Progression systems

One of the most common systems in game design, one that is present in almost every video game ever made, is the progression system.

A progression system can assume many forms, from a level system in an RPG such as Badlur’s Gate in which the player receives experience points for winning battles and completing quests, to technology trees in a strategy game such as Total War, in which the player decides which new technology to unlock when the previous one is completed.

From a system design perspective, progression is the structure that organizes a player’s advancement within a game. It is the backbone that guides the player through increasing levels of difficulty, sophistication, or complexity, while offering corresponding rewards. If this sounds familiar, it is because that is what we talked about when discussing core loops.

In fact, a progression system keeps track of the core loop and provides meaning to the player going through it repeatedly...