What is gameprogression?
Game progression is the way a video game moves a player forward through its story, challenges, and rewards. It’s the path that shows what you’ve done, what you need to do next, and how the game gets harder or more interesting over time.
Let's break it down
- Start: You begin at the first level or tutorial, learning the basics.
- Milestones: The game gives you checkpoints, quests, or objectives to finish.
- Rewards: After each milestone you earn points, items, new abilities, or story pieces.
- Difficulty curve: The challenges get a bit tougher as you improve, keeping the game fun.
- End goal: There’s usually a final boss, a completed story, or a high score to reach.
Why does it matter?
Progression keeps players interested. It gives a sense of achievement, shows clear goals, and makes the game feel rewarding. Without progression, a game can feel flat or endless, and players may stop playing.
Where is it used?
- Story‑driven games (RPGs, adventure games) where the plot unfolds step by step.
- Level‑based games (platformers, puzzle games) that unlock new stages.
- Online multiplayer games (MMOs, battle royales) that use ranks, seasons, or experience points.
- Mobile and casual games that use daily missions or unlockable content.
Good things about it
- Gives players clear direction and purpose.
- Provides regular rewards that motivate continued play.
- Helps designers balance difficulty, making the game accessible for beginners and challenging for experts.
- Encourages replayability when multiple paths or endings are available.
Not-so-good things
- If the progression is too slow, players can feel bored or stuck.
- Too fast or too easy progression can make the game feel shallow and end quickly.
- Over‑reliance on grinding (repeating the same tasks) can become repetitive.
- Poorly designed progression may force players into pay‑to‑win shortcuts or unfair advantages.