This document covers the physical setup and navigation of the exploration grid.
← Back to: Exploration Phase Mechanics
Grid Size (Determined by Job Tier)
→ See Job System for the single source of truth on grid scaling
Grid size is determined by the job’s prestige tier:
| Job Tier | Grid Layout | Total Cards | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1★-2★ | 5x3 | 15 | Food truck/casual dining jobs |
| 3★ | 5x3 or 5x4 | 15-20 | Fine dining (job dependent) |
| 4★ | 5x4 or 5x5 | 20-25 | High-end (job dependent) |
| 5★ | 5x5 minimum | 25+ | World-class challenges |
Note: Exact exploration limits need playtesting for balance.
Layout Rules
- Simple rectangular grid - Cards arranged in rows and columns
- All face-down at start - Players flip cards as they explore
- Face cards included in total - Not added on top of the grid
- (Future: May experiment with non-rectangular shapes)
Face Card Distribution
→ See Job System for face card tier system and pool distribution
Face cards determined by job tier:
- Number of face cards scales with grid size (~20-30% of cards)
- Suit represents difficulty tier (Hearts = Tier 1 → Spades = Tier 4)
- Higher-tier jobs include more challenging face card suits
- See Exploration Card System for face card meanings
Example:
- 1★ job (5x3 = 15 cards): ~3 face cards, all Hearts (Tier 1)
- 5★ job (5x5 = 25 cards): ~8-10 face cards, heavy Clubs/Spades (Tier 3-4)
Scaling considerations:
- Keeps face card ratio at ~20-30% of total cards
- Requires playtesting to balance exact counts
Exploration Limit (Turn Economy)
Core Mechanic: Players have a LIMITED number of turns to explore the dungeon.
Key Rule: Exploration limit is LOWER than total cards available.
- Example: 15-card grid = 10 exploration turns
- Forces strategic decisions about which cards to flip
- Can’t explore everything - must choose wisely
Increasing Exploration Limit
Players can gain extra exploration turns through:
Forager Specialist Bonus:
- (Specific bonus TBD - design later)
Purchasable Items/Upgrades:
- (Specific items TBD - design in Progression Phase)
Other Sources:
- (To be determined during playtesting)
Movement Rules
Status: 📋 Needs Playtesting
Current thinking:
- Any direction movement? (orthogonal + diagonal)
- Details to be determined through gameplay testing
Questions to resolve:
- Can players move freely in any direction?
- Move only to adjacent cards (orthogonal only)?
- Can players revisit flipped cards?
- Is there a starting position and exit goal?
Design Notes
Key playtesting questions:
- Does the exploration limit create enough tension without frustration?
- Is the face card ratio balanced?
- Is movement intuitive and fast-paced enough for the 18-minute time limit?