The Boing! difficulty levels primarily alter enemy health and aggression, the scarcity of Glimmer Shards, and the precision required for platforming, with the infamous Bonkers mode introducing a punishing one-hit-death mechanic. Each of the four modes—Easy, Medium, Hard, and Bonkers—is a distinct experience tailored to a different kind of player, transforming your journey through the game's clockwork world.
Choosing the right difficulty is crucial for your first playthrough. While you can lower the difficulty at any time from the menu, you cannot raise it, and changing it mid-game will lock you out of any difficulty-specific achievements. This guide breaks down exactly what changes between each setting so you can make the right choice from the start.
Which Difficulty Is Right for You?
Before diving into the granular details, here is a high-level comparison of how the four difficulty modes stack up. Medium is the definitive baseline experience, but Easy offers a much more forgiving entry point, while Hard and Bonkers provide a steep challenge for seasoned veterans.
| Feature | Easy | Medium | Hard | Bonkers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enemy Health | 50% of Medium | Standard | 150% of Medium | 150% of Medium |
| Enemy Damage | 50% of Medium | Standard | 200% of Medium | One-hit KO |
| Enemy AI | Passive, slow attacks | Standard aggression | Aggressive, new attacks | Aggressive, new attacks |
| Glimmer Shard Rate | 200% of Medium | Standard (100%) | 50% of Medium | 50% (Score only) |
| Checkpoint Frequency | High (before every challenge) | Standard | Low (often removed) | N/A (Level reset on hit) |
| Platforming Assists | "Bounce Assist" enabled | Disabled | Disabled | Disabled |
| Boss Mechanics | Simplified patterns | Standard patterns | New attack phases | New attack phases |
| Core Goal | Story & Exploration | Balanced Challenge | Mechanical Mastery | Ultimate Punishment |
The Standard Experience: Easy vs. Medium
For most players, the choice will come down to these two modes. They represent two sides of the same coin: one focused on letting you see everything the game has to offer without friction, and the other designed to test your skills in a fair but firm way.
Easy Mode: A Focus on Story and Exploration
Easy mode is for players who want to soak in the gorgeous art, follow Pogo's story, and not get stuck on brutal platforming sequences for hours. The changes are immediately noticeable. Enemies like the common Scrap-Bot in the Rust-Cog Factory are far less aggressive and can often be bounced past without even initiating an attack. They go down in just a few hits, and their projectiles move significantly slower.
Resources are plentiful. Glimmer Shard drops are doubled, meaning you can purchase all of the Heart-Coil upgrades and special charms from the Tinkerer well before the final act. Checkpoints appear constantly, usually right before and after any sequence that might pose a threat. Most importantly, Easy mode enables a unique feature called "Bounce Assist." This provides a subtle magnetism when you are about to miss a ledge or bounce pad, giving you a much larger margin for error in tricky areas like the Whispering Chasm.
Medium Mode: The Way 'Boing!' Was Meant to Be Played
This is the developer's intended difficulty and the one we recommend for most first-time players. It strikes a perfect balance between challenge and reward. Enemies are a genuine threat, requiring you to learn their patterns. Resource drops are balanced to make you think carefully about which upgrades to prioritize. You can't buy everything on a single run without some dedicated farming.
Platforming challenges require precision, but the timing is never unfair. Bosses, like the hulking Scrap-Knight Grundle, use their full, intended move set without the simplifications of Easy mode. Beating a tough section on Medium feels like an accomplishment, not a grind. It forces you to engage with the core bouncing and combat mechanics on their own terms, leading to a much more satisfying victory when the credits roll.
Boing! in-game screenshot
For the Masochists: Hard vs. Bonkers
If you've already beaten the game on Medium and find yourself hungry for more, these are the modes for you. They don't just inflate numbers; they fundamentally change how you must approach combat and traversal.
Hard Mode: A True Test of Mechanical Skill
Hard mode expects you to have mastered Pogo's move set. Enemies don't just have more health and hit harder; they are faster and smarter. Many gain entirely new attack patterns. For example, the flying Gear-Gnats in the Clockwork Tower, which normally just hover, will now actively dive-bomb you. Glimmer Shard drops are halved, making upgrades a precious commodity. You will likely finish the game with several key upgrades still locked.
Checkpoints become a rare luxury. The game removes many of them, particularly the ones placed right before a boss arena or a difficult platforming gauntlet. This means you'll have to master entire sections of a level flawlessly to make progress. Bosses are significantly more dangerous. The final boss, The Crystal Weaver, gains an entire third phase on Hard, complete with a devastating screen-filling attack that must be dodged with a perfect sequence of bounces.
Boing! in-game screenshot
Bonkers Mode: Not for the Faint of Heart
Unlocked only after beating the game on any other difficulty, Bonkers is the ultimate challenge. It operates on a single, terrifying rule: you have one Heart-Coil, and any damage sends you back to the very beginning of the current level. There are no checkpoints. There is no health to recover. It is a pure, one-hit-KO test of perfection.
All enemies and bosses are set to their deadly Hard mode versions. Glimmer Shards still drop, but since there are no checkpoints to save your progress and no upgrades to buy, they function purely as a score for bragging rights. This mode completely re-contextualizes the game. It is no longer about persistence; it is about flawless execution. Every jump, every bounce, every attack must be deliberate and perfect. Beating Bonkers mode is a monumental feat, rewarded with a unique cosmetic item—the Golden Spring for Pogo—and a secret, extended ending that sheds new light on the game's lore.
Boing! in-game screenshot
How Do Difficulty Settings Affect Achievements?
Your chosen difficulty has a direct impact on a handful of key achievements. While the vast majority of trophies and achievements for exploration, collection, and story progression can be earned on any mode, the most prestigious ones are locked to the higher tiers.
Specifically, you must complete the entire game on a single difficulty without ever lowering it to earn the following:
- Clockwork Conqueror: Finish the game on Medium difficulty.
- Spring-Loaded Spartan: Finish the game on Hard difficulty.
- Truly Bonkers: Finish the game on Bonkers difficulty.
If you start on Hard and find it too punishing, you can drop down to Medium or Easy at any time in the pause menu. However, this is a one-way trip. You cannot raise the difficulty back up, and you will forfeit your chance to earn the achievement for your starting difficulty on that save file. Choose carefully at the start if you're an achievement hunter.
Frequently Asked Questions about Boing! Difficulty
Can you change difficulty in Boing! mid-game?
Yes, you can lower the difficulty at any point from the pause menu. However, you can never raise it. Doing so will lock you out of the achievement for completing the game on your original, higher difficulty setting.
What is the best difficulty for a first playthrough?
Medium is highly recommended. It offers the balanced, challenging, and rewarding experience that the developers intended. Easy is a great option if you primarily want to focus on the story and exploration, while Hard is best saved for a second playthrough.
Does Hard mode have different enemies?
Hard mode does not introduce entirely new enemy types. Instead, it modifies existing ones, giving them significantly more health, higher aggression, faster movement, and brand-new attack patterns that are absent on Easy and Medium.
What do you unlock for beating Bonkers mode?
Completing a full run on Bonkers mode rewards you with two exclusive items: the "Golden Spring" cosmetic, which gives Pogo a shimmering golden look, and a secret post-credits cutscene that provides a different conclusion to the story.
The Right Challenge for Every Player
Ultimately, the difficulty modes in Boing! are a masterclass in design, ensuring that anyone can find their perfect level of challenge. Whether you're looking for a relaxing bounce through a beautiful world on Easy, a fair test of your platforming prowess on Medium, a grueling battle for survival on Hard, or the near-impossible pursuit of perfection on Bonkers, the game has a setting crafted just for you. The choice is yours, so pick your poison and get bouncing.