Polygon Outlines 12 Challenge Runs to Refresh Zelda: Breath of the Wild
A new guide suggests self-imposed constraints to transform the open-world experience for veteran players.
Veteran players of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild can now revitalize their experience through a series of curated challenge runs. Polygon recently published a guide featuring 12 distinct strategies designed to refresh the game's open world by imposing strict rules on resource management and progression.
These challenges range from dietary restrictions to total inventory resets. For instance, the "Majora's Mask" style run requires players to drop every item except for arrows and armor, forcing a warp back to the starting point every three in-game days. Another high-difficulty option, the "DIY Eventide" run, mandates that players strip all gear and empty their inventory every time they enter a new tower region.
For those looking to alter their interaction with the game's economy, the "Vendor Boycott" prohibits all buying, selling, or trading with NPCs, leaving the player entirely dependent on hunting, gathering, and cooking. Similarly, the "Carnivore" run restricts food consumption exclusively to eggs, fish, and meat, effectively banning all plant-based buffs. The guide also reminds players of the game's inherent flexibility, noting that it is possible to defeat Ganon immediately after leaving the Great Plateau, bypassing all Divine Beasts entirely.
The Appeal of Artificial Constraints
Breath of the Wild is widely recognized for its non-linear structure and immense player freedom. However, this openness can lead to a plateau in engagement once the primary objectives are met. This has led to the rise of a "challenge runner" community that creates artificial constraints to force new strategies and a deeper understanding of the game's underlying systems. As Rebecca Corgan noted in the guide, adopting these replay strategies can make the world of Hyrule "feel new again."
Impact on Open-World Longevity
These community-driven challenges highlight the enduring value of systems-driven game design. By transforming a standard action-adventure title into a survival or strategy experience, players are extending the lifespan of a game released years ago. This reflects a broader trend in modern gaming where players create their own "difficulty modes" through self-imposed rules when official settings are insufficient.
Future Replayability
As the community continues to experiment with the game's physics and chemistry engines, more complex constraints are likely to emerge. While these 12 runs provide a structured starting point, the game's flexible design ensures that players can continue to invent their own limitations to keep the experience fresh.