Abstract

I started by making a distinction between “difficulty” and what I chose to call “complexity”: simply increasing the stats or number of enemy units would make the game more difficult, but not necessarily more challenging. Instead, it might force the player to rely on boring or frustrating strategies, or extend play sessions excessively. I wanted to explore the other methods to influence difficulty, in ways that feel fresh and fun to the player, and that create more interesting conflicts and complex dynamics.

I identified three main methods employed by these games: changes to enemy units, changes to the area, and changes to gameplay. Each is further subdivided in regards to the specific change and what it affects. Not every game analysed makes use of all methods: in fact, I concluded that a given game should choose to apply only the ones that fit its identity and core mechanics.

All images were included for illustrative purposes and are copyright to their respective owners. Screenshots of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle were sourced from XCageGame.