Level Notes

Deathwish [p, l, e, ps]

The game consists of 5 levels. It focuses heavily on platforming, which is harder than in CIL. You never get a break from difficult jumps and some of them will take you a lot of time to perform. It also contains some difficult and obscure puzzles which will take you a while. The layout of all levels is pretty complex, especially in the first three levels which are interconnected. The combat isn't really hard but you need to be cautious with your ammo because you don't have the pistols in the first three levels.

Walkthrough playtime: 4 hours

Blind playtime: 25-30 hours

CIL [p, l, e, ps]

Impossible to complete without any help. The platforming is a puzzle on itself as where or how to perform the jumps is never clear and its hidden through the level geometry and it makes figuring out certain tasks more difficult other levels with arguably harder jumps. Some jumps can still take up a few hours to perform. The level layout is extremely complex and needs the motorbike to be taken through 3 levels almost, and letting you unlock previously locked paths in a metroidvania esque way.

Walkthrough playtime: 4 hours

Blind playtime: 20-30 hours

Kaizo Raider: Temple Ruined [p]

Extremely subjective. If you are familiar with gliched speedruns then it's not too difficult, rooms are straightforward and there are no detours. If not familiar with techniques this level is impossible to complete without any help, performing the tasks is also extremely difficult and need the most precision of any level that has ever been created. It has only one puzzle in the strict sense of the word and its the easiest part of the level, exploration is also unexistent aswell as combat.

The list editor writing this note would personally place this level in number one or two at least, but due to the lack of opinions it holds a preliminary rating of number 3.

Walkthrough playtime: 20 minutes

Blind playtime: 5-10 hours

The Ordeal in the Shadow of Death [p, l, e, ps, c]

Three massive, interconnected levels where you will face extreme platforming, puzzles, and exploration. You could say that this entire level is a gigantic torch/bike puzzle, as you need to carry these objects throughout the three levels to solve the various tasks. Not only that, but the platforming of this level is on par with CIL or Deathwish, featuring arguably the most difficult shooting range area ever made in a custom level. The combat in this level also works as its own puzzle, as you’re not allowed to kill certain enemies by yourself; instead, you must use other ways to defeat them.

Walkthrough playtime: 3 hours

Blind playtime: 12–15 hours

Kaizo Raider: The Mask of the Bahametians [p]

This level has some of the most difficult glitchless platforming. The platforming is extreme, and every single jump requires surgical precision, but there’s barely any exploration or strict puzzle solving. The layout of this level is linear and has only a couple of simple puzzles. It also lacks exploration and combat, so most of the time you have an idea of what to do, and if you’re stuck, it won’t be because you don’t know the goal, but rather because you don’t know how to perform certain techniques. The jumps, though, require as much precision as the jumps in its sequel, and while some glitches are needed, they aren’t the main core of the gameplay and are easy to execute.

Walkthrough playtime: 1 hour

Blind playtime: 3-5 hours

Tomb Raider She [p, l, e, ps, c]

An extremely long and exhausting level. While the jumps aren’t as hard as those in the previous levels on this list, that doesn’t mean they’re easy at all. The difficulty of this level relies on exploration, with extremely well-hidden objects scattered throughout massive areas, and puzzle solving, featuring some of the most difficult puzzles ever made in a custom level. These puzzles are nearly impossible to complete without some kind of hint.

Walkthrough playtime: 5 hours

Blind playtime: 20–25 hours

Autumn [p, e]

Extreme platforming, the most difficult of any of Qunai’s levels, even more so than the platforming in CIL’s main levels, accompanied by an extremely confusing level layout where finding the route is nearly impossible without some sort of help. This level lacks combat and puzzles, though, which makes it simpler than the other levels on this list. This level is also one of the few on this list where you need to be careful when managing your resources, to the point where doing a no-meds run in this level is physically impossible.

Walkthrough playtime: 25 minutes

Blind playtime: 3-5 hours

Possessed [p]

Extreme platforming, but it suffers from a similar situation to the first Kaizo Raider. While the platforming is extremely difficult, this level lacks puzzles and exploration, which makes progression less confusing. Still, some of the techniques used in this level are so obscure that finishing it without some sort of help is nearly impossible. This level holds the title for having the most difficult timed-run ever seen in Tomb Raider.

Walkthrough playtime: 50 minutes

Blind playtime: 3-5 hours

The Great Maze: The Emperor's Heart [e, l, ps, c]

This level consists of nine interconnected levels, all of them extremely complex and confusing. Unlike other levels on this list, where the difficulty relies mostly on hard platforming, the difficulty of this level is based on the difficulty of its puzzles and exploration. Every few steps, you will encounter a puzzle, and the vast majority of them are really difficult to figure out. Combined with the extremely obtuse layout of the level, this makes it one of the hardest exploration levels, on par with CIL.

Walkthrough playtime: 5 hours

Blind playtime: 15 hours

Meganebashi [p, e]

An extremely confusing level. While the platforming is not as extreme as in other levels on this list, it’s still very difficult to get through from the very beginning. The layout of the level is also very confusing, making exploration and overall progression really difficult. This level is also extremely buggy, which adds an unintentional layer of difficulty.

Walkthrough playtime: 50 minutes

Blind playtime: 2-3 hours

Vikings [p, l, e, ps, c]

A really long and exhausting level. While it’s not as long or as complex as She, this level is still really difficult and also contains extremely difficult platforming and trap areas. The puzzles in this level are also unforgiving, as is the exploration. Not only that, but this level also makes use of new movement mechanics thanks to TRNG, and employing these techniques is also extremely difficult.

Walkthrough playtime: 3 hours

Blind playtime: 8 hours

Eye of Eve [p, e]

A short but extremely difficult and confusing level. The level relies heavily on verticality, with one of the main goals being reaching the lower areas of the level. This, though, is no easy task, as this level not only has extreme exploration but also really difficult platforming. While it’s not nearly as difficult as levels like Kaizo Raider, it is still very unforgiving. This level, solely because of its exploration, might be nearly impossible to complete.

Walkthrough playtime: 40 minutes

Blind playtime: 3 hours

TR Advent Calendar 2021 - Search for Shangri-La [p, l, e,]

This level has some of the most extreme exploration seen in any level, being on par with levels such as Great Maze and CIL. This level consists of three levels, all of them enormous and interconnected. It also features really difficult platforming coupled with the exploration, with finding the path being nearly impossible without some kind of help. In this level, you will also need to be careful with your resources, as it has many forced-damage areas.

Walkthrough playtime: 2 hours

Blind playtime: 6-8 hours

Festival of the Dark [p, ps, c]

Coming soon...

Walkthrough playtime: 1 hour and a half

Blind playtime: 5-8 hours

The Copacahuana Idol [p, ps]

A not-so-long level with an interesting and unique mechanic in which certain areas are constantly flipped between dry and water states. This becomes extremely challenging, as the whole level turns into a puzzle revolving around this mechanic. The platforming, combined with the use of the torch and the constant transformation of the surroundings, makes this level extremely challenging to traverse.

Walkthrough playtime: 1 hour

Blind playtime: 3 hours

An Adventure [p, ps, e,]

An extremely difficult level with very difficult trap areas, platforming, and puzzle solving, along with limited resources. Not only that, but the level is really buggy, and performing many unintended actions will make the level impossible to complete. This level also has pitch-black lighting in many areas, which makes it even harder to progress.

Walkthrough playtime: 3 hours

Blind playtime: 6-8 hours

Mini Kaizo [p]

A really short level with three rooms and three challenges, each consisting of extremely difficult platforming on par with other levels by the author. Thankfully, this means the level is really linear, with no exploration or puzzles. This doesn’t mean the level is easy, though. Despite being only two minutes long in net playtime, each of these challenges can take hours to perform.

Walkthrough playtime: 2 minutes

Blind playtime: 1-2 hours

An Odyssey 2012 [p, l, e]

Coming soon...

Walkthrough playtime: 2 hours

Blind playtime: 5 hours

The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath [p, l, e]

Coming soon...

Walkthrough playtime: 4 hours

Blind playtime: 10 hours

The Grand Obelisk [e, ps]

For over 20 years, this level held the title of being the most difficult Tomb Raider 3 level until it was dethroned by Kaizo Raider: Temple Ruined. While the platforming in this level is challenging, it’s nothing compared to the other levels on this list. The main problem with this level is how obtuse and complex its layout is, along with some really difficult puzzles and timed runs. This level also requires the player to know certain obscure tricks that are nearly impossible to figure out without any help.

Walkthrough playtime: 1 hour and a half

Blind playtime: 4-6 hours