History Main / ChallengeRun

* In ''VideoGame/BadPiggies'', certain screens challenge you to complete them without using a specific part to get one of the rating stars.

* The Pact of Punishment from ''VideoGame/{{Hades}}''. It functions similarly to the Gods mechanic in ''VideoGame/{{Bastion}}'' or the Beast Signs in ''VideoGame/{{Pyre}}'' in that you give all enemies bonuses or implement hostile mechanics against yourself in return for a reward each time you defeat a boss. The Pact operates on a 'heat level' where every debuff or enemy bonus adds one 'heat', and in order to get more rewards you need to play with a higher heat level than the last time you beat the game with that weapon.

* ''VideoGame/StarOceanTillTheEndOfTime'''s Battle Trophy system actively encourages this. You get in-game rewards for beating bosses in under a minute, for beating them without actually moving the player-controlled character, for beating the optional bosses with only one character, for a LowLevelRun, for beating the entire game armed with the game's weakest weapon, et cetera.
* ''VideoGame/StarOceanTheSecondStory'' has an option to turn the final boss into a God-like being with insane amounts of HP and spells capable of killing your entire party in a single hit. The game also provides a dungeon specifically designed to help train your party to a high enough level so that this battle won't be ''completely'' impossible. But, even at level 255-highest possible level one can achieve-this battle is ridiculously hard.

* ''VideoGame/{{Ikaruga}}'', or at least the Xbox 360 version, actually provides for a ''scoreboard'' for [[PacifistRun "Dot Eater"]] play - meaning you don't fire a single shot, collecting points by surviving and by using your shield to absorb every last bullet you can. This is much harder than you may think, as there are points throughout the game that are literal walls. Without the ability to fire and destroy these walls, you have to align the Ikaruga ''just right'' to slip through the single pixel holes in them.

* At the beginning of ''VideoGame/Dishonored2'', Corvo is subjected to a DePower. He later meets the Outsider, as he did in the first game... but this time, the player has the option of ''rejecting'' the Outsider's deal and playing through the game [[BadassNormal without any powers]].

* ''VideoGame/BattleTech'' lets you adjust a number of settings during campaign setup to noticeably increase the challenge. Options include a reduced chance for special pilots to appear for recruitment, reduced cash rewards for completing missions, incapacitated pilots always dying from their wounds, and requiring up to 8 'Mech parts to reassemble a new 'Mech (the standard value is 3). Completing a pretty large number of 'Mechs with that last option enabled awards you an achievement.

* ''TabletopGame/SentinelsOfTheMultiverse'' has "Advanced" rules for each playable villain, which adds a stipulation that makes the game against them harder. There are also official "Challenge" rules, posted online and included in the video game adaptation, that range from making the villain mildly more annoying (Deadline's equipment becomes indestructible) to making things quite a bit tougher (the Dreamer becomes a OneHitPointWonder, and if she dies, you lose) to making things ridiculously hard (Baron Blade is now a TimedMission on ''both'' sides). Playing with both Advanced and Challenge rules active at the same time is called "Ultimate".

* VideoGame/NeedForSpeed
** VideoGame/NeedForSpeedMostWanted introduced the "Challenge Series", a set of pre-conditioned events separate from the main story for the player to complete. A total of 70 events exists, one of which is unlocked with a cheat code and the other being a bonus exclusive to the 'Black edition' version of the game. Completing [[LOL69 69]] events unlocks two extra cars and special performance parts for use outside of the story mode.

** In fact, since Undertale is a game that actively deconstructs many standard gaming tropes, [[spoiler:the Genocide[=/=]No Mercy run]] could be considered a deconstruction of this. [[spoiler:When you gain enough LOVE, most bosses die in one hit, but there are a couple of bosses whose difficulty level is far above anything you would encounter on a Neutral or Pacifist run. The latter, Sans, even explicitly says that you know you won't gain anything from doing it, and the only reason you are doing it is to prove that you can.]]

* BMS player ''Lunatic Rave 2'' has a secret option called "Extra Mode". You know all those notes in the background channels? expect to play a lot more of them. To put this in perspective, Scripted Connection (Long Mix) normally has 4459 notes in it. If you're playing an accurate BMS of it in Lunatic Rave 2, '''''[[UpToEleven Extra Mode increases the number of notes to 6118!]]''''' (This has the side effect of making some songs nigh-impossible)

* ''VideoGame/{{Undertale}}'' actually acknowledges the player doing certain challenge runs - you get a special message if you manage to complete the game under a certain restriction. These are: no saving, no using healing items, finish the game wearing the Bandage (the weakest armour, which turns into a healing item when removed, meaning you can't re-equip it), finishing the game at level 1 (easier than it sounds, as killing enemies to gain EXP is actively discouraged in this game for spoiler-intensive reasons) and finishing the game with a Snowman Piece in your inventory (a healing item that you can get early in the game that heals 45 HP, in a game where if you play "normally" (i.e., as you would a standard RPG) you'd have about 35 HP by the time you fight the pre-final boss). You can turn it UpToEleven by doing many or all of them at once; Doing "No Healing Items", "Bandage", and "Level 1" all at once even gets its own message saying [[LampshadeHanging "You really like to challenge yourself, huh?"]]

** ''VideoGame/UltimateCustomNight'' takes this UpToEleven with ''50''/20 mode. And yes, once again Scott can't beat it, though [[DevelopersForesight he did program in a victory screen]], labeled 'UNBEATABLE!'.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry3'' and ''[[VideoGame/DevilMayCry4 4]]'' encouraged players to take on self-imposed challenges in the form of getting the "S" and "SS" after-mission rankings in order to [[CosmeticAward collect bonus artwork]] completely unnecessary for gameplay. In ''DMC 3'', the most difficult-to-get one required a NoDamageRun on top of making the time limit, collecting enough "Red Orb" currency, getting enough "style" points and using no items.

* ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid'' and beyond was made with this sort of thing in mind, with various ranks and accomplishments. There is the PacifistRun (which nets you at least a Pigeon rank and is needed to get higher ranks), the StealthRun (which nets you at least a Chameleon rank and is needed to get higher ranks), and a no-kill no-continue no-Alert SpeedRun on the highest difficulty will get you a suitably heroic title, usually Big Boss. There's stranger challenges (like [[GottaCatchThemAll eating all possible animals]] in ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' which nets you the [[ExtremeOmniGoat Markhor]] rank). There's also some very bizarre bonus titles that take a strange mind to get or see the worth of getting - ending ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid2'' with a Ration-eating sea louse in your inventory nets you the Sea Louse rank, and ending ''VideoGame/MetalGearSolid3SnakeEater'' with a Stamina-sapping leech attached to your body gives you the Leech rank. Kojima has claimed the reason he included the [[ShirtlessScene Naked camouflage]] in ''Metal Gear Solid 3'' was to 'make players want to finish the game without using clothes'.

* ''VideoGame/DevilMayCry 3'' and ''4'' encouraged players to take on self-imposed challenges in the form of getting the "S" and "SS" after-mission rankings in order to [[CosmeticAward collect bonus artwork]] completely unnecessary for gameplay. In ''DMC 3'', the most difficult-to-get one required a NoDamageRun on top of making the time limit, collecting enough "Red Orb" currency, getting enough "style" points and using no items.

** The last night of the first ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys1'' is [[LevelEditor Custom Night]], where one can adjust how difficult each animatronic is. It can be used to make them super easy and give you a relatively relaxed night... or you can crank the AI up to make it harder for yourself. The most difficult is '[[FanNickname 4/20]] [[HarderThanHard Mode]]', where you set the AI of all four animatronics to 20, which is the maximum. It's ''insanely'' difficult and only beatable by really skilled power management, reflexes, and a lot of [[LuckBasedMission luck]] and [[TheDeterminator perseverance]]. Not even the ''creator'' of FNAF has been able to do it.

* The "EP" in the title of ''VideoGame/Rockman7EP'' can stand for one of two things depending on your performance. [[spoiler:If you manage to beat the game with a very minimal number of exhausted lives and Tanks used, Mega Man refers to "EP" as "Expert Player". Otherwise he calls it "Economic Power".

* ''VideoGame/DivinityOriginalSinII'': Near the end of the main quest line, a player can bypass one minor quest to complete the [[OnlyThePureOfHeart Path of Blood]] if their character has never [[PacifistRun killed anything]], stolen anything, or [[SoulEating taken Source]]. It's a GuideDangIt requirement that's far more difficult than just doing the quest, but it nets the character a permanent buff and a bit of unique dialogue.

** Beginning from ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsII Final Mix'', the games have added a recurring ability called either EXP Zero, Zero EXP, or No Experience, preventing the protagonists from ever gaining experience or leveling up. This ability makes it possible for daring players who want to play the games at level 1. ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsZeroPointTwoBirthBySleepAFragmentaryPassage'' instead implements an option called EXP Gain, which functions similarly to EXP Zero.
* ''VideoGame/{{Romancing SaGa}}'': After completing the game once, you are given the option to power up the final boss using however many {{Cosmic Keystone}}s you have collected. Five or fewer means only his HP will increase, while six or more (up to ten) means his other stats will increase as well. In all cases he becomes more powerful and hits multiple times in one turn.

** ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsIII'' features a skill available at the start that will prevent Sora from obtaining any experience at all, serving as a challenge to those who would attempt to beat the game at level 1.

** The last night of the first ''VideoGame/FiveNightsAtFreddys1'' is [[LevelEditor Custom Night]], where one can adjust how difficult each animatronic is. It can be used to make them super easy and give you a relatively relaxed night... or you can crank the AI up to make it harder for yourself. The most difficult is '[[FanNickname 4/20]] [[HarderThanHard Mode]]', where you set the AI of all four animatronics to 20, which is the maximum. It's ''insanely'' difficult and only beatable by really skilled power management, reflexes, and a lot of luck and [[TheDeterminator perseverance]]. Not even the ''creator'' of FNAF has been able to do it.

** ''VideoGame/UltimateCustomNight'' takes this UpToEleven with ''50''/20 mode. And yes, once again Scott can't beat it.

* ''VideoGame/DinoRun'' has several, which can be enabled in the settings. These include a continuous meteor shower, a lot more LedgeBats, or shrouding the level in perpetual darkness.