We’ve all heard that tired old argument that games these days are too easy. Hell, as a relatively old school gamer I can see why it crops up every so often. Back in the industry’s infancy, games were short but insanely difficult, and in some cases literally unfinishable. Back then, the gamer’s reward came not from a lavishly directed cut-scene, but from overcoming challenges through trial and error, memory and natural reflexes. Finishing a game like Super Mario Bros. or Mega Man required time and dedication; running out of lives no matter where you were in the game meant you’d be back to square one, and had no choice but to start the process all over again.

Either you die or everyone else dies. Amazing game.

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That guy in the chamber on the left? Yeah, he's a psychopath.

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Now, while many modern games certainly hold the player's hand, that doesn't mean hard games have gone away. There's still very much a market for them. The popularity of Dark Souls , for example, shows that many people are still up for putting themselves to the test, while Day Z’s brutal permadeath makes for incredibly tense gameplay. These are very modern games embracing a very old-fashioned take on the virtual life.It’s indie developers that have seemingly made this retro approach to death and challenge their own though. Super Meat Boy Stealth Inc (or Stealth Bastard, if you’re on PC) and Hotline Miami are three very different games that share one core principle: You will die repeatedly. Death in these games isn’t just a mechanic or punishment for failure; it’s the foundation around which the games are built. You will die often, and you will learn to deal with it.Not once in any of those games have I found myself frustrated, though. This is most likely down to their lightning-quick, addictive pace, but also because they throw you straight back into the beginning of the level or prior checkpoint with zero loading. I’m encouraged to try, try, and try again until I’ve finally mastered the level layouts, enemy behaviours, or have spotted the patterns and rhythms with which to tackle them.All of which brings me to Spelunky This is a game I passed over when it originally released on XBLA a while back, but with its recent PS3 & Vita release, the noise about it on Twitter has been almost unbearable. I wasn’t sure about the $20 price point to be honest, but caved to peer pressure in a ‘Fine! I’ve bought it, you can all shut up about it now’ kind of way. Much to my surprise, it turned out to be the best $20 I’ve spent in the last year.Spelunky can easily and rightly be lumped in with the group of games I mentioned above. Repeated, punishing death is a core part of the experience; everything you encounter wants to kill you and the game’s quick pace will likely see that happen. As you make your way from the top of the level to the exit somewhere on the bottom, you can’t take one single thing for granted, as creatures want to hurt you, plants want to eat you, and spikes and arrows will shoot out of totems when you’re too close. You’re a danger to yourself as much as the environment too; throw a bomb at the wrong time, and oh no, it’s bounced right back at you. Hell, simply take too long by being cautious and a seemingly invincible ghost will seek you out and destroy you.While Super Meat Boy, Hotline Miami et al, are all super challenging in much the same way, you’ll always learn from your mistakes. With the latter’s absorbing rhythm in particular, by the umpteenth attempt you’ll know exactly when that attack dog will run at you, you’ll learn when to knock that guy down with the door and wrap that golf club around his unsuspecting mate’s head. With this gentle but enthralling repetition comes natural refinement of your approach, and by the time you land the level’s final killing blow, you’ll have executed everything prior almost effortlessly without even realising it.This is exactly the same process as in the original Super Mario Bros. When you finally dropped Bowser into the lava in 8-4, you’re doing so upon a foundation of memory, repetition and, ultimately, prior failed attempts.Thanks to its randomly generated levels, however, Spelunky unceremoniously rips the safety net of your own brain right out from under you. It’s impossible to learn a Spelunky level, as every single time you restart, the layout will be different. Failure does not bring knowledge in Spelunky, only further uncertainty, a factor made all the more daunting when the game throws you all the way back to level 1-1 without a second thought when death occurs.Sure, by making it through to the next stage three times and providing the Tunnel Man with all the items he requires when you do, it’s possible to open up warps to the new worlds you’ve reached as a form of checkpoint, but somehow, without the game even prompting such a response, you’ll feel like a heel for using them… as necessary as they are for completion.Getting to the level exit is a huge test in itself, but you’ll find that your willpower and restraint will also be tested every step of the way. By collecting gold and treasures, you’re not only competing in a leaderboard, but also allowing yourself the opportunity to buy power-ups, or more bombs and ropes; tools essential to your survival. Although your only true goal is to find that exit, can you resist going for that stack of gold just sat right there? Can you?Spelunky has an uncanny ability to draw you away from the exit in this way: ‘The exit! Oh look, there’s a pile of gold just sat there, though, I could just go and ge-' Dead!Only the next time you’re in the same situation, you’ll think ‘Pffft, pile of gold, I’m not falling for that again, I’m heading straight for the exi-’ Ach! Sorry, dead again!Rather than rewarding you for memorising hazards, Spelunky instead rewards you for being adaptable, forward thinking and sometimes even clairvoyant in your descent. As such, when you successfully pass through the exit of any level, be it 1-1 or 3-4, it’s an exhilarating little win because you know that the next level might not favour you quite as well as the last. When you do fall victim to a wrong move, it was your move, so it never feels unfair. This is the game’s charm in a nutshell, and this is the factor that has kept me coming back for more.I’ve never before played a game where nearly every move, every choice I’ve made feels like the wrong one, but then never have so many minor successes felt like the biggest victories.With Spelunky, failure has never felt so good.What punishing games do you find rewarding? What do you think of permadeath and the resurgence of Roguelikes? Let us know!

Andy Corrigan is a freelance games journalist based in Australia, and he loves a challenge. You can follow him on IGN here , and why not join the IGN Australia Facebook community while you're at it?