In games

Most games let you pick a difficulty before you start.

Easy. Normal. Hard. Some even have nightmare mode.

You almost never pick easy. And if you do, it’s because that game’s easy mode is already hard enough for you.

It’s not because you enjoy suffering. It’s because easy isn’t fun. Enemies die in one hit, levels fly by without thinking, treasure chests everywhere, and nothing ever makes you pause.

You win, but it doesn’t feel like winning. Because you know it doesn’t count.

Cheat mode is even worse. God mode, infinite gold, one-hit kills. Feels amazing for about thirty minutes. Then you want to quit. The game stopped being a game.

What players actually want is the feeling of “I almost beat it.”

First death, you replay the fight in your head. Second try, you last a bit longer, start finding the rhythm. Third time, you’re one move away from winning. Heart pounding, jaw clenched. One more try.

When you finally beat it, your whole body tingles.

Easy mode will never give you that feeling.

Good games are never easy.

In reality

In real life, we keep wishing things were easier.

Easy job, high pay. Results without effort. Problems that solve themselves.

Sometimes we even complain: why wasn’t I born into a better family? Why do others get a head start?

But what if life really were easy mode?

Born with endless money. Everything handed to you. Never a single worry.

Sounds great. But would you watch a movie like that? Two hours of a person who never faces a single obstacle, wins the lottery, coasts through life. Nothing happens.

You wouldn’t. Because it’s boring.

Here’s the strange part: you choose hard mode in games, but pray for easy mode in real life.

Psychologists call it flow. The moments when you’re most focused and happiest aren’t when things are easy. They’re not when things are crushing either. They’re when the challenge sits right at the edge of what you can do.

Too easy, you get bored. Too hard, you get anxious. Just right, and you lose track of time.

Same principle as picking your game difficulty.

So next time you face a hard problem, before complaining, ask yourself: if this were easy, would you feel any sense of accomplishment?

Trophies have value because you almost didn’t get them.

The trust fund kid’s game isn’t necessarily more fun than yours. A higher starting point doesn’t mean a better story. Sometimes the difficulty itself is your biggest advantage.

Easy mode is not fun.

Player notes

As a kid playing Age of Empires, my favorite thing was cheating.

I still remember the code. Type BIGDADDY and you’d instantly spawn a black sports car with a rocket launcher, right in the middle of a map full of ancient civilizations. One car could wipe out an entire army the AI spent ages building. Sometimes I’d spawn a dozen and steamroll everything.

Fun for about three minutes. Then I didn’t want to play anymore.

Later I started gravitating toward games that killed me over and over. Mega Man as a kid. God of War, Celeste, Cuphead as an adult. Every single one demanded dying, retrying, improving.

My wife always asks me: “Why do you torture yourself?”

I don’t see it as torture at all. For me, the journey from “can’t beat it” to “beat it” is the real joy. That moment you finally clear a boss, that rush of adrenaline — no cheat code can ever give you that.

But in real life, it took me a long time to figure this out.

Working at a big company, there were plenty of challenges. But a lot of things got done because of the brand and the resources. Products launched to a built-in user base. Projects had entire teams carrying the load. When the numbers looked good, I was never sure how much was actually me. The wins felt hollow. Like I wasn’t sure if I actually won.

After I left and started a one-person company, making money from things I created myself, I realized this was one of the hardest games out there. It plays like a strategy game. Every move matters. The order of actions changes everything. Where to invest time, how to expand territory, when to hold the line. No one shares the weight. Every consequence is yours alone.

But that’s exactly why every small win feels earned.

Starting a business is one of the most fun and hardest games I’ve ever played. I’d recommend anyone who hasn’t tried it to give it a shot.

Looking back, I never wanted easy mode in games. Real life should be no different.

So now, when life throws me a hard problem, I tell myself: this is hard mode. Exactly what I signed up for.

Leveling tips

□ Next time you hit a wall, ask yourself: if this were easy, would I still want to do it?
□ Think of something that once felt impossible but you eventually conquered. Compare that achievement to something that came easy
□ Find one challenge you’ve been avoiding. Treat it as a boss worth fighting, not a nuisance to dodge
□ Replace “why is this so hard” with “this is hard, so it’s worth it”

P.S. I made a simulator — you can try it yourself.