Mobile games are among the most accessible video games out there. These days, nearly everyone—from you to your mother—has access to a gaming device that fits in your pocket. However, that doesn’t mean mobile games are only for casual gamers.
With innovative studios and developers creating (and porting) gaming experiences for the touchscreen, there are many challenging mobile games that scratch the itch for those quick, hardcore gaming sessions.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of the most difficult mobile games for gaming enthusiasts. From endless runners to rhythm games, our list has the perfect difficult mobile game for you. (Make sure to get yourself a Google Play gift card from OffGamers here to get over some of those pesky paywalls and ads.)
On to the list!
Dead Cells
This critically acclaimed 2D platformer-roguelike is beautiful to look at and brutal to play. In Dead Cells, you play as an alchemic experiment come to life, exploring spooky levels and defeating humanoid monsters and other enemies. The cycle of combat and exploration will continue until you fail a run.
Yes, Dead Cells is a roguelike, which means you will die often. But based on your progress, you will unlock better weapons and abilities and new traversal options to take new routes.
The combat is simple. You can fight enemies with two primary weapons, with evasive options to help you dodge out of harm’s way. You can use hefty items like giant broadswords and shields, or explosive bows. However, the bosses can be fierce and will test your reflexes. Your reactions must be perfect against these unforgiving enemies, and you must be on the move constantly.
Such moves can be difficult to pull off on the touchscreen of a mobile phone, adding to the challenge of Dead Cells. However, it’s a challenge worth tackling, if just for the satisfaction of a flawless run.
Out There: Ω Edition
This award-winning space exploration title blends the roguelike, resource management, and interactive fiction genres to present an unforgettable experience.
In Out There, you play an astronaut who wakes up in an uncharted part of the galaxy. Your goal is to survive, fix up your ship, gather resources, and use garden planets to refill your oxygen levels.
It’s lovely to look at, thanks in large part to its neon-heavy art style. But Out There is not for casual gamers. The difficulty can be punishing since you are constantly managing multiple things. Not only do you have to learn random technology to tinker with your ship, but you also have to survive electrical storms, computer viruses, and aliens! All that while finding new planets to stock up on oxygen.
While there is no conventional combat, more than 350 story choices will dictate your progress. There are four endings, and ten swanky spaceships to discover.
Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy
Be warned: Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy will frustrate you. You play as a man in a pot trying to climb up a mountain with his giant hammer. If that isn’t weird enough, the creator of the game, Bennett Foddy, will comment on your progress.
Thanks to its frustration factor, Getting Over It has become a favorite among streamers and casual gamers. But whereas on PC the mouse’s high sensitivity and cumbersome controls add to the brutal difficulty, Getting Over It plays surprisingly well on the touchscreen.
You swing the hammer using your finger, with adjustable sensitivity. This results in accurate swings and a sweet, satisfying climb up the mountain. Don’t get it twisted: You’ll still fall again and again. But the game physics are fair, the commentary is amusing, and the gameplay loop is just addictive enough for you to stay hooked.
The Impossible Game
The hint is in the name.
The Impossible Game lives up to its billing with its unrelenting pace. You tap the touchscreen to make your orange square jump and make its way across a level. However, the 2D platformer auto scrolls, which means it plays out more like an endless runner.
Hit an obstacle, and you’ll need to start again. There are flag checkpoints to resume your journey, and the groovy soundtrack also provides musical cues for you to time the jump. Still, you’ll find yourself retrying, over and over.
Even though it’s difficult, The Impossible Game isn’t unfair. Since you’re just jumping over the obstacles, the gameplay never feels out of your control. It’s about precision and timing, and you can also hone your skills via a practice mode.
Duet
Whereas prior titles on this list feature challenging combat, unrelenting pacing, and intensive resource management, Duet asks you to stay calm.
In this puzzle game, you play as a pair of orbs—one red, one blue. You can touch either side of the screen to move the balls left and right. The goal is to avoid hitting any obstacles. If either ball hits an obstacle, both go to the beginning. The simple, initial stages will hook you before the difficulty and pace ramp up.
To survive in Duet, you have to maintain your cool. And the best way to do so is by grooving to the game’s lovely soundtrack.
Smash Hit
Just like Duet, you’re again controlling balls in Smash Hit. The major difference is, instead of avoiding obstacles, you’ll be smashing through them.
This minimalist runner has you break glass obstacles to proceed through a series of 50 rooms. The beautiful music and audio effects change with every room, and the obstacles move to the beat. That means you must keep an ear out for the changing tempo.
The pretty graphics and addicting gameplay loop won’t let you put your phone down until you’ve overcome every last obstacle.
Voez
What is a list of challenging mobile games without a rhythm title?
Game studio Rayark has released several challenging rhythm games for mobile phones, such as the Cytus series. However, Voez is a unique game with excellent indie music from South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan.
The gameplay loop is simple. You hold, tap, slide, or swipe on the notes to the beat. While the game starts out simple enough, the songs get progressively tougher. Before long, you’ll be racing to hit multiple sections of the screen via multi-touch, as the board and notes adapt to the pulsing music.
However, Voez is a game worth the difficulty. Not only is the soundtrack a superb mix of K-Pop, electronica, and piano instrumentals, but it also features breathtaking hand-drawn artwork.
Final Thoughts
Challenges come in all shapes, sizes, and genres. While certain genres like runners and rhythm games dominate mobile gaming, the titles mentioned in our list have put their unique, unforgiving twist on the formula.
What are your favorite challenging mobile games? Let us know in the comments below!
