Voidtrain features customizable world and difficulty settings that allow you to balance combat pressure, survival penalties, and inventory limits. These options can be configured when starting a new game, when loading an existing save file, or mid-session directly through the Escape menu. In co-op multiplayer sessions, only the host player has the permission to adjust these parameters.
Available Difficulty Settings in Voidtrain
Developer HypeTrain Digital introduced dedicated world difficulty sliders and toggles starting in patch version 14363, later expanding them with further combat tuning in version 1.0. World settings are saved individually per save file. Most adjustments apply immediately during gameplay, though changing certain foundational parameters may prompt a session restart.
The configurable difficulty and world parameters include:
| Setting Parameter | Configuration Type | In-Game Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Drop loot on death | Toggle (Yes / No) | Dictates whether your carried items drop at the point of character death. |
| Destroy loot on death | Toggle (Yes / No) | Dictates whether your carried inventory is permanently destroyed upon death. |
| Starvation damage | Toggle (Yes / No) | When enabled, dropping to zero satiety deals lethal health damage. By default, starvation does not kill you; it only stops automatic out-of-combat health regeneration. |
| Stack size | Slider / Value adjustment | Adjusts base inventory item stack capacity up to 300% (or from 10 up to 50 items per slot). |
| Damage to train modules | Percentage adjustment | Scales the amount of environmental or enemy damage inflicted on train platforms and modules. |
| Number of Sharks | Value toggle (0 to 1) | Determines void shark presence. Setting this to 0 removes the void shark entirely; setting it to 1 keeps standard encounters. |
| Void-creatures (health) | Percentage slider | Adjusts the overall hit points of ambient void wildlife. |
| Void-creatures (damage) | Percentage slider | Scales the direct character damage dealt by void creatures. |
| Soldiers (health) | Percentage slider (50% to 200%) | Modifies the health pools of enemy New Light Corporation soldiers encountered at depots and outposts. |
| Soldiers (damage) | Percentage slider (50% to 200%) | Scales bullet and melee damage dealt to the player character by regular and armored soldiers. |
| Swarm (health) | Percentage slider | Modifies the health points of enemy swarm bugs, such as those found in combat arenas. |
| Swarm (damage) | Percentage slider | Scales the damage dealt to your character by insect swarms. |
| Soldier aggression & accuracy | Settings sliders | Added in full release updates to control how aggressively New Light soldiers push cover and how accurately they fire at your character. |
How to Adjust Difficulty and World Settings
You can adjust your world settings at multiple points without having to abandon your current campaign progression:
- When Starting a New Game: The setup menu presents the full list of world and difficulty options before the opening sequence begins.
- When Loading a Save: Select your profile from the main menu and inspect or modify the world rules before entering the session.
- During Active Gameplay: Press the Escape key to open the pause menu, select the world settings tab, adjust the desired sliders or toggles, and apply your changes.
In multiplayer sessions supporting up to 4 players, non-host participants cannot modify world settings; the host manages all difficulty parameters for the shared lobby.
How Key Settings Impact Gameplay
Inventory Stack Size
Default inventory space in Voidtrain fills quickly due to the large volume of loose scrap metal, wood, and crafting components floating along the tracks. Increasing the stack size slider to 300% (or up to 50 items per stack) significantly reduces trips between floating debris and onboard chests, easing the manual storage grind before unlocking higher container tiers.
Void Sharks
Under default settings, void sharks roam the tracks and periodically attack your train or disrupt resource gathering. While shooting them scares them away, they frequently heal by consuming void worms. Players seeking a pure crafting and train-building experience can set the Number of Sharks parameter to 0, which eliminates shark encounters entirely.
Enemy Soldier Tuning
By default, New Light Corporation combatants exhibit aggressive behavior, firing quickly from range as soon as you break cover at depots and barrier outposts. Reducing soldier damage, health, aggression, and accuracy percentages provides a manageable combat loop for solo players who want to avoid burning through consumable armor plates and crafted bandages.
Starvation Penalties
In the standard ruleset, your satiety meter drains over time, and keeping it filled with boiled water or roasted organics allows your character to slowly regenerate health outside of combat. Starvation damage is disabled by default—meaning hitting zero hunger simply prevents passive healing. Enabling starvation damage adds active survival pressure, causing your health pool to deteriorate directly until you eat or drink.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I change difficulty settings without restarting my game?
Yes. You can access the world settings menu while paused during active gameplay or when loading your save file. Most parameters update immediately, though you will be prompted if a specific setting requires reloading the session.
Do difficulty settings disable Steam achievements?
No official source lists achievements being disabled when altering world settings or reducing combat difficulty. Achievements such as completing arena waves or eliminating specific enemy types can still be earned during standard play.
Who can change the difficulty in co-op multiplayer?
Only the lobby host can configure or modify world and difficulty settings. Client players who join through online co-op will play under the rules established by the host.
