As a general rule, there aren’t that many games that are “boss rush” games. But these are the best of the best ones that do.
There are many games with a lot of boss fights, but only a few of them can really be called “boss rush” games. To be more exact, boss rush games are ones where you fight boss after boss until the game is over.
The real gameplay loop is mostly about beating each boss fight to get to the awards. There isn’t much filler between fights. Of course, this meaning doesn’t always work, and those rules aren’t set in stone. So, let’s look at some of the best “boss rush” games out there based on what this title says.
Eldest Souls
Allow us to begin with Elder Souls, a more modern example of a boss rush game that really shows how this type is “designed to be hard.” The game Eldest Souls came out in the middle of 2021. It’s about exploring the ruins of what looks like a destroyed country to figure out what happened. Along the way, players will meet fighters, monsters, and even godlike beings that they have to defeat.
Even though Elder Souls isn’t perfect in some ways and isn’t very long overall. The boss fights are where it really shines. Each one is intended to be “solved” by the player in its own way, and they are not easy enemies to beat. Especially if you are new to games like Souls.
Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Finally, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, a game that kind of fits into the “boss rush” genre, comes next. You can play this character-based action game from 2013 that was made by Platinum Games. Which is known for making a lot of action games, like the Bayonetta series and NieR: Automata.
One thing that makes MGR: R different from Bayonetta is that there aren’t that many fights in this game besides the boss fights. There are a lot of them in each level, and some are longer than others. But in almost every level, the boss fights with characters like Sundowner and Senator Armstrong take up more time than the random enemies.
Punch-Out Franchise
The next example is not a series that was “designed” to be a boss rush game. But now that I look back at it, it’s kind of the best example of one. The Punch-Out series is probably one of the most honest boss rush game series out there. Almost no time is spent on anything else besides the boxing matches where Little Mac fights crazy and famous characters like King Hippo and Bald Bull. There are about eight different Punch-Out games. But Mike Tyson’s and the 2009 Nintendo Wii version are by far the most famous.
Alien Soldier
Alien Soldier is possibly one of the first boss rush games ever made, making it the most “classic” game on this list. When playing, players take control of Epsilon-Eagle and make him run or fly through 25 stages and fight 26 bosses.
People who have played this game at all love it. After just 5 minutes of play, you can tell that the creators knew what they were doing. Aliens Solider is a boss rush game that easily deserves to be on these lists. The weapons system is very different from other games, and there are a lot of different boss designs.
Boss Rush ‘Modes’: Dead Cells, Enter The Gungeon, Hollow Knight
The next part is a collection of boss rush modes from three well-known roguelite games: Dead Cells, Enter the Gungeon, and Hollow Knight.
It would be wrong to put these games too high in the rankings when compared to games that were made to be boss-rush experiences from the very beginning. Still, fans of all three games love the boss rush modes so much that some even like them more than the main game. For instance, Godmaster Mode in Hollow Knight is still one of the most watched game modes for speedrunners to try.
Titan Souls
Titan Souls is the next game on this list. There’s no real proof, but anyone who knows about the boss rush category of games probably also thinks that this game had a big impact on the recent resurrection of boss rush games.
It was released in 2015 and was one of the few games at that time that was only about boss fights, with only dramatic scenes of the world between fights. Yes, those same natural areas are one of the only real problems with the game. Players had to go through them over and over again as they tried to beat each boss.
Monster Hunter: Rise
It’s not quite right to call the Monster Hunter games boss rush games, like Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. However, a closer look shows that boss rush games are ones where players mostly fight boss battles. Which is also how the Monster Hunter games are played and how they progress. Players are told about a new “boss” (also called a “new monster”). They get ready to hunt it, come back to base, and are told about another “boss.” If that’s not a game where boss fights are the main thing, what is?
Really, not many other game series make it so important for players to learn their own moves as well as the monsters’. I think any Monster Hunter game would work for this entry. But Monster Hunter: Rise is the most easy game in the series since Monster Hunter: World, so it seems like the best choice.
Shadow Of The Colossus
Shadow of the Colossus is a boss rush game that is likely the most famous of all time. It looks like this game has an open world when you first start playing, but the only enemies in this world are the Colossi (lizards don’t count). And there isn’t much else to do besides finding and killing them. The mood in Happy Wheels is “empty” and “solemn,” which is something that not many games do well.
The real fights against the Colossus were such a great show for the time they happened (and kind of still are today). Plus, the folks at Bluepoint did a beautiful remake of the game in 2018. So players could experience the thrill of fighting these huge monsters all over again in flawless detail.
Furi
Furi likely asks the most of its players than any other sport on this list so far. This prisoner’s desperate attempt to escape the jail that is beating him forever is like a high-speed roller coaster ride. Each battle is like a different “dance” that players need to learn the steps to.
In Furi, each island and defender is a completely different figure with their own unique, hard fights. The best part is that the game is now available on new hardware. So players can fully enjoy the art style of this bullet hell boss match.
Cuphead
To be honest, Cuphead changed the way boss rush games looked and how they were played. The people at Studio MDHR really did make a game that perfectly recreates the style of old cartoons (also known as “Rubber Hose”) and adds new features and concepts to the boss rush genre.
More than anything else, Cuphead is a lot of fun. It’s cute, mean, hard, and a test of your patience and drive. It’s also one of the few boss rush games where two or more people can play together. Which is especially true with The Delicious Last Course DLC.
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