Platformer games have been a staple of the video game industry for decades, but not all are created equal. Some, like Cuphead, are designed to test players’ patience, reflexes, and mental fortitude to the breaking point.

While the genre might seem simplistic, many developers have taken it upon themselves to create some of the most unforgiving and soul-crushing experiences in gaming history. Here are five of the most challenging platformers ever created.

5. Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy Getting Over It has gotten a lot of tables smashed. | Image Credit: Bennet Foddy

Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy is a game designed to frustrate. Players control a man named Diogenes, who is inexplicably trapped in a cauldron and must climb an abstract mountain using only a sledgehammer. The game’s physics are intentionally awkward, making even the simplest movements difficult to execute.

One wrong move can send you tumbling back to the beginning,...