Get Good Trivia Quiz

Answer: Lies of P

Get Good, often stylised as 'Git gud' is a deliberate wrong spelling of the phrase (to) get good (at something). The phrase started appearing in 2009 in online video game forums. Today it has wider implications, being a general encouragement to improve oneself. In this quiz, "Get Good" would be necessary to successfully navigate any of the games listed here.

"Lies of P"
Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S

"Lies of P" is a 2023 reimagining of the story of Pinocchio. You, as a player, are a human-like puppet, and you must find your way through the crumbling streets of the city of Krat, full of hidden traps, to find your creator. You have some ability to create weapons, but the bosses (puppets caught in the Puppet Frenzy or mutated humans infected by the Petrification Disease) are punishing to the extreme, and the dark fairy-tale setting is oppressive, to say the least. The puppet bosses use wind-up animations, which result in odd and unnatural rhythms. Essential upgrades are trapped in a 'P-Organ skill tree' which requires quartz, a very rare item to unlock.

There is critical acclaim for this game because it is a beautiful adaptation of "Pinocchio" and because of its unusual gameplay.

Answer: Dark Souls III

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC

"Dark Souls III" is the third and final installment of the franchise. It is so influential in the video game world that there is an entire subgenre of Action RPG - called Soulslike - as new games are similar in style and function to the "Dark Souls" trilogy.

This last chapter in the franchise is relentless. The player continually runs the gauntlet of enemies, including some of the most infamous bosses in video game history. Each level is intricately designed, and it runs at a much faster pace than the previous two installments in the franchise. Defeating enemies earns souls. If the player dies, the player drops all the souls they are carrying. Players can recover them by returning to the same location, but they are lost permanently if they die again before retrieving them.

To master this game, you need to combine precise melee combat, the ability to build suitable weapons, and unending stamina to meet an unrelenting challenge. Fighting bosses such as the nameless King and Pontiff Sulyvahn requires a masterclass ability in attack pattern memorisation and commensurate dodging skill. The haunting gothic landscapes of cathedrals and ruins create a dark atmosphere that is oppressive, which complements the brutality and notorious difficulty of this game.

Answer: Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Windows, Xbox One, Stadia

The gameplay is based almost entirely around parry-or-die swordplay, where essential perfect timing is more important than brute force. Successful parries open lethal counterattacks, and missed timing means inevitable defeat.

The game is very difficult because of its need for perfect deflection timing and posture control. Passive play is punished by bosses, so the player needs to learn the rhythm of each attack to succeed.

This game is unforgiving if you do not have razor-sharp timing. However, when a player lands the final parry, there is a satisfaction in knowing you, as a player, has mastered one of the best stealth games of its era.

Answer: Getting Over It with Bennett Foddy

Platforms: PC, iOS, Android

This is a very unusual and unique game. The platform is stripped down. Players control a man in a waist-deep cauldron who can only move up a mountain with a precise swing of his sledgehammer. However, there are no checkpoints and absolutely no safety nets, so any false move sends you to the bottom of the mountain to start from scratch. Bennett Foddy is an academic with a Ph.D in ethics and philosophy - He narrates by offering philosophical commentary as the man climbs and also as players fail, time after time. The voice, annoying to some at first, becomes an integral part of the game. One aspect of this game that is especially difficult is that the physics-based controls take a long time to learn, and even tiny mistakes as you near the top of the mountain can send you back to the beginning (Arrgh!).

Foddy actually designed the game to frustrate players and provide some sort of philosophical exploration of frustration, perseverance, and loss. Foddy eschewed current game trends of rewards, auto-saves, and hand-holding by creating a game where all progress can be wiped in an instant. He made the controls awkward intentionally. All of this was created so that any eventual victory would feel that it had been earned genuinely and would be deeply satisfying.

He has specifically stated that the game is for a "certain type of person". One who enjoys "overcoming artificial hardship".

Answer: Cuphead

Platforms: Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC

Do not be fooled by the jazzy soundtrack and the retro hand-drawn 1930s-style animation - This is one tough game.

In this run-and-gun, boss rush game, Cuphead and his brother Mugman make a deal with the Devil to pay casino losses by "repossessing the souls of runaway debtors".

Gameplay is centred on continual boss fights mixed with run-and-gun levels over four worlds. The first two worlds have a simple difficulty mode, but you need to play through a regular mode to advance to the next world. Boss rushes are relentless and come in multi-phase rushes at times - There is zero room for error on the player's part, or back to the start you go. Tools are simple: peashooter, unlockable weapons, a parry mechanic (a blocking weapon with perks), and a special meter for extraordinary attacks. The challenge in this game is not complexity but perfect execution of tasks whilst dodging an unrelenting firestorm of bullets, fire, and whole-screen hazards.

If you have patience, persistence, and split-second timing, there is immense satisfaction for those who can get to the end. For the rest of us, we are just captivated by the animation and the soundtrack.

Answer: Celeste

Platforms: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Nintendo Switch

Very simple in concept: The character Madeline must climb the mountain called "Celeste". It requires enormous patience, precision, and perseverance. (Don't be fooled by the pixel-art retro style.) Each and every jump and dash has to be timed perfectly. The tiniest slip will send you back to the start.

Adding to the enjoyment of the game is a heartfelt storyline about inner struggles. The tough climb up the mountain mirrors Madeline's real-world struggles with her mental health.

As a bonus, there are B- and C- sides to be unlocked, which ramp up the challenge to almost impossible.

Whilst this is one of the most difficult platform games at the time of release, unusually, it does have some 'Help' functions: Respawns (you're gonna die thousands of times) are instant with no lost items; there are no "Game Over" penalties; and there is an in-game assist mode if you get stuck, which lets you adjust speed and stamina.

Answer: Spelunky 2

Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

A notoriously difficult game as Ana travels through deadly caves filled with enemies and treasures (the latter needs to be collected). If she dies, she will need to begin from the start again unless she has unlocked shortcuts (tunnels). If there is a return to the start, the game can rearrange itself to present new paths and subsequent challenges. Some of the levels have traps that can trigger chain reactions in a couple of seconds.

This game is difficult for many reasons:
1. The first level is brutal - the player is thrown headfirst into the dwelling filled with confined spaces, troubling traps, and fast enemies such as moles and horned lizards
2. The enemies are unpredictable; some can tunnel through walls.
3. Absolute precision is essential for character movement. There are no easy/difficulty modes, no permanent upgrades, and enemy patterns must be memorised.
4. There is a strict three-minute time limit; otherwise, a ghost chases you and splits into several faster ghosts
5. There are high risks with high rewards; e.g., breaking a ghost run will tempt you into dangerous ground, which more often than not will end a run.
6. The true ending requires endless endurance. Even reaching the standard ending is difficult, but reaching the true ending requires conquering 99 levels in a single run without dying.

Answer: Crusader Kings III

Platforms: PC, Mac

Whilst medieval settings are de rigeur for video games, they usually feature a hidden distant enemy to overcome. Not so with this game. Here you manage marriages and titles, vassals, alliances, and schemes to build a dynasty. Every decision ripples through generations. Appointing the wrong heir and trusting an unworthy relative can undo centuries of productive work in a flash.

Gameplay revolves around personality traits and cunning. Marriages are more about grabbing land and loyalty over love. This is a game about stories as much as it is about strategy. This game has a very steep learning curve.

The difficulty comes in a fairly unique type of gameplay. (Gamers who have played the previous two iterations of this quiz may find the gameplay easy.) The player has to manage their own people: succession crises and vassal politics are rife; land title battles arise, causing taxation problems and essential diplomacy is complex and often compromised. On top of that, forcing a character to act against their personality causes stress and often premature death. A unique concept, difficult to master.

Answer: Hollow Knight

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, PC

In the beautiful but dying Kingdom of Hallownest, you, as an unnamed insectoid warrior, move through interconnected caverns to unlock additional skills that allow you to bounce, nail, and dash your enemies with pinpoint precision. This seems straightforward but along your journey, you meet forty-two bosses, each one an effort to overcome. However, there is no option to save between them so each play you have to defeat them all again before you meet your next unmet boss.

Difficulty comes in many forms: Bosses require memorisation of multi-phase attack animations; there is no hand-holding; there is no default map; and the traps are non-linear as you can wander into high-level areas without the ideal movement or upgrades. Healing requires you to stand still to consume your soul meter. Additionally, the save points are spread across multiple screens rather than placed next to a boss, and when you die, you only have one chance to go back and retrieve your money (Geo) and your Soul meter. If you do not, they are lost permanently.

Answer: Elden Ring

Platforms: PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One/Series X/Series S, PC.

This is an action role-playing game that has an open-world scale. It is a FromSoftware game, a company which is known for creating challenging dark fantasy action RPGs; this game has punishing combat scenes. The open fields with castle ruins can be explored, but there are hidden bosses everywhere.

It is difficult to play for many reasons:
1. Bosses and other enemies can adapt to your position. They will punish passive dodging.
2. There is no hand-holding, as there is an absolute minimum of guidance. The game does not tell you where to go, nor does it track quests, so you can wander into higher levels with little preparation.
3. This game offers a non-linear RPG experience with obstacles and overwhelming systems, making this a game for experienced hands only.
4. Dying makes you drop any accumulated runes you have saved for levelling up and upgrades. Die again before retrieving then, and they are permanently lost.
5. Powerful tools are provided but with little or no guidance on how to use them. This may cause self-made difficulties.