you to take on a pretty steep learning curve if you want to get even midway through the echelons of players.

New players have a hard route ahead of them getting to grips with battling just in time to be wiped out, yet again, by a ruthless and seasoned player. Once you’ve got the hang of Dota 2 it certainly gets easier, but there will always be somebody better than you waiting just around the corner to absolutely wipe the floor with you at any given moment.

4. Poker

Chess is often the ‘go-to’ for online/offline challenging games, but take a moment to consider poker. This game is what’s known as a game of incomplete information, basically meaning that nobody knows what’s in one another’s hands. This means that there’s an added element of guesswork in poker, that isn’t there in chess.

Good players will tell you that becoming a master of working out probabilities is essential if you want to make it to the higher levels in poker. So, as well as being great fun, poker can also provide a good mental challenge and it couldn’t be simpler to get started. Heading to any of the best poker sites is the perfect way to guarantee you’ll get a good poker-playing experience, all from your smartphone or computer.

5. Path of Exile

We’re big fans of Path of Exile at Hiboox and if you’re a beginner then we’ve already written a great guide on getting started with belts. However, this is not a game for the faint of heart. You will need to throw yourself into learning about the seven different character classes before even starting so that you can make sure that your skills line up with the unique benefits and drawbacks of each of the classes.

The good news is that the game is free to play, so you can figure things out without worrying about racking up any bills or needing to start over. Exploring the massive world in this game is the fun part, there’s so much to discover and endless opportunities for adventure. Things get a little more difficult when you bump into the more experienced players, but learning your strengths and weaknesses will stand you in good stead.

6. Civilization VI

If you’re looking for a single-player game that offers good graphics, high-spec gaming, and a real logic challenge then Civilization VI is for you. This gaming franchise has been going for more than two decades, so they have had plenty of time to perfect their recipe. In order to win, you’ll need to create a civilization that is dominant over all others. You can do this via four different methods, or up to six depending on if you’re playing with expansion packs or not.

The difficulty is that all of the other civilizations that you’re playing against could be trying to do this too, so you need to be quick out of the gates and get a solid strategy together to be in with a chance of winning. For your first go at the game, try starting out on the lowest difficulty level and working your way up as you figure out the mechanics. If you’re a fan of Minesweeper, then you might have a bit of a head start at this logistical challenge.

7. Spelunky

Spelunky and Spelunky 2 have a cult-like following thanks to the adorable graphics style and the fiendishly difficult gameplay. This game invites you to go spelunking (or cave exploring to you and I), with a cute character and a side-on, Super Mario style layout. The first few levels are easy and you are absolutely sure to fly through them, but the further into the game you get, the more difficult things become.

This is a great setup because you really learn the controls, your character’s limitations, and the way that the developers are thinking before you’re thrown into the really difficult stuff. If you ever make it to the final levels, what is known as The Temple, then you’ve made it a whole lot further than probably 90% of the people who’ve tried this game. However, actually completing The Temple is something that even the best of gamers can rarely manage to do.