This competition I learned about Sadism and Challenge. I have always been averse to making hard games, as I think the glorification of controller throwing has been a real low point in gaming as a whole. But this time, I accidentally made a very hard game.

Play RASHLANDER here: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/rashlander

I was afraid I had made something truly bad. No one would play or rate this thing, I thought. So I warned people on the main page: "This is a hard game. It is meant to be difficult." I also happened to use an arcade aesthetic, which was a pretty happy accident. It's no surprise for players to find high challenge in an arcade setting.

What I learned is that difficulty should always been paired with informed consent. Players should know what they are getting into. The art style, the marketing, the package needs to read "hard but fair." Otherwise you'll fall fast into Sadism, and your players will reject you over it. Informed consent gives people a moment to put their game face on, and in turn, transforms difficulty into challenge.

Play RASHLANDER here: https://ldjam.com/events/ludum-dare/38/rashlander

-Ryan