For Insane Gamers: Punishing RNG Games to Try

It’s time to relax and play a video game that makes you brazenly mad! Some gamers just love the adrenaline of rage and moments of victory over one’s own emotions, which command one to smash a computer or console after another painful loss. We will thus proceed to the most frantic and inadequate games that you will hate as much as you will also love them (probably).

Explanation of RNG in Games First

RNG stands for Random Number Generator; it is essentially the “digital dice” that determines everything involving chance or luck in a game. Essentially, the game’s code runs a mathematical algorithm to pick a number. That number then dictates a specific outcome (like if you find a rare sword in a treasure chest or if your character lands a critical hit). There are several types of RNG, too!

Types of RNG Games

True Random Number Generation (TRNG) refers to outcomes generated by physical, unpredictable processes rather than mathematical formulas. As a rule, this is used in online casinos in solo gambling games or in video games that involve gambling. For instance, when you play Chicken Road, one of the most popular games that involves just helping a chicken cross the road, this kind of RNG will predetermine if your character dies in this round, and no one can predict the result.

In turn, regular video games use Pseudo-RNG. This is a mathematical formula that starts with a “seed” (like the current system time) to produce a sequence of numbers that look random to a human, even though they are technically calculated. It manifests in all kinds of forms! For instance:

• In RPGs and Looters: It will determine loot drops. When you kill a boss, RNG decides if you get a common wooden shield or a 0.01% drop-rate legendary sword.

• In Strategy Games: Most often, it determines hit chances. An 80% chance to hit means the game “rolls” a 100-sided die; if it lands on 81 or higher, you miss.

• In Roguelikes: RNG will influence procedural generation for you. In such games, it decides which rooms, power-ups, and enemies appear in a run.

The Best Example of RNG Video Games: The Binding of Isaac

This roguelike, which started as an indie project, has created whole communities because of its unpredictability. Literally everything depends on the mechanism of random generation: rooms, enemies, all items, bosses, special locations, and all other elements.

After 10+ years of success, gaming communities centered around The Binding of Isaac still create epic content, trying to crack the code of the RNG or deceive it to completely break a run. If you’ve heard about this game but never tried it because of visual simplicity or for any other reason — choose it over everything else that we will mention further.

Punishing RNG Games: Your New Checklist

Enough with explanations! It’s time to game. Here are your best options: popular and niche ones alike, but all are RNG horror beyond human comprehension.

#5 Noita — Being a Magician Is Actually Terrible

In Noita, you are a wizard exploring a world where every pixel is physically simulated. This creates a “chaos engine” where fire burns wood, liquids flow and react (water turns lava into stone), and electricity conducts through metal.

The game’s difficulty stems from its deep wand-crafting system, which is essentially a visual programming language. You combine spells and modifiers to create world-shattering weapons, but a single mistake (like a miscalculated explosion or a drop of acid) results in permadeath. Because the RNG determines both the world layout and the dangerous wands enemies carry, you can be “Noita’d” (instantly killed) by off-screen events at any moment. Epic.

#4 XCOM (Series) — Alien Horror (the Horror Is RNG)

One of the games in the series “Enemy Unknown.” It’s known, actually, and it’s the RNG.

Now, you will lead an elite paramilitary organization defending Earth from an alien invasion. This evil game blends high-stakes base management with brutal turn-based tactical combat.

It’s famous for “RNG salt”: even a 99% hit chance can miss, often leading to the permanent death of a veteran soldier. Success requires managing these risks and accepting the community’s unofficial motto: “That’s XCOM, baby!”

#3 Faster Than Light — Deaths Also Occur Faster Than It

In this spaceship management roguelike, the map, the enemies, and the events are all randomized. Sounds normal, until it’s not. You can play perfectly, but if the RNG doesn’t give you enough fuel or a specific weapon type early on, you will simply not be strong enough to beat the final boss. Sometimes the “dice” decide you’re going to lose before you even start the first sector…

#2 Darkest Dungeon — Peak (Stress)

This game is designed to be stressful overall. It uses RNG for combat, but also for “sanity” checks. Your characters can develop “afflictions” randomly. You might be winning a fight when your healer suddenly goes “Abusive,” refuses to heal, and starts insulting your other teammates. Phenomenal, isn’t it?

#1 Fear and Hunger (Series) — Real-Life Simulator

First of all, this game is 21+ because of violence. In case you want to try something psychotic but also value your sanity, maybe it’s best to start with Termina, which is the second game of the series (it’s less graphic by a tiny bit).

Fear and Hunger is literally about being scared and starving. You’re locked in a god forsaken, cursed, and merciless dungeon where you’ve come by your own will (the motivation depends on your character).

The map, loot drops, enemies, and many other events are determined by the RNG (plus, the game is as hard as Dark Souls). Parallel to this, many interactions are determined by a literal coin flip. If you fail the flip, you don’t just lose health; you might lose a limb permanently, be blinded, or face a “Game Over” screen immediately. Cool lore, though.

Best of Luck! (You Will Need It)

Praise the RNG god! It makes games super hard, but also lets you experience a new challenge every time you start a run. Regardless of what you will try (maybe something completely different, too), may your next gaming session be a 10/10!