Economy Design

Economy Design — Resources, Rewards & Progression

Design self-regulating game economies that motivate players, pace content, and avoid inflation death spirals.

Inputs

• Game mechanics and systems (use /mechanics-design for reference)
• Monetization model (premium, F2P, hybrid)
• Target session length and player lifetime
• Content volume (how many items, upgrades, unlocks exist)

Step 1: Currency Architecture

Currency Types

Currency Flow Diagram

SOURCES                          SINKS
───────                          ─────
Quest completion ──────┐    ┌──── Equipment purchase
Enemy drops ───────────┤    ├──── Consumables
Exploration ───────────┤    ├──── Crafting materials
Daily login ───────────┼──→ ├──── Upgrade costs
Achievements ──────────┤    ├──── Fast travel / services
Selling items ─────────┤    ├──── Cosmetics
Events ────────────────┘    └──── Repair / maintenance

BALANCE RULE: Total sources ≈ Total sinks over any 2-hour window

Step 2: Progression Systems

Progression Types

VERTICAL (power increase):
  Level 1 ──→ Level 2 ──→ Level 3
  10 ATK       15 ATK      22 ATK
  Used in: RPGs, ARPGs — player gets numerically stronger

HORIZONTAL (option increase):
  Unlock A ── Unlock B ── Unlock C
  Sword       Bow          Magic
  Used in: Roguelikes, Metroidvanias — player gets more versatile

PRESTIGE (reset & multiply):
  Run 1 (base) → Reset → Run 2 (1.5x) → Reset → Run 3 (2x)
  Used in: Idle games, roguelites — long-term retention loop

MASTERY (skill increase):
  Same tools, higher player skill → better outcomes
  Used in: Fighting games, platformers — no stat inflation

XP / Level Curve

XP Required = BaseXP × (Level ^ ExponentFactor)

Common curves:
  Linear:      100, 200, 300, 400, 500...     (feels grindy late)
  Quadratic:   100, 200, 400, 700, 1100...    (balanced)
  Exponential: 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600...    (punishing late)
  Logarithmic: 100, 180, 245, 300, 348...     (fast early, plateaus)

RECOMMENDATION: Quadratic with diminishing returns on XP gain
  → Ensures each level feels meaningful without endless grind
  → Pair with content gates so leveling alone doesn't skip content

Step 3: Loot & Drop Tables

Drop Table Template

## Loot Table: [Enemy/Chest/Event Name]

| Item | Rarity | Drop Rate | Min Qty | Max Qty | Conditions |
|------|--------|-----------|---------|---------|------------|
| Gold | Common | 100% | 5 | 15 | — |
| Health Potion | Common | 40% | 1 | 1 | — |
| Iron Ore | Uncommon | 20% | 1 | 3 | Zone ≥ 2 |
| Rare Sword | Rare | 2% | 1 | 1 | Boss only |
| Legendary Gem | Legendary | 0.5% | 1 | 1 | Hard mode |

### Pity System
After [X] drops with no Rare+ item:
  Rare guaranteed at drop [X+1]
  (Prevents extreme unlucky streaks)

Rarity Distribution Guidelines

Step 4: Sink Design

Healthy Sinks (remove currency without feeling punitive)

Inflation Prevention

WARNING SIGNS:
  ✗ Players accumulate currency with nothing to spend on
  ✗ Late-game items are 1000x the price of early items
  ✗ New sinks feel artificial ("gold tax" out of nowhere)

PREVENTION:
  ✓ Every source has a proportional sink in the same game phase
  ✓ Currency generation scales slower than content unlocks
  ✓ Late-game sinks are desirable, not mandatory
  ✓ Prestige resets provide natural currency drain

Step 5: Monetization Ethics (F2P)

Ethical Monetization Matrix

Battle Pass Template

FREE TRACK:       [F1]──[F2]──[F3]──[F4]──[F5]... (every 3 tiers)
PREMIUM TRACK:    [P1]──[P2]──[P3]──[P4]──[P5]... (every tier)

Tier progression: 1000 XP per tier
Daily play grants: ~500-800 XP (2 tiers/day casual)
Season length: 60 days
Total tiers: 100
Casual player reaches: Tier 60-80
Hardcore reaches: Tier 100 by day 40

RULE: Free track must feel rewarding, not punishing
RULE: No FOMO on gameplay-affecting items

Step 6: Economy Simulation

Before shipping, validate the economy mathematically:

# Simplified economy simulation
def simulate_session(hours=2):
    gold_earned = quest_rewards(3) + enemy_drops(hours) + exploration(hours)
    gold_spent = consumables(hours) + repairs(hours) + one_upgrade()
    net_gold = gold_earned - gold_spent

    # Net should be slightly positive (player feels rich, not broke)
    # Target: 10-20% surplus per session
    assert 0.10 <= (net_gold / gold_earned) <= 0.20, "Economy imbalanced"

Output

Save to artifacts/game-design/[project-name]-economy.md

Guidelines

• The player should always feel slightly short — enough to want more, not enough to feel stuck
• Never let paying players trivialize content — monetization sells time, not victory
• Test with simulated 100-hour playthroughs before real players touch it
• Every currency needs a clear answer to "why can't this just be gold?"
• Cross-reference with /mechanics-design for system interactions
• Use /game-balancing to tune values after playtesting