Challenge Mode

**CHALLENGE**

"***Challenge Runs** is where you get **to prove yourself**: get judged on your skills by playing through randomly picked tracks.*"
— JSB official description

**Challenge Mode** (Also known as a **Challenge Run**) is the second gamemode in *Just Shapes & Beats*. The gamemode can be accessed from the game's Main Menu.

It is a gamemode that aims for players who are willing to have a challenge, hence the name. It allows players to earn Beatpoints after completing levels as well as specific challenges (or goals) for the player.

## Mechanics

* The player can start Challenge Mode either alone or multiplayer (via controller support or Steam's/Nintendo's/Playstation's/Xbox's online service).
* Once the player is ready to take on the challenge run, they'll be given two options.
	+ Play the challenge in normal mode.
	+ Play the challenge in Hardcore Mode.
* Selection Phase: Three non-boss/non-special levels are chosen at random, the player can choose a level by moving to the level area before the timer runs out. Once it runs out, the player will start that chosen level.
	+ If there are multiple players in a Challenge run, the level that most players voted for a level will be the chosen level that will play.
* Play Phase: The level plays as normal. But there are changes:
	+ Should the player(s) lose all three lives, they will receive a game over as usual. Should they retry (either by quitting or failing the run), they will need to retry the entire Challenge run.
		- The Game Over scene is simplified.
	+ Should the player play online, the players do not need to collect the triangle to end it, it will transition to the tally screen.
* Once the level is completed successfully, they will go back to the Selection Phase. This will also award extra beatpoints by doing certain feats (such as not dashing throughout the level).
* The process repeats to the Selection Phase, where three levels, excluding the levels that were already given in the first Selection Phase, will be chosen. The players will then choose the next level.
* Boss Phase: After the second level, the game will randomly choose any of the nine (excluding Till It's Over) Boss Levels for the player(s) to challenge.
	+ The Boss during New Game will simply sink out at the middle of the screen instead of shooting all of the players out. This also happens when this level is played in Playlist Mode.
* If the Boss Level is successfully completed, the Challenge run is completed and any bonus Beatpoints will be awarded for its completion.
	+ If the Challenge run is completed in Hardcore Mode, the amount of Beatpoints will be doubled.
* The cycle repeats to the Selection phase until all of the players or the host decide to leave the game.
* It is not possible to earn Story Achievements (*It's Over*, *Flower Power*, etc.) when beating their respective Boss Levels in Challenge Mode.

## Trivia

* The music that plays during challenge level selection and during Beatpoint tally is *Sugar Rush* by *PIXL*.
* The fanfare of a successful challenge run is composed by *Danimal Cannon*.
* There is a bug in online challenge runs in which the game will choose the song that only one person voted for instead of the song the other 2-4 voted for.