
Citizen Sleeper 2 enhances the gameplay experience of its predecessor by introducing different levels of difficulty, allowing players to customize their challenges. With the addition of intricate stress and death mechanics, players may find themselves uncertain about how the three available difficulty settings impact their journey. This guide aims to clarify these aspects for a smoother adventure.
In a recent interview, a developer behind Citizen Sleeper noted, “In Citizen Sleeper 1, death wasn’t a game-ending scenario. However, in the highest difficulty of Citizen Sleeper 2, permadeath becomes a reality.”This highlights the crucial role of permadeath in shaping the challenging experience across different modes. Let’s delve into the specifics.
Comprehensive Overview of Difficulty Levels in Citizen Sleeper 2

Citizen Sleeper 2 presents three distinct difficulty settings: Safe, Risky, and Dangerous. As indicated, Safe offers the gentlest experience, Risky serves as the standard mode common in many games, while Dangerous represents the most formidable challenge, introducing the element of permadeath.
Difficulty Levels & Added Challenges
Difficulty | Challenges Encountered |
---|---|
Safe |
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Risky |
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Dangerous |
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The game also features a notable achievement called “A System In Crisis, ”which is awarded to players who conquer the game on the Dangerous difficulty setting.
Understanding Broken Dice Mechanics Across Difficulties

In Safe mode, breaking a die converts it into a value of 1, signifying that the damage influences the die’s individual pip rather than its slot. Conversely, in both Risky and Dangerous modes, a broken die cannot be utilized until it is repaired, with damage detrimentally affecting its slot.
In Dangerous mode, the cost of repairing dice escalates, due to the necessity of additional resources, such as Scrap or Rare Components, thereby raising the intensity of the gameplay.
Impact of Stress Tolerance and Energy Mechanics
As players navigate through Citizen Sleeper 2, choices can lead to escalating stress levels. In both Safe and Risky modes, characters can endure higher stress without facing glitches or death as often. However, in Dangerous mode, even slight amounts of stress can have dire consequences, significantly increasing the likelihood of glitches or fatalities.
Moreover, Dangerous mode sees energy consumption per Cycle doubled. This means that with each reset of the day, characters begin with diminished energy reserves, which can lead to more frequent supply depletion. In contrast, Safe and Risky modes allow for more manageable energy levels.
With lower stress tolerance, players will also encounter more crises—situations requiring additional dice rolls to overcome during Contracts or Drives.
Distinctions Between Death and Permadeath

Building upon the original game’s mechanics, Citizen Sleeper 2 introduces various forms of death: Disabled Death, Revivable Death, and Permadeath:
- Disabled Death (Safe): In this mode, characters remain alive irrespective of their performance in challenges, allowing for uninterrupted storytelling.
- Revivable Death (Risky): Characters who die in this mode will result in a glitched die. With repeated failures, players may accumulate up to five glitched dice.
- Permadeath (Dangerous): In this most demanding level, excessive stress or energy depletion can lead to character death, forcing players to restart the game. Nevertheless, the save-scumming technique permits players to reload from a previous point in a lower difficulty if necessary.
A glitched die presents a challenging scenario with an 80% chance of failure, contrasted with a 20% chance of yielding a neutral outcome.
Choosing the Optimal Difficulty Level in Citizen Sleeper 2

For those embarking on their first journey in Citizen Sleeper 2, the Risky difficulty presents a harmonized experience, balancing narrative enjoyment with the dynamic pressure of the stress mechanism. Newcomers, especially those unfamiliar with the prior installment, might find that Safe mode offers a more accommodating introduction.
Conversely, seasoned players who found Citizen Sleeper 1 lacking in challenge are encouraged to tackle Dangerous mode. The introduction of permadeath addresses critiques regarding the previous title’s simplicity and elevates the overall gaming experience.
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