Lounging on your sofa and button mashing through the gameplay experience isn’t what these 15 video games want from their players. Laziness of any sort will result in the player being punished in a multitude of methods. The punishments vary from low level characters, lost gear, or an unfulfilled ending... all in a twisted plot to reveal a lazy nature of the gamer and have a good laugh behind the scenes.
Game developers will sometimes test the player's ability to pay attention to the slightest of details, while others simply ask to tackle a call to adventure. With the option to choose not to continue a mission or pick an alternate path, gamers are bound to fall for these quick and painful punishments. Some punishments will attack the player's integrity while others will attack their character in game. The thought of walking away from the fight, or to not move for a long period of time, sometimes comes to those gamers who just want to test the limits of their laziness and push against any normal standards.
Punishing the gamer for finding a cheap way through levels or missions is what these games intended, whether it be by trapdoor or a familiar friend in disguise, with or without the player's knowledge. What's learned through these punishments involves the quality of player's commitment over quantity. Even if not an outcome of laziness, these punishments were placed to test how far the gamer would go to find an alternate way to the finish line.
15 Super Mario Maker
Any Nintendo game that allows players to design their own Super Mario levels is bound to be difficult and full of tricks and traps. The allotted amount of doors that send players into a death trap or lava filled floors are unlimited, and made to punish the player for believing the level could be completed in such an easy fashion. Watching the rage-filled videos that flood YouTube featuring customized levels from this game shows us how the lazy gamer's instinct is always to open the closest door to them. Checkpoints in the game are rarely placed, and falling for the the trap door leaves gamers scratching their heads and flipping controllers in the air. This isn't your average Super Mario game.
14 Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels
The lost levels of Super Mario are intended to be tougher than the standard worlds and levels. Finding the hidden levels in the game is challenging and demands the player know about their locations, as it's unlikely that they'll actually stumble on them themselves. Unfortunately, choosing the wrong warp door leads gamers back to the second-most difficult world, and basically makes players lose all of their progress. This was the first of several punishments that stopped gamers from travelling far in-game; this was possible if, and only if, they made the right choices. Trusting all of the doors available proved to be an irritating mistake. Mario fans know of the punishing tricks with game over screens after struggling with a tough level, and having to travel to almost the very beginning of the game was really a slap in the face for players who just wanted to open all the doors.
13 Portal 2
After pushing red buttons all through this puzzle adventure game, the only button that really matters, according to the two AIs fighting for control, is the one booby trapped with explosives. Portal 2 challenges the player beyond the first installment of the game with a challenging multiplayer mode and bigger puzzles to solve. Once reaching Wheatley with GLaDOS, gamers have one shot to press the big red button (called the stalemate button). What isn't expected is that it's actually booby-trapped, something which comes as a shock after you've completed a vigorous time trial to collect all the personality cores. Punishing the gamer into thinking they are finished with the game completely messes with their focus, and makes quick time events even more important. Portal 2 definitely punished players who thought their work would be over with one push of a simple button.
12 Mass Effect
Didn't talk much with Wrex? Well, be ready to be punished in Mass Effect while visiting the planet named Virmire. The game's trick here is giving the player options to calm down the angry Krogan... except none of the options truly work no matter what you pick, ending with your teammate Ashley shooting the Krogan. The multiple interactions possible had the player spent the time to actually talk with Wrex would allow the Krogan to stand down on his own and avoid any bloodshed. This hard punishment for gamers first entering the world of Mass Effect affects not only this game, but the rest of the games in the series. It means that throughout the player's further adventures in the Mass Effect franchise, they'll have to live without having the tough and loveable Krogan character at their side.
11 Far Cry 4
If you wait long enough for the psychotic antagonist, Pagan Min, in his dining area when first arriving to the fictional Himalayan area, you'll be allowed to place your mother to rest next to his daughter's ashes, before finally flying away on a helicopter. Waiting at least 15 minutes in the same room the psychotic and tyrannical ruler left your character, Ajay, is a long time to spend idle in a Far Cry game. Speed runners may have loved this trick to beat the game in record time, but the truth is lost and the experience of exploring the expansive landscape is gone. If Pagan leaving to torture another guest wasn't indicator enough to leave, than players found befriending Pagan in this twist ending punishment. We learn later of his cruel exploits that have players regretting ever waiting those first 15 minutes.
10 Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Receive the chip upgrade from the corrupt organization you intend on destroying, and prepare for ultimate disaster. Having the choice to take this upgrade lets the players who haven't paid attention to the story be punished with immobility and a rather distorted heads up display when in a boss fight with Namir. Playing as ex-SWAT officer Adam Jensen allows players to use an array of weapons and move effortlessly through firefights in game. The corporations combining machines and humans become overzealous with power over social mobility and forced people with mechanic implants to adhere to company standards. Having the option to upgrade your biochip punished gamers who couldn't put together the plot, and weren't necessarily thinking about the consequences to conforming to the upgrade.
9 Saints Row IV
The choice to rest in peace or let your friends become victim to the world's destruction is given to gamers, and those who choose to take the red doorway fail to save their friend. When the weight of the world rests on the simple decision between saving your friend and saving the human race, Saints Row wants gamers to save their friends. At the price of death and a fast way out of having to fight more hordes of aliens, demons, and rival gang, the red door saves lots of time and energy. Listening to the huge alien-like creature make suggestions towards the red door is the wrong choice and game developers knew players would fall for their trap. Enduring punishment for leaving your friends to die for the sake of the world seems like a noble thing, but it's not for the wild and adventurous Saints Row.
8 Batman: Arkham City Catwoman DLC
If you had the DLC for Batman: Arkham City with Catwoman, you were in for a interesting two story adventure, providing you decided to help Batman. Catwoman's persona is that of a master safe cracker and self-centered criminal, always going for the big steals. Catwoman uses the chaos of Arkham City as a cover to steal a large sum of money from a Gotham bank controlled by Hugo Strange. After taking down Hugo's heavily armed henchmen and opening the large bank vault, players were given two options: save Batman, or leave the City with all the cash. Choosing to leave brought gamers to a dark ending with Batman suffering, left to die. The option to leave, although the game doesn't actually allow for you to leave, punished gamers by giving them the thought that they orchestrated the city's destruction and Batman's death.
7 The Evil Within
In the DLC allowing players to take a step back in time from the main story, players look at how the events of The Evil Within's main plot unfolded. With a brain said to control the entirely of the universe sitting in the middle of a room surrounded by a glass dome, and the player armed with a double barrel shotgun, the temptation to shoot the brain is overwhelming. Those who understand the significance of this room knew not to destroy the universe and save their ammunition. Other players fell for the trick and took their shot at the brain. The punishment set by game developers included a mock game ending and a reminder not to alter the story. Even the character Juli freaks out as the game screen goes to white and returns you to the room with one less bullet to spare. Double punishment for the waste of ammo.
6 The Stanley Parable
Choose not to venture onward outside of the small office of yours and the door will shut, leaving no adventure or further narration. You're given a great amount of time to leave. Having an idle controller and choosing to go against the narrator's wishes ultimately results in failure. Having the ability to open doors and interact with objects is the bulk of the game, but what makes these interactions unique is the narrator following your efforts through the office building. Each interaction allows for different narration to begin and the story thickens with every move. Failure to listen to the narrator and venture outside of the small office results in us hearing the incredibly boring tale of Stanley, followed by end credits, ultimately punishing the gamer for their lack of effort.
5 Fallout 3
Find your long lost father in his prison (the virtual reality of Vault 112) at the beginning of the game, and lose the ability to continue any campaign inspired missions you might've missed. All of the potential XP and achievements disappear and leave the gamer punished. Fallout 3's post-apocalyptic world adventure asks for the player to find his father after leaving Vault 1o1. Finding a way past the first couple of side missions and interactions is an admirable effort for some, but using the quick path to end the main campaign leaves the player without any of the main campaign left to complete. Skipping storyline quests denies gamers of any experience points that are much needed in a large RPG open world game such as Fallout 3.
4 Shadow Complex
Efforts to save your captured girlfriend can all end if you simply turn around and get back into your car. The saying, "there are many fish in the sea," is taken literally and the game lets the player drive away from any sort of action. Giving players this option punishes them for not seeking out their significant other and moving forward in the game. Your status changes to single, awarding you a challenge completed, while the credits roll and the somewhat funny/sarcastic ending plays. Having the option to leave your girlfriend Claire to her doom is a unique path to take for a video game, but it has the gamer questioning his choice once the credits begin to roll. Word of advice? Don't leave Claire. She deserves better than that.
3 Dying Light
Finding all the information necessary to set off the nuke left in the middle of a freeway and receive an ending of white light isn't easy. If you do choose to detonate it, no further progression is given to the player and they lead everyone to their deaths, leaving one possible way to spare them from the apocalypse but not necessarily following the campaign. Destroying the hybrid herd of zombies living in this isolated area is commendable under strenuous circumstances, but leaves behind the innocent people fending for themselves in the farm house not too far away. Punishment for detonating the nuke plays heavy on the gamer's conscience and makes for a disappointing ending to the DLC that set boundaries on the zombie genre. Other endings involve going to the mother of this hybrid swarm and freeing her of the curse, or becoming a cursed zombie creature.
2 The Matrix: Path Of Neo
Take the red pill as Neo and end the game entirely, with the thought of Neo living out the rest of his days in The Matrix. The iconic scene from the first installment of the Matrix films has Morpheus giving Neo a choice of two pills. Taking the blue pill would ultimately move Neo forward of his journey as The One, and realization that the world he believes is real is actually an artificial life. This one decision on whether to take the blue or red pill leaves the entire trilogy dependent on one character's defining choice. In the game The Matrix: Path of Neo, you have the option of choosing the red pill, which leaves Neo to go back to his life with no memory of Morpheus or any events that happened. Players who choose the red pill, as the easy way out of ultimate realization, are punished with a unfulfilled game ending and boring life. Following the "white rabbit" may have started the journey, but game developers made sure you followed true to the film's story.
1 Super Paper Mario
At the start of this paper-themed adventure Mario is asked to save Princess Peach and the other worlds from the grips of Count Bleck. The Void that sends Mario's friends drifting between different worlds is opened and is controlled by Bleck, and Mario will need all the help available, including his usual enemy Bowser. Unfortunately, players have the option to deny the call to adventure once Merlon, a magical wizard with the light book of magic, asks Mario to use the three dimensions to save the worlds. After four attempts to gain the player's support on this journey against Bleck, the disappointing words of Merlon come on the screen, giving a quick Game Over. Denying the call to adventure in a Super Mario game punishes gamers with the memory of losing the game without ever starting.