Your ultimate reward for overcoming all the challenges and tribulations of a game is the final cutscene. The best games of all-time all have amazing endings that leave you with a strong impression one way or another, or perhaps set itself up for an eventual sequel. But for almost as long as games have had actual endings, there have been secret endings. From the best NES games to the best PS5 games, more and more titles have hidden away extra content that players could unlock if they put in a little extra effort. Typically, this means meeting specific requirements like collecting every item, doing every task, or a combination of the two. They’re not usually easy, but some games take that to a ridiculous level. These games have hidden endings so hard to get, you’re better off just watching them on YouTube.
Final Fantasy X-2
65%
Platforms
PlayStation 2
Genre
Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Developer
Square Product Development Division 1
Publisher
Square Enix, Square
Release
March 13, 2003
Before Final Fantasy X-2, the series had never had a true, direct sequel in this way. Final Fantasy X is considered one of the best Final Fantasy games of all-time, so it made sense from that perspective. From a story perspective, not so much. The endings in particular are, without spoiling them, a bit of a disservice to the power of the original’s ending. Ironically, the game’s final and most difficult ending might be the worst of them all, even if it wasn’t so brutal to get. To unlock the game’s true ending you need to 100% the entire game. That sounds fairly standard until you realize just how strict that actually is. If you’re not following a detailed guide step-by-step, it would be almost impossible to 100% this game naturally because of what actually counts toward that percentage. Aside from things you would expect, like doing every side quest, it also means speaking to every NPC at every opportunity, choosing the correct dialogue options, getting the correct outcomes in specific side quests, and even watching every cutscene without skipping them to name a few. Oh, and if you miss anything in a specific chapter, you either need to try again in new game + or start over.
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The House of the Dead: Remake
54%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S
Genre
Shooter, Indie, Arcade
Developer
MegaPixel Studio S.A.
Publisher
Forever Entertainment S. A.
Release
April 07, 2022
Most people wouldn’t expect a lightgun arcade shooter to have multiple endings, but House of the Dead has three you can get depending on how you play. Most will never see anything but the default one, but there is also a good ending that requires you to beat the game without using a continue and earning more than 62,000 points. That’s a fair challenge for a game like this, but the hardest ending to get is incredibly counterintuitive. You still need to beat the game without using a continue, but this time you must score fewer than 62,000 points and have the last digit be a 0. That requires a near-perfect route through the game only killing specific enemies while also making sure not to die. Your reward? The worst ending of the game. Congratulations.
Chrono Trigger
93%
Platforms
PlayStation, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, PlayStation Vita
Genre
Role-playing (RPG)
Developer
Square, Bird Studio
Publisher
Square, Square Enix
Release
November 02, 1999
Chrono Trigger is one of the greatest JRPGs of all-time in part because of how many endings it has. Because of the time-traveling nature of the plot, it accommodates a ton of different routes the player can take to finish the game. The most secretive ending, which doubles as a bit of an Easter egg, is reserved only for the most skilled players. Called the Dream Project ending, players need to defeat the game’s final boss in one of two very early possible encounters where it is almost impossible to win. The first is to fight it the first time you’re in the Ocean Palace or at the very start of the game. Both scenarios expect the player to lose, but it is possible with perfect strategy and playing with a leveled-up character in new game +. Unlike the previous examples in this list, the Dream Project ending is actually worth it. The End of Time area will now be populated with NPC monsters who represent the core developers of the game, including Akira Toriyama, Nobuo Uematsu, Yuji Horii, and Hironobu Sakaguchi.
Cyberpunk 2077
82%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Google Stadia
Genre
Shooter, Role-playing (RPG), Adventure
Developer
CD Projekt RED
Publisher
CD Projekt
Release
December 10, 2020
After the Witcher 3 gave us a handful of endings based on our choices throughout the game, it seemed only natural that Cyberpunk 2077 would do the same. In fact, this game is far more player-driven than any other CD Projekt title since players fully develop their own unique V. Most of the game’s endings all come down to what choice you make before the final mission, but there’s a secret option here you can unlock by meeting a few requirements. Called (Don’t Fear) The Reaper, you first need to make sure you finish a series of specific side jobs that relate to Johnny Silverhand, plus boost your relationship level with him to 70% or higher. Then, once you’re at the point of no return and given the usual set of options for how you want to handle the final mission, you need to first choose to let Johnny go with Rogue and then not make a choice when the next set of options comes up and, without any indication, wait for Johnny to spontaneously suggest a new option. If that wasn’t difficult enough to get, you also only have one shot to successfully complete the final mission. If you die, sorry, but you missed your shot and need to start all over.
Inside
86%
Platforms
PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, iOS, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Platform, Puzzle, Adventure, Indie
Developer
Playdead
Publisher
Playdead
Release
June 29, 2016
The normal ending of Inside leaves a lot open to interpretation but is still perfectly satisfying. So much so that most people wouldn’t think there’s anything else the game has to offer. Being on this list, you already know that’s not the case. Inside has a second ending buried so deep that it took the most dedicated members of the community to come together to solve it. The initial steps are simple enough that even players going through the game naturally would be tipped off about some possible secret, but the full process is almost cruel. First, players need to find and break all the hidden glowing orbs across the game before reaching the end. If you find them all before reaching the final sequence, there will be a board that has dots lit up for each of the orbs you’ve broken and a secret door will open allowing you to break one final orb. When you go back, all the lights except for one will be off, indicating that you need to go back to the cornfield area at the very start of the game. Hidden on the ground is a secret latch you need to blindly grab and open to reveal an underground area with a locked door and a lever. Moving the lever in each direction plays a music note and you need to play the correct sequence of notes to open the next door. If you managed to figure all that out (or followed a guide) you learn a little bit more about the mystery of the game and earn a new ending.
Undertale
87%
Platforms
Linux, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac, PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Genre
Puzzle, Role-playing (RPG), Turn-based strategy (TBS), Adventure, Indie
Developer
tobyfox
Publisher
8-4, tobyfox
Release
September 15, 2015
At the time of release, Undertale was unlike almost any RPG players had experienced before. Besides its story, characters, and writing, the game’s combat system was a unique mix of turn-based RPG mechanics, timing-based button prompts, and bullet-hell-style sequences. However, there was also one important new feature where you could spare every single enemy and boss you came across and beat the game without killing anyone. That gets you the pacifist ending, but doing the opposite will result in the genocide ending. This is by far the hardest ending to get — mechanically and emotionally. You need to fight all the random encounters in every area until no more enemies spawn, kill every boss and mini boss in the game, resulting in the game’s most difficult fight with Sans. This fight alone is almost impossible without memorizing his attack patterns and mastering your dodging skills to survive. The result? You killed all your friends and got the worst possible outcome.
