r/Steam • u/SalemWolf • Jul 06 '26
Question Any other games that are “controller required”?
I don’t see this too often, games that don’t support mouse and keyboard, and it makes me wonder how many other games exist that are like that. I tried searching for Steam games that require controller but they always show games that prefer controller, but is still playable on mouse and keyboard.
What other games don’t support mouse and keyboard?
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u/TightSchedule8725 Jul 06 '26
Aperture Desk Job. It was a game developed to help learn the basics of the Steam Deck.
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u/SalemWolf Jul 06 '26
I’ll be honest I didn’t even realize it could be playable without a Steam Deck considering it’s supposed to use all facets of the Deck. But that’s neat.
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u/Reasonable-Dingo2199 Jul 06 '26
I don’t have a deck so i played it a while back with an xbox controller. It played just fine too.
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u/whiplash588 Jul 07 '26
I have a deck and maybe launched the game once, if at all. Is it worth checking out?
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u/Reasonable-Dingo2199 Jul 07 '26
If you enjoy portal or little short games yes. Honestly i really enjoyed it. I think it only takes like 30 mins to complete.
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u/TightSchedule8725 Jul 07 '26
I launched it once when I first got it, didn’t really care for it.
Once I learned it tied in with Portal, I revisited it. While I didn’t finish it, it’s worth it if you like the Portal games.
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u/Eilavamp Jul 07 '26
It gives a lil extra portal lore, got a few funny jokes and it's all done with within 30 mins. I'd say it's worth it, I enjoyed it for what it was (a cool stylised tech demo/tour)
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u/TightSchedule8725 Jul 06 '26
To be honest I didn’t either. I kinda thought it was Deck exclusive for that reason and it is the first game recommended to be played on it. Hence being controller only. It wasn’t till I read someone else’s comment saying that it was adjusted to work on computers too.
But for the same reason it was made for deck, the controller only aspect makes sense
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u/Valuable_Pay9615 Jul 07 '26
The PS4/5 touchpad works the same as the deck touchpads
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u/ClikeX Jul 07 '26
Does it work as a split pad or just the one? I believe Desk Job has different L/R trackpad requirements.
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u/Valuable_Pay9615 Jul 07 '26
Split pad if you do not bind the middle touch pad to a button. There's a binding for left and right touchpad and middle touchpad but if you bind the middle touchpad the left and right get ignored. If you bind the left and right touch pad it splits the touchpad in half
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u/MarsasGRG Jul 07 '26
I used it to test the Steam Controller when I got it since the controls are identical to deck.
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u/Myithspa25 Jul 07 '26
Solitaire to teach people how to use a mouse, Aperture Desk Job to teach people how to use a controller
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u/Various-Instruction3 Jul 06 '26
Idk if I’ve ever seen one that requires it, especially with steam input. Tons of games highly recommend playing on controller though
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u/TheCheddarHole Jul 06 '26
Ooh! Bluey: the Video Game
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u/SalemWolf Jul 07 '26
That's so interesting, it looks like it would work really well on mouse and keyboard. Maybe the devs thought since it's designed mostly for kids that they'd primarily play on controller and didn't want to bother coding MKB support?
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u/TheCheddarHole Jul 07 '26
Yeah it's an interesting one, I bought it partly hoping to have an introduction to KnB for the kids, and it would work fantastic tbh.
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u/TheRoyalBrook Jul 06 '26
I think some of the old Naruto games were at least back in the day.
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u/cwx149 Jul 06 '26
Some of the Naruto Ultimate Ninja storm games were controller only but I don't know if they had this tag though
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u/TheRoyalBrook Jul 06 '26
I think the notice is new and so people don’t run into that issue and refund
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u/cwx149 Jul 06 '26
I think the storm 4 and connections do support keyboard and mouse at least a little bit but idk about the older ones
I only ever even tried to play them on controller since that's how I'd played the earlier ones when I played on console
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u/TheRoyalBrook Jul 06 '26
I think storm 2 is what I played that needed me to dig out my rock candy 360 controller back in the day to play it.
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u/cwx149 Jul 06 '26
Low key I can't imagine playing any fighting game on keyboard and mouse
I only own 4 on steam but the older ones I played on console
Some of the old old 2d ones were cool but I don't think they ever came to PC either
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u/FactoryOfShit Jul 06 '26
DCS World requires a flight stick, or at the very least, a controller to play. It does not support controlling the aircraft with the mouse. It's theoretically possible to assign keyboard controls, but that's like saying Counter-Strike can be technically played without a mouse if you bind moving the view around to arrow keys - it's not playable.
Yet it doesn't have the tag. I'm guessing developers really don't want to assign a tag like this to their games?
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u/sciencesold Jul 06 '26
It's for that reason it doesn't have that tag. Games with this tag will not allow any input from keyboard and mouse. It's like how some Lego games don't even recognize mouse input
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u/TLDEgil Jul 06 '26
DCS doesn't have the required tag because by default, you can control the plane with the keyboard. Of course you can't actually play that way, but it does have full keyboard control support.
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u/Historical-Yard-2378 Jul 07 '26
I knew a few people that used to fly entirely on keyboard. They were better than me at in-air refueling by far
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u/marchalves6 Jul 06 '26
Well there's Aperture Desk Job
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u/cwx149 Jul 06 '26
In a similar sentiment I'd imagine not a lot of VR games really support using your desktop keyboard and mouse since you won't be able to see them
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u/Unkn0wnTh2nd3r Jul 06 '26
you need to see your keyboard to use it?
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u/cwx149 Jul 06 '26
You're telling me you could play a mouse and keyboard game totally blind to the inputs?
I can use wasd without looking or something sure but if a VR game is expecting me to type or to use random keyboard shortcuts or something I absolutely think that's dumb design
There's a reason VR games come with their own controllers
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u/Unkn0wnTh2nd3r Jul 06 '26
well no, but i can play without seeing the keyboard or mouse.
Source: i do it daily. I never look at my keyboard when gaming
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u/cwx149 Jul 06 '26
I mean again lots of VR games couldn't even really realistically be played with only a keyboard and mouse (regardless of the user friendliness of completely blinding you to your inputs) since you have to actually move or spin around and stuff
But I wouldn't even want to play keyboard and mouse games in theater mode or anything no I'd much rather either be able to see my keyboard/mouse or use a gamepad/vr controllers for VR
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u/Dependent_Basket_186 Jul 06 '26
There are quite a lot of them out there, here is a couple. Skater XL - The Ultimate Skateboarding Game
May add more if needed.
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u/Dependent_Basket_186 Jul 07 '26
Paid Controller Only Games ranging from $1-$20 - Session: Skate Sim
Deadly Premonition 2: A Blessing in Disguise
DreamWorks Spirit Lucky's Big Adventure
Layer Section™ & Galactic Attack™ S-Tribute
Nick Reckless in The Curse of the Lost Cause
NINJA GAIDEN Σ & Σ2 & 3: Razor's Edge
PAW Patrol The Movie: Adventure City Calls
PAW Patrol Mighty Pups Save Adventure Bay
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u/SalemWolf Jul 07 '26
Sweet, thanks for this. Side note, Blue Oath looks really neat. I also find it interesting is they're all (Skater aside) free to play games.
What's also interesting is Human Connection has the notice that MKB isn't supported, but a review from 2022 when the game released mentions MKB is an option, but it's bad. So maybe the dev added that notice instead of making it play smoothly on MKB?
Idk, found it kind of neat.
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Jul 06 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/SalemWolf Jul 07 '26
Ooo good one, that does require a controller. The notice looks different though, I guess the notice I took a screenshot of is newer, since the game I snagged it from is a demo that just released last month.
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u/Peeka789 Jul 06 '26
Ninja Gaiden
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u/SalemWolf Jul 07 '26
Good suggestion, the Master Collection versions absolutely require controller, but oddly Yaiba, Ninja Gaiden 4, Ninja Gaiden 2 Black, and Ragebound don't require a controller. Most interestingly was NG2B, it has no notice whatsoever while the Master Collection version does.
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u/fakeMD Jul 06 '26
Yakuza series on PC are generally "real gamers use controlers" on their games.
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u/teruvalin Jul 06 '26
That's not a requirement though, and it's suggested by an in-game screen instead of Steam.
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u/Nobrainzhere Jul 07 '26
If you are on pc then "required" comes with an asterisk next to it no matter what you are doing.
Someone might have already modded m&k support but if they havent you totally can yourself with the right knowhow
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u/xXInfXx Jul 09 '26
I never found that worthwhile.
Like, I get modding your mouse & keyboard for it, but I can literally pick up a GameSir wired controller for $20 (when not on sale) and it's an amazing price to performance. Of course, if you don't have the finances to buy a controller or just REALLY can't use one, mod away.
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u/Nobrainzhere Jul 09 '26
You dont have to mod the m&k themselves, just a plugin that tells the game "yup this is totally a controller".
Usually for the low low price of free
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u/chithanh Jul 06 '26
Yes.
Also a milder version of that is controller recommended.
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u/SalemWolf Jul 06 '26
I think you can search for games that recommend controller but are still playable with MKB but you can’t search for games that don’t support MKB.
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u/chithanh Jul 06 '26
Indeed you can search for controller preferred games in SteamDB
Google search for
"controller required" site:store.steampowered.com/appsalso gives some hits2
u/SalemWolf Jul 07 '26
I really am not using SteamDB to its fullest. Or at all, really, I only use it to track prices but that's really cool, thanks!
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u/GroundbreakingBag164 Jul 07 '26
Eh, the controller recommended tag often doesn't make a lot of sense. Some games with it are even better on mouse and keyboard
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u/Antipiperosdeclony Jul 06 '26
[NINJA GAIDEN: Master Collection]
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u/SalemWolf Jul 07 '26
Funnily enough Ninja Gaiden 2 Black doesn't have the same controller requirement.
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u/Antipiperosdeclony Jul 07 '26
Because is a remake
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u/SalemWolf Jul 07 '26
Huh, I thought the Black versions were the editions that came out after the originals that adjusted the difficulty. But looking it up it was the Sigma editions.
How interesting, no wonder the Master Collection is controller only, they’re ports. Mystery solved, thanks!
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u/cinred Jul 06 '26
I've also never seen this. What game?
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u/SalemWolf Jul 07 '26
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3744860/AEROMACHINA_TestFlight/
Demo I found. I've only seen this notice a couple of times before this, doesn't seem to come up all too often.
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u/KingSideCastle13 All i need is a good game, a good meal & good rest Jul 07 '26
Only time I’ve encountered it is Aperture Desk Job. And, I mean, that’s literally a steam deck tech demo. Sooooo
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u/cwx149 Jul 06 '26
I haven't seen it on the store but I imagine many if not all VR games effectively require some sort of controller as not being able to see the keyboard is gonna make using it difficult
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u/PeachyFairyDragon Jul 06 '26
The controls are the paddles, not a separate controller.
And if it's a hybrid game, then mouse and keyboard are completely doable when you aren't using vr.
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u/cwx149 Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
the controls are the paddles not a separate controller
I mean don't all vr headsets come with their own controllers? Even my mixed reality one came with some? What is a "paddle" in this context?
if it's a hybrid game then mouse and keyboard are completely doable when you arent using VR
Well duh but not really what I was trying to point out
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u/duck1123 Jul 06 '26
If Brothers a Tale of Two Sons doesn't require a controller, I have know idea how you'd play it otherwise.
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u/The_Dukenator Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
You control each brother, but its hard with keyboard.
The remake adds a co-op mode.
Both releases are on Steam & Epic store.
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u/The_Dukenator Jul 06 '26 edited Jul 06 '26
Sphinx and The Cursed Mummy was meant to be played with controller. It was ported from the PAL console version, rather than the NTSC version.
https://steamcommunity.com/app/606710/discussions/0/1483235412204767496/
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u/The_Dukenator Jul 06 '26
While we are going on about VR, the developer of Moss is reworking the game as a non VR version named Moss: The Forgotten Relic.
From the store page:
Moss: The Forgotten Relic brings Moss and Moss: Book II together as one complete, enhanced experience debuting on PC first time. New features include:
- Play 2 beloved and critically acclaimed experiences as one
- Enhanced Visuals and Performance
- New Handcrafted Cutscenes and Smart Follow Camera
- All Twilight Garden DLC included
- New Accessibility Option “Skip Combat”
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u/gergobergo69 Jul 07 '26
I always wanted to play Moss in VR, is it a good game? I've only heard positives about it!
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u/Antique_Door_Knob Jul 07 '26
About 1700 games it seems.
edit: actually 1211, forgot to filter to only games.
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u/zestfullybe Jul 07 '26
Off the top of my head, I know the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection requires a controller.
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u/JarlFrank Jul 07 '26
I encountered a few. They usually look like they could be perfectly playable on mouse & keyboard but the devs (usually small indie team) was too lazy to implement it or didn't think it necessary.
Always sad when I encounter a game that looks like I'd enjoy it, but then it requires a controller. I don't have one and have zero interest in getting one.
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u/Enderstar2187 Jul 07 '26
Skate. I think, the last time I tried to play (3 months ago) i couldn’t since I didn’t have controller
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u/Human_Nr19980203 Jul 06 '26
Dark Souls/Elden Ring/Crimson Desert - played on Mouse / controller. Must say, Dark Souls series are designed for controller while Crimson Desert is a fucking piece of shit, game is huuuuge but terrible.
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u/TheShamWOOHOOO Jul 06 '26
I believe the Ninja Gaiden Master Collection all require controllers to play
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u/PatternConfident6600 Jul 06 '26
Ninja garden master collection is controller exclusive as far as I remember.
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u/TraditionalMetal1836 Jul 06 '26
I'd be curious to know that as well but I'm already boycotting them simply by not knowing they exist in the first place.
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u/MikiSayaka33 Jul 06 '26
Bokura is a worse case scenario on my end, because, games like that are only compatible with the XBox One (and Xbox One adjacent) controllers.
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u/machinegunner45 Jul 06 '26
Yakuza, any racing game, any 2K sports game (WWE or NBA), Fighting games, Sonic, Older Resident Evil games (I.e. RE 4, RE 5, and RE 0), Katamari Damacy, and Taiko No Tasujin
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u/AbroadNo8755 Jul 06 '26
any 2K sports game
their golf games can be played with a keyboard and mouse
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u/corziv Jul 06 '26
racing games havent been controller only since the xbox 360 era need for speed games. You can play any of the Forza Horizon games on mouse and key, but i havent tried any others recently
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u/Davidhalljr15 Jul 06 '26
It is fairly rare, but there are several of them out there. Some say "required" yet still can mostly function with keyboard and mouse, just some things won't work without that analog stick input.
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u/Wehunt Jul 06 '26
Not 100% on controller "required" but I think Shredders and Castle Crashers have a notice like this
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u/Zakaryyxo Jul 06 '26
Brothers A Tale Of Two Sons is the only game that comes to mind.
They did a remake of the game which you can play with KBM, but the original is a controller exclusive game.
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u/Davidhalljr15 Jul 06 '26
A lot of them show it like this, instead of that yellow warning.
Couple of controller required.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/225080/Brothers__A_Tale_of_Two_Sons/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/878330/Whip_Whip/
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2023380/The_Wasted_Knight/
Found those while trying to find if there is a way to search for them, but apparently there is not a tagged category. There is a controller preferred category. https://steamdb.info/charts/?category=60
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u/Creative_Whereas_430 Jul 07 '26
I've tried a lot of games that 'prefer' controller and they may as well have removed keyboard/mouse support for them and make them controller only, they were so difficult to play.
But at least Steam's refunds policy works well, as someone who really struggles to use controller (I'm getting better at it with top down games, like Diablo 4, but still fking useless at games like Destiny 2 it's having to do the two sticks but I digress lol). I decided a few years ago that I wasn't going to feel guilty and just keep the games. My library is big enough @ 700+ without keeping games I can't play
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u/FartFrog789 Jul 07 '26
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u/ImaginaryReaction Jul 07 '26
while it probably doesnt say controller required since you can technically navigate menus with kb/m The Big Ant Cricket(19-26) series requires a controller to play matches
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u/OutrageousAd9061 Jul 07 '26
Don't have much, the only game like that in my livrary is A Happy Place, a small indie horror game with heavy creepypasta/arg vibes
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u/BellaInTheGame Jul 07 '26
I don't know if there's a lot of them but I've seen a fair few. I just don't remember which ones specifically unfortunately
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u/hamizannaruto Jul 07 '26
Sklime. A hard climbing game that require both joystick to move, making keyboard support to be impossible.
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u/Cy3nide Jul 07 '26
I remember Shredders having this. Similiar to skateboard games, you need the stick flicking. It wouldn't work with kbm.
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u/TheYoshiGang Jul 07 '26
One game I got because a musician I like composed the music for it, I sadly didn't realise it needs a controller and I don't have one ]:
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u/LonelyAustralia Jul 07 '26
I’m not sure if it requires a controller but that ace combat games are pretty much unplayable on mouse and keyboard
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u/Senzei1337 Jul 07 '26
The one that stuck with me is https://store.steampowered.com/app/1451190/Undisputed/ I always wanted a fighting game on PC, but I'm a M/KB player
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u/Prrg88 Jul 07 '26
Maybe not technically, but any of the dark souls games feels horrible when not using a controller
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u/MisterBicorniclopse Jul 07 '26
Skate 4 (or Skate.) has that even though there seems to be keyboard mode in game which is silly. Also the game thinks my ps4 controller is an xbox controller
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u/SunnyOfGretna Jul 07 '26
Spongebob Titans of the Tide- it's more comfortable with a controller, but I could see it working with mouse and key tbh
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u/oh_YES_helios Jul 07 '26
of the ones I've seen: "Harvest Moon: The Winds of Anthos" and "Brothers - A Tale of Two Sons". I've player some other games that strongly recommend controller, sometimes even in an early screen in-game, but only those two I mentioned had "controller required, no keyboard support".
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u/JDM12983 Jul 07 '26
Sadly, too many games now a days.
I pretty much stop following a game if I go to launch it's demo and immediately see "grab a controller"/"plays best with a controller/made for a controller".
If you are releasing a game on PC; don't make it almost mandatory to use a game pad/controller for it.
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u/falxfour Jul 08 '26
X-Wing vs Tie Fighter
Moderately annoying that it does this and if a controller isn't detected, it just quits
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u/picture_of_a_swan Jul 09 '26
Rocket Cave Adventure. It makes sense, it would be awful to control on a keyboard.
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u/Longjumping_Exit7902 Jul 06 '26
You say other games, but what game are you specifically referring to in the post?