Each cell comes from a sourced fact. Where nothing has been published yet, the cell says so instead of guessing.
Phantom Blade Zero difficulty options and Sixty-Six Days rules
Four difficulty options: Wayfarer, Pathbreaker, Hellwalker, and Sixty-Six Days ('66 Days') mode. Status: Reported.
The three standard tiers: The three standard difficulties can be changed from the pause menu during play (at least lowering it is possible). Status: Reported.
Wayfarer: Wayfarer is the story-first/easiest tier, aimed at players who just want to enjoy the story; all trophies can be earned on it. Status: Reported.
Pathbreaker: Pathbreaker is the 'normal' tier. Status: Reported.
Hellwalker: Hellwalker is the hardest of the three standard tiers, with more advanced and adaptive enemy AI. Status: Reported. Hellwalker tuning (from a July 2025 preview interview with combat director Qianli Ma): parry windows are shortened by two frames versus normal; bosses gain extra moves and feints. Status: Reported.
Sixty-Six Days: 66 Days uses the same enemy AI/strength as Hellwalker; the difference is the death limit. Status: Reported.
Sixty-Six Days, unlock: 66 Days is not available at the start: it unlocks after clearing the game once (it is selectable from the second playthrough). Status: Reported.
Sixty-Six Days, death limit: 66 Days gives a budget of 66 deaths; when it runs out the run ends and that save is gone, so you restart from the beginning. Status: Reported.
Sixty-Six Days, exact cut-off: Whether the run ends ON the 66th death or only after it (counter reaches zero vs. goes below zero) is not stated precisely. Status: After unlock.
Sixty-Six Days, saving: 66 Days has its own separate save; it auto-saves when you touch a Bell, has no manual save, and you cannot reload to before a mistake. Status: Reported.
Sixty-Six Days, story clock: The '66 days' story clock is not a real-time limit: in-game time only passes at specific story beats, and on the first playthrough the remaining-days number has story meaning only. Status: Reported.
Sixty-Six Days, trophies: 66 Days is not required for any trophy/achievement; all can be earned in a single playthrough on the first three difficulties, including Wayfarer. Status: Reported.
Sixty-Six Days, boss behaviour: Hellwalker/66 Days bosses react to the player's habits (feints, baiting parries); the developer says no team member has cleared 66 Days deathless. Status: Reported.
Diagram: PBZ Builds, from the sources below
Difficulty · sources
Setting
What it is
Enemy strength
When you can use it
Trophy impact
Status
Wayfarer 入阵者
Story-first, the easiest tier.
After unlockAfter unlock
Can be changed from the pause menu in play. Reported
The setting names come from the PlayStation Blog post by S-GAME's founder; the Chinese names are from the developer's letter. Steam and press write "66 Days" for what the blog calls Sixty-Six Days mode.
The swordsman dodging a spearman on a muddy battlefield at sunset, from the official Steam screenshots.Image: S-GAME / Steam store page
When does 66 Days unlock?
Two outlets describe the unlock differently. We show both and don't pick one.
Note · 66 Days
What do you have to do to open 66 Days?
66 Days is not available at the start: it unlocks after clearing the game once (it is selectable from the second playthrough).
Push Square, 11 Sep 2026 You Can Get Phantom Blade Zero's PS5 Platinum Trophy on Its Easiest Difficulty
Push Square, passing on the developer's words, says it opens after one clear and is chosen from the second playthrough. GamingBolt adds that it is also available after finishing on Pathbreaker. Whether a Wayfarer clear counts has not been stated. After unlock
Second playthrough: A second playthrough exists: 66 Days unlocks there and late-game boss weapons are described as second-run content. Carry-over rules are not confirmed. Reported· S-GAME director's letter
How 66 Days works, rule by rule
One row per rule, each with its own mark. Anything we couldn't pin down stays marked as such.
66 Days rules · sources
Death budget
66 Days gives a budget of 66 deaths; when it runs out the run ends and that save is gone, so you restart from the beginning.
The '66 days' story clock is not a real-time limit: in-game time only passes at specific story beats, and on the first playthrough the remaining-days number has story meaning only.
Reported· GamesRadar+One dot per day on the counter, which drops with each death. Illustration only: it shows the budget and nothing else about the mode.
How much harder the jump feels is something we can only judge in the game.
After unlock
Preview-build reports describe Hellwalker's tuning in more detail (parry windows, extra boss moves). That interview predates release, so treat it as a hint. Reported· PC Gamer
Questions
What difficulties are there and can I change them?
Wayfarer (story), Pathbreaker (normal), Hellwalker (hard, adaptive AI) and 66 Days (unlocks after one clear). The first three can be changed from the pause menu.
Unlocks after beating the game once. Same AI as Hellwalker, but you only get 66 deaths; when they run out, that save is over. Reportedly separate save, auto-save at Bells only, no manual saves.
PBZ