20 Games With Smart Difficulty Options (Not Just “Easy/Hard”)

Games are getting better at letting players customize the difficulty, making them enjoyable for everyone without sacrificing what makes them fun. Many games now offer more than just the typical “easy, normal, hard” options. They use detailed sliders, systems that adjust to your skill level, and assist modes to fine-tune things like combat, exploration, timing, and even how information is displayed on the screen. Here are some great examples from different game types, showing how developers are creating challenges that fit each player’s abilities, preferences, and needs. We’ve also included the names of the studios who designed these helpful features.

‘Celeste’ (2018)

Celeste offers an Assist Mode with customizable options like adjustable game speed, unlimited stamina, and extra dashes. These features don’t affect the core gameplay for those who don’t need them, and players can combine settings to overcome specific challenges without making the whole game easier. The goal is to reduce frustration while still allowing players to complete the game and collect everything. Celeste was created and released independently by Matt Makes Games, now known as Extremely OK Games.

‘Hades’ (2020)

In ‘Hades’, a feature called God Mode gradually increases your damage resistance each time you die, making the game a little easier as you progress. This helps players learn enemy attacks and overcome challenges without resetting their progress. You can turn God Mode on or off whenever you like, and it won’t affect your collected upgrades or abilities. The game was created and published by Supergiant Games.

‘Dead Cells’ (2018)

Okay, so ‘Dead Cells’ doesn’t really have ‘easy’, ‘medium’, ‘hard’ modes. Instead, it uses this ‘Boss Cell’ system. Basically, the more Boss Cells you activate after beating the game, the harder it gets – you unlock tougher enemies and totally new areas. It’s cool because I get to decide how much of a challenge I want. They even added ‘Assist Mode’ later on, which lets you tweak things like damage you take or even auto-hit enemies if you’re really struggling. Motion Twin made the game themselves and published it, with some help from Evil Empire keeping things running smoothly.

‘Resident Evil 4’ (2005)

As a huge ‘Resident Evil 4’ fan, I always loved how the original game kind of ‘read’ how I was doing. If I was breezing through, the enemies would get tougher and fewer items would drop. But if I was struggling, it would subtly help me out. It was awesome! The remake keeps that cool adaptive element, but now it also lets me choose the difficulty with options like Assisted, Standard, and Hardcore. They even added things like aim assist and crafting changes so I can really customize how the game plays. It’s great that Capcom, who made both versions, is letting us tailor the experience so much!

‘Left 4 Dead’ (2008)

Left 4 Dead uses a smart system called the AI Director to keep the game challenging and fun. It watches how players are doing – how stressed they are and how well they’re performing – and then adjusts things like when enemies attack, what types of enemies appear, and where helpful items are located. This means the game automatically adjusts to be challenging for both new and experienced players, without needing to change difficulty settings during gameplay. The Director also makes each playthrough unique by changing up the most intense moments. Valve created and released the game.

‘Forza Horizon 5’ (2021)

Forza Horizon 5 allows you to customize your driving experience by turning assists like braking and traction control on or off. The game even rewards you with in-game credits for gradually reducing these aids. You can also adjust the difficulty of AI opponents, and the game will suggest changes if you’re finding it too easy. For those wanting even more control, EventLab and race modifiers offer additional challenges. The game was created by Playground Games and published by Xbox Game Studios.

‘State of Decay 2’ (2018)

State of Decay 2 lets you customize the difficulty to create the survival experience you want. You can independently adjust how challenging combat is, how demanding your community’s needs are, and how scarce resources are. This means you can play a relaxed game or a very difficult one without having to start over. Updates have added even more options, like especially dangerous zones and fine-tuned settings. The game was created by Undead Labs and published by Xbox Game Studios.

‘Shadow of the Tomb Raider’ (2018)

As a huge fan, I really appreciate how ‘Shadow of the Tomb Raider’ lets you customize the difficulty! It’s broken down into three parts – Combat, Exploration, and Puzzles – so you can tweak each one separately. I love that I can make the puzzles super challenging while keeping the action a bit easier, or vice versa. The puzzle settings even change things like how many hints you get and how visible clues are, and the exploration settings affect how much help you get with navigating. It’s a great way to make the game fun for everyone, no matter how skilled you are. It was developed by Eidos-Montréal and Crystal Dynamics, and published by Square Enix, which is awesome!

‘Horizon Forbidden West’ (2022)

In ‘Horizon Forbidden West’, players can tailor the difficulty to their liking by adjusting things like enemy and player damage. The game also includes an ‘Easy Loot’ feature that simplifies gathering resources. For those needing extra help, there are assists available for aiming, focusing on enemies, and solving puzzles. The game was created by Guerrilla Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

‘God of War Ragnarök’ (2022)

God of War Ragnarök offers detailed accessibility features and difficulty settings. Players can customize things like puzzle timing, get help with navigation, and adjust aim and defense independently of the game’s overall difficulty. You can even make parrying and dodging easier or shorten button holds for movement, all without affecting the story or your progress. The game was created by Santa Monica Studio and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

‘Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’ (2021)

‘Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart’ offers a wide range of accessibility features, letting players customize their experience beyond just difficulty settings. You can adjust things like game speed, aiming assistance, how quickly weapons fire, and the clarity of on-screen information. These options allow for fine-tuning of both movement and combat, making precise jumps and fast-paced battles easier. Importantly, these adjustments don’t affect progression or the challenge of arena combat. The game was created by Insomniac Games and published by Sony Interactive Entertainment.

‘Nier: Automata’ (2017)

In ‘Nier: Automata,’ you can use Plug-in Chips to automate certain actions like attacking, shooting, and dodging, especially on easier settings. These chips act like helpful assistants that you can customize. You choose which automations to activate, balancing their use with your available resources and positioning. This system allows you to adjust how much the game plays for you, instead of just changing the overall difficulty. The game was created by PlatinumGames and published by Square Enix.

‘Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain’ (2015)

If you struggle in ‘The Phantom Pain,’ the game subtly offers a ‘Chicken Hat’ or ‘Lil’ Chicken Hat’ to help you avoid enemy detection and take less damage. This assistance doesn’t force you to restart from a harder difficulty. You can choose to decline the help or use it briefly to learn the levels. The game still lets you fully customize your stealth approach, equipment, and buddy, allowing you to tailor the challenge to your liking. Kojima Productions created the game, and Konami published it.

‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’ (2017)

‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’ offers adjustable difficulty thanks to features like Smart Steering and Auto-Accelerate, which can be combined with different kart setups and items. These options make the game accessible for beginners while still allowing experienced players to enjoy a challenging race. The game remembers each player’s preferred settings, whether they’re playing locally with friends or online. Nintendo created and released ‘Mario Kart 8 Deluxe’.

‘Sifu’ (2022)

After its release, ‘Sifu’ received updates that let players customize the game’s difficulty. You can now adjust how forgiving parries are, how aggressively enemies attack, and how the game handles deaths, with several pre-set options for easier access. Players can also change how the aging mechanic affects gameplay, allowing for more practice or a greater challenge when aiming for perfect runs. These changes maintain the game’s core fighting style while making it less frustrating to learn. Sloclap created and released ‘Sifu’.

‘Rogue Legacy 2’ (2022)

In ‘Rogue Legacy 2’, players can customize their experience with House Rules, which allow them to tweak things like enemy health, damage, and even add features like flight or contact damage. This lets players practice challenging sections with helpful assists before attempting full runs. Importantly, this system enhances the game’s variety of classes and increasing difficulty without locking content behind progress. The game was created and published by Cellar Door Games.

‘Deep Rock Galactic’ (2018)

Deep Rock Galactic lets you customize missions with different hazard levels, lengths, and difficulties, plus optional challenges like low oxygen or extra enemies. This creates a great balance between difficulty and rewards, whether you’re playing alone with your robotic companion, Bosco, or with a full team. The game was created by Ghost Ship Games and published by Coffee Stain Publishing.

‘Monster Hunter: World’ (2018)

Monster Hunter: World adjusts monster health depending on how many players are hunting together, and you can call for help from other players during a quest using SOS flares. The game also offers optional, more challenging quests called Tempered and Arch-Tempered investigations for players looking to further test their skills and gear. These features ensure that upgrading your equipment remains rewarding, no matter if you’re playing solo or with a group. Capcom created and released the game.

‘Grounded’ (2022)

Grounded now lets players adjust how scary spiders look with a new ‘Arachnophobia’ slider, changing their appearance without affecting how the game plays. You can also customize things like stamina, thirst, and how aggressive creatures are. This allows players to tailor the game’s difficulty and resource management for either relaxed base building or challenging adventures. These settings work with the shared world, so everyone can play comfortably without disrupting crafting or research. The game was created by Obsidian Entertainment and published by Xbox Game Studios.

‘Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’ (2020)

Valhalla lets you customize your difficulty in several ways. You can adjust how aggressive enemies are, how easily they detect you, and how much help the game gives you on screen, all separately. You can also control how the game’s power level scales with yours, making enemies weaker or keeping the challenge consistently high. This ensures that activities like raids, solving mysteries, and sneaking around stay enjoyable throughout the entire game. Ubisoft created and released the game.

Share your favorite smart difficulty settings—and the games you think do them best—in the comments!

2025-11-15 17:47