Nowhere is this more present than in management games, where one wrong move early on can cause a snowball effect that leads to frantic split-second choices later in the game. A lot of the stressful experiences that come with management games are more a result of the player than the game itself, often amplifying the feelings of frustration.
10 Cities: Skylines - Stress Through Complexity
Cities: Skylines is one of the most complex management games available, and that depth of gameplay can often lead to some frustrating results. It does a good job of lulling players into a false sense of security too, as it is relatively simple to understand at first look.
Once players get deeper into the game, that’s where the difficulty level really starts to ramp up. When players are managing a bustling metropolis, it becomes increasingly stressful to try to maintain a happy environment while also providing all the necessities for citizens.
9 Two Point Hospital - A Cheery Game Of Life And Death
Two Point Hospital does a fantastic job of introducing players to the game mechanics at a slow pace, introducing each element one at a time throughout the campaign. While it starts off simple, the different aspects of gameplay quickly compound to make for a game that requires great time-management skills.
It’s easy to be fooled by the fun and cheery setting of Two Point Hospital, but patients often demand more than a player can offer. When that happens, people start dying and the game can quickly descend into chaos.
8 Frostpunk - Battling Against The Elements
Frostpunk is one of the most punishing indie games to be released in recent years, with lots of micromanagement for any fans of the genre to enjoy. With a harsh limit on the number of people available the ability to micromanage isn’t just a fun addition, it’s an absolute necessity.
A game based on building a city to survive in a frozen wasteland; Frostpunk forces players to make incredibly difficult choices at regular intervals and random events can devastate a player’s plans in the blink of an eye.
7 The Sims 4 - Managing Whole Lives
The Sims 4 is part of a series that has been taking over lives since 2000. Its one of a handful of games that players can easily sink hundreds of hours into, and a decent chunk of that time is going to be spent preventing accidents.
Sims 4 does a great job of making small things like feeding a sim or ensuring they get enough sleep feel like the end of the world, and failing to do certain things can often lead to even more problems down the line.
6 Planet Zoo - Managing Animals Instead Of People
Planet Zoo challenges players to manage a zoo and while the stakes are significantly lower than survival simulation games, turning a profit can be just as stressful. It’s a great game that allows players a lot of freedom in how they construct their zoo, including building out interesting multi-species enclosures.
The graphics are fantastic, and the animal behavior is fun to watch. There isn’t much time to sit back and enjoy the view though thanks to Planet Zoo’s steep learning curve and need for intense micromanagement.
5 Football Manager 2023 - Sports Management At Its Finest
The Football Manager series has been around for a very long time, and it remains the golden example of sports management games. New players can have the deepest knowledge of football itself and still feel completely lost when it comes to choosing the best tactics and buying the best players.
The set-up of a team can be daunting and the success of an entire season (hours of gameplay) can come down to a single match. If things don’t go the right way, a player might be fired from the team and forced to abandon everything they’ve worked for.
4 Oxygen Not Included - Engaging Story And Complexity
If anyone is looking for management games with deep lore, Oxygen Not Included is a great choice. It centers around three colonists stuck on an asteroid with no memory of how they got there, and the plot unfolds from there. While the story is genuinely fascinating, the gameplay is constantly punishing.
The actual management aspect of Oxygen Not Included starts off relatively straightforward, but the complexity quickly compounds and throws players straight into a challenging experience. A lot of preparation is required to explore other areas and the smallest mistake can lead to complete failure.
3 Surviving Mars - Surviving Being The Key Word
Surviving Mars is a game based around colonizing the red planet, and it makes good use of enchanting visuals to suck players in. While survival is the main aim, players will need to grow their colony at the same time and battle against the harshest random events that the game can throw at them.
Surviving Mars does a great job of making players feel like they’re spending their time speeding from one disaster to another, while somehow still managing to build a strong city at the same time.
2 Banished - Scarcity Is Always Stressful
Banished is a fantastic city-builder set in medieval times and centers around a group of people who have been forced to restart their lives in exile. Like all good management games, it’s tough to find the balance between growing the city and giving it everything it needs to keep people happy.
What makes Banished even more stressful than most is the scarcity of resources available for players. It looks attractive and has a surprisingly engaging story, both working together to keep players hooked in spite of the difficulty.
1 Civilization 6 - The King Of Grand Strategy
Civilization 6 is known for being one of the most popular grand strategy games, with punishing mechanics at the higher difficulty levels. While it’s undoubtedly most at home on the PC, Civilization 6 is also among the best console strategy games as well.
There are several paths to victory in Civilization 6, which means that there’s a lot to keep an eye on in order to prevent opponents from winning. It’s easy for players to neglect one victory method and suddenly find themselves scrambling against the odds just to stay in the game.
More: The Most Stressful JRPGs
