So, how exactly can developers create interesting, engaging video game difficulty that improves upon your generic ’enemies have more health’ option?
There are four key ways they can. Let’s dive in.
Defining “Good” Video Game Difficulty
Firstly, if you’re having a hard time defining what exactly video game difficulty is, take a look at our quick explainer on video game difficulty.
Simply put, video game difficulty is the way in which a game communicates what and how it wants you to do something—relative to your skill level.
However, now we’re defining what “good” video game difficulty is; any game could fill the above definition without actually being engaging or “good”.
So, let’s say that games with “good” video game difficulty present a fair, interesting, constructive, and rewarding challenge.
It’s also worth noting that difficulty might not be the focus of some games, and that’s absolutely fine. However, if a game comes with difficulty options, gives you in-game challenges, or is known for its difficulty, then it’s important to rate the quality of challenge it presents.
And now, let’s break down these four areas: fair, interesting, constructive, and rewarding.
1. Good Video Game Difficulty Must Be Fair
Good video difficulty must always be fair to the player. It should be your fault that you lost, not the game’s.
In order to be fair, developers need to balance the games they develop. They also need to ensure that gameplay mechanics all work as they should.
For example, if you’re facing a boss and the camera is awkward and clunky, resulting in you finding it hard to track the boss, then you’re wrestling the game’s mechanics as much as the boss.
This applies to stealth as much as it does to combat. If a game asks you to sneak past a bunch of enemies, but all the enemies seem to spot you without cause, is that a difficult stealth section or a broken stealth system?
Developers need to make the game’s mechanics solid in order to present a fair challenge. If you keep dying because you’re battling the game’s mechanics and not the game, then it’s not difficult—it’s cheap.
2. Good Video Game Difficulty Must Provide Interesting Challenges
Going back to the introduction, games that equate “more difficult” with making enemies damage sponges, or filling a room with 20 of the same enemy type instead of 10, have wasted the chance to create interesting challenges.
Games without difficulty presets have a wealth of ways to do this, including new enemy types, new puzzles, or enemies that require a specific method to take down.
Moving onto difficulty presets, the classic switch-up in the Resident Evil games is to change or lessen item placement on higher difficulty levels. This provides a fresh challenge as you can’t rely on your knowledge of item locations in a repeat playthrough.
In action games, you could introduce difficult enemy types earlier on or perhaps give enemies an expanded move set. Ghost of Tsushima’s lethal difficulty increases your damage output alongside the enemies’ damage, which makes fights a more tense affair.
In role-playing games (RPGs), presenting new survival mechanics—such as systems that monitor the food you consume and how much rest you’ve had—can add a new angle to your immersion.
Good video game difficulty will present you with new, interesting challenges that help keep you engaged.
3. Good Video Game Difficulty Should Encourage a Deeper Understanding of the Game
A great way a game can enhance its difficulty is by encouraging you to dig deeper into its mechanics and gameplay systems.
A shining example of this would be FromSoftware’s Soulsbourne games, such as Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. All of these games contain a tough but (mostly) fair difficulty that encourages you to understand the game’s bosses and enemies’ move sets, your equipment, weapons, items, and more.
By engaging with the game in this way, you’ll enjoy a sense of progression both in moving through the game and your play style. Because of this, even things like grinding can be fun as you’re constantly learning, adapting, and improving your strategy in the game.
In an RPG like The Witcher 3, knowledge of certain potions, decoctions, and oils can benefit you greatly on higher difficulty options. In Prey, reading the game’s numerous in-game email chains, books, sticky notes, and generally looking closely at the environment can help give you useful information, like new passwords, codes, and gameplay opportunities.
If you’re having fun getting better at a game by learning more about it and applying that knowledge as opposed to mashing the same attacks or using cheap but quick tactics, then that’s a good sign.
4. Good Video Game Difficulty Should Be Rewarding
Finally, a game should give you a good incentive to actually undertake its challenges in the first place.
Looking at overall difficulty, this could be something as simple as gaining more XP on higher difficulties or getting rarer loot earlier in the game. It could be something intangible such as a huge feeling of satisfaction when your hard work pays off or a greater appreciation of a game’s world.
Games can also provide incentives to take on in-game challenges. So, even if you’re playing on the “medium” difficulty preset, there could be a really hard optional challenge or mini-game for you to complete. The satisfaction of completing it can be one thing, but a unique in-game item or a ton of loot sure makes things more tempting.
You should feel a sense of accomplishment when overcoming a challenge, and in-game rewards help that—whether it’s extra modes, outfits, or other fun perks. But remember: no reward is worth your time if the game itself isn’t worth it.
Video Game Design Should Account for Interesting Difficulty Options
It’s hard for developers to find the “perfect” difficulty setting, as players’ skill levels will vary. However, this shouldn’t be an excuse to create unimaginative challenges that don’t provide an engaging experience for gamers, regardless of their skill level.
Games should deliver in their design, both in terms of their mechanics and the challenge they present. When everything’s working, one should serve the other.
So, with the next game you’re playing, ask yourself: is this game providing a fair, interesting, constructive, and rewarding challenge?
