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I Wanna Be the Guy
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I Wanna Be the Guy

200783/100
ShooterPlatformPuzzleAdventureIndie

Boss Battles · Branching Story · Challenging · Comedy · Pixel Art

It’s a platformer that lives to kill you, and it has no qualms about it. I Wanna Be the Guy weaponizes the genre's tropes, hiding instant-death traps in plain sight and punishing every moment of hubris. Players return for the masochistic pleasure of overcoming its absurd gauntlets, and for the satisfaction of finally conquering its unforgiving levels through trial-and-error.

About I Wanna Be the Guy

Details
I Wanna Be The Guy: The Movie: The Game is a sardonic loveletter to the halcyon days of early American videogaming, packaged as a nail-rippingly difficult platform adventure. Players fill the role of The Kid, a youthful, vaguely Megaman-esque protagonist on a quest to become The Guy. This inscrutable plot, however, is just a vehicle for a wide variety of inventive, well-designed and frustrating jump-and-shoot challenges that pay homage to many of the games you loved as a child. The ever-fragile Kid explodes in a shower of red pixels at the slightest brush from the game's many obstacles, from traditional spikes and bottomless pits to more unconventional killers, such as plantlife and puzzle pieces. Using a multiroute layout not unlike a Metroidvania, the game grants a degree of deadly exploration, without thoseextraneous upgades meant to make life easier. The game provides players with a choice in terms of their deathrate, thanks to a variable difficulty setting that changes the number of save points from frequent to nonexistent. IWBTG is open to all players; knowledge of videogaming history is optional, and may not help against the frequently ironic and always sadistic deathtraps located herein. And so, the question is left up to you... Do YOU have what it takes to be The Guy?

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Top 4 Alternatives to I Wanna Be the Guy

1
Rating
Critic & community
87
Match
Recommendation strength
91%

Super Meat Boy

2010 · Platform

If you crave the relentless, bloody trial-and-error platforming of 'I Wanna Be the Guy' but with a more consistent aesthetic and a focus on speedrunning, 'Super Meat Boy' delivers pure, unadulterated challenge.

Why recommended

  • Emphasizes brutal, fast-paced platforming where death is frequent and expected, often in gruesome fashion, directly mirroring the 'bloody' and 'difficult' core of 'I Wanna Be the Guy'.
  • Criteria — 'Challenging Difficulty' is the game's identity, with levels designed to be completed in seconds but requiring dozens, if not hundreds, of attempts to perfect.
  • The 'Action' is constant, demanding split-second reactions, precise jumps, and quick dodges through environments filled with buzzsaws, spikes, and other deadly traps.
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2
Rating
Critic & community
92
Match
Recommendation strength
89%

Like 'I Wanna Be the Guy', 'Celeste' is a masterclass in challenging platforming, but instead of parody and gore, it offers a deeply personal narrative about overcoming internal struggles, all while pushing your precision to its limits.

Why recommended

  • Features incredibly precise, demanding platforming with a high death count, requiring mastery of movement mechanics like the dash and wall jump, akin to the unforgiving nature of 'I Wanna Be the Guy'.
  • Criteria — 'Challenging Difficulty' is central to the experience, with every screen presenting a new, intricate obstacle course that demands pixel-perfect execution and rapid reflexes.
  • The 'Adventure' aspect comes from exploring various distinct mountain sections, each introducing new mechanics and environmental hazards, driving the player forward through sheer determination.
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3
Rating
Critic & community
90
Match
Recommendation strength
78%

While less overtly comedic, 'Hollow Knight' shares 'I Wanna Be the Guy's' spirit of relentless challenge and discovery, offering a vast, interconnected world to explore with demanding boss fights and secrets around every corner.

Why recommended

  • Features highly challenging boss encounters and platforming sections that demand precise timing and pattern recognition, reminiscent of the demanding boss fights and bullet-hell elements in 'I Wanna Be the Guy'.
  • Criteria — 'Challenging Difficulty' is inherent in its combat and platforming, pushing players to master their abilities and overcome formidable foes and environmental hazards.
  • The 'Adventure' is vast and compelling, with a sprawling, interconnected world full of hidden paths, lore, and upgrades that reward thorough exploration and curiosity.
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4
Rating
Critic & community
75
Match
Recommendation strength
68%

If the sheer, almost masochistic challenge and potential for hilarious failure in 'I Wanna Be the Guy' appeals to you, then 'Getting Over It' offers a similar, albeit more physically-based, test of patience and perseverance.

Why recommended

  • Focuses on an extremely difficult and often frustrating climb, where a single mistake can send you tumbling far down, echoing the unforgiving 'death' mechanic and trial-and-error nature of 'I Wanna Be the Guy'.
  • Criteria — 'Challenging Difficulty' is the entire premise, designed to test player patience, precision, and mental fortitude with its unique and finicky movement mechanics.
  • The 'Adventure' is a vertical journey up an abstract mountain of junk, where every inch gained feels like a significant achievement, and the environment itself is the primary obstacle to overcome.
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