GraveRaiders

GraveRaiders - The Level-Up System

GraveRaiders’ progression system is locked in: a dual-track roguelite design with weapon attachments, rarity upgrades, and 155 tactical talents. Here’s how we make every level-up meaningful.

Shrouzed

Shrouzed

— 3 min read
GraveRaiders - The Level-Up System
GraveRaiders - 4th Devblog

So here’s the thing about roguelites: moment-to-moment decisions are everything.

You know that feeling in Hades when you level up and have to choose between two boons — and both feel perfect for your build?
That’s the good stuff. That’s the drug.

And that’s what we’ve been chasing for the last few months.

I won't beat around the bush: we’ve locked in GraveRaiders’ progression system, and I’m genuinely excited about it. Not the corporate “excited to announce” kind of excited — the “it’s 1am on a Tuesday and I’m still tweaking numbers” kind.

Two Tracks, One Goal: Make Every Level Feel Good

The core problem we wanted to solve was simple:

How do you make 20 levels in a single run feel meaningful without overwhelming players every two minutes?

Our solution is a dual-track progression system. Every time you level up, you get one of two meaningful choices:

🔧 Attachment Levels

Levels: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18

  • Choose weapon attachments for your guns
  • You carry two weapons
  • Each weapon supports 3 attachments
  • That’s 6 total attachment slots per run

🧠 Talent Levels

Every other level

  • Choose from 155 tactical talents
  • Spread across 5 categories:
    • Offensive
    • Defensive
    • Utility
    • Team
    • Equipment

That works out to:

  • 6 attachment choices
  • 14 talent choices
  • 20 total levels per run

We tested 10-level systems, 15-level systems, and even a 25-level monster that was honestly exhausting.
20 levels hit the sweet spot: frequent power spikes without menu fatigue.

The Attachment System

(Or: Why I Accidentally Learned a Lot About Real Guns)

I’ll be honest — our first attachment list was… bad.

Then I fell down a weekend YouTube rabbit hole of real firearms channels (shoutout to Forgotten Weapons).

Universal Attachments (13 Types)

These work on every weapon:

  • Optics: Red Dot, Holographic, ACOG, Reflex
  • Grips: Vertical, Angled, Ergonomic
  • Lasers: Tactical Laser, IR Laser
  • Muzzle Devices: Suppressor, Muzzle Brake, Compensator, Flash Hider
  • Magazines: Extended, Quick-Release, Dual-Mag
  • Stocks: Adjustable, Skeleton, Heavy
  • Underbarrel: Foregrip

Category-Specific Attachments (24 Types)

Each weapon class gets its own toys:

  • Assault Rifles: Burst modules, barrel extensions
  • SMGs: Short barrels, wire stocks
  • LMGs: Bipods, belt feed systems
  • Shotguns: Chokes, duckbill spreaders, breaching barrels
  • Sniper Rifles: Long-range scopes, match triggers, cheek risers
  • Pistols: Compensators, ported slides, hair triggers

Rarity Upgrades

If the game offers you an attachment you already have equipped, you can upgrade its rarity instead:

Common → Uncommon → Rare → Epic → Legendary

Each tier significantly boosts stats.

This solves two huge problems:

  • You’re never punished by duplicate RNG
  • You can commit to a build or pivot mid-run

Those moments where you pause and think:

“Do I grab a Suppressor and start a stealth build… or upgrade my Vertical Foregrip to Rare and double down on recoil control?”

That’s the feeling we’re chasing.

155 Talents

The talent pool is intentionally deep, with each category serving a clear playstyle.
Please note that we are still working on talents. There might be some changes in the near future, mainly concerning the amount of available talents.

🔫 Offensive (40)

Grenades, flashbangs, incendiaries, marksman training, AP rounds, suppressing fire, execution bonuses, corner shooting.

For players who solve problems with bullets.

🛡️ Defensive (30)

Armor plates, trauma mitigation, second wind, fast heals, combat medic perks.

For players who refuse to die.

🧰 Utility (37)

Backpacks, ammo scavenging, lockpicking, silent movement, grappling hooks, tactical sprint.

The Swiss-army-knife tree.

🤝 Team (27)

Revive speed, pack tactics, covering fire, rallying buffs, ammo sharing.

This is where co-op shines.

🧨 Equipment (20)

Breach charges, tripwires, motion sensors, recon drones, EMPs, deployable cover.

Gadget lovers, welcome home.

The Tech Stuff

This system is built in Unreal Engine 5.6 using the Gameplay Ability System (GAS).

Why GAS?

  • Clean stat stacking
  • Predictable networking
  • No accidental modifier explosions

Some fun details:

  • Attachments replicate in 2 bytes
  • Talents replicate in 1 byte
  • Visuals use mesh pooling + async loading
  • No hitches when swapping attachments mid-run

So far, progression hasn’t budged the needle. Optimizing early pays off.

Stay Connected!

Thanks for following our development journey! We're getting closer to launch, and we can't wait to share our game with you all. To stay up-to-date with the latest news, behind-the-scenes content, and potential beta test opportunities:

Join our Discord: Be part of our growing community! Chat with developers, share feedback, and connect with other players. We're regularly sharing exclusive sneak peeks and hosting Q&A sessions with the team: Click to join our Discord!

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Your support means everything to us, and we can't wait to see you in-game soon! Until next week!

- The Dev Team 🎮

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