The age-old debate persists in the gaming community: Are video games a means to tackle challenges and experience the satisfaction of overcoming adversity, or do players seek the escapist fantasy of wielding power and abilities beyond their reach in real life?
This question holds particular weight in the role-playing game (RPG) genre, where character development is central to the experience. Players often witness their avatars evolve from humble beginnings into omnipotent beings capable of vanquishing adversaries or restoring balance to chaotic worlds.
However, the excitement of wielding great power can diminish if unaccompanied by a sense of challenge. The trick lies in striking a balance between a satisfying difficulty level that rewards players while still allowing them to feel empowered.
We consulted designers from two contrasting sides of the game development spectrum to gain insight into achieving this delicate equilibrium. On one side, there is Diablo IV, a massive triple-A live service game that requires ongoing updates and balancing to ensure a rewarding experience. On the other side lies indie sensation Darkest Dungeon II, known for its intense challenge yet still providing a sense of character growth.
Finding the right level of challenge in RPG design is a complex task, especially within expansive modern games. Different players have varying expectations; some thrive on adversity, while others prefer a more relaxed experience.
Aislyn Hall, a systems designer for Diablo IV at Blizzard Entertainment, shared her thoughts on the matter. “I like to think of challenge as a vast ocean,” Hall explained. “Some players are happy to stay the passenger, along for whatever ride is on the itinerary for today. Others would prefer to set sail on their own terms, free from any boundaries that we might tether them to.”
Acknowledging the diverse preferences among players, Hall emphasizes that there’s no universally suitable approach, especially for a franchise as popular as Diablo.
“When a player goes on their maiden voyage, we’re going to be their captain—give them some guidance and security while they’re in uncharted waters,” she stated, pointing out the need for escalating difficulty as players advance.
In contrast, the design philosophy for Darkest Dungeon II emphasizes an uncompromising approach to challenge. Design director Tyler Sigman stated that the team’s principle is to create a challenging experience within a defined set of rules. “We see that as distinct from being challenging for challenge’s sake,” he noted. “Our interpretation of ‘uncompromising’ is that the game establishes a set of firm rules and plays within those rules.”
Sigman explained that this transparent approach creates a sense of fairness, even when outcomes are brutal due to random elements inherent in the game. “We often get comments asking whether we shape our [random number generation] to purposefully inflict awful things on players. It’s actually the absence of RNG shaping that makes the game feel so brutal,” he clarified.
In the RPG genre, players relish the escapism of crafting characters that grow in strength over time. Hall from Diablo IV argues that a sense of power is critical across game genres.
“It’s absolutely critical that players feel powerful in any game they play,” she asserted. “The medium of gaming is unique in that it provides control, which is a key element in what makes games such compelling experiences.”
Hall contrasted the feeling of empowerment in combat-focused games like Diablo IV with non-violent games, saying, “In a nonviolent game about gardening, the way I feel power in my space is by choosing what crops I’d like to grow or where to plant them.”
Conversely, in a combat environment, players can feel empowered through various tools and ease of defeating foes. Yet Hall maintains that true empowerment loses significance without facing challenges.
“The way I think about how players can feel powerful is the concept of the immovable object and the unstoppable force,” Hall explained. “When a seemingly immovable object is put in front of a player yet the player is an unstoppable force, that sense of power emerges.”
Darkest Dungeon II aims to highlight characters’ vulnerabilities rather than just their strengths. Sigman pointed out that they want heroes to reflect the human experience, stating, “We knew from the beginning that we didn’t want heroes to feel like gods.”
Characters in Darkest Dungeon II must navigate frailty and uncertainty, enforcing the perspective of the Riddle of Steel from Conan the Barbarian, emphasizing that humanity’s inherent weaknesses shape experience.
For expansive games like Diablo IV, balancing character abilities with the difficulty presented by the game is an ongoing challenge, complicated by the wide spectrum of player skill levels.
Hall discussed the concept of a “complexity budget” that guides developers in presenting abilities and challenges. “In the early stages, we have a low complexity budget,” she said, indicating that abilities must be straightforward and clear to accommodate novice players.
As players familiarize themselves with the game’s mechanics, this complexity budget increases. “That budget grows as the player continues to play,” Hall noted. “Abilities and bonuses become more complex and interesting as the player has the capacity to appreciate them.”
Simultaneously, challenges scale throughout the game. Hall cautioned against imposing overwhelming difficulty early on while risking oversimplification later in the game. Players often encounter scenarios where they outgrow challenges, turning once-engaging combat into a trivial endeavor.
With the release of Diablo IV’s major expansion, Vessel of Hatred, the development team had to reassess their approach to difficulty. “We knew that player power was expanding more rapidly than our previous difficulty system could manage,” she explained. “When we were designing the Torment system for Vessel of Hatred, we took a step back and audited the power of player builds, then compared that against how many difficulties we thought would be appropriate to progress through.”
The Torment system introduced four new difficulty tiers, allowing players to select their challenge level while ensuring proportional rewards. Hall described this as stratifying enemy strength among tiers, fostering a deeper engagement with the game.
The Darkest Dungeon II team, meanwhile, prioritized substantial difficulty from the onset, whereas many games gradually introduce challenge. “With Darkest Dungeon,” Sigman explained, “you are in peril constantly.”
Their approach means ensuring players remain in a state of vulnerability, avoiding the pitfalls of complacency. “We keep the player in the neutral to underpowered bands almost always,” he added, emphasizing that the goal is to make accomplishments feel hard-earned.
Despite the overarching challenge, Sigman clarified that Darkest Dungeon II isn’t designed to strictly punish players. “We definitely want players to feel a sense of accomplishment and growth,” he said, while also ensuring players never reach an unattainable god-like status.
Knowledge and skill development are essential in navigating challenges within Darkest Dungeon II, akin to a poker game where strategy can mitigate the luck associated with random numbers.
Recognizing that players vary in their desire for challenge, the team incorporated several optional difficulty elements, allowing them agency to tailor their experience. The Radiant Flame system provides buffs based on consecutive failed runs, while the Infernal Flames challenge offers players an opportunity to test their mettle against heightened difficulty.
The addition of the Kingdoms difficulty system through a free update allows players to choose their desired challenge level, determining fundamental rules for their experience. “When you start the Kingdom, you choose the Radiant, Normal, Stygian, or Bloodmoon ruleset,” Sigman described, giving players agency over their adventures.
In the arena of live-service game development, maintaining balance can sometimes feel like walking a tightrope. Even after establishing a solid balance, continual updates can disrupt the equilibrium between challenge and player empowerment.
“Balance can shift frequently,” Hall pointed out, emphasizing the importance of audience needs in iterative design choices. As player interest evolves, the challenge remains to keep both old and new players engaged.
When launching Vessel of Hatred, Hall noted their focus on polishing early to mid-game experiences to accommodate returning players. As seasons progress, they adapt their focus toward catering to experienced players who desire refinement in late-game content.
Sigman expressed the need for a consistent design philosophy in the ever-changing landscape of game balance. “In this age of early access and easily updatable games, balance is a living thing,” he remarked, acknowledging that the game evolves based on community feedback and emerging player strategies.
Balancing adjustments can lead to player dissatisfaction, especially when changes affect beloved characters or strategies. Sigman acknowledged, “It’s not without its challenges,” explaining how developers must weigh community response against design intentions.
The interplay of challenge and empowerment often boils down to a philosophical question: “Who is having the fun here? The designer or the player?” Sigman emphasized that the focus should always be on the player’s enjoyment.
While balancing power and challenge is complex, the ultimate aim remains clear: to deliver enjoyment.
Some players relish the experience of feeling invincible, while others celebrate surviving fierce encounters against overwhelming odds. More often than not, players seek the sweet spot between challenge and empowerment: a rewarding journey filled with personal victories within their gaming experiences.
image source from：https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2025/04/power-and-peril-how-diablo-and-darkest-dungeon-designers-define-the-rpg/
