"Remember, only a regular battle will let you collect a debtor's soul contract. Now scram!"
—King Dice, after you first beat a boss on Simple Mode.
In Cuphead, there are a total of three different types of difficulty settings that can be chosen when fighting a boss.
Regular Mode, as the name implies, is the normal mode that is intended to be played. Bosses have all their phases and attacks in this mode. It is required to play each boss in this mode in order to complete the game.
Top grade: A+
In Simple Mode, most bosses have less phases. Some bosses may also have one phase split into multiple, for example, Mortimer Freeze's second phase. Bosses also move slower, and spawn less minions and projectiles. These minions and projectiles may also move slower. Some boss attacks may be completely absent in Simple Mode, such as the sword slam by Mortimer Freeze.
All Bets Are Off!, One Hell Of A Time, and A Dish To Die For (DLC) cannot be played in Simple Mode.
Top grade: B+
Expert Mode is unlocked once The Devil in One Hell Of A Time or Chef Saltbaker in A Dish To Die For (DLC) is beaten. Most bosses will move faster, have more health, and fire more projectiles with each attack. Beating every boss in the main game in Expert Mode will grant the achievement "Beat The Devil At His Own Game." A golden flag with a gold cup on it will appear outside a boss's level when they are beaten.
Top grade: S
