I spent a long time tweaking custom settings that are both challenging and "realistic", so here are my parameters in case you want to give them a try. I invite you to discuss and share yours ;)

\Of course, it’s still just a game, so we could easily put quotes around the word "realistic."*

\It's certainly possible to make the game even harder, but my goal is to strike a balance with high difficulty without things becoming absurd.*

\I won’t detail everything, just the aspects that feel most important* to me.

Game Start

The most important setting here is Baseline Resource Availability on Low, as it’s the primary factor determining difficulty.

Other settings mostly affect the very beginning of the game, so it’s honestly a matter of personal preference.

Environment

-Length of Day Multiplier: x2. With x1, days feel too short—you don’t have time to enjoy the game or get much done, like walking 3km in a day. Beyond x2, the game becomes too easy. I wish there were a x1.5 multiplier.

-Weather Variability/Blizzard Frequency/Wind Variability: Medium. I like unpredictable weather but also enjoy the idea of being snowed in by a blizzard for days or having extended clear weather to seize the opportunity to travel or hunt.

-World Gets Colder Over Time: High. Just like Interloper, this adds challenge and simulates the increasing harshness of winter.

-Aurora Frequency: Low. I love that rare things feel like events in this game. In 100 days on Low, I saw about 8 Auroras, which felt significant. However, this isn’t entirely realistic (e.g., I spent a winter in Iceland, where Auroras are much more frequent).

-Fire Overcomes Ambient Air Temp: No. Not realistic.

Health

-Calorie Burn Rate/Thirst Rate/Fatigue Rate/Freezing Rate/Frostbite Rate:

Very High, Medium, High, High, High. These feel the most realistic to me, given the harsh survival conditions and my own IRL condition/needs. Depending on the parameter, this is harder/easier than Interloper. Adjust to suit your RP preferences (e.g., if your character is exceptionally fit or cold-resistant).

-At-Rest Condition Recovery Rate/Condition Recovery Rate: Low. Harder than Interloper but more realistic. For example, I can’t imagine recovering from a bear attack after just two days of rest. Trying Condition Recovery Rate: None at least once is worth it too.

-Cabin Fever: No. Why risk my life outside when I can stay warm and safe inside, happily guzzling maple syrup? Also, I’m the homebody type—haven’t we all lived through a lockdown by now?

-Rest as a Resource: No. Similarly, why leave my cozy bed if I’m feeling good, and all that awaits me outside is frostbite and cougars?

Gear

-Item Decay Rate: Low. Even on Low, I sometimes feel things decay too fast. Food keeps well in the cold, and metal tools shouldn’t break after just three uses. I exaggerate, but you get the idea.

-Rifle/Revolver Availability: Yes. I want to use everything the game has to offer. In this run, I didn’t even fire a single shot until Day 50 (I wanted the achievement).

-Loose Item Availability, Empty Container Chance Modifier, Reduce Container Item Density: Low, High, High. I’ve abandoned many Stalker runs because I found too much too quickly, killing the challenge for me. I love the feeling of finally finding something after long stretches without. It makes discoveries so much more rewarding and avoids the “Oh, another box of matches—this is my 12th today” situation.

Wildlife Spawns

My idea here is to make wildlife rare and avoid the feeling of walking through a zoo. Just like with items, I want to be surprised when I encounter a wolf, amazed at spotting a moose, and stunned at finally meeting a cougar. If I see my 10th one of the day, it gets dull. Herbivores are more common for ecosystem balance. With slow respawn rates and a strong reduction over time, long-term hunting becomes much more challenging. Herbivores on medium, predators on low.

Wildlife Behavior

Very close to Interloper, but with a tweak to wolf morale(wolf/timberwolf : medium—don’t forget wolves naturally fear humans.) I wish we had more customization here to set specific animals as passive, but for now, I’ve opted to keep all animals non-passive.

Wildlife Struggle

Everything is set to Interloper defaults. The idea is that each animal attack, no matter how rare, has a real impact on your run. With very slow health recovery, every bad encounter with a predator feels like a brutal sentence.

Here’s the gist of it: what I haven’t detailed generally aligns with Interloper difficulty. It might not suit you, but I just wanted to share what works for me. Honestly, I find these settings perfect for my playstyle.

If you’d like to try them out quickly, here’s the code: 8sjF-nQ4-KzsS-jX6N-QfYE.

I hope you enjoyed the read—it took me a while to write it all down!