Hades was one of the most popular video games in 2020. The game is rich in Greek Mythology, as you play as Hades’ son and keep trying to escape the Underworld. I’m not one for action dungeon-crawlers, but the game received so much hype that I was tempted to play it, and I’m glad I did. It was awesome.
It had a great story, engaging characters and clean mechanics, but the biggest hook for me was its difficulty curve. Rather than the game getting harder and harder, it got easier and easier. Every time you died trying to escape you went back to the start. But with every attempt you got a little bit further, and it was that constant progress that made you want to try again and again. The developers hit the gameplay sweet spot.
Finding that balance between difficulty and satisfaction is the key to sustainable improvement. If something is too hard for too long, you’re likely to give up early. And if something is too easy for too long, you’ll find it hard to push yourself.