The wicked, however, remain mortal and thus are either extinguished at death or annihilated in Hell. Some insist that the wicked suffer prolonged punishment in Hell prior to being annihilated. The popular attractiveness of this view is that it initially appears to be much closer to the Biblical view than universalism. Straddling between the traditional view and universalism, conditionalism seeks to supplant them both as the solution for those who recognize the Scriptural deficiencies of universalism but who find endless punishment too distasteful. They differ only in how to get there.
Universalism saves everybody.
Conditionalism annihilates the unsaved. This view agrees that Hell's torments are everlasting and conscious but hedges on the nature of the punishments. It insists that we understand Christ's words, not literally, but metaphorically. Whatever it means, it is probably something far worse, but thankfully we do not have to say what it is. Roman Catholicism expands its Heaven to include a purgatory so those who die unprepared for Heaven might have a chance to get ready.