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Game Development vocabulary · Gameplay & Game Design

Progression

Meaning in game development, with examples

/prəˈɡreʃən/nounCommon term

In game development, progression means: The way a player or character grows stronger and unlocks new things over time, such as levels, skills, gear, areas or story, which gives players goals to work toward.

In Turkish: ilerleme, gelişim sistemi, progression

How it is used

Designers plan progression systems such as skill trees and level-ups, and talk about progression speed, rewards and grind, the boring repetition needed to move forward. Players complain when progression is too slow or locked behind payments.

Example sentences

  1. Progression slows down a lot after level 30; we need more rewards there.

  2. Our progression system is built around unlocking new tools, not raising stats.

Common collocations

  • progression system
  • player progression
  • progression curve
  • slow progression
  • grind
  • core loopThe main set of actions a player repeats again and again in a game, for example explore, fight, collect loot and upgrade, then explore again.
  • difficulty curveHow quickly a game gets harder as the player progresses. A good curve rises steadily with short breaks; a bad one has sudden spikes or long, boring flat parts.
  • battle passA reward track that lasts for one season: players unlock items by playing and earning experience, and a paid premium version gives extra rewards.
  • retentionHow many players keep coming back to a game over time, usually measured as the percentage who return one, seven or thirty days after installing it.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Gameplay & Game Design

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