I've thought about my intentions for the difficulty of Darkhouse for a while. Darkhouse is meant to be extremely difficult, fair and rewarding to skill and patience, yet still brutal and unforgiving. It was designed like old arcade games such as Pac-Man and Galaga. In those games, your goal is to try and achieve the highest score you can, and get as far as possible, because when you receive a game over, you start from the beginning again. Old arcade games were rewarding to skilled and determined players by posting their highest score on the scoreboard for everyone to see. But at the same time, that design for a game can make an unpleasant experience for the player, one where they don't feel like they're improving or making progress, and either can't or don't want to continue playing as a result. I don't want to make a game that makes the player feel that way.

Because of this, I've decided to work on a new update for Darkhouse that adds a new game mode, one where checkpoints are saved after a game over. The current game that will delete your progress after a game over will be called Arcade Mode, and the new one will be called Normal Mode. The game will still be very difficult, but now you can complete levels and defeat bosses without having to go back and beat them again when you lose. You can just start where you left of at the last checkpoint.

This new game mode will provide an easier experience for players, and will be more rewarding to progress. I want the game to be enjoyable yet challenging, and there's so much more to Darkhouse that I really want people to see. So I believe this update will implement that idea better than previous versions of Darkhouse. Arcade mode will still be available for those who seek a real challenge, and it will be a better way of achieving a high score. But a more forgiving game mode will allow players to see more of the game, and more importantly, it's intriguing ending.