Investigation thread · case
Difficulty settings and modes
The game separates four combat difficulties from two investigation modes. The official FAQ documents changing difficulty from the pause menu, while Frogwares' current Known Issues page recommends changing presets from the title screen to avoid visual bugs.
Verified settings · combat and investigation
Choose among Sweet Dreams, Restless Slumber, Hard Night, and Sleep Demon for combat; Breezy and Brainy control investigation help separately.
The official Frogwares FAQ lists four combat difficulty levels and says the setting can be changed from Pause → Options → Gameplay → Select Difficulty. The independent difficulty guide separates the investigation setting into Breezy or Brainy, so puzzle assistance and combat pressure are not the same slider. Frogwares' current Known Issues page warns that changing presets or options midgame can cause visual bugs, so the title screen is the safer place to apply a new preset.
01 · Do this
Follow the route in order.
- 01
For the safest preset change, return to the title screen before opening Options → Gameplay → Select Difficulty. The official FAQ also documents the same control from the pause menu, but Frogwares' current Known Issues page warns about visual bugs after midgame preset changes.
- 02
Pick the combat mode that matches the pressure you want: Sweet Dreams, Restless Slumber, Hard Night, or Sleep Demon.
- 03
Set the investigation mode separately when the menu exposes it: Breezy provides more help, while Brainy leaves more of the investigation work to you.
- 04
Use keyboard and mouse or a gamepad; the official FAQ lists both input paths. Change the setting again from the same menu if the current balance is not fun.
02 · Confirm
What success looks like.
- The selected combat difficulty is shown in the Gameplay settings and applies without editing a save file.
- Breezy and Brainy are treated as investigation modes rather than extra names for the four combat levels.
- Changing difficulty from the pause menu is an in-game option documented by the official FAQ.
03 · Boundaries
Opening-route boundaries.
- This page does not claim a complete achievement, unlock, or ending consequence for each difficulty setting.
- The exact enemy, damage, and clue-assistance differences can be tuned by a later patch; use the current menu labels as the authoritative control.
- Frogwares currently warns that changing presets or options midgame may cause visual bugs; if you use the pause-menu route, restart from the title screen if the presentation becomes incorrect.
- Controller support here means the FAQ's keyboard/mouse and gamepad input paths, not a promise about every third-party controller or remapping utility.
04 · Undo
If the route stalls.
- Return to Pause → Options → Gameplay → Select Difficulty and choose the previous combat or investigation mode.
- No configuration file or external tool is required, so there is no mod rollback step.
Evidence checked 2026-09-16
Sources checked for this route.
The Sinking City 2 full release · official FAQ, difficulty guide, and Frogwares Known Issues checked 2026-09-16
- officialFrogwares Steam FAQ ↗
The official FAQ lists Sweet Dreams, Restless Slumber, Hard Night, and Sleep Demon, says difficulty can be changed at any time from Pause → Options → Gameplay → Select Difficulty, and supports keyboard/mouse or gamepad.
- referenceThe Click difficulty guide ↗
The independent guide distinguishes the four combat settings from the Breezy and Brainy investigation modes and explains their separate role.
- officialFrogwares Known Issues ↗
The current support page warns that changing presets or options midgame may cause visual bugs and recommends changing them from the title screen; it is used as the current safety caveat, not as a replacement for the FAQ's menu labels.