You pick the mode, difficulty and wave length when you deploy. You can also switch the mode or map later from the WebAdmin panel. Here is what each one does.
Modes
- Survival: the default. Up to 6 players hold out against waves of Zeds, spend dosh at the trader between waves, and fight a boss (Hans, the Patriarch, the Abomination or King Fleshpound) on the last wave. This is the core KF2 game.
- Weekly Outbreak: Survival with the rotating weekly mutator (special rules like exploding heads or tiny Zeds). It changes every week, so it is good for a fresh night.
- Versus: one team plays the survivors, the other plays the Zeds. Needs enough players to be fun, so run it on the 12 player tier.
- Endless: Survival with no wave cap. The difficulty keeps climbing until the team wipes. A staple for score-chasing.
Difficulty
Normal, Hard, Suicidal and Hell on Earth. Higher difficulty means tougher Zeds, more Fleshpounds and Scrakes, and less room for mistakes. Hell on Earth is the top and expects a coordinated team on the right perks.
Wave length
- Short: 4 waves, a quick run.
- Medium: 7 waves, the usual game.
- Long: 10 waves, a full session.