Oh yes I often read about it but I never tried it out myself. That's for a next time when I have a stronger pc that can handle a fortress with over 100 dwarves :P (sigh and perhaps even a waterfall)

I still don't think you'd be able to "win".

'As there is no way to win, every fortress, no matter how successful, is usually destroyed somehow. This prompts the unofficial community motto: "Losing is Fun!"'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwarf_Fortress

• Flight simulators: whatever your preference (civilian or combat), the amount of stuff required to learn in order to be good at them is staggering. Falcon 4.0 & IL-2 Sturmovik make good examples in the combat category whereas MS Flight Simulator & X-Plane series make good examples in the civilian category.

• Racing simulators: knowledge of all the basic principles of automobile handling as well as more advanced stuff such as suspension adjustment is crucial to be competitive in the world of sim racing. Good examples of racing sims are Grand Prix Legends, GTR2 (especially the Power & Glory mod!), NASCAR Racing 2003 Season & Richard Burns Rally among many others.

Yep, I just want to give a fortress a good run before digging into the depths to uncover a monster that will destroy my entire fortress :P

"Losing is Fun" can also be said of Nethack, but it might have to be modified to "Losing is Life!" or "Losing is Sudden!"
I've gone from being a powerful unstoppable ranger to a little rodent being pummeled to death by an air elemental, all in the span of only a few moves...

Agreed. Another vote to shmups.
Look how intense this boss battle is: https://youtu.be/Xmw2eeLooyI

There's also Crimzon Clover, which has an Unlimited mode which is *extremely* difficult. (I've tried it; didn't get very far.)

Strategy, space sim or old school RPGs.

porn? ;)

Back in teh dumbwaiter again? :-)

I wouldn't say it's harder, at least not for the obvious reasons. The most prominent difference is that in real life racing you get lots of feedback: not only through your vision/hearing/controller's force feedback as in a video game but also through your whole body/vibrations/sense of movement. Sometimes racing sims can be very close to the real thing but there is no way they can give you the feedback you would receive from techniques like trail braking.

And speaking from experience, while i ran countless laps in EA's SBK 2001/ Microprose's GP500/ PiBoSo's GP Bikes (a great motorcycle sim), i've never felt the front tire as i feel it in real life, nor did i felt the loss of traction from the rear wheel better than i do in real life.

What must be said though is that real life motorsports are dangerous. You can take as many risks as you like in video games. but in real life each risk you take can get you into serious trouble. There's little margin for error. In a video game a highside is just a matter of hitting the escape key and restarting the race. In real life is the quickest way to visit the hospital. Having said that, yes, real life racing is much more difficult than sim racing, but that has more to do with the risks involved, rather than the actual driving/riding.

Not sure how things are for airplanes though. :P

Real life = one life, no opportunities for bonus lives, no continues, permadeath. It's the ultimate hardcore game. :)

Shoot em up/scrolling shooters

Thanks!
I might check that, specially since it's available right here. That's always a plus.
Gameplay and OST seem good. The tracks aren't that memorable, but I'd not say they're bad. Their sounds fit the type of game.
SFX: the fires and explosions are quite loud and distracting, I really hope there's an option to decrease sfx volume. Or at least a mute box you can click.

Here is what I think are the most hardcore genre wise:
Grand Strategy Games/Wargames (I categorized them together since I recall encountering or playing some wargames in the 90s.): Hardcore in the regards it requires a lot of thinking and patience. Definitely not for those who lack either trait (mainly patience). One thing is they are some of the first games to utilize hexes for boards/battlefields.

Heck, if y'all really want an extremely difficult wargame, go play the Harpoon series. While I never played it personally, I recall my father playing it on the Amiga. He also later got Harpoon II for the PC. With the original, it came with a lovely keyboard layout that was necessary to play effectively. :P


Realistic Simulation Games: This is where Falcon series of games fit in. Some racing simulators also fit in this category.


Roguelike RPGs: Definitely hardcore in regards to difficulty. First one I played was Nethack along with Alphaman (both were included freely on the March 2001 Issue of Computer Gaming World CD).


Text Adventure Games: Can be hardcore in some circumstances. However, it can also provide a rather fun experience. One mistake is enough to get one of many game overs.