What's the worst video game you've ever played?

[m7600]

In my case, I remember that at some point in the late 90's, I got a hold of a CD which was a compilation of really bad DOS games. There was one in particular that caught my attention, because it was almost unplayable. It was called "Crackman", and it was just a garbled up, utterly cursed and unfinished clone of Packman. The graphics made no sense, everything was made with ASCII, instead of ghosts and power ups there were random letters and numbers. And whatever you did, you died after a few seconds, the programming was either unfinished or full of bugs. Probably both. Anyways, when you died, the game would show you a text that said "Another crackhead bites the dust". It was the worst game that I have ever played, by far. I tried to find information about it online, but I can't find anything about it. I found some other games called "Crackman" but they're not the same one that I played way back.

How about you? What's the worst video game you've ever played?

 

[JustKneller]

That's easy. It was the only video game I ever returned due to the objectionable content. Well, technically my parents returned it because I was just a kid and they got it for me for Christmas not knowing what they bought. It was Postal. Basically, you're just a postman who has a psychotic break and goes on a killing spree murdering innocent people everywhere. I never it made it this far in the game to see it myself (thank god), but apparently it culminates in an elementary school where you're trying to wipe out all the children. I played it for about 15 minutes, figured out what the game was about, immediately installed it, and gave it to my parents to return.

 

[Antimatter]

I usually try to do some due diligence and check if the game is for me, before playing it, maybe that's why can't really name "the worst" video game. From what I read about Postal, I'd most likely come to the same conclusion as @JustKneller if I tried it.

Maybe that is why I would also think about the 90's and those CDs with hundreds of games. The problem is, though, that I don't remember their titles - as back in the 90's I was bad in English and didn't focus on titles anyway.

Also, for some reason, it irks me to call a game "worst". It should be built around themes really uncomfortable for me, maybe (e.g. Postal), or maybe it should be bugged to the state that it's completely unplayable, and there are no ways to fix/workaround those bugs.

 

[O_Bruce]

I can name games that disappointed me or games that I just didn't get into, but I'd have a really hard time naming "worst". Is TES 5 the worst game? No. I lost a bet, tried it as a result to a certain point and the worst I can say is I would rather play something else. Is Icewind Dale 2 bad? Also no, it just didn't provide me with the experience and fun I expected it to deliver.

Similarly to @Antimatter , I usually check the game out to test whether I might like it and as result, I probably can't decide the "worst" game I played.

I can tell which games I wouldn't like, but because of that, I avoid playing them. Fallout 4 and 76 I would avoid like a plague, for example, same for any racing game, any sports game, especially published by EA, etc.

With regards to Postal, I don't get the appeal. But I do remember reading some articles about the game, years and years ago when I was still young and as least as the first game is concerned, usually, the goal to each level is kill/destroy specific target or targets, any other kill is optional. In a way, it is up to players how they want to play the game. But it provides you with the opportunity and some "encouragement" to go wild.

 

[JustKneller]

With regards to Postal, I don't get the appeal.

There is a game for Nintendo called Paperboy which is pretty much just delivering newspapers on a bike. I actually competed in a contest involving that game in the year before I got Postal. I think the idea was that Postal would be like Paperboy, another delivery game, and I was good at that. Nobody bothered to read the box.

 

[m7600]

Oh, I remember Paperboy! A friend of mine had it. But the premise of that game seems way different from Postal!

 

[Chronicler]

Viewtiful Joe for the DS was the only game I've ever played that was just flatout unplayable.

As you might know the DS has a touch screen, which is used alongside buttons on the left of the screen, and buttons on the right of the screen.

Now, where a normal game developer would keep in mind that while the system does have all these control interfaces, the human player only has two hands, as near as I can tell the generally bright folks at Clover Studio just plumb forgot about that, demanding the player use all three at once.

Despite the fact that it seemed like it was probably a really fun game if you could find some way to play, it's probably the worst I've had the pleasure of. I forget how much I bought it for, but I sold it back to EBgames a week later for $5. Like a car that loses all its value the second you drive it out of the lot.

 

[Chronicler]

In my case, I remember that at some point in the late 90's, I got a hold of a CD which was a compilation of really bad DOS games. There was one in particular that caught my attention, because it was almost unplayable. It was called "Crackman", and it was just a garbled up, utterly cursed and unfinished clone of Packman. The graphics made no sense, everything was made with ASCII, instead of ghosts and power ups there were random letters and numbers. And whatever you did, you died after a few seconds, the programming was either unfinished or full of bugs. Probably both. Anyways, when you died, the game would show you a text that said "Another crackhead bites the dust". It was the worst game that I have ever played, by far. I tried to find information about it online, but I can't find anything about it. I found some other games called "Crackman" but they're not the same one that I played way back.

How about you? What's the worst video game you've ever played?

That sounds like something out of a creepypasta!

 

[mlnevese]

There is a game for Nintendo called Paperboy which is pretty much just delivering newspapers on a bike. I actually competed in a contest involving that game in the year before I got Postal. I think the idea was that Postal would be like Paperboy, another delivery game, and I was good at that. Nobody bothered to read the box.

I remember the original release of Paperboy for the TRS-Color

 

[OrlonKronsteen]

t was Postal. Basically, you're just a postman who has a psychotic break and goes on a killing spree murdering innocent people everywhere. I never it made it this far in the game to see it myself (thank god), but apparently it culminates in an elementary school where you're trying to wipe out all the children.

It takes a lot to shock me these days. This did. Perhaps the worst thing is following the link and seeing that it got good reviews. My goodness. Until today, I'd thought Rambo for Sega Master System had the crown for objectionable content, but, it looks like we have a new champion.

I usually try to do some due diligence and check if the game is for me, before playing it, maybe that's why can't really name "the worst" video game.

This is the same for me, as well. There have been a lot of games I've been disappointed in. Some of which I felt were objectively bad, but nothing like "Crackman."

But in addition to bugs, and objectionable content, there is unfair difficulty. In particular I'm thinking of an arcade game from the 80s (once again, dating myself), called Ghostly Goblins. For those too young to remember it, it was a 2D scroller in which you play a knight, fighting, well, ghosts and goblins (and other nasties). Now, the aesthetic design was great. However, it was nearly impossible to last even a minute it was so damn hard. Even really good gamers would get wiped out in seconds. There were some guys that lived at the Seven Eleven who were demons with a joystick, and even they had short life spans. I clued in very early that this was by brilliantly devious design. What better way to steal quarters? It was a magic formula for emptying kids' pockets in record time. I was smart enough to walk away early, but I knew guys that spent a fortune on it.

 

[O_Bruce]

But in addition to bugs, and objectionable content, there is unfair difficulty. In particular I'm thinking of an arcade game from the 80s (once again, dating myself), called Ghostly Goblins. For those too young to remember it, it was a 2D scroller in which you play a knight, fighting, well, ghosts and goblins (and other nasties). Now, the aesthetic design was great. However, it was nearly impossible to last even a minute it was so damn hard. Even really good gamers would get wiped out in seconds. There were some guys that lived at the Seven Eleven who were demons with a joystick, and even they had short life spans. I clued in very early that this was by brilliantly devious design. What better way to steal quarters? It was a magic formula for emptying kids' pockets in record time. I was smart enough to walk away early, but I knew guys that spent a fortune on it.

Fun fact: to truly end your playthrough of Ghost n Goblins you need to beat all the levels twice

 

[Chronicler]

It takes a lot to shock me these days. This did. Perhaps the worst thing is following the link and seeing that it got good reviews. My goodness. Until today, I'd thought Rambo for Sega Master System had the crown for objectionable content, but, it looks like we have a new champion.

Postal was a pretty controversial game back in the day. It was in the news a lot.

While it got a lot of detractors, it had a pretty devoted fanbase who viewed its shocking content as daring and envelope pushing, and it was clear enough in its marketing that the people who didn't like what it offered mostly didn't play the game and I'm assuming left no reviews.