Games That Expect You To Know How To Play Them

Tired of getting your hand held in titles to the point that you want to be just let loose in a game that tells you jack about its main objective, direction, and sometimes even the basic controls? I got you. Playing through the likes of God of War Ragnarok can often leave one feeling this way, with Atreus hot on your heels as you try solving a puzzle with some peace and quiet. Yeah, even Sunny Suljic was sick of it.

A far cry from any of that, therefore, I present you this piece where we go through some really challenging games that have been known to put players through their paces in this particular regard. Sure, when you start figuring things out, it gets a bit easier, but at the start, oh boy. 

Yeah, You’re On Your Own In These Games, Buddy 

I do have to clarify here that the following entries reflect a personal opinion, and aren’t definitive in any form or manner. If you feel as if another title should be on here as well, take to the comments section below and tell me all about it. 

1. Path Of Exile

With an exceptional crafting system that goes above and beyond what you’ve grown used to typically, Path of Exile is a game of many talents, but here’s one facet where it takes a considerable nosedive: Beginner-friendliness. Even if you’re a seasoned RPG player of a huge franchise — say Diablo — you’re going to have a hard time figuring out what goes where in this title, that’s pretty much guaranteed. 

It’s extremely grindy, right to the point where the first 1,000 hours are what Path of Exile players consider just the tutorial phase. On the flip side, though, the RPG is amazing when it comes to value for money. Purchase one, and practically play for a long, long time. 

2. Outer Wilds

Technically, it’s wrong for me to say that this game does not have a tutorial. It does, but it goes little in the way of explaining to the player how progression actually takes place in Outer Wilds. I have a lot to say about the space explorer, though it’s best that we keep the details vague here. It’s one of those fantastic experiences that have to be dived into blindly. Otherwise, it’s not the same.

I consider Outer Wilds nothing short of a video game treasure, and I can’t help but feel that it does not get recommended enough. Catch a glance at the title’s gameplay in the following video by Jacksepticeye, and see if it piques your interest. 

3. Elden Ring 

It’s not just this Soulslike that should be on here, but given how it’s the latest in FromSoftware’s extended line-up of unequivocally grueling action RPGs and employs an open-world format that makes things more complicated, I thought it fit to include. Elden Ring’s quest design is bonkers.

Right off The First Step campfire, you feel stranded on The Lands Between, with no one telling you where to go and who to pick fights with (I’m looking at you Tree Sentinel). Sure, you eventually do find out where to go, but it’s not until you’ve died hundreds of times over with a firm reality check pushed in your hand.

In any case, Elden Ring is going down in history for its class. eXputer reviewed the FromSoft masterpiece, giving it the title of the “Greatest Soulsborne Game to Date.” A similar story follows for the game’s recently released Shadow of the Erdtree RPG, earning a 5/5 in the outlet’s dedicated write-up.

4. Terraria 

Re-Logic’s Terraria is a slow burn, meaning that the sandbox game’s progression occurs at an unrushed pace. Alongside that, the title sure knows how not to hold your hand, especially if you dive into it without prior experience. An in-game guide tries its best to explain Terraria’s structure, but at the end of the day, you can only learn so much from a half-baked journal. 

5. Kerbal Space Program

You’ve got games like Tears of the Kingdom, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Ghost of Tsushima out there offering high-quality entertainment, but there are some titles in the industry that are meant to teach, not amuse. Kerbal Space Program is one of them, and it’s going to test your physics knowledge more than you’d like to admit, and then build upon it dramatically. 

Without some know-how of the subject, Kerbal will be hard in the beginning, but if you keep your intuition in check, you’ll get there. An absolutely terrific game that I recommend players pick up without a second thought in mind.