How many modes and difficulties does Hull Rupture have?

The Nov 2, 2026 pre-launch post lists three starting ships, six modes, and four difficulty settings (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026).

What is Classic Mode?

Classic Mode is the core experience where you must survive through 20 alien waves. You begin with Classic unlocked alongside your first ship (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026).

What changed for Endless Mode at retail?

Endless Mode is separate from Classic and no longer begins automatically after completing a Classic run (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026). Demo posts planned separate balance settings for Endless (Demo update, Sep 14, 2026).

Does Trade Mode carry over from the demo?

If you unlocked Trade Mode in the demo, it is available in the full game; the demo is now disabled (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026).

What are the two modes without published names?

Steam news confirms six modes total and names Classic, Trade, Endless, and Cursed, plus a combat-focused mode still in development without a published name. The remaining mode names are not published in the Steam announcements used here (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026; Next Fest follow-up post, Jul 16, 2026).

Hull Rupture Modes and Difficulty - Classic, Trade, Endless

What do retail announcements say about modes and difficulty?

Hull Rupture launches with three starting ships, six game modes, and four difficulty settings (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026). Progression unlocks additional ships and modes beyond what you start with (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026). Classic Mode is the default core loop: survive through 20 alien waves while building, routing the galaxy, and defending Despot (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026).

Pair mode choice with beginner guide basics and galaxy routes for between-wave planning.

At a glance

Topic	Detail
What it does (as stated by the developers)	Six modes, four difficulties, three ships; start with one ship + Classic; 20 waves in Classic; Endless split out at retail; Trade combat-free economic mode; Cursed pays with humans; combat-focused mode teased unnamed.
Where it is mentioned	Pre-launch post (Nov 2, 2026); Next Fest follow-up post, Jul 16, 2026; Next Fest demo post, Jun 15, 2026; Demo update (Endless plans); Devlog #3 (guarded stars).
Stats / costs / outputs	Not published (per-mode wave counts except Classic 20, loot tables, difficulty modifiers).
Demo vs retail	Demo had Classic + Trade; Endless was tied to Classic progression before retail split (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026). Tutorial + Trade unlock carry over only (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026).
Open questions	Names and rules for two of six modes on Steam news; full four-difficulty behavior; retail Endless tuning.

Mode overview (sources only)

Mode	What the sources say	Source
Classic Mode	Core experience: base-building, resources, exploration, tower defense; survive 20 alien waves; default start mode (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026; Steam Next Fest demo features).	Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026
Trade Mode	Combat-free; alien attacks replaced by economic pressure; focus on resources and long-term planning (Steam Next Fest demo features). Unlock carries from demo to full game if already unlocked (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026).	Steam Next Fest; Pre-launch post
Endless Mode	At retail, separate from Classic—does not auto-start after finishing Classic (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026). Demo planned separate settings/balance (Demo update, Sep 14, 2026; Demo Patch note, Sep 25, 2026).	Pre-launch post; demo posts
Cursed Mode	Example alternate rules: everything you buy costs humans instead of tokens (Next Fest follow-up post, Jul 16, 2026). Unlock/progression details Not published.	Next Fest follow-up post
Combat-focused mode	Konfa says a mode leaning much more heavily into combat was in development; name not published in that post (Next Fest follow-up post, Jul 16, 2026).	Next Fest follow-up post
Sixth mode (name not published)	Pre-launch and follow-up posts assert six modes total but only partially name them; one remaining mode’s name and rules are Not published in Steam news reviewed here (alongside the unnamed combat-focused mode, two mode identities lack published names).	Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026

What about difficulty settings?

The Nov 2, 2026 pre-launch post lists four difficulty settings without describing each tier (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026). Devlog #1 (May 23, 2026) notes the playtest used one “base” difficulty while the team worked on different difficulty levels and modes for launch (Devlog #1, May 23, 2026).

Devlog #3 (Aug 14, 2026) adds guarded locations for full release: they were not in the demo, appear on higher difficulty levels, trigger extra enemy waves that do not count toward the 20 Classic waves, and strain economy for rewards (Devlog #3, Aug 14, 2026).

How does progression unlock ships and modes?

You begin with one ship and Classic Mode; more ships and modes unlock through progression (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026). Artifacts from the demo do not carry over—full-game unlock conditions differ (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026).

Demo Patch v0.10.12 and earlier demo notes reference a no-combat mode artifact unlock path for returning demo players (Demo update, Sep 14, 2026)—related to Trade’s lineage but not a substitute for retail unlock tables (Not published).

Demo-to-retail reminders that affect modes

From the Nov 2 pre-launch short list (Pre-launch post, Nov 2, 2026):

Endless separated from Classic (no auto-start after Classic).
Module slots: any empty slot at retail (demo needed adjacent completed module).
Artifact icons/names changed—mode modifiers may look different from demo memory.

For Despot HP fail state and chamber defense context across modes, see Despot’s Chamber.

What about preview-only mode names?

The Wand Report preview (Apr 23, 2026) lists additional mode names (Conquest, Uneventful, Pure, Impossible, etc.) from a pre-launch preview build. Those names do not appear in the Nov 2, 2026 Steam pre-launch post and may not match retail six-mode roster wording. They are excluded from the table above to avoid treating preview copy as launch fact.

Sources

Hull Rupture on Steam (checked Nov 5, 2026)
Steam news / announcements — Pre-launch post (Nov 2, 2026); launch post (Nov 4, 2026); Devlog #3 (Aug 14, 2026); Next Fest follow-up post (Jul 16, 2026); Next Fest demo post (Jun 15, 2026); Demo update (Sep 14, 2026); Demo Patch v0.10.12 (Sep 25, 2026); Devlog #1 (May 23, 2026)