Published: 2026
Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Mind and Body, Mental Health, Neurodiversity, Young Adult
Grade Levels: 6 to 12
Content Warnings: mental health, lengthy discussion of sexuality
Goodreads Link: Stuck on Hard Mode
Publisher’s Summary:
Your energy levels are depleted; those laundry and washing up questlines are all flashing with red exclamation marks and nearly everything is on fire…but that’s just an average day for many neurodivergent people, right?
Being autistic, ADHD or AuDHD can sometimes feel like you’re stuck on hard mode with no option to toggle that difficulty setting. Fear not! The first ever neurodivergent-friendly strategy guide to everyday life is here to improve your gameplay in a world built for neurotypicals. Hilarious, witty and packed full of gorgeous art and ‘screenshots’ from the ultimate videogame – real life – this strategy guide is your tool to surviving the missions and quests of the daily grind.
Helped along by your digital companion Erin and allies you’ll meet along the way, this guide features advice on customising your character, developing your stats, managing tricky status effects like burnout, and even making friends and exploring relationships in multiplayer mode. In this guide you have all the strats, tips and tricks you need to thrive during all aspects of gameplay as a neurodivergent player. So, let’s begin and establish a play style that works for you.
Review:
“Basically, this is the book I wish I had read when I was a kid.
An Autism and ADHD diagnosis can be anxiety inducing, especially with the overwhelming vocabulary and functionality of it all. Enter this book, explaining neurodivergence using video game metaphors is incredibly clear and relatable. I really appreciate that the book focuses on both Autism and ADHD, showing that there can be a link between these categories. The overall tone of the book is empowering. The idea that neurodivergent people are not broken, just have different “stats.” I also particularly appreciated the section where the author encourages readers to stim if they need to and offers many suggestions for how to do this covertly if readers are concerned about attracting attention.
My only question is why there was not a quick note at the beginning of the book stating that not all sections may be appropriate for every reader and that that is okay. For example, I would feel comfortable recommending this book to a nine year old, but not if they are not ready to digest the lengthy section on sexuality. To be clear, the book is very encouraging and repeatedly reminds readers that everyone is different, however, I think some young readers may stop reading if they feel a section is not applicable to them yet. It is definitely a book that needs to be recommended with care and forethought.
For some young readers, this book will really speak to them and give them great insight into how they move through the world. The author uses “us” and “we,” which makes the tone welcoming and lets the reader know from the very beginning that they are not alone in facing the world. A great message for anyone.”
