When a game developer/level designer does not fully understand how to make levels difficult in a way that is not frustrating or questionably designed, and so throws together a bunch of hazards and poorly conceived design elements in order to force the level to be hard, at the cost of good game design. Typically associated with Super Mario Maker levels.
Putting a bunch of enemies all over the place to overwhelm the player is not good level design, it's forced difficulty.
by LobsterCopter February 9, 2018