I think "ironman mode" deserves a separate discussion, because there is such a wide gap between games where it's merely a higher stakes setting and games where

I think "ironman mode" deserves a separate discussion, because there is such a wide gap between games where it's merely a higher stakes setting and games where recovery from setbacks is a core element, and not just as a lofty goal ("wouldn't it be nice if people played that way?") but made so interesting that players actually play that way, and not just a tiny fraction of the most masochistic. That difference is best illustrated comparing Crusader Kings and its seemingly similar sibling Europa Universalis: (I'm talking about recent incarnations, I don't know CK1 or EU[123]) CK is full of rebound mechanics that work for both bad decisions and for RNG setbacks, whereas EU is mostly straight-forward 4X where any bit of falling behind ruthlessly compounds.