Explain Like I'm Five | Don't Panic!

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The original was posted on /r/explainlikeimfive by /u/mezonsen on 2023-08-11 20:58:36.

This only really applies to specific games, like platformers—how do level designers create nearly impossibly difficult levels when by all likelihood they can’t complete them themselves (I’m talking ridiculously difficult, 1/100,000 players kind of challenges)? How do they ensure that these difficult challenges are nearly, but not literally impossible? Do they play through the game slowly? Use tool-assisted playthroughs? Does the math ensure that they’re doable? God mode? Do they not care sometimes, and are just pleasantly surprised by the skill of players who manage to complete them? Are there any interesting stories of how this was done for specific projects?