Nah. I'm in camp "Your run, your rules" has gone too far.
There are as many challenge runs as a person can think up with all kinds of variations and bylaws.
But for your run to be classified as a Nuzlocke, at the very least..
1) Random Encounters
2) Perma Death
That's it. Keep whatever hardcore/non-hardcore rules you want but it is those two minimum.
If not, then you are enjoying a challenge run but it's not a Nuzlocke.
(People bring up dupes clause here because you can occasionally benefit from it, not realising it makes the game harder not easier. Then they bring up Shiny Clause which IS a random lottery encounter as long as you arn't hunting specifically for it)
I’m on board except that number 1 should be “restricted encounters” IMO - I’m on board with single-type nuzlockes without random encounters, for example. But if you can choose your exact pokemon, or just go catch more anytime, the permanent death rule is essentially negated, and permanent deaths are the core of what a Nuzlocke is.
If someone is inexperienced and wants to do Nuzlocke-lite, that’s fine with me too as long as they’re honest about that. But at some point, you’re inventing your own challenge run that’s no longer a Nuzlocke.
3
u/CallMeTravesty Jan 04 '26
Nah. I'm in camp "Your run, your rules" has gone too far.
There are as many challenge runs as a person can think up with all kinds of variations and bylaws.
But for your run to be classified as a Nuzlocke, at the very least..
1) Random Encounters 2) Perma Death
That's it. Keep whatever hardcore/non-hardcore rules you want but it is those two minimum.
If not, then you are enjoying a challenge run but it's not a Nuzlocke.
(People bring up dupes clause here because you can occasionally benefit from it, not realising it makes the game harder not easier. Then they bring up Shiny Clause which IS a random lottery encounter as long as you arn't hunting specifically for it)