Drag the slider to any of the 13 universe levels and see which mechanics are unlocked in real time. Universe 1 (Awakening) begins with 5 core actions. Each level adds new mechanics — from basic resource collection at U2 to the full 47-mechanic experience at U13. Use this tree to plan your sessions and understand when each strategic layer enters the game.
Each node in the tree is one mechanic. Green nodes are unlocked at the current universe level. Grey nodes are still locked. Toggle "Show locked mechanics" to see or hide what's coming next.
The five starting mechanics are: Movement (move your hero across hex tiles), Exploration (flip face-down hexes to reveal territory), Artifact Collection (pick up cards that grant special powers), Artifact → Nn Exchange (trade artifacts for Neutronium currency), and Paradox X (the 3-card universe-ending timer). These five mechanics alone support a complete, playable game.
From Universe 8 onward the game enters competitive territory: Combat, Army Creation, and Building Destruction arrive together. Universe 9 introduces Diplomatic Capture — a non-violent takeover that rewards patience over aggression. Universe 10 adds Stations (the Nexus upgrade path) with three sector bonuses. Universe 12 reveals the victory condition: build the Mega-Structure requiring 400 Nn, 4 Stations, and presence in all D/E/F sectors.
The Recovered Memories system gates every mechanic behind universe progression — you unlock them by playing, not by reading. Each universe adds 1–8 new mechanics on top of everything unlocked before. By Universe 13 (Eternity), all 47 mechanics are simultaneously active. The design goal was to make each session faster than the last: early universes take 10–15 minutes, mid universes 20–30 minutes, and the full game at Universe 13 runs 60–90 minutes with experienced players who know all 47 mechanics from prior sessions.
The tree above shows the exact unlock schedule. Use the slider to plan your session start level. The Progress Journal records which mechanics each player knows — allowing veteran players to start at higher levels while new players begin at Universe 1.
Universe 1 (Awakening) begins with exactly 5 mechanics: Movement, Exploration, Artifact Collection, Paradox X, and Artifact-to-Nn Exchange. These five alone support a complete playable game. Movement uses a custom d6 with color-coded faces — roll the die, follow the matching arrow on your current hex. Exploration flips face-down hex tiles to reveal territory. Artifact Collection picks up cards from the Alpha Core that grant special powers or cash value. Paradox X is the game clock: three specific artifact cards, collected in order, collapse the universe cycle and force final scoring.
Universe 2 adds Deposit Looting — stopping on radioactive segments to collect +2 Nn immediately. Universe 3 unlocks the full Artifact Event system: 7 distinct event types (Hex Rotation, +10 Nn Bonus, Wormhole Jump, Scouting, Edge Jump, Extra Turn, and Recruitment) that activate when specific artifact cards are played. By the end of Tier 1, players know how to explore, collect, and survive the game clock. Session time: 10–15 minutes per universe.
Universe 4 (Foundation) introduces Base Building — placing structures on territory segments to claim them — and the Tribute System, which generates passive Neutronium income from owned territories each round. This is the first persistent economic loop: explore to find good territory, build a Base to claim it, collect tribute automatically.
Universe 5 (Enrichment) adds the Alpha Core Enrichment mechanic and the Nuclear Port — both high-value and high-risk. Unenriched Neutronium collected from territories cannot be spent; it must be taken to the Alpha Core first. Nuclear Ports built on radioactive deposits generate exponential income (1 port = 2 Nn/round; 10 ports = 220 Nn/round), making them the game's most contested buildings. Universe 6 (Expansion) expands to the full 18-hex map, introduces Galactic Decrees (rules that affect all players), and unlocks Territory Purchase — buying territory control without physical presence. Session time rises to 15–20 minutes per universe.
Universe 7 (Commerce) adds Territory Trading and Colonies — the first upgrade path for Bases (up to 3 Colonies per Base increases income). Universe 8 (Conflict) is the most significant unlock: Combat System, Army Creation, and Building Destruction arrive together. For the first time, players can attack each other's territories, raise armies with strength 1–6, and destroy enemy structures including Nuclear Ports.
Universe 9 adds Diplomatic Capture — a patience-based mechanic where waiting adjacent to an enemy building absorbs it peacefully instead of destroying it. Universe 10 (Ascension) completes the building upgrade path: Stations (Nexus) require 3 Colonies and unlock three Sector bonuses. Sector A territories grant +5 Nn per Alpha Core visit. Sector B provides one free Colony per cycle. Sector C gives +1 artifact per Alpha Core visit. Session time reaches 20–30 minutes per universe.
Universe 11 (Preparation) introduces the D, E, and F sector requirement mechanics. Unlike A/B/C sectors which provide income bonuses, Sectors D (ICO), E (Stations), and F (Satellites) grant no bonus income — but presence in all three is required to win the game. This creates deliberate asymmetry: players who maximised income in A/B/C sectors may find themselves unable to win because they neglected the outer sectors.
Universe 12 (Revelation) reveals the victory condition in full: build the Mega-Structure, which requires 400 Nn, 4 Stations, and verified presence in Sectors D, E, and F. Universe 13 (Eternity) is the full 47-mechanic experience — all systems active, all strategic options available, all sector conditions applying. Games at this level run 60–90 minutes and reward players who have progressed through the earlier universes and know each mechanic from experience.
Playtesting with kids aged 7+ and adults aged 30–40 validated the core hypothesis: players learn faster through play than through reading. In 12+ documented sessions, new players at Universe 1 were fully playing within 5 minutes. The same group, returning for Universe 4, remembered all prior mechanics without review and were adding economic strategy within the first turn.
The key insight: each universe acts as a teaching session. New mechanics introduced at Universe N are simple when N's rules are all you have — but they become complex when stacked on top of N-1, N-2... N-13. By spacing the unlocks, the game ensures each mechanic has time to become intuitive before the next layer of complexity arrives. For a full reference of all 47 mechanics and their rules text, see the complete mechanics guide.