hard mode
No easy path
Hard mode is a difficulty setting in video games that makes gameplay more challenging—enemies hit harder, resources are scarcer, mistakes punish more severely.
The term has spread beyond gaming to describe doing anything the difficult way, whether by choice or circumstance: Parenting twins is life on hard mode.
Someone might tackle a project on hard mode by refusing shortcuts or easy options.
- difficultRequiring much effort
- challengeTest of ability
- challenge runSelf-imposed gaming limitation
- expertHighly skilled practitioner
- nightmareFrightening dream causing wakefulness
brutal · punishing · hardcore · extreme · intense · grueling · unforgiving · boss · death · retry · rage quit · frustrating · masochist · high stakes · skill ceiling · endgame · true ending · skilled
- game termslevel, score, player, win, lose
- game modesranked match, deathmatch, practice match, team deathmatch, capture the flag
- game settingsdifficulty level, brightness, volume, sound effects, language
- game AIchess engine, minimax, search algorithm, game bot, pruning
- game mechanicslevels, rules, cooldown, points, health points
- modesnight vision
hard modeeasy mode
Lowest difficulty option
beginner mode · casual mode · story mode · god mode · training mode
hard modebeginner-friendly
Easy for newcomers
accessible · welcoming · forgiving · intuitive · hand-holding
hard modeeasy mode
Lowest difficulty option
easy street · privileged · charmed life · smooth sailing · coasting
hard, mode, harder, hardest, harden, hardened, hardening, hardener, hardness