Dark Souls, released by FromSoftware in 2011, became famous for its punishing difficulty, and the Soul Level 1 challenge grew out of its community as players tried to finish the game without levelling up at all. Streamers and YouTubers turned these runs into long series, where every boss became a test of patience and precise timing. Short clips from that culture now circulate on soundboards and in edits, because they instantly signal to other fans that a player is attempting the game at its hardest, with no room for mistakes.