The Holiday Season is almost here, and what better gifts to buy for your loved ones than new games? The most difficult people to buy gifts for are hardcore gamers, as the usual stuff just doesn’t cut it for them. You really need to give them games that let them sink their teeth in and present a real challenge.
This Insider Gaming guide will highlight some of the best game gifts you can purchase for hardcore gamers. The list includes some of the most challenging titles in recent times, which will really test players’ mettle.
Do check out Insider Gaming’s Holiday 2025 hub for the best deals on games, hardware, and more.
Elden Ring
Let’s start with the big one itself, Elden Ring, the game of the year for 2022. FromSoftware has done wonders with this title, blending its unmatched Soulslike formula with a vast, expansive open world. Elden Ring also features Shadow of the Erdtree DLC, which gives you a lot more hours with new locations, bosses, and weapons.
Bloodborne
Blooborne is a title for true soulslike players looking to take on one of the biggest challenges yet. However, it is exclusive to PlayStation 4, so players will not be able to play it on other platforms and will be restricted to the resolution and performance of previous-gen consoles when playing it on the PS5. At the same time, the fun a hardcore gamer will have with this title is unmatched.
Cuphead
Cuphead is a classic run-and-gun action game, with a focus on platforming and boss battles. It is inspired by the cartoons of the 1930s. It features visuals and audio created with the same techniques of that era: traditional hand-drawn cel animation, watercolor backgrounds, and original jazz recordings. The game presents a real challenge for even hardcore gamers, and if it becomes too difficult, they can have a friend join them in local co-op.
Sifu
Sifu is a third-person brawler that has intricate, kung-fu-based combat mechanics. There’s another innovative mechanic in the title, where the player ages every time they die, learning more in the process, but becoming weaker as well as time goes on. In this quest for revenge, players will have no allies, just countless enemies to battle across various environments, with only a mysterious amulet to save their lives (only for some time).
Super Meat Boy
Super Meat Boy is an excellent pick for a holiday gift for gamers, as it features a lot of content that players can enjoy, and it is tough as nails. It features the old-school difficulty of classic NES titles like Mega Man 2, Ghosts’ n Goblins, and Super Mario Bros. 2 (the Japanese one). It also has over 300 levels across more than five chapters, with some struggle-worthy boss fights.
Hollow Knight: Silksong
Hollow Knight: Silksong is the most recent game in the list and also an excellent purchase for hardcore gamers. It’s a soulslike metroidvania title where players indulge in lethal acrobatic combat. The game will put forth a real challenge with over 200 ferocious beasts to fight and more than 40 legendary bosses to take down. The game also includes a Steel Soul mode, which offers an even greater challenge.
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
If you know anything about the soulslike genre, then you might have heard of Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and if the player hasn’t played this title, then there are few better games for hardcore gamers to take on. It is the game of the year for 2019, where you play as a one-armed wolf and dwell in cut-throat sword-based combat. The game takes place during 1500s Sengoku Japan, and players will have to use deadly prosthetic tools and powerful ninja abilities to blend stealth, vertical traversal, and visceral head-to-head combat.
Lies of P
Lies of P is one of the newer soulslike games from Neowiz, but it is still a top choice for a gift for hardcore gamers. It also features the ‘Overture’ DLC, which has already won ‘Best Game Expansion’ at the Golden Joystick Awards 2025. The game is a reinterpretation of the classic tale of Pinocchio, where you play as a puppet created by Geppetto in the Belle Epoque era.
Dark Souls Remastered
This 2018 title lets players experience the genre-defining game that started it all for soulslike titles. It features the 2011 game with upgraded visuals and 60 fps performance, making gameplay feel much smoother. It features a dark, deep universe where each ending becomes a new beginning, and the difficulty of this game is no joke.
Demon’s Souls
Demon’s Souls is another PlayStation exclusive available only on the PS5, but it is still a solid gift for a hardcore gamer. The 2003 game for the PS3 has been entirely rebuilt from the ground up and masterfully enhanced for the current-gen consoles. This game will not only test the player’s reflexes but also their strategic decision-making.
Which of these games do you think is the best holiday gift for a hardcore gamer? Leave a comment down below or share your thoughts in Insider Gaming Discord.
NOTE: Insider Gaming may earn an affiliate commission if you purchase items through links on Insider Gaming. Read more about affiliate commission here.
