&quot;Some thought the game was harder with AI, others found it easier – but no one found it equally challenging.&quot;<p>So maybe it&#x27;s just random? As in maybe some players randomly got an easier level in their first play than the second, and vice versa. I&#x27;ve played Don&#x27;t Starve a little and each new game is very different.<p>Other points the article makes are more interesting, for example about players rating the AI version as more. It would be nice to see some confidence intervals, but I couldn&#x27;t find the original research.