While many people flock to video games as a form of relief or escape from everyday life, others seek out some of the more challenging experiences developers have been able to come up with. There are plenty of difficult games out there, and according to a recent study, the likes of Dark Souls, Fall Guys, and Mario Kart are some of the most stressful titles players can dive into.

The study itself was conducted by BonusFinder (via VG247), who collaborated with sports scientists as well as “14 active gamers.” The participants then had their baseline heart rate recorded before subjecting themselves to 160 of the most popular and challenging video games across various platforms. Of course, there is no surprise that Dark Souls is brought into the mix, and as it turns out, the game is pretty stressful. However, when it comes to peak BPM increase, it is only in first by just a bit, with Fall Guys in second place.

That’s right, the floppy jellybean extravaganza might be cute and funny, but Fall Guys is nearly as stressful as it gets in video games. As can be seen in the graph below, trailing Mediatonic’s hit title is Nintendo behemoth Mario Kart, which is then followed by Street Fighter in 4th and FIFA in 5th place.

Peak BPM is only half of what is going on with the study, however, as another portion is average BPM increase. Over a 30-minute period, it appears that Mario Kart is the most stressful game in terms of average heart rate increasing as it comes in at 32.81%. FIFA follows at 31.25%, Call of Duty takes 3rd with 29.69%, Dark Souls falls in at 4th with 28.13%, and Fortnite comes in at 5th with 26.56%. As for which games were used in the study, they were:

• Mario Kart
• FIFA 20
• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare
• Dark Souls III
• Fortnite
• DOOM
• Fall Guys
• Battlefield V
• Street Fighter
• Among Us
• Grand Theft Auto
• UNO!
• The Sims
• Animal Crossing
• Minecraft
• Skyrim

On the opposite end of the Dark Souls, Fall Guys, and Mario Kart stress fest is Animal Crossing, The Sims, and Skyrim, all of which were found to lower the average heart rates of participants over the course of the 30-minute period. Tired of perishing on the quest for souls or failing to acquire all of the crowns? Just go hang out with Tom Nook or see how many wheels of cheese you can get your hands on. Either way, there’s a game for everybody out there, some just happen to be more stressful than others.

• Demon’s Souls Remake Has A Mystery Door That’s Driving Players Crazy
• Spider-Man: Miles Morales Glitch Renders Player Into Spider-Brick (VIDEO)
• Cyberpunk 2077’s Achievement List Offers A ‘Breathtaking’ Easter Egg

What say you, gamers? Are you surprised to see Fall Guys right up there with Dark Souls as the most stressful games around? Sound off in the comments section below, and be sure to follow DFTG on Twitter for live gaming and entertainment news 24/7!

If you enjoy this writer’s work, please consider supporting them by tossing a KoFi their way! Every little bit helps and aims to keep DFTG independent and free of bias. Thank you so much for your support! Eric ‘anarkE7’ Garrett @ KoFi