Difficulty level
With video games, the difficulty level is an adjustable setting that controls game challenges. It may affect the aggression of computer-controlled enemies, the amount of health or lives the player has, time limits of objectives, and other variables that challenge the player. The difficulty level setting generally only applies to local or single-player games where the player does not compete against other players.
Increasing the difficulty level makes a game more intense and challenging. Decreasing the difficulty level makes a game easier and less challenging. When playing a game for the first time, trying a lower difficulty level makes it easier to learn and more enjoyable.
Although most games don't allow you to change the difficulty after starting the game, some do. If you're struggling with a part of a game (e.g., a boss), see if the difficulty level can be temporarily made easier.
Game difficulty levels
Games that allow users to change the difficulty usually have three modes (easy, medium, and hard). However, some games may have some or all of the other modes listed below.
- Story mode - A mode that allows the user to interact with a game's story without any challenges.
- Easy mode (novice mode) - Often the easiest option in the game that offers little challenge.
- Medium mode (standard mode) - Often the default mode, medium is designed for the average gamer that offers some challenge.
- Hard mode (expert mode) - Often the hardest mode, hard is designed for expert gamers who find the default mode too easy.
- Nightmare mode (very hard mode) - Games with more than three modes often have an extremely challenging mode. In this mode, it may have challenges such as only being able to die once (perma death), no saves, no checkpoints, etc.
Nightmare mode or modes more difficult than hard may also be called extreme, hardcore, impossible, insane, intense, maniac, merciless, painful, or ultra-hard.