Designing In-Iteration Player Progression in Echoes of Myth: Choices, Randomization, and Strategy

In this blog post, I outline the current design for how players progress in power within a single roguelike iteration in Echoes of Myth—and the key choices they can make, along with how randomization shapes each run.

Each iteration begins with the player choosing a class. I've narrowed the initial launch target to three classes, with Mage and Sword Saint currently implemented. This choice largely defines the available core playstyles. The game then randomizes the player’s starting divine treasure, selecting from the tier 1 divine treasures they have previously looted. Higher-tier divine treasures may also become starting items later, with an upgrade system yet to be designed. This is the first major power factor.

By killing enemies and completing trials, the player draws upon the world’s essence and taps into divine echoes (experience → level-ups → talent choices). On level-up, the player is presented with a randomized set of three divine echoes and selects one. Previously shown and selected echoes have a high likelihood of reappearing, meaning that the interplay between randomization and player choice naturally limits which echoes are available later. This is the second power factor and is critical in shaping the player’s build for that iteration. Additionally, base stats and HP increase on level-up in a class-dependent manner.

The map and available routes play a major role. By default, the player can only see the next immediate nodes, but visibility can be expanded in various ways. The in-iteration gold currency can be spent at the Fortune Teller to reveal nodes, paths, and map segments, allowing for better strategic decisions about which rewards to pursue. Choosing a route is one of the most impactful decisions, enabling different focuses across iterations. A player might do an essence farming run to grind meta-power, then later attempt a progress run aiming to push further while prioritizing in-iteration buffs—such as gold, experience, upgrade items, remnant echo buffs, or crucially, the right divine treasures.

Divine treasures are key power-boosting items, with players typically acquiring only one or two per act. There should always be a couple of alternatives available, though the map usually doesn’t reveal the exact divine treasure granted by a level—only the deity it belongs to. This allows strategic decision-making; for instance, a player building a spell-based run would likely prefer a divine treasure from Thoth over one from Ares, which favors melee combat.

Once in each act player is forced to select one of three randomized Forks of Fate which are key tradeoff decision points, each containing significant buff and negative effect. Do you increase your map visibility by sacrificing some critical damage potential - or perhaps go for high risk high reward approach with double trouble doubling both damage dealt and received?

Players can also choose to complete optional trial challenges for minor remnant echo buffs and additional essence currency.

Exploration offers further rewards. Chests, often hidden off the primary path, may contain money, upgrade materials, treasure keys, or randomized regular spirit items (intended to be rare, providing small buffs). Treasure keys provide another way to acquire divine treasures when encountering locked coffers.

Gold management is another layer of decision-making. In-iteration gold is found in small quantities from breaking vases and barrels, enemy drops, looted chests, and map rewards. Players must decide whether to spend it on increasing map visibility, purchasing upgrade items (potentially allowing them to bypass certain map nodes in favor of other rewards), or other strategic uses.

At a high level, players must balance in-iteration power with meta-power essence currency. Focusing too much on meta-power can leave them underpowered against increasingly difficult enemies, while investing solely in in-iteration power may leave them with little lasting progress after the run ends. Similarly, early-game talents and items should inform build decisions, with players then trying to find the most synergistic options as they progress.

I'm in the final stages of implementing all the necessary systems and key content to bring this full progression system to life for alpha playtesting. While some parts have been in the alpha version for some time, the overarching roguelike structure is only now fully taking shape. There are still areas that aren’t quite where I want them yet, so—iteration, iteration.