Line #183 Main/BossOnlyLevel


1	%% Image removed per Image Pickin' thread: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=1582324338024934400
2	%% Please start a new thread if you'd like to suggest a new image.
3	%%
4	->''"I'm ashamed of you, Rock. Teleporting straight to the boss rooms? I thought I had taught you better."''
5	-->-- '''[[BigBad Dr. Light]]''', ''VideoGame/MegaMansChristmasCarol'' (which is actually a BossGame)
6
7	[[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin A level that consists entirely of a]] BossBattle. Usually, this is done for plot reasons, even in games [[ExcusePlot which don't have much.]] A ClimaxBoss and especially the FinalBoss are more likely to have these, in order to give more emphasis to them.
8
9	They may be preceded by a BossCorridor and supply some SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity. It still follows this trope as long as there isn't any serious danger before the boss.
10
11	This trope has become increasingly more common in later platformer games with (slightly) deeper plots.
12
13	When taken to extremes this leads to a BossGame, where ''every'' level is a Boss-Only Level. Compare BossBonanza, which is a level devoted to ''several'' bosses. See also BattleshipRaid and AbsurdlyShortLevel.
14
15	The {{inver\|tedTrope}}se of this is MooksButNoBosses. Do not confuse with LevelInBossClothing, which is an actual, extensive level that fancies itself as a boss fight.
16	----
17	!!Examples:
18	[[foldercontrol]]
19
20	[[folder:Action Game]]
21	* All of the bosses in the first ''VideoGame/AmericanMcGeesAlice'' except the Red King and [[DualBoss Tweedledee and Tweedledum]] are fought standalone.
22	* In the game adaptation of ''VideoGame/OnePiece'' for the GBA, each world is separated into three levels, the third of which being a boss fight with the corresponding ArcVillain- Morgan, Buggy, Kuro, Don Krieg, Arlong and [[DubNameChange Chaser]].
23	%%* The last few levels of ''VideoGame/TheMatrixPathOfNeo'' are these.
24	* While ''VideoGame/AlienSoldier'' is a BossGame, there are still "levels" (mostly just short walkways between fights). Stage 20, however, is solely occupied by [[SequentialBoss the Seven Force.]]
25	* The bosses' levels in ''Franchise/{{Splatoon}}''. As soon as you arrive to one, you're only a few meters apart from the battlefield.
26	* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolidVThePhantomPain'' has a few: Episodes 11, 29 and 31 [[spoiler:and their Extreme versions]] are nothing but boss battles.
27	* In the ''VideoGame/DieHardTrilogy'' , the last level of ''Die Hard With a Vengeance'' has you chase down [[BigBad Simon Gruber]]'s helicopter.
28	* In the NES version of ''VideoGame/{{Astyanax}}'', the last stage, Thelenea Tower, is exclusively a BossRush comprised of the minibosses from the previous levels, followed by the BigBad Blackhorn and his dragon.
29	* ''VideoGame/CyberChaser'': There are three challenges in which you only refight a boss, with it having more HP and no pickups.
30	* ''Iron Tank'''s FinalDungeon, the Enemy Headquarters, consists of a CoresAndTurretsBoss fortification followed by a three-part SequentialBoss fight with the [[MilitaryMashupMachine Think Tank Main Body]].
31	* In ''VideoGame/TwistedMetalBlack'', Minion and Warhawk are both fought in their own stages.
32	* Each of the three bosses in ''VideoGame/{{Ghostrunner}}'' get their own level that begins and ends with their fight. This is very convenient for if you want to replay the boss fights through level select without powering through all the platforming and enemy waves that precede them.
33	* ''VideoGame/RobotechBattlecry'' has several, many of which involve fighting Kiyora.
34	* ''VideoGame/TheWonderful101'': The last level of every operation consists entirely of a multi-phase boss fight, usually against the GEATHJERK officer that had been attacking the area. This is always the third level, except for Operation 007, which only has two levels instead.
35	* ''VideoGame/SkylandersSwapForce'': Each major boss battle has its own dedicated level, allowing them to be accessed without having to go through the level they were fought at the end of.
36	[[/folder]]
37
38	[[folder:Action-Adventure]]
39	* ''VideoGame/EccoTheDolphin'':
40	** The final level of the original is devoted to the battle with the [[BigBad Vortex Queen]].
41	** The bosses in ''Ecco: The Tides of Time'' are all in this format, including Moray Abyss, Globe Holder, and the confrontation with the Vortex Queen.
42	** ''Defender of the Future'' continues the trend, with each BadFuture's capstone boss fight or fights getting their own levels. This includes Sleeping Forces of Doom, Ice and Fire, Abyss of Inferno, Mutaclone, and Heart of the Foe.
43	* In ''VideoGame/SpiderMan2000'', the chapter "Rhino's Rampage" consisted solely of a boss fight with Rhino.
44	* Most (if not all) of ''VideoGame/{{Bomberman}}'s'' boss fights are in Boss-Only Levels.
45	* ''VideoGame/TheBindingOfIsaac'':
46	** TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon in the expansion pack has a bossfight in almost every single room, and all except one are against two different bosses. [[NintendoHard How's that for hard?]] The remake brings this level back as well as adding an evil counterpart of it. [[spoiler:After beating either of them, you can make them true Boss Only Levels if you obtain both Key Pieces or Dad's Key, which will grant you access to the game's True Final Boss in the first room.]]
47	** Emperor cards have the ability to turn any level into a Boss Only Level. Just use it immediately when you enter a level and you skip right to the boss.
48	** The ''Afterbirth'' expansion introduces a proper Boss Only Level: [[spoiler:The Blue Womb. It contains a core room with four chests, two Item Rooms, one Shop, and a single fighting room. Said fighting room contains Hush, the strongest boss in the game. With the Red Key in ''Repentance'', it is possible to create "proper" rooms with Hush-themed enemies seen elsewhere in the game, but this is not likely to happen on an average run.]]
49	** Greed Mode in ''Afterbirth'' ends on a Boss-Only Level: Just called "Ultra Greed," the floor is a continuation of the shop that begins in an empty room and has a boss room ahead of it. [[spoiler:Said boss room is a Cat Scare, containing either Monstro, Super Greed, or a number of regular Greeds. The room ''past'' that, however, is the true battle against Ultra Greed.]]
50	** The final chapter of ''Repentance''. [[spoiler:It is Isaac's house, and it is devoid of any enemies until starting the Boss Bonanza that begins with Dogma. Downplayed in that the Ascent leading to the Home floor acts as a more "proper" level, or a chain of seven shorter levels, complete with their own unique enemies.]]
51	%% Needs Context * The last two levels of ''VideoGame/FamilyGuyBackToTheMultiverse'' are this.
52	* The final level of ''New Film/GhostbustersII'' consists entirely of the fight against Vigo, preceded by a brief segment.
53	* ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion'':
54	** ''VideoGame/LuigisMansionDarkMoon'': All bosses except Harsh Possessor and Overset Possessor are fought in missions solely devoted to their battles. The mission leading to Harsh Possessor has a long staircase puzzle that takes a while to navigate before reaching the whereabouts of the boss, while the mission leading to Overset Possessor requires Luigi to climb the Clock Tower in order to meet the boss at the top. For the remaining bosses, no demanding effort prior to the battle is required.
55	** ''VideoGame/LuigisMansion3'' has the ninth floor, Unnatural History Museum. It has only two rooms: A small square corridor with some prehistoric exhibits, and the larger hall where the skeleton of the UsefulNotes/TyrannosaurusRex is shown; this skeleton is possessed by the boss to challenge Luigi right away. The brevity of this area is to make up not only for the longevity of the previous floor (Paranormal Productions), but also for the extra work to retrieve its PlotCoupon after Polterkitty steals it and Luigi has to chase her through that floor as well as the preceding one. To a lesser extent, this is repeated with the twelfth floor (The Spectral Catch, which has three rooms) to make up for the need to replay an old floor in order to learn a skill that will be called for use here.
56	* ''Franchise/{{Metroid}}'' examples are very rare, as the bosses often reside at the end (or central part) of large zones, but they exist:
57	** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime2Echoes'': The Sky Temple. After Samus goes through the first two rooms, in the third she'll face Emperor Ing. The place is even smaller than its Light Aether counterpart (the Great Temple).
58	** ''VideoGame/MetroidPrime3Corruption'': The Leviathan Seeds. Getting into them is already a long, dilated process, so all Samus has to do is to go through a wide entrance, a small curvy corridor with an obstacle that is easy to remove, and then reach the heart of the seed to confront the local Leviathan Guardian.
59	** ''VideoGame/MetroidDread'': Itorash, the personal ship of the Big Bad, is just the entry room, a save room, and an elevator straight to the Final Boss.
60	* ''VideoGame/NicktoonsUnite'':
61	** In the console and Platform/{{GBA}} versions of ''Unite!'', the last stage of each world is only a boss fight against the world's villain. The DS version instead has them at the end of a world's final stage.
62	** In ''Globs of Doom'', the third stage for each world exclusively features a battle against said world's boss: the Krusty Krab for [[WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants Bubble Bass]], Zim's house for [[WesternAnimation/InvaderZim GIR]], the Fenton Underground for [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom Cujo the Ghost Dog]] and Retroville Mall for the [[WesternAnimation/TheAdventuresOfJimmyNeutronBoyGenius girl-eating plant]]. The sole exception is [[WesternAnimation/TakAndThePowerOfJuju Pupununu Village]], which lacks a third stage and thus has its boss faced at the end of the second stage.
63	* ''VideoGame/ActRaiser'''s Final Dungeon, Deathheim, is entirely a BossRush leading up to the FinalBoss, Tanzra ({{Satan}}).
64	* ''VideoGame/TombRaiderIII'' has the City and Meteorite Cavern levels, for Sophia and Dr. Willard, respectively.
65	* ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'': Some games have their final dungeons void of enemies and/or complex exploration.
66	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaALinkToThePast'' has the Pyramid of Power (which is also where Link started his journey in the Dark World). Just drop down through the hole created by Ganon and you will immediately reach the chamber where the final battle takes place.
67	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaLinksAwakening'' has the Wind Fish's Egg, TheMaze you navigate to reach the right path to the final boss.
68	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaOracleGames'' have both the Room of Rites in the linked finale, accessed right after you defeat the standard antagonist of whichever game you play last (Veran in ''Ages'', Onox in ''Seasons''). It consists of a simple maze revolving statues and their eyes, and then the battles against Twinrova and later Ganon.
69	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaBreathOfTheWild'': The [[MiniDungeon Ancient Shrines]] based on the Tests of Strength (Minor, Modest and Major) consist solely of a wide square chamber where you fight a designated Guardian Scout, a MiniBoss designated to test Link's combat skills. Defeating it will grant access to the rest area of the Shrine's monk. The trope is subverted with one of the Shrines in the Champions' Ballad DLC, because when you defeat the designated Guardian Scout and reach the end, you press a button that reveals a new part of the Shrine that isn't based on fighting a major opponent (only some small Guardian Mooks while solving a maze puzzle).
70	** ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfZeldaTearsOfTheKingdom'': The Spirit Temple consists of just an arena where you fight the Seized Construct. Granted, reaching the Spirit Temple in the first place involves solving a plethora of puzzles in the Construct Factory and then travelling from there to the Spirit Temple, all of which is about as involved as a proper dungeon even if it's not clearly demarcated as such.
71	* ''VideoGame/TheLittleMermaid'''s final battle with OneWingedAngel Ursula is its own stage.
72	* ''VideoGame/NoStraightRoads'' has DJ Subatomic Supernova, DK West and [[spoiler:Tatiana]], the only bosses in the entire game that don't have security level death courses, and one of those three has no short segment preceding the battle.
73	* "Sizing Up Trouble", the 12th level of ''VideoGame/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanTheLegendOfJackSparrow'', is entirely the final fight against Tortuga's ArcVillain Pequeño who's assisted by his mooks and [[TheDragon El Grande]].
74	* "Thicker Than Water" is the only mission in ''VideoGame/SpiderManMilesMorales'' to consist of a fight against a single enemy: the Prowler, uncle of Miles Morales.
75	[[/folder]]
76
77	[[folder:Beat 'em Up]]
78	* ''VideoGame/{{Bayonetta}}'' does this with the Four Cardinal [[VirtueViceCodification Virtues]] (similar to the SevenHeavenlyVirtues but as [[AngelicAbomination angelic monsters]]), although one of them has a few enemies before the boss fight. This trend carries over to [[VideoGame/Bayonetta2 its sequel]].
79	* This often features in final stages in ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry''.
80	** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry1'', [[spoiler:the proper fight with the final boss - Mundus The Prince of Darkness, occurs in the penultimate stage which is just the fight. The last stage is mostly running away from the island where the game took place, but just before you get away you have one last match against Mundus which is much shorter and easier.]]
81	** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry2'', [[spoiler:it's a battle against first Argosax the Chaos and then the Despair Embodied for Dante's scenario, and a battle against Possessed Arius/Arius-Argosax for Lucia's scenario.]]
82	** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3DantesAwakening'', [[spoiler:Dante fights his brother Vergil for the third and final time, on a shallow river in the bowels of hell.]]
83	** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry4'', [[spoiler:Nero fights Sanctus Diabolica, the BigBad fully ascended. After that, he then fights the False Savior which is somewhat easier.]]
84	** In ''VideoGame/DMCDevilMayCry'', [[spoiler:you have Vergil as the final boss once again]].
85	** In ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry5'', [[spoiler:you get two in a row against Vergil, first as Dante and then as Nero]].
86	** However, across the games, there are also some non-final bosses who also take up their entire levels with no level-traversal in sight. [[spoiler:Dante's first fight with the Savior in ''4'' and Mundus' Spawn in ''[=DmC=]'']] are some examples.
87	* ''VideoGame/MetalGearRisingRevengeance'' does this with the fight against [[TheRival "Jetstream" Sam Rodrigues]], which counts as an entire chapter.
88	* Stage 8 of ''VideoGame/TheSimpsons'' is a boss fight against Smithers and Burns.
89	* Quite a few of these appear in ''VideoGame/AsurasWrath''. Specifically, the fights against Wyzen, Kalrow and his Fleet, Augus, Olga's fleet, [[spoiler: Wrath Asura]], The final Deus Battle, [[spoiler: the final Gohma Vlitra Battle, The FinalBossPreview battle against Chakravartin, The Final Yasha battle, and finally, the Last Chakravartin battle]].
90	* ''VideoGame/MadWorld'' has one of these in each of the first four areas, each acting as the final boss/stage of the area: Von Twirlenkiller in Downtown (though there's a brief motorcycle segment leading up to it), Yokozuna in Asiantown, Elise in the Castle, and Martin in Area 66.
91	* The final boss of ''VideoGame/AbobosBigAdventure'', [[spoiler:[[VideoGame/PunchOut Little Mac]]]], gets his own level in the style of [[spoiler:his home game.]]
92	* "Technodrome: The Final Shell Shock!" from ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesTurtlesInTime'' is the FinalBoss, Shredder/[[SuperMode Super Shredder]].
93	* ''VideoGame/TeenageMutantNinjaTurtlesShreddersRevenge'': The final stage, "Wrath of the Lady", is a two-part boss battle against the Statue of Tyrannt (the Statue of Liberty weaponized by Krang), and then Super Shredder.
94	* The FinalBoss of ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonII'' on the NES gets his own stage as well.
95	* The sixth and final level of ''Black Belt''/''[[Manga/FistOfTheNorthStar Hokuto no Ken]]'' for the Platform/SegaMasterSystem is just a battle against Wang/Raoh.
96	* The first ''VideoGame/{{Battletoads}}'' game has the Dark Queen fight taking up the entire last level.
97	* In ''VideoGame/BattleToads2020'', the levels of Act 4 are a string of battles against The Topians.
98	* ''VideoGame/XMenMutantApocalypse'' featured two Boss-Only Levels: Danger room fights against Omega Red and Juggernaut.
99	* ''VideoGame/MarvelSuperHeroesWarOfTheGems'' features the Avenger's Base, where you can fight a holographic copy of any of the bosses of the regular stages.
100	* The fifth and final stage of ''VideoGame/MitsurugiKamuiHikae'' only consists of a boss battle with Misa's possessed friend Suzuka [[spoiler:and the Demon Blade's final form, Magatsu Hino Tsurugi]].
101	* ''VideoGame/FistOfTheNorthStarLostParadise'' has Chapter 9's only story-related fight being with Raoh, to the point that you're given multiple opportunities to be prepared. The sidequests in the wasteland are even blocked off until he's defeated.
102	* Stage 8 of the Platform/SegaGenesis port of ''VideoGame/GoldenAxe'' is just a confrontation against Death Bringer. It's identical to the earlier battle against Death Adder, but harder because the boss' skeleton minions attack faster and can't be killed.
103	* ''VideoGame/DoubleDragonNeon'': The final stage is just a FinalBossNewDimension showdown with Giga Skullmageddon, [[SuspiciousVideoGameGenerosity conveniently preceded by a cache of power-ups]].
104	[[/folder]]
105
106	[[folder:Fighting Game]]
107	* ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBros'':
108	** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosMelee'': Though most chapters in Adventure Mode have platforming segments, some of the later chapters (including the last two) eschew them in favor of directly confronting the challengers of the represented Nintendo universe.
109	** ''VideoGame/SuperSmashBrosBrawl'' does this in the Adventure Mode, with "The Ruined Hall" and "Battleship Halberd Bridge". "The Canyon" [[PlayingWithATrope plays with this]], since the level only contains a MultiMookMelee.
110	* In the ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}} Force'' mini-game in ''Tekken 3'', after completing the 4th stage 4 times, you go on to a bonus 5th stage that only consists of one duel with Doctor Bosconovitch.
111	[[/folder]]
112
113	[[folder:First-Person Shooter]]
114	* In ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'', the only opponent in Episode 1 Level 9 is the boss, Hans Grosse.
115	* ''VideoGame/{{DeathLoop}}'': The Complex at night is very close. Egor expels everyone else from the area while he celebrates his discovery, leaving only himself, a small thicket of Eternalists near the entrance, the possibility of an invasion from Juliana, and many, many fixed defences and traps.
116	* ''Franchise/{{Doom}}'':
117	** ''VideoGame/{{Doom}}'': The endings of episodes 2 and 3, respectively Tower of Babel (a fight against the Cyberdemon) and Dis (Spider Mastermind), at least on lower difficulties (higher ones add a couple Lost Souls to the former and Cacodemons and a Baron of Hell to the latter).
118	** ''VideoGame/DoomII'':
119	*** Icon of Sin (the final level) is technically this, though the eponymous Icon is also a MookMaker and will fill the level with enemies once you start the fight.
120	*** The second secret level, being a CallBack to ''VideoGame/Wolfenstein3D'', has this trait on lower difficulties (Hurt Me Plenty and above add SS Nazis to the level; there's also the four hanging VideoGame/{{Commander Keen}}s you have to kill to exit the level, but they're totally harmless).
121	*** The secret level accessible from the Express Elevator to Hell in the ''Master Levels'' consists of a very wide room with at least 20 Cyberdemons (up to 34 in the highest difficulty setting) and a Spider Mastermind. The trick is to crush them with the ceiling while using an InvincibilityPowerUp. On the way to the exit, there are a few regular enemies, but they're easy to deal with.
122	** ''VideoGame/DoomEternal'': The final level of ''The Ancient Gods Part II'' DLC, and by extension the entire game, is called "The Dark Lord" and consists entirely of a boss fight against Davoth, the Dark Lord of Hell.
123	* The House of Chthon from the original ''VideoGame/QuakeI''. No points for guessing what boss you fight in there.
124	* ''VideoGame/QuakeII'' has the aptly named Final Showdown, dedicated to the [[BigBad Makron]] battle. Similarly, the final stage of the Nintendo 64 adaptation, Command Core, consists of a WolfpackBoss fight with the Strogg Guardians.
125	* ''VideoGame/DukeNukem'':
126	** The Stadium, the last level of episode three in ''VideoGame/DukeNukem3D'' and [[NostalgiaLevel the introduction]] of ''VideoGame/DukeNukemForever'': a duel against the Cycloid Emperor in a football stadium.
127	--> ''"It's down to you and me, you one-eyed freak!"''
128	** The N64 version of ''Duke Nukem 3D'' gives all three of the game's bosses their own levels; the last two rooms in "The Abyss" and "Overlord" levels are separated from the rest of the level; they drop into these rooms and end the stages where you use them.
129	* The final level in ''VideoGame/BatmanDoom''. A short map, consisting of basically two rooms, which features a duel against Bane in the ruins of your Batcave.
130	* In ''VideoGame/MegaMan8BitDeathmatch'', all of the single player bosses are fought in "separate" areas in a specially made map. This map, titled ''Unknown'', is unplayable in normal multiplayer and any attempt to play on it will automatically redirect all players to Cut Man's stage.
131	* ''VideoGame/JudgeDreddDreddVsDeath'': The Smokatorium level is built entirely around defeating Judge Fire, the second boss.
132	* ''VideoGame/AmidEvil'': The final level of each episode consists in a boss fight.
133	* Both ''VideoGame/{{Blood}}'' games:
134	** ''VideoGame/Blood1997'' ends with "The Hall of the Epiphany", which counts by way of the only other enemies being [[BossRush the enemies that acted as bosses previously]].
135	** ''VideoGame/BloodIITheChosen'' has both Bloody Gideon at the end of Chapter 3, and then the second and third levels of Chapter 4, which consist solely of battles with respectively evil versions of the other Chosen and then the Ancient One.
136	* In ''VideoGame/{{Turok}} 2'', [[BigBad the Primagen]] has his own stage, entered from the HubLevel after collecting [[PlotCoupon the six keys]] from the previous stages.
137	* The final level of ''VideoGame/BioShock1'' is a single large room at the top of Point Prometheus and the highest point in [[UnderwaterCity Rapture]], simply named "[[spoiler:Fontaine]]", in which you fight the titular BigBad's ADAM-powered OneWingedAngel form.
138	* In ''VideoGame/RedFactionII'', [[BigBad Molov]] has the final level to himself. Before that, [[TheDragon Repta]] gets a level to himself as well.
139	* ''Sensory Overload'''s final stage is dedicated to [[TheDragon the Mastermind]].
140	* ''VideoGame/{{ULTRAKILL}}'': With the exception of some light platforming or exploration elements, the final level of each [[CirclesOfHell Circle of Hell]] consists only of a fight with that level's boss. This is also the case for [[BrutalBonusLevel the first Prime Sanctum]]. [[spoiler:The only exceptions to the rule so far is 4-4, where V1 takes on a handful of Husks and a Malicious Face after taking care of [[MirrorBoss V2]] [[KilledOffForReal for good]], and P-2 which [[SubvertedTrope starts off as a walk to the boss but then throws the toughest enemy gauntlet the player has faced so far]] - as it turns out, Hell ''really'' doesn't want you reaching that particular prisoner.]]
141	* ''VideoGame/HaloInfinite'': The Spire mission only has two combat encounters; your first fight against Hunters at the entrance and a boss fight against [[spoiler:the sub-Monitor Adjutant Resolution]] in the control room.
142	* ''VideoGame/JediKnightDarkForcesII'': All six boss fights -- Yun, [[DualBoss Gorc and Pic]], Maw, Sariss (or a second fight with Yun on the Dark Side path), Boc and Jerec -- take place in their own levels, with no enemies besides said bosses.
143	* ''VideoGame/JediKnightJediAcademy'': The side mission in which you fight Boba Fett has no other enemies; he'll chase you throughout the level on foot and using his jetpack as you run around trying to complete mission objectives. You can drive him off temporarily by doing enough damage, but he'll be back fairly quickly.
144
145	[[/folder]]
146
147	[[folder:Hack and Slash]]
148	* ''Literature/DantesInferno'' depopulates the Ninth Circle of Hell from [[Literature/TheDivineComedy the original]] so it's just an icy series of platforms that lead up to {{Satan}}'s three-headed FinalBoss form.
149	* Exaggerated in ''VideoGame/GauntletDarkLegacy''. Each of the realm bosses gets a level to themselves.
150	* ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes'':
151	** ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroes2DesperateStruggle'' has the Rank 10 and 7 stages, as well as the Henry stage. In the former two, Travis manages to reach the whereabouts of the bosses without needing to go through a path filled with enemies, while the latter one has Henry being trapped within a nightmare because Mimmy won't allow him to wake up (thus forcing the battle as soon as they finish talking).
152	** ''VideoGame/NoMoreHeroesIII'': Many rank stages start with a luxurious entrance area within FU's vessel (which include both a SavePoint and a sushi kiosk for supply purchase), which is then followed directly by the relevant boss battle. There are exceptions, such as the Rank 8 stage (a secluded city within Thunderdome where Travis has to look for his opponent[[note]]it even remains explorable afterwards, meaning it averts being a OneTimeDungeon[[/note]]), the Rank 5 stage (an abandoned school where Travis has to "follow" the boss and then defeat several enemies within classrooms before reaching the boss fight), and to a lesser extent the Rank 1 stage (Travis has to traverse a corridor filled with alien mooks and has to defeat them so he can proceed to the pathway leading to the FinalBoss battle).
153	* ''VideoGame/XenaWarriorPrincess'' have at least three levels which is just a lengthy boss fight. The fourth stage have her getting ambushed by a {{Cyclops}} as soon as she arrived at the Isle of Kronos, where she must find a way up the cyclops' hill while avoiding flung rocks and battle the cyclops at its top. When she arrives in hell, Xena is immediately greeted by hell's keeper, Dyzan the dragon, whose battle takes up another whole stage. And finally there's the final level in Mount Olympus, where Xena faces the main villain, Kalabrax, a SequentialBoss who first throws two low-level cultists, then fights Xena directly, before turning OneWingedAngel.
154	[[/folder]]
155
156	[[folder:Party Game]]
157	* ''VideoGame/MarioParty'':
158	** ''VideoGame/MarioParty2'': The only minigame present in the final world of Mini-Game Coaster in Hard Mode is Shell Shocked, where the player's character has to defeat the three Koopa Kids that [[spoiler:have been impersonating Toad during that mode in that difficulty setting]].
159	** ''VideoGame/MarioPartyTheTop100'': World 3-4 in Minigame Island consists of only one minigame, Slot Car Derby, and is the only time in the game where Toad takes part in a minigame as one of your opponents.
160	[[/folder]]
161
162	[[folder:Platform Game]]
163	* The ''Franchise/SonicTheHedgehog'' series.
164	** The trend started with [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog1 the first game]] (which has the Final Zone), and ''really'' took off after [[VideoGame/Sonic3AndKnuckles The Doomsday Zone]], with the final bosses of most games take up their own level, usually played [[EleventhHourSuperPower while in]] SuperMode. In addition, the second game's Death Egg Zone was just two boss fights. Exaggerated in every ''Sonic'' game since ''[[VideoGame/SonicAdventure Adventure]]'', which all give bosses their own levels.
165	** ''VideoGame/Sonic3DBlast'' gave each boss their own level as well.
166	** The Wii and [=PS2=] versions of ''VideoGame/SonicUnleashed'' demote Mazuri to one of these, possibly to save space.
167	** While ''VideoGame/SonicLostWorld'' mostly averts this trope, the Wii U version of Lava Mountain has this in Zones 1 and 4, while the entire level is this in the 3DS version.
168	** The 8-bit platform games and ''VideoGame/SonicCD'' have the trope in downplayed form; the third acts in these games are boss levels, but contain a very short platforming/pre-fight area prior to the boss. The two exceptions are 8-bit ''Sonic 1'' "Scrap Brain Act 3", which is navigating through a maze of hallways with no boss fight, and [[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog28Bit 8-bit version of]] ''[[VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog28Bit Sonic the Hedgehog 2]]'''s "Green Hills Act 3", where the platforming is bouncing across hills of springs with one-hit kill spikes waiting for Sonic should he fall, plus no checkpoint, making this stage one of the contenders for ThatOneLevel in this game and the ''Sonic'' series in general.
169	* ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvoltSeries'':
170	** ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt'':
171	*** Urban Run, which has GV chasing after Merak to rescue Joule, has no enemies, just the Mantis R boss a short ways through.
172	*** Babel, the penultimate level, has the player doing BossRush against four resurrected Sumeragi Adepts and Copen. The fifth and final Special mission is also a BossRush, this time it includes [[spoiler:Nova (both [[OneWingedAngel forms]]) and the TrueFinalBoss Asimov]].
173	** ''VideoGame/AzureStrikerGunvolt2'':
174	*** Glaive Tenjian, while technically part of the opening act, is a mission detached from Copen's or Gunvolt's respective prologue missions, since it has its own GameplayGrading screen. This mission can later be revisited without playing the other two prologue missions.
175	*** Gunvolt's Downtown level, and Copen's Sewers level. Whereas Gunvolt fights the appropriate Adept in that area (Ghauri) Copen would face ''Gibril'' instead of Milas.
176	*** The Garden 3, like Babel from the first game, is the BossRush level, with Tenjian, a hub area with three teleport mirrors leading to the three bosses (depending on which is your character), [[spoiler:Sumeragi Zonda, and finally, the real one]].
177	*** [[spoiler:Even if the TrueFinalBoss takes place immediately after the real Zonda, it is treated as a separate mission, since they have separate result screens.]]
178	* ACE and Kevin, the only two bosses in ''VideoGame/Gamer2'', are both the only enemies fought in their respective levels.
179	* ''Franchise/SuperMarioBros'':
180	** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioBros3'': The first World 7 [[MiniDungeon mini-fortress]] is an odd case in that it's a full-sized level, but there's no {{Mook}}s in it, and there are accessories for some enemies but without the relevant enemies attached to them. The only enemy in the entire fortress is [[MiniBoss Boom-Boom]], who shows up at the end as usual.
181	** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioSunshine'': Gelato Beach becomes a boss-only ''world'' during Episode 3. As soon as you enter, the giant-sized Wiggler will be shown running around the coast, terrorizing the local residents. The boss music gets to pull a BackgroundMusicOverride onto the usual introductory cutscene's fanfare as a result. None of the Cataquacks (the level's resident mooks) appear either.
182	** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy'' has Bonefin Galaxy, where the only objective is to defeat Kingfin. There's also the first Bowser Jr. level (located in the Terrace), as once Mario moves on from the first planet, in the next he'll confront Megaleg.
183	** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioGalaxy2'': Boss Blitz Galaxy mixes this with BossRush, as the only planets present (save for one where he can get a 6-point Mushroom) are those where the bosses await.
184	** ''VideoGame/SuperMario3DWorld'' has the levels where the blue and pink Hisstocrats and Motley Bossblob are fought. They're all represented in the overworld areas as UFO-like flying tent circuses.
185	** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioOdyssey'': The Cloud Kingdom and [[spoiler:Ruined Kingdom]] are little more than glorified arenas for the fights against Bowser and [[spoiler:the Ruined Dragon]] (respectively) the first time you go through them. On subsequent visits, however, they do have a small number of Power Moons to be found there.
186	** ''VideoGame/SuperMarioMaker2'': Story Mode has a level where all you have to do is defeat Pom Pom in a small battlefield.
187	* ''Franchise/{{Kirby}}'' games always have the boss of each level in their own stage, with the exception of [[VideoGame/KirbysDreamLand the first game]] (which only has five levels and a boss for each), ''VideoGame/KirbySuperStar'' (which does the same for many sub-games), and ''VideoGame/KirbyStarAllies'' (where the bosses are instead at the end of full-length stages).
188	* ''Franchise/MegaMan''
189	** ''VideoGame/MegaManClassic''
190	*** ''VideoGame/MegaMan2'''s final level is short and only leads up to the final battle with the alien [[spoiler:hologram]].
191	*** In ''VideoGame/MegaMan3'', Break Man, and the Wily Machine get stages to their own [[spoiler:as does Gamma]]. Break Man's stage is literally ''one room'' - that being the one you fight him in, of course.
192	*** ''VideoGame/MegaMan7'' has the Robot Museum, where you fight a [[MonsterClown robotic clown]], after clearing the first four Robot Master stages.
193	*** The ascended fan-game ''VideoGame/StreetFighterXMegaMan'' has Balrog and M. Bison.
194	** ''VideoGame/MegaManX'':
195	*** In ''VideoGame/MegaManX4'' has the [[DuelBoss duel]] against [[HonorBeforeReason Colonel]] if you're playing as X. (If you're playing as Zero, it's an FMV CutsceneBoss instead.)
196	*** In ''VideoGame/MegaManX5'', the battles with Dynamo.
197	*** In ''VideoGame/MegaManX8'', one level has the Hunters chasing after Gigavolt Man-o-War, shooting at him until he slows down to be faced in a proper battle. There are no other enemies in the level except Man-o-War himself, just stage hazards.
198	** ''VideoGame/MegaManZero1'': Zero must chase after the giant DrillTank Hittide Hottide before it reaches the LaResistance Base. The only other enemies in the sequence are ones that emerged from the tank itself.
199	* ''VideoGame/EarthwormJim'' has "Snot a Problem" a surreal bungee-jumping to the death experience with a horrible monster lurking at the end making Jim come closer than ever to being worm-bait.
200	* ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot'' usually does this, though ''VideoGame/CrashTwinsanity'', ''VideoGame/CrashOfTheTitans'' and ''VideoGame/CrashMindOverMutant'' put bosses at the end of levels (or, in the latter game, after certain quests) instead. In a series first, ''VideoGame/CrashBandicoot4ItsAboutTime'' includes one MiniBoss at the end of a level but otherwise gives every boss their own levels like in the earlier games.
201	* ''Franchise/SpyroTheDragon'': Though the bosses in [[VideoGame/SpyroTheDragon1998 the first game]] are closer to LevelInBossClothing, ''VideoGame/Spyro2RiptosRage'' and ''VideoGame/SpyroYearOfTheDragon'' have boss levels that are bosses and nothing else, though the latter had the odd boss that could be found in a level along with the plot-mandated fights. In ''VideoGame/SpyroEnterTheDragonfly'', Ripto (the ''only'' boss in this game) was given his own level.
202	* ''VideoGame/WarioLand'':
203	** In ''VideoGame/VirtualBoyWarioLand'', stages 4, 8, 12 and 14 are short boss-only stages, and also the only ones to not have a treasure to collect. The map and treasure collection on the save screen make absolutely no secret of these facts.
204	** In ''VideoGame/WarioLand3'', the final boss has his own level. Every boss in ''[[VideoGame/WarioLand4 4]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/WarioLandShakeIt Shake It!]]'' has their own level as well.
205	** In ''VideoGame/WarioWorld'', while there are bosses at the end of actual levels, world bosses are contained in their own level.
206	* ''Franchise/DonkeyKong'':
207	** Every single boss in the ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountry'' games is in a level all its own, with the sole exception of the final boss of ''VideoGame/DonkeyKongCountryReturns''. In fact, the final boss of the original game isn't even placed in one of the game worlds; his "level" is just a spot on the overall island map, the seventh, making it a world on its own.
208	** The original ''VideoGame/DonkeyKong94'' did this, which likely set the trend for the series. Every four stages, you face DK in what is usually a dodging the debris kind of level, then the 8th stage is a fight against DK where you have to fight against him with barrels. The last six levels of the game are also this, where DK and DK Jr. try to harm you every stage and take you down, and it finally ends with a fight against DK, and then a final 9th level activates where you face Giga Kong.
209	** PlayedWith in the first ''VideoGame/MarioVsDonkeyKong'': while clearing the Mini-Mario Levels always leads players to facing Donkey Kong, after the first battle in any given world the Boss Battle itself is freely accessible afterwards, although not going through the MM levels first "punishes" the player with four HitPoints instead of the "usual" six, as it would be the case if all six Mini Marios are rescued. The sequels play it straight as well.
210	* ''Franchise/{{Castlevania}}''
211	** In ''VideoGame/{{Castlevania\|I}}'' for the NES, stage 12 is a short corridor leading to a BossBattle, and stage 18 is the famous stairs leading up to an antechamber to the FinalBoss room. The Platform/MSX2 version turns these into considerably longer levels.
212	** In ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaIISimonsQuest'', the Castlevania ruins are devoid of mooks and only serve as a battleground for Dracula in AntiClimaxBoss form.
213	** In ''VideoGame/SuperCastlevaniaIV'', the final areas consist of a series of chambers housing nothing more than bosses. Slogra, Gaibon, Death, and finally Dracula must be fought in sequence with no mooks interfering.
214	** In ''VideoGame/CastlevaniaRondoOfBlood'', Stage 6 is a boss level in which Shaft resurrects the first four bosses from the [[VideoGame/CastlevaniaI original NES game]] (Giant Bat, Medusa, Mummy, Frankenstein's Monster), and then Richter fights Shaft himself.
215	* The eighth level of ''VideoGame/KidNikiRadicalNinja'' is really the second part of the FinalBoss battle, where he starts running away.
216	* Exaggerated in ''VideoGame/MischiefMakers'', ''every'' boss has their own stage. ''Mini-bosses'' have their own stages!
217	* Level 20 of the SNES version of ''VideoGame/PrinceOfPersia1'' is just the FinalBoss, [[SorcerousOverlord Jaffar]]. Earlier, Level 17 consists a short gauntlet of traps followed by a battle with [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Ashura]], and Level 19, which ends with a BossRush, is devoid of normal enemies as well. The ''Classic'' remake for modern platforms also gives Jaffar his own level.
218	* The Poseidome, the Industrial Park and the Chum Bucket Lab from ''VideoGame/SpongeBobSquarePantsBattleForBikiniBottom'' are this.
219	* ''VideoGame/Klonoa2LunateasVeil'' has one of these for each of its bosses. ''Door to Phantomile'' has one for the FinalBoss.
220	* Stage 8 of ''VideoGame/AlisiaDragoon'' is not so much a stage as a showdown with [[TheDragon Ornah]] and [[BigBad Baldour]].
221	* Every boss level in ''VideoGame/TinyToonAdventuresBustersHiddenTreasure'', with the exception of the first battle against Montana Max in the [[BigBoosHaunt haunted]] [[GangplankGalleon pirate ship level]] is this. These are the only types of levels in the game that cannot be revisited once completed.
222	* Every boss in ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfLomax''. It's downplayed in that there's a short platforming section before the actual boss fight.
223	* In ''VideoGame/ViceProjectDoom'', most {{Boss Battle}}s take place in separately numbered stages, though the FightWoosh used before each suggests that they really just continue the preceding stages.
224	* ''VideoGame/{{Ristar}}'': Each planet has two regular levels, followed by one of these.
225	* ''VideoGame/DynamiteHeaddy'': Every act-ending boss after the first has their own scene, and most of the fights against [[TheRival Trouble Bruin]] do as well. There are two entire acts where all the danger takes place in boss fights: Act 7 against the Gatekeepers, and Act 9 against Trouble Bruin's Super Finagler (which has other obstacles to worry about as well).
226	* ''VideoGame/CommanderKeen'': The final level of the third EpisodicGame, as well as the final level in the GaidenGame ''Keen Dreams'', both consist solely of their respective {{Final Boss}}es.
227	* The last level of ''VideoGame/{{Leander}}'' consists only of the BigBad's BossRoom.
228	* All of the boss levels are like this in the later ''VideoGame/LittleBigPlanet'' games. The first game, however, only has it for the AdvancingBossOfDoom and the FinalBoss.
229	* Most of the bosses in ''VideoGame/BioMenace'' have their own level, and the only enemies appear as distractions. The only exception is the Enforcer, who's reached at the end of the last level.
230	* The eighth level of PC game ''VideoGame/{{Bionicle}}: The Game'' is just a SequentialBoss fight with Makuta and the Game Boy Advance game ''Bionicle: Matoran Adventures'' transitions to and from each of its boss fights the same way that it transitions between levels.
231	* In ''VideoGame/VectorMan'', stages 2, 7, 11, and 16 have very short time limits, as all you have to do is defeat the stage boss to proceed.
232	* At the end of each world in ''VideoGame/{{Bug\|1995}}'', there is a "Finale" scene which consists of the world's boss battle and nothing else.
233	* The bosses of ''VideoGame/{{Iji}}'', save for [[spoiler:the Asha rematch]], are treated as their own separate Sectors in the game. As such, losing to a boss will result in restarting at the boss as opposed to the beginning of the Sector.
234	* The last level of the UnlicensedGame ''Silent Assault'' is solely a boss battle with a pair of [[Art/TheSphinx Egyptian Sphinxes]].
235	* ''VideoGame/Action52'' has this in the second level of ''Ninja Assault'' and the last level of ''Cheetahmen''.
236	* In ''VideoGame/OriAndTheWillOfTheWisps'', the only enemy in Windtorn Ruins is the giant SandWorm that Ori has to escape from after uniting the Wisps. Likewise, the final area after emerging from Willow's End (the last full-size dungeon) is just a short platform sequence leading up to the Spirit Willow followed by the FinalBoss battle.
237	* ''VideoGame/PizzaVsSkeletons'': The final level of each world is a BossBattle. Said battles all consist of you and the boss pushing against each other to try and push each other off the stage.
238	* The final stage of ''[[VideoGame/{{DuckTales}} DuckTales 2]]'', which is Bermuda with the route changed to a once-blocked-off rope at the right of the start, has only the battle with [[spoiler:Glomgold's [[Film/Terminator2JudgmentDay D-1000]].]]
239	* ''VideoGame/MonsterParty'''s ninth and final stage is just a battle with the [[BigBad Dark World Master]].
240	* ''VideoGame/ClawsOfFurry'': You fight the bosses in their own levels.
241	* ''VideoGame/{{Prehistorik}}'': The even-numbered levels in the first game. All bosses are fought in a secluded boxing ring, and you challenge them right at the start, without needing to get there through any platforming gameplay.
242	* Most of the bosses in ''VideoGame/{{The Day The Noobs Took Over Roblox 3}}'' take place in a special "Trial" chapter. There's four Trial chapters in all.
243	* All of the bosses in ''VideoGame/RoadRunnersDeathValleyRally'' are fought in dedicated levels.
244	* ''VideoGame/TheAdventuresOfRadGravity'': The last stage is a self-contained FinalBoss fight with your EvilAllAlong RobotBuddy Kakos in space.
245	* ''VideoGame/GarfieldsNightmare'': The last level of each world consists solely of the boss guarding the end of said world. After Garfield defeats it, the level (and world) ends and the next one begins.
246	* In ''VideoGame/HocusPocus'', each episode has nine levels, with the ninth being a boss battle. The ninth levels of the second and fourth episodes only have the respective bosses, and while there are multiple Tree Demons to defeat in 2-9, [[BigBad Trolodon]] is the only boss in 4-9.
247	[[/folder]]
248
249	[[folder:Rail Shooter]]
250	* ''VideoGame/NewPokemonSnap'': After certain research milestones, the player gains access to an "Illumina" stage, in which the focus is on a single large Pokemon (or multiples of the same species) that takes some effort to get a clear picture of. However, this only applies to the Level 1 version of the stage; after clearing the stage once, a variant of the area with other Pokemon roaming the Illumina Spot and interacting with the Illumina Pokemon becomes available.
251	* The "Hard" route makes Venom one of these in ''VideoGame/StarFox64''. You first fight upgraded forms of [[ThePsychoRangers Star Wolf]], then fight [[BigBad Andross]], then [[OneWingedAngel Andross' Brain]]. There's a short series of hallways to and from the battles with Andross, but it's otherwise nothing but boss fights.
252	* ''VideoGame/TimeCrisis'' series:
253	** In the first game, each of the three bosses has a dedicated "Boss Area", though all of them are also {{Flunky Boss}}es.
254	** Stage 2-3 in the second game is entirely a one-on-one fight with [[TheBrute Buff Bryant]], without any flunky support, while Stage 3-3 is devoted solely to [[BigBad General Diaz]] and his DoomsdayDevice prototype.
255	** The final stage in ''[[VideoGame/TimeCrisis Time Crisis 5]]'' is one long final battle against [[spoiler: Robert Baxter]].
256	* File #4 of ''[[VideoGame/VirtuaCop Virtua Cop 2]]'' is simply one final boss battle against [[BigBad Joe Fang]]. In the third game, it's a BossRush.
257	* The final stage of ''LA Machineguns'' in ''VideoGame/GunbladeNYLAMachineguns'' consists of a BattleshipRaid against the terrorists' flying aircraft carrier.
258	* ''VideoGame/TheHouseOfTheDead 1'''s Final Chapter is just rematches with Chariot and Hanged Man followed by the FinalBoss battle with Magician.
259	* ''Franchise/ResidentEvil'':
260	** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvil4'': The sixth and final chapter (known simply as "Final Chapter") begins as soon as [[spoiler:Leon and Ashley manage to excise the Plagas within them]], and consists of the FinalBoss battle against Saddler, followed by an EscapeSequence. The extra campaign added in later versions of the game (''Separate Ways'') averts the trope, as its last stage has Ada make her way through the Island's factory ''and'' defeating a prior boss before reaching the part where she fights Saddler (and later helps Leon in his own fight against the same villain).
261	** ''VideoGame/ResidentEvilTheDarksideChronicles'': Chapter 5 is spent with Leon and Krauser fighting Javier (the villain of the Operation Javier campaign) who has mutated.
262	* The final two stages of ''VideoGame/OmegaBoost'', Zones 8 and 9, consist only of a fight against one last SubBoss, then four consecutive fights against [[BigBad Alpha Core]].
263	* ''VideoGame/SilentScope'' has the Stadium fight against Cobra The Iron Man, which continues to a boss-only version of the Highway stage if he escapes.
264	[[/folder]]
265
266	[[folder:Real-Time Strategy]]
267	* ''VideoGame/Pikmin2'': Some of the Challenge Mode missions consist merely of fighting a boss, and thus have only one floor each instead of two to five like many of the others. Examples include #15 (Cavernous Abyss, where the Raging Long Legs is) and #16 (Snack Pit, home of the Giant Breadbug).
268	[[/folder]]
269
270	[[folder:Roguelikes]]
271	* In ''{{VideoGame/Sipho}}'', all of the bosses in the game are confined to their own levels designed specifically for the boss.
272	[[/folder]]
273
274	[[folder:Role-Playing Game]]
275	* ''VideoGame/ArkandianLegends'': The final boss is always in a separate dungeon from the buildup dungeon, so there's obviously a way to prepare.
276	* Your first visits to the Fairy Village in both ''VideoGame/BreathOfFireIII'' and ''[[VideoGame/BreathOfFireIV IV]]''. In the former, it's just a short sequence of cutscenes until you meet the Dolphin boss, and in the latter you have to fight several minibosses (all of whom are PreexistingEncounters, not RandomEncounters) until the main boss pops out.
277	* ''VideoGame/DarkCloud'' does this with most of its boss fights. The sequel, ''VideoGame/DarkChronicle'', does the same.
278	* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': The FinalBoss is found after both a BossCorridor and the same clearly-labeled PointOfNoReturn that marks the transition to each new Act. In multiplayer, this requires each player to confirm the transition.
279	* ''VideoGame/EternalTwilight'': The BonusDungeon, the Seraphic Shrine, consists only of boss battles and a central hub for shopping and upgrading gear. There are no random encounters, but all the bosses can be refought if the player needs to grind.
280	* ''VideoGame/EtrianOdysseyI'': [=B15F=], the final floor of the Azure Rainforest, contains very little except Corotrangul and the stairs down to the Sandy Barrens, essentially making it a four-floor stratum (possibly as an breather given that the stratum already had a mid-boss). There is substantially more to the floor, but it's relegated to a DisconnectedSideArea reached much later.
281	* In ''VideoGame/FreedomForce'', the last battle against Time Master is just him and his time clones.
282	* ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''
283	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' has the City of the Ancients (not to be confused with the Temple of the Ancients which precedes it in the plot). There are no random battles, just some items and gear to pick up, a massive plot development followed by a Boss fight, and then Disc 1 is finished.
284	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX''
285	*** Earth Shrine. A turning point in the plot, since [[spoiler:it unlocks the passage to Terra]], but the boss is a blend of GimmickLevel (you fight it with Zidane and ''Quina'', of all characters) and AnticlimaxBoss (unless you've neglected to learn Blue Magic).
286	*** The [[IDontLikeTheSoundOfThatPlace Hill of Despair]], where you fight the final boss, [[GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere Necron]].
287	*** Chocobo's Air Garden has no RandomEncounters, just the SuperBoss Ozma.
288	** Remiem Temple from ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'' doesn't use a Cloister of Trials or have RandomEncounters to unlock its resident Aeon. Instead, it's an Aeon DuelBoss against RecurringBoss Belgemine.
289	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' has Trials, instanced fights against a single, powerful boss (usually, but not always, a Primal) and usually used in climactic moments in the main story. Raids in and after Stormblood were streamlined to be more like Trials, with no trash mobs and each 'floor' of the Raid sending you directly to the boss arena.
290	** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXVI'''s final dungeon, Origin, consists only of a BossRush against the various forms of the final boss.
291	* The ''King's Field'' games have a few of these. One notable example: in the first game near the endgame area there is a place you must fight 5 bosses ''in a row.'' A door will mark the threshold of the area, and when you step through it one of the boss doors will open, leading you into the fight. You can leave between boss fights if you want, but once you cross that threshold you have to ''start over at the beginning with the first boss.'' Only by beating all 5 bosses can you advance to the endgame area.
292	* A few examples from ''VideoGame/WorldOfWarcraft'':
293	** The Eye of Eternity instance only has the fight with Malygos.
294	** Trial of the Crusader has five boss encounters and no trash. It's unique in that this is the only time this trope applied to ''an entire raid tier''- the other raids are relatively short ones that are alongside longer ones.
295	** Throne of the Four Winds only has the fights with the Conclave of Wind and Al'Akir.
296	** Terrace of Endless Spring essentially is this, as there's only two small sets of trash in the area, which means that two out of the four bosses come immediately after the one before them.
297	** The Arena of Annihilation is a scenario with a series of boss fights.
298	** Most of the holiday bosses have become this, despite taking place in dungeons (which are typically trivially easy for the maximum-level players fighting the boss), as queuing for a holiday boss results in you and your group being sent to where the fight happens, or given a direct route to the fight.
299	** Since Looking For Raid divides each raid into wings, this can happen sometimes. Seat of the Pantheon, the final wing of the Antorus raid, only has one trash mob apart from Aggramar and [[FinalBoss Argus]], which is essentially a mini-boss.
300	* ''VideoGame/DarkSouls'':
301	** ''VideoGame/DarkSouls1'':
302	*** The Sanctuary Garden in the Artorias of the Abyss DLC, which consists only of the Sanctuary Guardian's boss arena. When you come back later, there are two DegradedBoss Sanctuary Guardians.
303	*** The Demon Ruins comes close to being a boss-only level, as it has three bosses and most of the respawning enemies are also degraded bosses.
304	*** Quelaag's Domain consists of a colossal spider nest linking Blighttown to the aforementioned Demon Ruins. Aside from two Infested Hollows [[spoiler: and Quelaag's little sister (plus attendant)]], there is only the titular [[SpiderPeople Chaos Spider]] and a Bell of Awakening.
305	** The Throne of Want in ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsII'' is a variation. When you open the appropriate door in Drangleic Castle, you find a giant stone bridge with the Throne Watcher and Throne Defender boss fog at the end (accompanied by summon signs). The [[spoiler:Emerald Herald]] appears briefly, but she'll disappear after you talk to her. [[spoiler:The twist, however, is that once the Watcher and the Defender go down, if you have the Memory of Giants item, the FinalBoss will appear through the boss fog.]]
306	** ''VideoGame/DarkSoulsIII's'' final area, the Kiln of the First Flame, is a small map that only consists of the FinalBoss fight against the Soul of Cinder and the First Flame it is guarding.
307	* The final area of ''VideoGame/EldenRing'', [[spoiler:Leyndell, Ashen Capital]], is largely devoid of enemies barring the last few bosses of the game. If you explore, though, you may encounter a stray BossInMookClothing in a hardly-visited corner of its map.
308	* ''VideoGame/LiveALive'':
309	** The Cowboy chapter consists pretty much entirely of buildup and preparation for the chapter's boss, which is the only major fight in the whole chapter. There's a small handful of other battles for story purposes, but they're all against single enemies who go down in a couple hits and are nearly impossible to lose to.
310	** The Sci-Fi chapter literally contains only one fight, against the boss. The rest of it functions more as an adventure game than an RPG, and it’s still one of the shortest chapters.
311	* A huge chunk of disc 2 of ''VideoGame/{{Xenogears}}'' is narration, boss fight, narration, boss fight, repeat. Occasionally, you'll crawl through a dungeon before said fight. Occasionally.
312	* In ''VideoGame/NiNoKuni'', the Ghost Ship is just two fights against a mini boss and a boss. Its counterparts, the Glimmering Grotto and the Vault of Tears, are complete dungeons with puzzles to solve and regular enemies to fight.
313	* ''VideoGame/MonsterHunter'': Almost every Elder Dragon in the series is fought in one of these. Those places are always unavailable otherwise. In the case of the Underwater Ruins in ''[[VideoGame/MonsterHunter3Tri 3 Ultimate]]'', the lair of Ceadeus, it's also the battlefield to fight [[spoiler:Gold Ceadeus]] and [[spoiler:Abyssal Lagiacrus]], both in G Rank. In the event that you fight an Elder Dragon outside of a specialized map (usually the case with the likes of Teostra, Valstrax or Nergigante, just to name a few), most small monsters will leave the map (and such quests will usually have a reduced time limit from 50 to only 30 to 35 minutes, to discourage side activities like gathering items in the field so the player focuses on fighting the Elder Dragon). Certain extremely powerful regular monsters (like Shen Gaoren, Akantor or Ahtal-Ka, most Rare Species of other monsters, etc.) have each a specialized secluded area as well.
314	* The final story mission in ''VideoGame/DragonAgeInquisition'' is a fairly small zone consisting of nothing but the FinalBoss fight against [[BigBad Corypheus]]. Considering how large levels in this game can be.
315	* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' has a few areas which qualify, to varying extents.
316	** Toriel's house has no one inside except Toriel and the player. This qualifies because Toriel is fought in her basement.
317	** New Home is a much larger area, with no fights before [[spoiler:Asgore Dreemur]]. There are, however, a number of "fights" where the monsters do not attack; the "fights" are solely there to provide exposition. [[spoiler:This trope is played differently in a True Pacifist run; there, you only fight one boss—Asriel Dreemur—but briefly encounter Asgore before Toriel [[WhatTheHellHero attacks Asgore]], followed by all other monsters, including bosses, briefly appearing. Meanwhile, in a Genocide Run, there are technically two bosses—Sans and Asgore—but the latter is defeated in a cutscene with no player effort.]]
318	** [[spoiler:After Flowey takes the human souls and becomes Photoshop Flowey, ''nothing'' exists except Flowey and the player, as Flowey destroyed it all.]]
319	** In addition, every boss (and many unique monsters) are encountered in rooms without other encounters. Muffet is a notable example, due to both the length of her boss room and the presence of a room before it, clearly associated with her and possessing no random encounters.
320	* In ''VideoGame/PaperMario64'', Unlike most bosses' lairs, the only thing of note in Cloudy Climb is Huff N' Puff himself.
321	* ''Franchise/{{Pokemon}}''
322	** ''VideoGame/PokemonGoldAndSilver'' has Jasmine's, Blaine's, and Blue's Gyms, which are notable for having no regular trainers to battle, with only the leaders available to battle. The remakes however, do add trainers to Blaine's and Blue's Gyms.
323	** ''VideoGame/PokemonBlackAndWhite'', TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon [[spoiler:Team Plasma Castle, in spite of being the evil team's headquarters]] doesn't have any RandomEncounters and none of its inhabitants fight you as trainers either, just the Final Bosses at the end. In ''VideoGame/PokemonBlack2AndWhite2'' this place can be revisited as a derelict ruin, and all it contains is an OptionalBoss.
324	** In ''VideoGame/PokemonXAndY'' the Unknown Dungeon and Sea Spirit's Den both have one room apiece, containing a Legendary Pokemon: Mewtwo and one of the Legendary Birds (depending on the starter the player chose at the start of the game), respectively. However, getting the bird to appear in the latter is a sidequest on its own, making it a subversion.
325	** ''VideoGame/PokemonSunAndMoon's'' Ultra Space is just a short linear path that has no random encounters, just the ClimaxBoss with the game's BigBad at the end. ''VideoGame/PokemonUltraSunAndUltraMoon'' expands Ultra Space to have various locales, but still limits a single Pokemon to one area each (whether they're simply rare Pokemon, Legendaries, or Ultra Beasts).
326	* In ''VideoGame/Persona4'', the haunted shopping district, the first dungeon, is this. There are only two battles- a fixed tutorial battle against two weak Shadows that can be won in two turns and [[WarmUpBoss Shadow Yosuke]].
327	* In ''VideoGame/ChildOfLight'', due to [[ChristmasRushed time constraints]], the planned VeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon was cut down to just the FinalBoss battle with Queen Umbra.
328	* ''[[VideoGame/SaveTheLight Steven Universe: Save The Light]]'': Hessonites Warship consists only of a short hallway leading to an elevator that heads up to the final boss room. The ship would later be greatly expanded upon in the ''VideoGame/UnleashTheLight''.
329	* ''VideoGame/TokyoXanadu'': [[spoiler:The Sanctuary of Eternity]] in the Epilogue. It has no labyrinth to go through, nor any Greeds to fight along the way. It's just one boss battle against [[spoiler:the Nine-Tailed Fox]].
330	* ''VideoGame/ViewFromBelow'': Soul Gate Tower has no random encounters and only has [[spoiler:a HopelessBossFight with the Crimson God at the end of Chapter 6. The player then has to return in Chapter 7 to defeat the Crimson God for real]].
331	* ''VideoGame/{{Ys}}'' series:
332	** The Core of Ys in ''VideoGame/YsIIAncientYsVanishedTheFinalChapter'' has just the FinalBoss, Darm.
333	** The Golden Temple in ''VideoGame/YsIVMaskOfTheSun'', only has you fight TheDragon, Gruda, followed by the BigBad, Eldiel.
334	** In ''VideoGame/YsVLostKefinKingdomOfSand'', the inner keep of Kefin Castle houses solely three bosses: Karion, Jabir's clone, and his OneWingedAngel form.
335	** ''VideoGame/YsVITheArkOfNapishtim'''s eponymous FinalDungeon, as with the previous game, is entirely a sequence of the final three bosses: Galba Roa, Ernst, and the WeatherControlMachine Napishtim itself. Doesn't help that it comes after a PointOfNoReturn.
336	* ''VideoGame/MarioAndLuigiBowsersInsideStory'' has both the Nerve Cluster and and the Memory Banks in Bowser's body. By the time the story requires the player to enter these areas, Mario and Luigi are immediately thrown into battles with the Durmite and Bowser Memory ML, respectively. After the last Giant boss battle, the paths leading to the final bosses are void of enemies as well.
337	* ''VideoGame/KingdomHearts02BirthBySleepAFragmentaryPassage'' has the ruins of Destiny Islands, which only features a few cutscenes and the final boss fight with [[TheSwarm the Demon Tide]].
338	* Four out of the five worlds in ''VideoGame/DemonsSouls'' cap off with a level that consists solely of a short run up to a boss arena, and only one of those puts any regular enemies between you and the boss. The exception, Boletarian Palace, puts quite a lot of regular enemies in your way, along with the three toughest black phantoms all in one room and that blue dragon that's been chilling on the hillside this whole time. It's still shorter than any regular level in the game, and the remake mercifully adds a shortcut you can open.
339	[[/folder]]
340
341	[[folder:Run and Gun]]
342	* Mission 6 in ''VideoGame/ContraShatteredSoldier'' is entirely a SequentialBoss fight, and Mission 7 is the TrueFinalBoss.
343	* Most of ''VideoGame/{{Cuphead}}'' is going from extravagant [[SequentialBoss multi-phase boss fight]] to boss fight. The exceptions are "Run n' Gun" levels which feature more traditional level layouts. There are only 2 of these per world, compared to 5+ boss levels per world.
344	* The final stage of ''VideoGame/BlazingChrome'' only features bosses, though the final boss does involve platforming phases.
345	* In all versions of ''VideoGame/AlienSyndrome'', the last area simply consists of the final battle with [[FinalBoss King Core]].
346	* In ''VideoGame/SunsetRiders'', stage 4 is set entirely in a single room inside a saloon where you fight the [[MadBomber Smith Brothers]], who [[StationaryBoss stand on balconies]] in the upper right and upper left sides of the screen and throw explosives at you.
347	[[/folder]]
348
349	[[folder:Shoot 'em Up]]
350	* ''VideoGame/EXTRAPOWERStarResistance'': The final stage is one prolonged boss fight against the Shakun Star Main Computer, a gargantuan robot with a muscular build that gets corrupted with dark energy and attacks. After a short BossCorridor that gives the player an automatic MAXIMUM POWER, the Main Computer rises from its seat and the player ascends the length of its scuplted torso to fight it face to face. The rest of the stage consists of the boss slowly approaching the player as they attack its head and dodge incoming attacks, occassionally whipping the screen back when it throws a massive screen-filling punch.
351	* Almost all of the BattleshipRaid levels in the ''VideoGame/RType'' series, especially the famous third level of the first ''R-Type'', essentially consist of one long battle against a giant Bydo warship.
352	* ''VideoGame/{{Gundemonium\|Series}} Recollection'' and ''Gundeadli Gne'' do this in their final levels.
353	* Zone M/Titanic Lance in ''VideoGame/{{Darius}} Gaiden''. Special in that Zone M is right in the middle of the game, and Titanic Lance is generally agreed to be harder than most of the final bosses.
354	* The first ''VideoGame/BangaiO'' game has the duel with [[GoldfishPoopGang Sabu]] in level 26. There are no enemies at all, with the only obstacles being falling block generators.
355	* Segment 3 Lead and Segment 7 from ''VideoGame/{{Hellsinker}}'' pits you against Sunken Bishop and Rex Cavalier respectivly for almost the entire duration of the stage.
356	* The final stage of ''VideoGame/SteelSaviour'' has you play what seems to be a level with many "minibosses"... which are revealed to be the FinalBoss's CognizantLimbs. Finally, you fight the main eye at the end.
357	* A secret stage in ''VideoGame/AbmneshiTheProphecy'' consists of one long fight against the OptionalBoss, Sirisai.
358	* The final stage of the arcade version of ''VideoGame/Area88'' is this, fighting the Project 4 fortress in an orange sky.
359	* The final stage of ''VideoGame/{{Kamui}}'' consists solely of the boss battle with Xaffiquel.
360	* ''Kamui''[='=]s prequel ''VideoGame/{{RefleX}}''
361	** Area 4 pits you against Cancer.
362	** Area 7 pits you against ZODIAC Virgo.
363	** Area 8, the final area, starts with a short cutscene followed by taking on ZODIAC Libra [[spoiler:and two KAMUI units]].
364	* The last stage of ''VideoGame/RayCrisis'' consists solely of the FinalBoss, and if the conditions are met, the TrueFinalBoss. Ditto its predecessor, ''VideoGame/RayStorm''.
365	* [[AnachronicOrder Stages 6 and 1]] of ''VideoGame/RadiantSilvergun'' are entirely occupied by fights against [[spoiler:Xiga and the Stone-like, respectively (though "fight" is a bit of a [[HoldTheLine loose term]] in the case of the latter)]].
366	* Chapter 10 of ''VideoGame/GingaForce'' simply consists of the final showdown with [[BigBad Viridian]].
367	* In the SNES version of ''VideoGame/{{Gradius}} III'', the BossRush that made up the first leg of the arcade version's final stage is spun off into a separate stage. In fact, all of the boss rush levels are this trope, if you exclude the Zubs or other {{Mook}}s that drop power ups.
368	* In ''VideoGame/AkaiKatana'', the FinalBoss fight against Emperor Basho takes place in its own stage, after you defeat [[DualBoss Ran and Ayame]] in the last full-bodied stage of the game.
369	[[/folder]]
370
371	[[folder:Simulation Game]]
372	* ''VideoGame/AceCombatZeroTheBelkanWar'':
373	** The final campaign mission is just you versus one boss: [[spoiler:Solo Wing Pixy and his ADFX-02 Morgan]].
374	** A bonus, non-canon mission involves a SequentialBoss battle against all the previous ace squadrons.
375	* In ''VideoGame/ProjectWingman'', the last mission ''Kings'' is this, pitting you against [[spoiler:Crimson 1 in the experimental PW-Mk.I aircraft]].
376	[[/folder]]
377
378	[[folder:Third-Person Shooter]]
379	* The final mission of ''VideoGame/MetalSlug 3D'' is a BossBonanza of two SNKBoss-Only Levels. There are no ammo refills in the entire two rooms as well.
380	* The final level of ''VideoGame/KidIcarusUprising'' is a long, multi-stage boss fight.
381	* Most of the boss missions in the first three ''VideoGame/SyphonFilter'' games are this, though a few are [[FlunkyBoss backed up by mooks]]. The first of these, the Main Subway Line, can be beaten in mere seconds by shooting Mara Aramov [[BoomHeadshot in the head]].
382	* There are a couple of these in ''VideoGame/WinBack''.
383	[[/folder]]
384
385	[[folder:Tower Defense]]
386	* ''Anime/OsomatsuSan: Hesokuri Wars'': Choromatsu's 10th and final stages of his Beta events, aside from standard Hatabous in helicopters, consists entirely of boss versions of the enemies across a long battlefield.
387	[[/folder]]
388
389	[[folder:Turn-Based Strategy]]
390	* ''VideoGame/Disgaea5AllianceOfVengeance'' has you fight [[TheDragon Bloodis]] by himself twice. Sporting impressive stats, an annoying Evility that limits nearby units' Movement to 1, and an [[LimitBreak Overload]] that doubles his already high stats for two turns, you'll be glad he doesn't have backup.
391	* It's rare in the ''Franchise/FireEmblem'' series, but it does occasionally happen.
392	** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemAwakening'', the Premonition is a simple two-on-one fight against Validar.
393	** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemFates'', Chapter 1 is a simple duel between Corrin and Xander.
394	** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemThreeHouses'', the last level of [[DownloadableContent Cindered Shadows]] only includes the FinalBoss, the Umbral Beast, [[FlunkyBoss and the minions it summons]].
395	** In ''VideoGame/FireEmblemEngage'', the Premonition is a one-on-one fight between [[PlayerCharacter Alear]](equipped with Emblem Marth) and [[BigBad Sombron]].
396	* ''VideoGame/MagiaRecordPuellaMagiMadokaMagicaSideStory'': All the stages in the final chapter Last Magia are single wave battles against [[spoiler:[[Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica Walpurgisnacht]]]].
397	[[/folder]]

Context Main / BossOnlyLevel