Self-imposed challenge

A self-imposed challenge refers to playing a video game with restrictions that are not imposed by the game in order to make it more challenging. Completing a game with a self-imposed challenge is a form of pro gamer move. Self-imposed challenges predate video games and have been used in many traditional games, so it was only natural for gamers to apply them to video games.

Some early examples of self-imposed challenges include beating Super Mario Bros. without warping and reaching the final boss in The Legend of Zelda without getting the sword.

Examples

Pretty much every game can have self-imposed challenges made for it, but here are some of the more generic challenges which can apply to many games.

Challenge	Description
All bosses	You must defeat all bosses, including all optional bosses.
All levels	Completing every level of the game that can be completed.
All one class	For games which allow you to create a party of characters, create every character as the same class. By eliminating variety, the game typically becomes much harder. All healers means no good attackers, but all fighters, means no magic and very expensive upgrades.
Blindfolded	Beating a game without being able to see what you're doing.
Completionist run	Completing every part of a game that can be completed. This changes depending on the game, and might entail finishing every level, obtaining every item, defeating every boss, etc.
Default equipment	The player has to finish the game using only their starting equipment. They aren't allowed to buy upgrades, and, if any are given to the player, they must drop or sell them without ever using them.
Double speed	Using an emulator, set the game to run at 200% speed. For games which rely on reflexes, this makes them much harder.
Fewest moves	Solving a puzzle game with the fewest number of moves possible.
Flipped controller	Playing the game with the controller filled in some way like facing away from you, upside down, or, if possible, using your non-dominant hand.
Genocide run	Killing every enemy that can possibly be killed. This puts the player in harm's way far more frequently, thereby making the game much harder.
Hard mode	Using the game's hardest difficulty setting. While this is technically an in-game challenge, players are not forced to use this difficulty setting, so it remains optional.
High level	In an endless game, reaching a particularly high level.
High score	Obtaining a particularly high score.
Impairment	Purposely getting an impairment and keeping it through the entire game. The player must have their character get the impairment as early as possible, and is not allowed to cure it.
Longest time	Finishing a game that has an imposed time limit with the longest amount of time possible. Requires the player to end each section with only a fraction of a second left on the clock. Time boosts power-ups are allowed, but the player is not allowed to do things which may perpetually reset the clock. Since dying restarts the clock in many games, this may be excluded to prevent especially long games.
Low level	In games which use levels, characters become more powerful as their levels increase. So purposely staying as low-level as possible makes beating the game much harder. Players are usually expected to run away from all random encounters, and only gain experience from mandatory bosses. Sometimes even these can be avoided by exploiting glitches.
Low percentage	For games which monitor in-game progress with a percent indicator, usually based on how much of the map you've explored, you must beat the game with the lowest possible percentage.
Low score	Finishing a game with the lowest possible score.
Melee only	Many shooters include a melee option. This challenge requires the player to only use melee for the entire game.
Minimalist run	Not getting any optional items, only those necessary to finish the game. This usually requires the player to take the long way around obstacles or use more complicated movements, both of which makes the game harder, or exploit glitches.
Multiple characters	A single player using multiple controllers at the same time in order to control two or more characters.
Mute	Playing the game without any audio. For games which rely on audio cues (like rhythm games) this can be especially difficult.
No casualties	For games where you control many units, this requires you to complete the game without letting any of them die.
No coins	The player must avoid all possible coins, rings, or any similar collectibles littered around the map. Typically combined with "all levels."
No continues	The player is allowed to lose a few lives, and replenish themselves with 1-ups, but getting a game over ends the run, even if the game allows them to continue.
No deaths	The player's character can take damage or get hit provided it doesn't kill them. A single death ends the run.
No damage	The player's character is not allowed to sustain damage. However, they can still take hits when immune to damage, like with invincibility.
No goals	In games which require players to score goals on each other, you must win the all the games in a season, including the championship without letting an opposing team ever score a goal.
No hands	Beating a game without being able to hold the controller with your hands. The player must use their feet, elbows, or other parts of their body.
No hits	The player's character is never allowed to collide with an enemy or hazard, regardless of where it damages them.
No hitter	Finishing a game of a sport like baseball or cricket without letting the opposing team get a hit.
No power-ups	The player cannot get power-ups and must purposely avoid them.
No reloads	Normally, when a player makes a big mistake, they will reload and try again. This challenge doesn't grant you that luxury. This is often paired with no deaths in order to prevent reloading by suicide.
No saves	You can't save your progress. This can be especially challenging for long games like RPGs where the loss of the party ends the game.
No skills	The player isn't allowed to use their character's skills. This includes special attacks, magic, or any other abilities. This is similar to "no power-ups," but applies to intrinsic character abilities instead of obtained abilities.
No warps	You're not allowed to skip levels by using warps, teleports, or similar features. Similar to "all levels," but you don't have to play optional levels.
No weapons	Beating a game which expects the player to equip their characters with weapons, but still allows them to attack with their bare hands. They player must immediately unequip any starting weapons, and never equip any for the remainder of the game.
Pacifist run	Depending on the game this means finishing the game without ever attacking or without killing any enemies, (excluding those which must be killed to complete the game, like bosses). Some games can even be beaten without defeating bosses by exploiting glitches. Depending on the game, purposely causing monster in-fighting may be allowed.
Scrooge mode	The player is not allowed to spend money or trade items for anything. They many accept items, but only if they're given away freely.
Shared input	Playing multiple characters in the game using only a single controller. This usually requires the use of emulators or a custom control splitter so that a single controller's input can be sent to two or more plugs. Since both characters will move in tandem, the player is required to use the game's environment to separate them in meaningful ways.
Solo run	For games which give the player a party of characters to play with, this challenge requires you to immediately kill off all but one of them and beat the entire game with just that one character. If additional playable characters are given to the player later in the game, they must also be killed.
Specific item	You must finish as much of the game as possible by obtaining the item as early as possible and using it exclusively for the rest of the game. This is usually a particularly weak weapon, armor, or similar item.
Speedrun	Completing a game within a very short length of time.
Stealth run	In a stealth game, this challenge requires the player to finish the entire game without ever getting seen (excluding any scripted events where the player is seen, though those can sometimes be avoided by exploiting bugs).
Upside down display	Trying to win the game with the screen upside down or in some other way rotated.
Worst team	In sports games, you must win all the games of a season, including the championship, while playing as the worst team.

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