Reading a difficulty curve before it reads you

Any game feels fine in its first hour. The real test is where the difficulty curve bends, usually somewhere in the mid-game.

I pay attention to the moment my old strategy stops working. In well-designed games that's a signal to change approach; in lazy ones it just means the numbers went up and you're expected to grind.

A healthy curve introduces a new mechanic or enemy type right when you've mastered the last one. That keeps you thinking instead of repeating.

When I review a title, I push deliberately into that awkward zone before writing anything. It's the only honest way to judge whether the design has legs.

If a game survives its own mid-game with grace, it usually stays good all the way through.