Difficulty options
Video game concept
This is a container group; its children are:
| Difficulty levels | Player has linear choice of game difficulty level, usually ranging from Easy to Normal to Hard. (too short) | 1977 / 2023 | 2333 games |
| Modifiable difficulty aspects | Difficulty level is split into number of aspects, such as monster toughness, allotted time, simulation level of vehicles, and so forth instead of single combined difficulty modifier. | 1976 / 2021 | 167 games |
| Automatic difficulty adjustment | The AI adjusts itself to better match the player's skill level in real-time, becoming easier if the player's faring poorly and harder if better. | 1986 / 2016 | 9 games |
| Character scaling difficulty | Difficulty and/or type of opponents/challenges scales according to the character level or similar measure of ability. | 1991 / 2014 | 39 games |
| Difficulty: Evaluated | The game somehow, usually as part of the intro or tutorial segment, evaluates player's skill level and recommends a difficulty setting best suited to provide adequate but not too high challenge. | 2007 / 2009 | 7 games |
| In-game difficulty level adjustment | Allows players to modify the difficulty setting while playing, providing a flexible and personalized gaming experience. | 1982 / 2023 | 115 games |
| Player count adjusted difficulty | Difficulty automatically changes with the number of players in game. (too short) | 1991 / 2019 | 48 games |
| Punishing difficulty | There is at least one difficulty option that punishes the player for using it, such as not allowing to play the game through on easiest difficulty. | 1978 / 2017 | 28 games |
| Single difficulty level | Player has no choice of game difficulty level. (too short) | 1978 / 2019 | 92 games |
| Time-based difficulty | Difficulty increases with time regardless what the player does, be that nothing at all or defeating every single enemy or other challenge they can find. | 2013 / 2018 | 16 games |