// LOADING OSUMAUK
// LOADING OSUMAUK
Stars are not the whole story. AR, OD, CS and HP shape how a map actually feels — here is what every difficulty number means.
By OSUMAUK Staff
Star rating is the headline difficulty number you see everywhere, but two maps at the same star count can feel wildly different. The star number is a single estimate of overall difficulty; the four difficulty settings underneath it describe how that difficulty is actually delivered.
Star rating is an algorithmic estimate combining the map's aim and speed demands. Roughly: 1–2 stars is beginner, 3–4 is intermediate, 5–6 is advanced, and 7+ is expert territory. Difficulty-increasing mods like DT recalculate it upward, which is the whole reason DT pays more pp.
HR raises AR, OD and CS together while flipping the map — that is why a Hard Rock pass feels so much tighter than the star bump alone suggests.
"A 5-star map at AR9 reads completely differently to a 5-star map at AR10.3. Look past the stars at the settings before you decide a map is "your level".
When a map feels harder or easier than its stars suggest, check these four numbers — they almost always explain the gap, and learning to read them helps you pick maps that train exactly the skill you want.