If you’ve recently picked up Cuphead on Switch and find yourself itching for another challenging and punishing experience, we got you covered.
We’ve compiled a list of 5 of the most challenging Switch games you should beat after Cuphead which will definitely test your might.
Dead Cells
2017 rogue-like action-platformer Dead Cells is punishing to no end, with the player starting a run again after each defeat. These restarts aren’t just punishing setbacks though, as each new run allows the player to upgrade using cells to unlock permanent skill and weapon upgrades from a blacksmith.
In Dead Cells, you play as a blob which assumes control of a body in an attempt to escape the prison. Although levels are randomly generated, you can always rely on shops and treasure chests to be found in the main hub before you head out on a new run, creating a place of comfort.
Dead Cells has 17 different areas to explore, but they can’t all be seen in one run, encouraging the player to explore new paths after each death – meaning you’ll be navigating Dead Cells’ Biomes for quite some time.
Celeste
Developer MattMakesGames struck gold with his 2018 platformer Celeste, and if you haven’t yet got your hands on it, you’ll want to – even although its post-game content will torture you.
Celeste is about a girl named Madeline who is trying to climb Celeste mountain, discovering a lot about herself and the mountain’s mysteries on the way. Celeste’s main story and additional content focus on one main mechanic, Madeline’s dash ability, an ability which is explored and challenged throughout the levels.
Celeste’s gorgeous visuals and beautiful soundtrack can have you doubting what level of challenge it presents, but you shouldn’t let it fool you. Underneath its artistic flair, it doesn’t hold back when cranking up the difficulty.
Celeste really gets difficult when attempting its B side levels, unlocked by collecting cassette tapes. B-side level variants are sure to test your skills and your patience, and if that wasn’t enough pain, the C-sides up the ante with shorter but more difficult versions of the levels yet again.
In Celeste, much like in Cuphead, death is just a part of playing, with the games death counter taunting you after every level. Celeste encourages you not to see it this way, however, as the games loading screens encourage a more positive approach to the death counter as a measurement of how much you’ve learned.
Super Meatboy
Super Meat Boy released back in 2010 and is a well-known name to many thanks to its demanding and difficult platforming, a trait it prides itself on. Sequel to the 2008 flash game, Super Meat Boy follows the story of Meat boy who is trying to save his lover –Bandage girl– from Dr. Fetus – a bizarre premise to say the least.
Meat boy moves rapidly and is able to jump and wall jump through levels, avoiding sharp obstacles and such in the environment with precise joystick movements and timing.
Super Meat Boy’s levels are composed of mostly squares which aid in predicting movements, as Meat boy himself occupies just under one square of space.
Labelling Super Meat Boy as a classic would be no understatement, as it offers as much reward and hilarity as it does challenge. Zooming and bouncing through levels is ultimately a rewarding and exhilarating experience that is worth experiencing again or for the first time on Switch.
The Binding of Isaac Afterbirth+
The Binding of Isaac is a dungeon-crawler classic, and the Switch’s Afterbirth+ version adds to this effect and includes all of the games expansions and DLC. The rogue-like action RPG shooter is infuriatingly addictive and is one of the most replayable games of all time thanks to its randomly generated dungeons, catchy music, and simple hook.
Exploring the sprawling basement rooms and slaughtering grotesque enemies provides a seemingly endless stream of challenge, with procedural levels bringing players a fresh new experience each run.
As Isaac, you come into every fresh playthrough more powerful and more informed, a similar dynamic to that found in Dead Cells. Unlocking all characters, new items and bosses for future playthroughs, and difficulty changes can prove challenging; achieving 100% completion will take at least a few hundred hours of gameplay.
Enter the Gungeon
Enter the Gungeon has a lot in common with The Binding of Isaac, as a roguelike twin-stick shooter with a similar format and focus on difficulty. Shooting hordes of gun-based enemies such as the bullets pictured above is satisfying and smooth; there’s also a broad range of characters to choose from and master.
In Enter the Gungeon, the player chooses from 4 different protagonists, The convict, hunter, marine, and pilot. These ‘gungeoneers’ are in search of a gun which is said to be able to destroy the past.
Enter the Gungeon embraces the fun of looter shooters and mowing down the ‘gundead’ in search of loot is rewarding without feeling too grindy. There are just short of 250 guns in the game, so you won’t feel like there’s a lack of loot to be obtained either.
The portable form factor of the Switch makes Enter the Gungeon a challenging and fun time-killer which is just as difficult to put down as it is to 100%.
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