Nightmare Mode

Survival Atlas · Methodology

How we test whether a game can survive.

The atlas does not assign a magic score. It records which condition a function needs and what is actually established when that condition fails.

  1. 01

    Bound the question

    “Survive” does not mean every feature lasts forever. We test acquisition, launch, core game, local progress and online features separately.

  2. 02

    Name dependencies separately

    Installation files, platform entitlement, publisher account, authentication, game server and local data are not collapsed into one vague online label.

  3. 03

    Test failure, not the ideal state

    Each case asks what happens when the store, login, server or internet is unavailable. An installed title and a newly acquirable title are different questions.

  4. 04

    Separate sources from observation

    Publisher documentation establishes an official feature. Our own test establishes only the named build, platform and conditions. Community projects are a separate evidence class.

  5. 05

    Keep uncertainty visible

    Unverified entitlement checks and platform differences are marked not established. Plausible guesses do not fill the gaps.

  6. 06

    Record change

    Every case shows its review date, next review, timeline and change history. A new server policy can alter the answer.

Evidence model

Evidence levels

Publisher-sourced
A primary source directly describes a shutdown, offline mode or feature boundary.
Independently tested
Nightmare Mode tested a named build on a named platform under documented conditions.
Supported
Multiple reliable sources point in the same direction without establishing the whole state directly.
Not established
The available evidence is insufficient for a claim.

When a game profile is published

An indexable page requires a direct answer, complete dependency map, at least one strong primary source for the central claim, visible evidence limits, timeline, German and English editions and a review date. Filter and simulation URLs remain noindex.

Corrections are part of the dataset

Anyone who can establish a dependency, platform difference or new publisher change can report it through the rights and corrections contact. Changes are not silently overwritten.

Report a correction