a weapon that will make the game even harder. By using weak weapons, players are forced to engage in more patient and strategic combat, as they'll need to wait for openings in enemies' attacks to land even a few hits. Some bosses will feel like an endurance test rather than an actual fight, as players must whittle down their health bar slowly and carefully.

Weapon Suggestions for This Challenge:

Torch: This is one of the weakest weapons in the Elden Ring, with minimal damage output, making it a perfect choice for a challenging playthrough.

Dagger: While fast, daggers have lower damage and require precise timing to make the most of.

Broken Sword: Another example of a weak weapon that requires good stamina management and positioning to land effective blows.

This approach makes every boss battle and encounters far more difficult, as the lack of high-damage output means that players must rely on consistent dodging and perfect timing for attacking.

No Shield, Only Dodging and Parrying

Shields provide a great safety net in Elden Ring, allowing players to block most of the damage and parry attacks effectively. However, shieldless playthroughs are among the most challenging ways to experience the game.

By not using a shield, players must rely entirely on their dodging and parrying skills, which can be incredibly difficult against bosses that deal massive amounts of damage. This also means the player needs to be fully aware of enemy attack patterns, as dodging at the wrong time could result in death. Moreover, some enemies and bosses in Elden Ring are notorious for having fast, multi-hit combos, making dodging extremely challenging.

Tips for Shieldless Playthrough:

Use your mobility: Make the most out of invincibility frames when rolling and always be aware of the boss's attack telegraphs.

Master Parrying: If you're good at parrying, this can be a viable strategy to break the posture of enemies, but it requires flawless timing.

1. Never Level Up

This is one of the ultimate ways to make Elden Ring harder: never level up your character. Starting with the base stats, your health, stamina, and attack power will remain relatively low, making any encounter with bosses or enemies far more dangerous. With no stat increases to improve your survivability or damage output, you will need to rely purely on your combat skill and timing.

Bosses and enemies will feel much tougher, especially since you won't be able to increase your health, which is often the only thing that keeps you alive in tough fights. This challenge forces you to play perfectly to avoid taking damage, and even with the best gear, you'll still feel like you're underpowered.

Tips for a No-Leveling Playthrough:

Focus on dodging: You'll need to avoid taking hits more than ever, as your health pool will be significantly smaller than the enemies you face.

Use buffs wisely: Since you can't increase your stats, you'll need to rely on consumables, talismans, and equipment to get an edge.

Conclusion: Making Elden Ring as Hard as Possible

These methods turn Elden Ring from a challenging RPG into a true test of skill and patience. From never leveling up to using low-tier weapons, the possibilities for making your playthrough more difficult are vast. Whether you choose to disable the lock-on mechanic, avoid using healing Elden Ring items, or even ban magic entirely and use Elden Ring runes, these challenges will push your skills to the limit.

Ultimately, the way you choose to make your playthrough harder depends on your personal preference. Each of these challenges will offer a unique, more punishing experience, ensuring that you're in for a truly hardcore adventure in the Lands Between.