Open-World games that punish you for playing on autopilot

Games as a hobby can be whatever you want. It can be relaxing and cozy, where you just go into autopilot mode and keep planting turnips Stardew Valley without a care in the world. It can also tap into your deepest power fantasies like The Witcher 3 and Skyrimwhere dying might happen once or twice, but you can recover pretty quickly and learn the ropes of battle quickly.

Then there are games that make you sweat. Exciting experiences that force you to think critically and strategically about every little detail. They can be incredibly frustrating to play, as they are quick to punish you for going into lazy mode, but they are addictive for a niche of players who love to be rewarded for their hard work. If you're not stressed enough in your real life, here are some games you need to fully lock down.

The forest

Starts slowly, but builds into a tough crescendo

The forest starts off pretty tame, but what makes this game a challenge is the increasing difficulty of the enemies over time. Like all survival games, you need to be well prepared and you need to think strategically here. It all starts with your choice of base location and setting up solid defense systems through traps against the cannibals that share the island with you. Even if you are ready for battle, do not underestimate your enemies: you are alone and they are many.

It can also be tempting to go out and explore on a whim, but you must always be 100% prepared, especially if you venture into some of the caves found on the island. These are some of the toughest places in The forestso make sure you have the right equipment, weapons, food and, of course, water. Basically, it's a game where you're constantly working to prepare yourself, a race against the clock, almost, and not having a clear plan or goal to work towards will eventually lead to dying over and over again.

Outwards

Planning ahead is everything

Outwards is a brutal fantasy RPG world where you play as you are Skyrim will immediately earn you more than just a slap on the wrist. The world is very unforgiving, and it takes serious work to become powerful. You have to grind for good armor, cook and brew potions to strengthen yourself. Until then, don't even think about challenging any enemy you find out there, let alone wandering into a dungeon. Even in a group, it's not uncommon for enemies to destroy players in just a couple of hits.

This is a game that favors those who have the patience to plan. Because it has a heavy dose of RPG gameplay, you might not think of it as a survival game, but it shares many similarities with other games in the genre in that you have to choose your battles strategically while looking after needs like sleep and thirst. Even when holding your own later in the game, combat isn't something you should take lightly, as attack patterns are a real thing.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Going in guns blazing will get you killed

STALKER 2 may be a shooter, but you're not exactly Master Chief in this game. Part of the difficulty comes from what is widely known as STALKER jank, a persistent problem from previous games in the franchise. IN The heart of Chornobylenemies have been reported to see you through walls and even shoot you through walls without looking at you. Keep in mind that the original games were known to be much more punishing than this, and STALKER 2 still punishes immensely for the uninitiated.

Stealth and strategy are your best friends in this game, and running in guns blazing is usually a death sentence. Not only do you have to pay attention to your surroundings and the unfairly aligned enemies, but also to your equipment, ammunition and any consumables. You should feel confident going into an area with a plan in mind. It can be tempting to rush encounters and feel powerful with a new gun in hand, but the game is always one step ahead of you. Knowing it's a marathon, not a sprint, will get you far in the zone. Oh, and save often, because you will die often.

Green hell

The title is not a joke

Back to more survival games, Green hell is one that definitely lives up to its own name with brutal gameplay. The tropical wilderness is an unforgiving place, and surviving it will test your guts, health and mental patience. Running around aimlessly will kill you very quickly in this game, and again, trying to rush your objectives or force a plan that has fallen through will only lead to more disappointment.

Where Green hell really shines is that it respects your intelligence. It's a game that tests your observation and learning skills in the wild, as you listen for signals from threats like jaguars and crocodiles. There is absolutely no hand-holding involved here; it's up to you to figure out what it will take for you to survive, but a healthy dose of common sense and logic will come in handy here. It's not a power fantasy game or Minecraftbut, so expect the pace to be much slower and the game to be brutally stressful, especially in the beginning when you establish a safehouse and figure out your water and food sources.

Kenshi

The world is ungratefully evil

Since we're on the topic of brutal worlds, Kenshi is another title that will only reward players with enough resilience and patience. It's a title that loves to remind you regularly that your existence is irrelevant, and that you're not actually Geralt of Rivia or Dragonborn. You are simply a survivor, but the good thing is that it is up to you to decide what your story will be. There's a lot of freedom involved, though it comes with a steep cost and a hefty learning curve.

Kenshi The first (several) hours are a brutal experience where you have to learn skills, die and die again. You'll be ambushed, attacked, and shot at again, and then you'll have to recover to full health in the game. Its combat will quickly frustrate anyone jumping in without proper gear and preparation, sending them back to the drawing board. The good news is that failure is a pretty effective teacher, and it's one of the more rewarding games to grind, as long as you have the patience to be methodical about your approach to survival and combat.

Project Zomboid

Be ready for anything, anytime

Even if Project Zomboid lets you tailor its experience to be a little less punishing than some of its more “standard” modes, we're going to focus on the standard experience you'll find in the Apocalypse game mode. This means pretty tough zombies that are smart and deadly, especially if the player gets trampled. As you raid the world for items to survive and figure out your safehouse, you really have to take things slow and methodical to avoid getting loads of zombies at once or succumbing to fatigue.

This means that everything takes a long time Project Zomboidand every decision you make has to be calculated, including where you enter a building from, what you're working on next, and what your plan is if things go wrong and you end up setting off an alarm. Since you need to be constantly aware of your surroundings as well, you can just rush into a building, but you need to check your corners and what's hiding behind closed doors. It's really a tense experience that will quickly get you bitten and injured if you're not careful.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2

Realistic close combat that punishes reckless slashing

Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 was released in 2025, and many newcomers thought it was a more grounded, non-fantasy Skyrim RPG, were surprised by the battle. Yes, it's a far cry from the rather forgiving melee that fights in Skyrim. Even the previous game was well known for its deep and realistic combat that encourages patience and observation. It's a game where both Henry's training and the player's constant training against enemies pays off.

You have to pay attention in battle, wait for the clues to hit the perfect block and wait for you when it comes to the offensive. Just mindlessly slashing at someone will drain your stamina and will quickly cause your opponents to cut you down without mercy. It's definitely not everyone's cup of tea, but if it clicks for you, it can be an extremely fun and rewarding system.

Fire Ring

Don't snooze, even while exploring

Of course we needed a Soulslike game here, and Fire Ring is the perfect candidate. While arguably one of the easier and more accessible of its genre to get into, Fire Ring don't let yourself get complacent. There are some pretty tough bosses in the game (we all remember Malenia), and the DLC ups the difficulty even further. You can't mindlessly hack away at bosses; evasion and timing are important parts of any Tarnished player's skill set. Bosses aside, even just exploring the dungeons and different locations will keep you on your toes. There are enemies lurking around corners, ready to chain stun you, as well as tanky, patrolling knights who force you to play for your life to the next mercy.

Of course, as you get more powerful, these challenges become trivial, but on your first playthrough for an older dungeon, unless you're grossly overleveled, you better keep your eyes open and your finger on the so-called trigger. It's not uncommon for a death screen to attack you out of nowhere, especially with powerful and devastating status effects like Bleed, Scarlet Rot, and Death Blight that can be applied by single enemies.