There are a lot of games out there that include a high number of boss fights in them, but only a small portion of these games can actually be considered ‘boss rush’ titles. To be more specific, boss rush games are ones where the game is entirely (or almost entirely) dedicated to fighting boss after boss until the game is over.
There’s not much fluff in between each fight, and the actual gameplay loop mostly involves solving each boss fight in order to reach the credits. Of course, there are exceptions to this definition, and those rules aren’t ironclad. But, based on this description, let’s go through some of the best games out there that fit into the ‘boss rush’ category.
First up isan incredibly popular gamethat many people may not realize is actually a boss rush in disguise,Black Myth: Wukong. On the surface, this game seems like it’s a bit of an RPG mixed with a Soulslike, but in all honesty, it’s more of a Boss Rush game overall.
Yes, players are fighting standard enemies in-between boss battles and yes there is a lot of exploration to be had inBMW, but the sheer number of boss fights and the spacing between each one are absolutely enough to categorize it as a Boss Rush. And, as far as Boss Rush games go,this is one of the best, hands down.
January 19th, 2016
YCJY Games
5-10 Hours (Main Story to Completionist)
Going right from an incredibly popular AAA game to an indie darling with a dedicated fanbase, it’s a Boss Rush by the name ofThe Aquatic Adventure of the Last Human.In this game, players take control of a submarine that ends up traveling through time, ending up on Earth thousands of years after any time period we’re familiar with.
In this new age, it seems like the oceans took over (likely from global warming) and this one measly submarine crew has to survive against the creaturesthat have taken the planet back. The boss battles in this game are all exceedingly creative as well as exceedingly challenging, and the atmosphere of the game overall is incredibly unique. Overall, a game absolutely worth checking out, especially since it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
Let’s start things off with an example of a more recent boss rush game, and one that really accentuates the ‘designed to be difficult’ aspect of this subgenre,Eldest Souls.Eldest Soulscame out in mid-2021 and is a game where players will be exploring the ruins of what seems to be a destroyed kingdom, figuring out what happened, and encountering all sorts of warriors, monsters, and even godlike beings they’ll need to defeat along the way.
While lacking in some departments, and a rather short experience overall, the bosses ofEldest Soulsare where this game really excels. Each one is uniquely designed to be ‘solved’ by the player, and are by no means easy enemies to overcome, especially for thosenew to the Soulslike genre of games.
Next up is probably the game that most loosely fits into the category of ‘boss rush’,Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance. This character action game from way back in 2013 is made by Platinum Games, the makers of a ton of different action-packed titles, most notably known for theBayonettafranchise and for the combat ofNier Automata.
But, whereMGR: Rseparates itself fromBayonettais that there really aren’t all that many combat encounters outside of the boss fights in this game. There are a good handful per level, and some are longer than others, but almost every level of this game has more time spent on the incredibly fun boss battles such as Sundowner or Senator Armstrong than it does on the random mobs.
This next example is definitely not a series that was ‘designed’ to be a boss rush type of game, but, looking back, it’s sort of the perfect example of one. ThePunch-Outfranchise is probably one of the most honest boss rush game series out there, as there is almost 0 time spent outside of the boxing matches where Little Mac is pitted against all sorts of wacky and iconic characters like Bald Bull or King Hippo. Any of thePunch-Outgames (of which there are around 8 or so) work for this entry, though the most popular of all of them have to beMike Tyson’s Punch-Outand thePunch-Outthat came out on the Nintendo Wii in 2009.
February 24th, 1994
Sega
3 Hours
Likely the most ‘classic’ game on here,Alien Soldieris probably one of the earliest examples in history of a boss rush game. In it, players control of Epsilon-Eagle as he runs/flies through 25 different stages, and ends up battling against 26 bosses total.
This game is absolutely beloved by those who have put their hands on it at all, as it is one of those games where the player can immediately tell after playing for even 5 minutes that the developers knew what they were doing. The unique mechanics of the weapons system inAlien Solider, the sheer number of different boss designs, and the high-intensity gameplay all made for a boss rush game that easily earns a spot on these rankings.
August 6th, 2018
April 5th, 2016
February 24th, 2017
Team Cherry
27 Hours
Now, this next entry consists of a few boss rush modes that are featured inthree different well-known roguelite games,Dead Cells, Enter the Gungeon,andHollow Knight.
However, since the games themselves aren’t designed from the ground up as boss rush games, it would feel a bit unfair to put them too high in the rankings when pitted against games entirely developed as boss-rush-style experiences. All that said, the boss rush modes in all three of these games are absolutely well-loved by the fans of the games overall, with some even preferring them over the base game. For example,with Godmaster Mode inHollow Knight, in particular, it’s still one of the most watched categories for speedrunners to attempt.
April 14th, 2015
Devolver Digital
The next title on here is calledTitan Souls, and even though there’s really no proof of it, anyone familiar with the boss rush subgenre of games probably also feels like this game has a massive influence on boss rush games coming back in the last decade or so.
It originally came out in 2015, and it was one of the only games of that time period to be solely focused on boss fights, with nothing but atmospheric environmental scenes in between each battle. Of course, it’s those same environmental areas that are one of the only real complaints of this game, as players had to walk through these areas time and time again as they retried each boss fight.
AlongsideMetal Gear Rising: Revengeance, calling theMonster Huntergames boss rush games is a bit of a stretch. That said, upon closer inspection, boss rush games are titles where players almost exclusively fight boss battles, and that’s basically theentire gameplay and progression loopof theMonster Huntertitles. Players are introduced to a new boss (AKA a new monster), they get ready, they go hunt it, they return back to base, and are introduced to another new ‘boss’. If that’s not a game centered entirely around boss fights, then what is?
Truly, there aren’t many other game franchises that put such an emphasis on players mastering their own moveset as well as the monsters. Really anyMHgame would count for this entry, butMonster Hunter: Riseis probably the most approachable example the franchise has had sinceMonster Hunter: World,so it probably fits best as the example here.
It’s time to talk about probably the most iconic boss rush game of all time,Shadow of the Colossus. Even though this game appears to have an open-world type of design when players first start wandering around, the Colossi are theonly enemies in this world (lizards don’t count), and there’s barely anything to do outside of locating the Colossi and fighting them. That said, not many games manage to nail the type of ‘empty’ and ‘solemn’ atmosphere that this game nails.
And, for the time period, it came out in (and sort of still to this day) the actual fights against the Colossus were such an incredible spectacle. Plus, thanks to the magicians at Bluepoint and their 2018 remaster of the game, players got to experience the awe of fighting these gigantic creatures all over again in beautiful high-quality fidelity.
