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Roguelike Benchmarks Reference
Run duration, meta-progression, and replayability targets from the genre's best.
Slay the Spire (Mega Crit, 2019)
| Metric | StS Value | Our Target |
|---|---|---|
| Run duration | 45–90 min | 45–60 min (solo) |
| Floors per run | ~50 floors (3 acts) | ~9–12 nodes (3 islands) |
| Floor types | Combat, Shop, Event, Rest, Elite, Boss | Fight, Hard Fight, Shop, Camp, Mystery, Recruit, Relic Forge, Boss |
| Decision points per run | ~20 card picks + ~15 relics | ~9–12 relic picks + ~5–8 aspect drops |
| Meta-currency per run | ~10–100 souls (ascension-dependent) | ~20–150 Echoes (difficulty-dependent) |
| Unlock pacing | 1–2 unlocks per run for first 20 runs | TBD — need to design the unlock curve |
| Difficulty scaling | 20 Ascension levels | 4 difficulties (Normal, Hard, Lethal, Breach) |
| Win rate target | ~30% at base difficulty | TBD — should a first-time player win? |
| Meta-progression gates | Characters, cards, relics | Key Aspects, starting characters, relic slots, biomes |
Lessons from StS
- Unlocks are addictive. Every run should give progress toward something. Even a failed run should feel like it moved the needle.
- Ascension is the real endgame. 20 levels of incremental difficulty is why people play 500+ hours. Our 4 difficulties need enough granularity. Consider: 4 base difficulties × modifiers?
- Card pool dilution is real. StS players debate whether unlocking cards makes the game harder (bigger pool = less consistency). Our Aspect pool has the same risk. Need a system to prevent pool bloat.
Into the Breach (Subset Games, 2018)
| Metric | ITB Value | Our Target |
|---|---|---|
| Run duration | 30–60 min | 45–60 min (solo) |
| Missions per run | ~20 (4 islands × 5 missions) | ~9–12 nodes (3 islands × 3–4 nodes) |
| Squad size | 3 mechs (fixed) | 3–5 units (variable) |
| Permadeath impact | Pilot lost = run over (effectively) | Slot opens, can recruit replacement |
| Meta-progression | Coins unlock squads (5 total) | Echoes unlock Aspects, characters, slots |
| Achievements | Per-squad, per-island, hard-mode | Full Steam achievement set (post-MVP) |
| Win rate target | ~60% on Normal (player skill ceiling high) | TBD |
| Node types | Combat, Defend, Boss | 8 node types (more variety, shorter runs) |
Lessons from ITB
- "One more turn" pacing is king. ITB's 5-turn missions are 2–5 minutes each. Bite-sized. Our 10-minute battles need to feel the same way — every turn is a puzzle snap.
- Perfect information enables mastery. ITB players can calculate every outcome. Our deterministic combat aims for the same clarity.
- Undo is essential UX. ITB lets you undo an entire turn. We need at least single-move undo. This is not a nice-to-have — it's core to the "no surprises" contract.
Hades (Supergiant, 2020)
| Metric | Hades Value | Our Target |
|---|---|---|
| Run duration | 20–40 min | 45–60 min |
| Meta-progression | Mirror of Night (dozens of upgrades) | Unlock shop (~15–20 items) |
| Narrative integration | Story progresses across runs | Time-looped commander framing |
| Weapon variety | 6 weapons × 4 aspects each | 9 Key Aspects × 11+ Function/Movement/Defense/Utility |
| God boon system | Build-crafting via 8 gods × ~15 boons each | Aspect slot system (5 slots per unit) |
| Death is story | Zagreus dies constantly. Every death advances plot. | Time-loop framing = every failed run is canon. |
Lessons from Hades
- Story across runs is the secret sauce. StS and ITB have minimal inter-run narrative. Hades proved that meta-narrative adds massive retention. Our time-loop framing can carry this if we invest in it.
- Build-crafting breadth doesn't need depth at first. Hades launched with 8 gods. We're launching with 9 Key Aspects. That's enough if the combinations feel distinct.
- House of Hades = our between-run hub. We need a hub screen that feels alive. Bestiary, run history, unlock shop, character roster. This is not just a menu — it's the player's home.
Scope Comparison
| Game | Team Size | Dev Time | Content at Launch | Our Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| StS | 2 (core) | ~2.5 years EA + launch | 3 characters, ~250 cards, ~175 relics | 9 Key Aspects, ~50 aspects, ~30 relics |
| ITB | 2 (core) | ~3 years | 8 squads, ~40 weapons | 9 Key Aspects, ~50 aspects |
| Hades | ~20 | ~3 years | 6 weapons, 8 gods, ~120 boons | N/A (solo dev) |
| Us | 1 | 20–24 weeks (MVP) | 9 Key, ~25 aspects, 30 relics | Keep it small. Ship it. |
Open Questions
- [ ] Win rate target: Should a first-time player on Normal difficulty win? StS says no (~5% first-run win rate). ITB says maybe (~60% once you learn it). Our answer determines tuning.
- [ ] Unlock pacing: How many runs to unlock everything? Hades = ~60 runs. StS = ~20 runs per character. Our target: TBD.
- [ ] Difficulty granularity: 4 difficulty levels vs. StS's 20 Ascension levels. Is 4 enough for replayability? Or should we have difficulty modifiers (like Hades' Pact of Punishment)?
- [ ] Failed-run reward ratio: If a player dies on Island 1 Floor 1, they get minimal Echoes. Does that feel bad? StS gives zero meta-currency for early deaths. Hades always gives something.