Progression Systems
A progression system is any structure that tracks and displays player advancement. Levels, unlocks, skill trees, gear scores - all the ways videogames say "you're getting somewhere." Progression systems answer the question: how does the player know they're advancing?
Why Progression Matters
Extrinsic Motivation: Visible progress toward goals. The XP bar filling. The new ability unlocking.
Pacing Control: Gates content behind progression. Ensures players don't access everything immediately.
Investment Creation: The more you've leveled up, the more you have to lose by quitting.
Skill Scaffolding: New abilities introduce new complexity. Progression can match mechanical depth to player readiness.
Power Fantasy: Numbers go up. Character gets stronger. Feels good.
Types of Progression
Character Progression: The avatar improves: stats, abilities, gear.
Example: RPG leveling, skill trees, equipment upgrades
Player Progression: The human improves: skill, knowledge, mastery.
Example: Getting better at Dark Souls. No character stats changed - you changed.
World Progression: The videogame world changes: areas unlock, story advances, state evolves.
Example: Metroidvania unlocks, NPC relationships, world state
Meta Progression: Unlocks that persist across runs/sessions.
Example: Roguelike permanent upgrades, account-wide unlocks
Most videogames combine multiple types.
Progression Structures
Linear: Everyone follows the same path. Level 1 → 2 → 3...
Pro: Easy to balance. Con: No player expression.
Branching: Choose your path through a tree.
Pro: Player agency, replayability. Con: Balance complexity.
Open: Any ability accessible (if you have currency/points).
Pro: Maximum freedom. Con: Trap options, analysis paralysis.
Gated: Progression unlocked by achievements, not just time/XP.
Pro: Ties advancement to accomplishment. Con: Can feel arbitrary.
The Leveling Curve
How fast does the player progress? The leveling curve determines feel:
Linear Leveling: Same XP for each level. Predictable, but can feel grindy late-game.
Exponential Leveling: Each level takes more XP. Early levels fly by; late levels slow down. Creates extended endgame.
Logarithmic Leveling: Early levels are slow; later levels come faster. Rare, but used to extend early game.
Soft Cap / Hard Cap: Progression slows dramatically (soft) or stops entirely (hard) at a certain point.
The curve should match your pacing goals. Fast early = hook players. Slow late = extend engagement.
Progression vs. Power
Progression = visible advancement
Power = actual capability increase
These aren't the same:
| Scenario | Experience |
|---|---|
| High Progression, Low Power | Level numbers go up, but enemies scale. You're not stronger, just "higher level." |
| Low Progression, High Power | Few visible markers, but you feel much more capable. Dark Souls: same "level," but you learned the boss. |
| Matched | Progression markers correspond to actual power increase. Traditional RPGs. |
| Mismatched | Feels bad when you level up but don't feel stronger, or feel stronger but don't see it reflected. |
Skill Trees & Build Diversity
Skill trees create build diversity - different players develop different characters.
Good Skill Trees:
- Meaningful choices at each node
- Multiple viable builds
- Clear identity for each path
- Synergies to discover
Bad Skill Trees:
- One obviously optimal path
- Nodes that are never worth taking ("trap" options)
- Too many small incremental bonuses ("+1% damage")
- Choices that can't be understood until late-game
The test: do different players actually choose differently? Do those choices feel meaningfully distinct?
Platform Differences
Progression philosophy varies significantly by platform and genre:
Mobile: Often engagement-focused. Session-length progression. Daily rewards. Real-money shortcuts. Designed around interruption.
Console/PC Single-player: Experience-focused. Progression tied to authored content. Respects player time (ideally). Designed around immersion.
Crafting/Survival: Economy compounding as progression. Valheim, Satisfactory - your infrastructure IS your progression. Building capability compounds: better tools enable better resources enable better tools.
These aren't moral judgments - they're different design goals. But know which paradigm you're working in.
Prestige Systems
Prestige = resetting progress to start again, usually with some persistent bonus.
Examples: Call of Duty prestige, roguelike meta-progression, New Game+
Why it works:
- Extends content without new content
- Provides long-term goals
- Lets players re-experience early videogame with mastery
- Creates visible status markers
Danger: Can feel like treadmill without meaning.
Exercise: Progression Audit
Play a videogame for 2 hours. Log every progression marker:
- What leveled up?
- What unlocked?
- How did you feel at each marker?
- Did progression match power?
Why Teach This
Progression systems are where videogame design meets psychology research. This is where the "manipulation" critique is strongest - and where ethical design matters most.
Students need to understand both the craft (how to create satisfying progression) and the ethics (when progression becomes exploitation).
Common Misconceptions
"More progression = better videogame"
Some students add leveling systems to everything. But progression without purpose is noise. A platformer doesn't need XP. A puzzle videogame doesn't need skill trees.
"Players want to feel powerful"
Some players do. Others want challenge. Progression that trivializes content can ruin experiences for mastery-oriented players.
Key Discussion
What's the difference between a satisfying progression system and an exploitative one? Both use the same techniques. The difference is whose interest is served.
Assessment
- Can students identify progression types in existing videogames?
- Can students design a skill tree with genuine build diversity?
- Can students articulate when progression serves the player vs. the business model?
Teaching Exercise: Design a Skill Tree
Design a skill tree with 3 branches and 12 total nodes. Ensure at least 4 viable builds with distinct playstyles. Then have classmates evaluate - is it actually balanced?
Key References
Nick Yee - Early research on MMORPG motivation. Achievement, social, immersion motivations map to progression system design.
Sebastian Deterding - Gamification research. The critique of progression-as-manipulation.
Amy Jo Kim - Videogame thinking for product design. Progression as engagement loop.
Progression as Communication
Progression is a communication system. It tells players where they are and where they're going. Good progression is honest communication.
Ethical Considerations
Progression as addiction machine: Skinner box critiques apply. When progression systems are designed to maximize time-in-game rather than player satisfaction, something has gone wrong.
The "numbers go up" design default: Not every videogame needs visible progression. Some of the best videogames have none. Progression is a choice, not a requirement.
Unresolved Questions
- Where's the line between satisfying progression and exploitative engagement?
- How do we design progression that respects player time?
- Is character progression necessary if player progression is rich?
Related
- Economy & Resources - progression often tied to resource systems
- Player Psychology - why progression feels good; progression as positive feedback
- Balance Philosophy - balancing progression curves
Glossary Terms
- Skill Tree - branching ability unlocks
- Meta Progression - persistent cross-session advancement
- Level Scaling - world adjusting to player level