Experience Phases

The Four Phases

From Yu-kai Chou's Octalysis framework. Every player moves through these phases at every level of the game.

XP1: Discovery

Generate curiosity and first action. The player encounters the game and decides whether to engage.

• Core drives: Epic Meaning, Unpredictability, Social Influence
• Mechanic: Invitation-only entry, compelling value proposition
• Duration: Minutes to days

XP2: Onboarding

Teach the rules, get the first win. The player creates their character, runs their first Genius loop, and experiences the core mechanic.

• Core drives: Accomplishment, Empowerment, Ownership
• Mechanic: Character creation (Genius Profile), guided first CDAR loop
• Duration: Hours to weeks

XP3: Scaffolding

Build habits, deepen engagement, unlock progression. The player develops competence and invests in their success puzzle.

• Core drives: Accomplishment, Social Influence, Scarcity, Ownership
• Mechanic: Daily focus, streaks, CDAR loops, tier progression, partnership dynamics
• Duration: Months to years

XP4: Endgame

Sustain engagement through mastery and legacy. The player has internalized the process and now contributes to others' growth.

• Core drives: Epic Meaning, Empowerment, Social Influence, Unpredictability
• Mechanic: Mentoring, teaching, building for others, generative capacity
• Duration: Ongoing

Fractal Application

The four phases repeat at every scale. This is the key insight:

Within Difficulty Levels

Each difficulty level (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced) has its own complete XP1→XP4 cycle:

• A Beginner goes through Discovery → Onboarding → Scaffolding → Endgame
• When a Beginner reaches XP4 Endgame, they're ready for Intermediate XP1 Discovery
• The same pattern repeats: Intermediate XP1 → XP2 → XP3 → XP4, then Advanced XP1...

The Overall Journey

Looking at the entire individual Superachiever journey:

• XP1 Discovery: Find the game, encounter the concept
• XP2 Onboarding: Create your character, run your first Genius loop
• XP3 Scaffolding: This is the cycling through Beginner → Intermediate → Advanced — the long middle game of increasing competence and expanding scope
• XP4 Endgame: The ultimate Superachiever endgame — mastery, legacy, civilizational impact

Across Everything

The same four phases apply to:

• Each pillar (first encounter → mastery)
• Each play mode (single → multiplayer → co-op)
• Each CDAR loop (discover the problem → onboard the solution → scaffold the habit → endgame mastery)
• The overall bell curve of adoption (civilization discovering regen → onboarding → scaffolding → endgame)

Individual Progression

Membership Tiers

Source

The four experience phases are adapted from Yu-kai Chou's Octalysis framework, specifically:

• Phase 1: Discovery
• Phase 2: Onboarding
• Phase 3: Scaffolding
• Phase 4: Endgame