Appearance
Meta-Progression Design
Source: Extracted and expanded from
master_gdd.md§9.
Status: DRAFT — Echoes economy needs spreadsheeting to validate.
Table of Contents
- Meta-Currency: Time Echoes
- Unlock Shop
- Hub Screen
- Difficulty System
- Run History & Stats
- Unlock Pacing
- MVP Scope
- Open Questions
1. Meta-Currency: Time Echoes
What They Are
A persistent currency earned across runs. Cannot be lost. Spent in the Echo Market on permanent unlocks.
Earnings Table
| Achievement | Echoes | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Island 1 cleared | 25 | |
| Island 2 cleared (Victory) | 75 | |
| Boss perfect-kill (no units downed) | +25 | Per boss |
| First time clearing an island | ×2 bonus | One-time per island |
| Each unit that survived the run | +10 | Per unit still alive at victory |
| Defeat (died on Island 1) | 5 | Minimum payment |
| Defeat (died on Island 2) | 15 | |
| Synergy discovered (first time) | +10 | One-time per unique synergy |
| Hard difficulty bonus | +50% Echoes | Multiplier on top of base earnings |
| Lethal difficulty bonus | +100% Echoes | |
| Breach difficulty bonus | +200% Echoes | Post-MVP |
Example: Typical Run Earnings
| Scenario | Base | Bonus | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| First run, die Island 1 | 5 | 0 | 5 Echoes |
| Clear Island 1, die Island 2 | 25 + 15 | 0 | 40 Echoes |
| Full clear (Normal) | 25 + 75 | +25 (perfect boss) + 30 (3 survivors) | 155 Echoes |
| Full clear (Hard, first time) | (25 + 75) × 1.5 | ×2 first clear bonus on each island + perfect bosses | ~350 Echoes |
Design Target
- A losing run should give enough Echoes to buy a small unlock (5–30).
- A winning run should give enough for a major unlock (80–200).
- A player should unlock something new every 2–3 runs for the first 30 runs.
- All major unlocks should be achievable within 50–80 runs (matching Hades' ~60-run full unlock curve).
2. Unlock Shop
Categories
| Category | What It Unlocks |
|---|---|
| Key Aspects | New playable Key Aspects for units |
| Characters | New starting characters with unique personalities and banter |
| Starting Relics | Start each run with 1/2/3 relics pre-equipped |
| Squad Slots | Start with 4 or 5 units instead of 3 |
| Biomes | Unlock Island 4 (post-MVP) |
| Difficulties | Hard, Lethal, Breach modes |
| Cosmetics | Unit skins, bucket variants, timeline themes (post-MVP) |
Catalog
| Unlock | Cost (Echoes) | Tier | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Key Aspect: Dark Knight | 150 | Major | Self-damage for massive damage. Edgy. Probably compensating for something. |
| New Key Aspect: Druid | 150 | Major | Transform terrain and heal simultaneously. Hippie energy. |
| New Character: Greta | 80 | Medium | Retired blacksmith. Swings hammer. Calls everyone "dear." |
| New Character: Null | 120 | Medium | A void that learned to want things. Creepy but polite. |
| New Character: Tiberius | 100 | Medium | Washed-up former high priest. Drinks. Still heals. |
| New Character: Click | 100 | Medium | Clockwork automaton. Extremely literal. |
| New Character: Lyric | 80 | Medium | Actually a terrible musician. Somehow it works. |
| Starting Relic Slot 1 | 100 | Major | Start runs with 1 relic pre-equipped. |
| Starting Relic Slot 2 | 200 | Major | Start runs with 2 relics. |
| Starting Relic Slot 3 | 300 | Major | Start runs with 3 relics. |
| 4th Squad Slot | 300 | Major | Start with 4 units instead of 3. |
| 5th Squad Slot | 500 | Major | Start with 5 units. |
| New Biome: The Sunken City | 200 | Major | Unlocks Island 4 (post-MVP). |
| Difficulty: Hard Mode | 50 | Minor | Enemies +1 move, faster charge. +50% Echoes. Must win Normal to unlock. |
| Difficulty: Lethal | 100 | Minor | New behaviors, telegraphed combos. +100% Echoes. Must win Hard to unlock. |
| Difficulty: Breach | 150 | Minor | (?) telegraphs. +200% Echoes. Must win Lethal to unlock. |
| Aspect Pool: Function Expansion | 50 | Minor | Adds 3 new Function aspects to drop pool (Druid, Necromancer, Illusionist). |
| Aspect Pool: Movement Expansion | 50 | Minor | Adds 3 new Movement aspects to drop pool. |
| Aspect Pool: Defense Expansion | 50 | Minor | Adds 3 new Defense aspects to drop pool. |
| Aspect Pool: Utility Expansion | 50 | Minor | Adds 3 new Utility aspects to drop pool. |
Total Cost to Unlock Everything
~2,500 Echoes. At ~50 Echoes per run average, that's ~50 runs to full completion. (Comparable to Hades' 60-run unlock curve.)
3. Hub Screen
The Commander's Sanctum — the between-run space.
Areas
| Area | Function | Visual |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline Tapestry | View run history. Each run is a thread in a cosmic tapestry. Hover to see stats. | Starfield with glowing threads. Failed runs are dim; successful runs are bright. |
| Book of Fallen | All permadead units, their last wills, their stats. Sortable. | A massive floating tome. Pages turn with animation. |
| Echo Market | Spend Echoes on unlocks. | Floating crystal marketplace. Items orbit slowly. |
| Roster | View characters, their banter, their run stats. | Carousel of character portraits. |
| Bestiary | All enemies encountered. HP, abilities, kill count. | Illustrated field guide. |
| Synergy Codex | All discovered synergies. Greyed-out undiscovered ones. | Constellation map. Discovered = bright lines. |
| Settings | Audio, video, controls, accessibility. | Standard menu. |
Hub Tone
The hub is quiet and contemplative. A music box plays a slow version of the main theme. The Commander's Journal sits open, recording thoughts. The tone here is more sincere — the jokes happen in the run. The hub is where you reflect.
4. Difficulty System
Unlock Chain
Win Normal → Unlock Hard (purchase for 50 Echoes)
Win Hard → Unlock Lethal (purchase for 100 Echoes)
Win Lethal → Unlock Breach (purchase for 150 Echoes)Difficulty Comparison
| Feature | Normal | Hard | Lethal | Breach |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enemy HP | 1.0× | 1.0× | 1.1× | 1.2× |
| Enemy move | Base | +1 | +1 | +1 |
| Charge speed | Base | Base | −1 tick | −1 tick |
| New behaviors | 0 | 1/faction | 2/faction | 3/faction |
| Synergy pairs | 0 | 0 | 1/fight | 2/fight |
| (?) telegraphs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1/fight |
| Enemy count | Base | +1/fight | +2/fight | +2/fight |
| Echoes multiplier | 1.0× | 1.5× | 2.0× | 3.0× |
| Win rate target | 30–40% | 15–25% | 5–10% | <5% |
| More rewards? | No | Uncommon+ relic choices | Rare+ relic choices | Legendary possible from normal fights |
Difficulty Philosophy
- Higher difficulty = enemies are smarter and faster, not bullet sponges.
- Each tier adds 1–2 new mechanics, not just stat multipliers.
- Hard mode should still be fun for players who've mastered Normal. Lethal should feel like a different game.
5. Run History & Stats
Per-Run Stats (Tracked)
| Stat | Display |
|---|---|
| Date/time | When run started |
| Duration | Real time |
| Outcome | Victory / Defeat (which island / boss) |
| Units deployed | Names and Key Aspects |
| Units lost | Names and death causes |
| Damage dealt | Total, per unit |
| Damage taken | Total, per unit |
| Enemies killed | Total, per type |
| Bosses killed | Which, perfect-kill? |
| Synergies discovered | New this run |
| Relics obtained | List |
| Gold spent | Total |
| Echoes earned | Total |
Lifetime Stats (Tracked)
| Stat | Display |
|---|---|
| Total runs | Count |
| Wins / Losses | Ratio |
| Favorite unit | Most deployed |
| Most killed enemy | Enemy with highest kill count |
| Most common death cause | Fall damage, spell, melee, etc. |
| Total Echoes earned | Cumulative |
| Unlocks purchased | % complete |
6. Unlock Pacing
Expected Player Journey
| Runs | Unlocks Purchased | Total Echoes (approx) | Player State |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | 1–2 minor unlocks | 25–250 | Learning the game. First Aspect pool expansions. |
| 5–15 | 1 major unlock + 2–3 minor | 250–750 | First win (Normal). Unlocking Hard. |
| 15–30 | 2–3 major unlocks | 750–1500 | Mastering Hard. Unlocking characters. |
| 30–50 | Remaining major unlocks | 1500–2500 | Full completion. Breach attempts. |
Anti-Frustration Features
- Bad luck protection: If a run ends on Island 1 Floor 1, minimum 5 Echoes. The game never gives zero.
- First-win bonus: First-time clearing an island doubles Echoes. Incentivizes pushing further.
- Daily challenge (post-MVP): Curated seed, bonus Echoes for participation.
- No FOMO: No limited-time unlocks. Everything is permanent and earnable.
7. MVP Scope
Included
- [x] Time Echoes meta-currency + earning system
- [x] Unlock shop with 10+ items (focus on major unlocks: characters, relic slots, difficulties)
- [x] Hub screen: Timeline Tapestry, Book of Fallen, Echo Market, Roster
- [x] 3 difficulties: Normal, Hard, Lethal
- [x] Run history tracking (per-run + lifetime stats)
- [x] Unlock chain for difficulties
Deferred to Post-MVP
- [ ] Breach difficulty
- [ ] Full unlock catalog (all Aspect pool expansions, all characters, all relic slots)
- [ ] Bestiary
- [ ] Synergy Codex visuals
- [ ] Daily challenge mode
- [ ] Cosmetics
- [ ] Steam achievements
8. Open Questions
- Echoes economy balance: The numbers above are initial estimates. Need a spreadsheet with monte carlo simulation of player runs to validate the ~50-run unlock curve.
- Starting relic slots: Starting with 3 relics = the player skips the first 3 relic choices. Is this too powerful? Maybe start with 2 max, and the 3rd slot is for post-launch.
- Aspect pool expansions as unlocks: If new players unlock Function Expansion, the drop pool gets bigger. Bigger pool = less consistency. StS has this problem. Should expansions be opt-in (equippable before run) instead of pool-diluting?
- Difficulty as an unlock cost: Should Hard mode cost Echoes, or just unlock for free after first win? Spending currency to make the game harder feels weird. (Alternative: Hard mode unlocks for free after a Normal win. Echoes are for content unlocks only.)
- Cloud saves: Meta-progression is persistent between runs. Should it persist across devices? Steam Cloud Saves would handle this, but needs implementation.
- Reset option: Can a player reset their meta-progression? (Recommend: yes, "Reset All Progress" in settings. Confirmation dialog. For content creators doing fresh-start challenges.)
Next: Co-op Design