Difficulty Design
Balancing challenge and accessibility
Difficulty design encompasses the techniques developers use to create appropriate challenge levels, from dynamic adjustment to accessibility options.
Overview
Difficulty design determines how challenging a game feels for different players. Early arcade games maximised difficulty to extract coins. Home consoles introduced difficulty settings. Modern approaches include dynamic adjustment, accessibility options, and assist modes that let players customise their experience without shame.
Fast facts
- Arcade origins: Difficulty as monetisation.
- Console shift: Selectable difficulty levels.
- Modern trend: Dynamic and customisable challenge.
- Debate point: Whether all games need easy modes.
Historical approaches
Evolution of difficulty:
| Era | Approach | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Arcade | Very hard | Generate coins |
| 8-bit home | Hard, limited continues | Extend content |
| 16-bit | Difficulty selection | Broader appeal |
| Modern | Dynamic, options | Accessibility |
Difficulty selection
Traditional implementation:
- Easy, Normal, Hard presets.
- Often affects: damage, enemy health, resources.
- Sometimes affects: enemy patterns, AI behaviour.
- Rarely affects: level design, content.
Dynamic difficulty adjustment
Automatic systems:
- Resident Evil 4: Invisible scaling based on performance.
- Left 4 Dead: AI Director adjusts spawns.
- God Hand: Real-time difficulty meter.
- Track player deaths, completion time, accuracy.
Advantages:
- Seamless experience.
- No player shame.
- Maintains intended challenge.
Disadvantages:
- Can feel manipulative.
- Removes player agency.
- Inconsistent experiences.
Difficulty as design
Games designed around specific challenge:
- Dark Souls: Challenge is the experience.
- Celeste: Hard but fair, assist mode separate.
- Super Meat Boy: Tight execution required.
Argument: intended difficulty is artistic vision.
Assist modes
Modern accessibility features:
- Invincibility toggles.
- Skip encounter options.
- Adjustable timings.
- Auto-aim, auto-complete sections.
Examples:
- Celeste’s assist mode (comprehensive).
- Hades’ God Mode (incremental resistance).
- Spider-Man’s accessibility options.
Accessibility vs difficulty
Key distinction:
- Accessibility: Remove barriers (colour blindness, motor impairment).
- Difficulty: Adjust challenge level.
- Overlap but not identical.
- Both matter for player inclusion.
Difficulty curves
Pacing challenge:
- Tutorial section (safe learning).
- Rising difficulty.
- Difficulty spikes (bosses).
- Potential valleys (recovery).
- Final challenge (culmination).
Rubber banding
Racing game technique:
- AI adjusts speed based on player position.
- Keeps races competitive.
- Can feel unfair when noticed.
- Balances accessibility and challenge.
The “git gud” debate
Cultural tension:
- Some players want games easier.
- Others value overcoming challenge.
- Developer intent varies.
- No universal right answer.
Economic considerations
Difficulty affects completion:
- Very hard games have low completion rates.
- Easy modes increase audience.
- Some content becomes wasted.
- Balancing artistic vision and business.
Testing challenges
Difficulty calibration problems:
- Developers become too skilled.
- Playtesters may not represent audience.
- Day-one players different from later.
- Cultural expectations vary.
Regional differences
Historical adjustments:
- Japanese versions often easier (export hardened).
- Or opposite (Mega Man, others).
- Different market expectations.
- Cultural attitudes toward challenge.
Legacy
Difficulty design evolved from arcade extraction to player-centred customisation. The ongoing debate about whether games should accommodate all skill levels reflects broader questions about games as art versus entertainment.