Challenge runs are all the rage in certain games where such an opportunity is afforded. After all, great RPGs that allow for a ton of freedom and customization have players trying to do everything from beating the game on a dance pad to the patented Level 1 runs that have become the stuff of legends in their respective communities.
It goes without saying that players attempting these challenges should be aware of everything that happens in the game so that they aren't caught off-guard. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the most popular RPGs around where a Level 1 run is definitely possible, mainly since these titles don't force the players to get unnecessary experience and level up if they don't want to.
10 Final Fantasy 5
Final Fantasy is a series notorious for having players perform the most ludicrous challenge runs around. This includes the patented Level 1 run, which isn't possible in most installments due to certain mandatory encounters providing XP to the player and their party.
However, Final Fantasy 5 serves as a pretty notable exception here, since its boss encounters don't give any XP to the player. Couple this with a lower rate of random encounters and jobs leveling up even after an enemy runs away, and players will definitely be able to accomplish a Level 1 run with a fair bit of effort.
9 Chrono Trigger
Technically, it's impossible to keep every party member at Level 1 in a playthrough of Chrono Trigger. However, given the mandatory XP gains players enjoy from fighting certain bosses, the run mainly applies to the main character Crono being at Level 1 throughout the entire run.
This is accomplished by knocking Crono out before a boss fight is over so that he receives no experience whatsoever. If players choose to go down this particular route and only let one party member get experience after each mandatory fight, then players can fight Lavos at the lowest levels possible, although this fight can be truly brutal unless players prepare well in advance.
8 Final Fantasy 8
Another Final Fantasy game that is good for Level 1 challenge runs is Final Fantasy 8. The best part about this game is that a character's stats are more influenced by their Junctions than their overall level.
So, as long as players extract the most valuable magic around and give sizeable buffs to their party members, a Level 1 run is more than doable in the game. With the weapon upgrades, players can also access the best limit in the breaks and deal a decent amount of damage with them as well.
7 The Elder Scrolls 3: Morrowind
The trick to never leveling up in Morrowind is to give the worst core stats to a character that players will never use in the entire run. Following this, even if players manage to get enough experience to level up somehow, the obvious course of action to take is to never sleep at all.
Doing this lets players get through the entirely of Morrowind at Level 1. Since enemies don't scale with the player, this can be a huge challenge, but players should scrape though as long as they stay up-to-date with good armor and weapon drops.
6 Final Fantasy 10
Final Fantasy 10 uses a Sphere Grid system, basically meaning that players won't really level up unless they invest in a character's stats. This makes a Level 1 run extremely easy to pull off for all characters in Final Fantasy 10, although it's obviously not going to be smooth sailing.
Players will need to rely heavily on Rikku's Mix ability to increase their damage numbers and also avoid any serious damage. Auto Phoenix Downs and the like can also be used to great effect as well.
5 Dark Souls
FromSoftware games often have chllange runs associated with them. After all, the studio's hard-as-nails games require the player to rest at a bonfire and manually invest Souls, Blood Echoes, and everything else along the same lines that help the player level up.
So, players can completely avoid investing in their character in games like Dark Souls and pursue a Level 1 run. To game the system, it's recommended to upgrade weapons to their fullest potential and dodge pretty much every hit by a boss or enemy in the title.
4 The World Ends With You
The World Ends With You is one of the most unique games on the Nintendo DS, which received a much-deserved remaster on the Nintendo Switch with bonus content to boot. The stylish nature of the game coupled with its excellent combat system made for a great time indeed.
Players can make the most of this game's difficulty by using a slider to reduce the levels of their character all the way down to 1, which only impacts their total hitpoints in the game. Doing this is recommended to get some rare drops, and players just need to make sure that they avoid as much damage as possible while pursuing a Level 1 run in The World Ends With You.
3 Bloodborne
Bloodborne is arguably the greatest FromSoftware game ever made. The fast-paced combat system was a breath of fresh air from the usual methodical and slow nature of most other Soulslike games.
The lowest Blood Level that players can have in the game is BL4 if they choose a Waste of Skin origin. It can be pretty challenging, but players should be able to get through the game as long as they keep their weapons upgraded and their reflexes nigh perfect.
2 Undertale
Undertale is one of the greatest indie games ever made. It's also perhaps one of the few RPGs where a Level 1 run is actually encouraged due to how the game's mechanics work.
For starters, LV and EXP in the game stand for Level of Violence and EXecution Points respectively. This means that players who go out of their way to kill every monster in the game world are actually heading towards the worst ending.
1 Elden Ring
Elden Ring is one of the greatest open world games ever made. The game made waves upon launch and is still being played extensively by many fans to this day, showing to everyone just how well FromSoftware knocked it out of the park with this title.
There's no denying that Elden Ring is a masterpiece in every sense of the word, with a Level 1 run being quite possible in this game. Again though, a player's equipment and skill level needs to be at its peak for them to stand a chance of completing this immense challenge.