Why do we crave challenge—even when it’s hard? Why do the best games leave us tense, on edge, and sometimes even stressed? In this video, we dive into the eighth and final core element that makes a game a game: challenge. Why do we need opposition to make a game worth playing? What happens when a game is too easy—or too hard? Why is tension such a strange yet essential part of both gameplay and real life? We’ll break down what challenge really means, how it creates meaning, and why striving, struggling, and even failing can make us feel alive. How can raising the difficulty dial transform a boring activity into something exciting? And how does this all help us reframe the hardest parts of life as part of the game itself? By the end of this talk, you might just see your own life through a whole new lens—and even find the strength to play on with more purpose, more grit, and maybe even more joy.