{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/progression-rewards--t243","type":"mechanic","id":"progression-rewards--t243","lang":"en","title":"Loot, rarity and reward distribution","summary":"A loot system distributes rewards through conditions and probabilities, connecting uncertainty to a clear search direction.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/progression-rewards--t243/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/progression-rewards--t243.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/progression-rewards--t243.md","aliases":["Loot and reward rarity"],"tags":["Progression, rewards and retention","Mechanics and variants"],"sourceIds":["source-3817d420df0baa92","source-a11141c21255e5c1"],"sources":[{"id":"source-3817d420df0baa92","title":"Robert Nystrom: State","url":"https://github.com/munificent/game-programming-patterns/blob/master/book/state.markdown","verifiedAt":null},{"id":"source-a11141c21255e5c1","title":"Grim Dawn","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/219990/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"A loot system distributes rewards through conditions and probabilities, connecting uncertainty to a clear search direction."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Mechanic variants\n\n<a id=\"t243-variants\"></a>\n\n- Loot tables connect sources to possible rewards. <a id=\"t243-v1\"></a>\n- Weights alter an item's relative frequency. <a id=\"t243-v2\"></a>\n- Guarantees limit unsuccessful attempts. <a id=\"t243-v3\"></a>\n- Duplicate protection narrows an unfinished collection. <a id=\"t243-v4\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"A station can drop a needed module, while ten tokens allow obtaining it directly.\n\nPrototype check: Test long failure streaks and guarantee clarity; do not present an average wait as a promised completion time."},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"Progression changes player options and goals; rewards should explain new decisions and preserve useful stopping points. Each overview separates player actions, state changes and alternative rules. Examples are hypothetical design scenarios, not claims about a named game. A prototype check states an observable question for the next iteration. Existing detailed references remain separately linked from the direction map."}],"relations":[{"type":"uses","direction":"outgoing","label":"Sources in the selection","key":"resource/state-pattern","title":"State: Game Programming Patterns","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/resources/#resource-state-pattern","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/resource/state-pattern.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/resource/state-pattern.md"}],"placements":[{"catalogId":"progression-rewards","id":"t243","title":"Progression, rewards and retention","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/progression-rewards/#t243","categoryIds":["mechanics"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Loot and reward rarity","description":"A loot system distributes rewards through conditions and probabilities, connecting uncertainty to a clear search direction.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/priority-grim-dawn-08.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Grim Dawn","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/219990/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/219990/ss_925b8ae450ec79c00b987528e579bc999d48adfa.1920x1080.jpg?t=1791567021","credit":"Crate Entertainment","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Publisher-distributed Steam screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"Loot on the ground is marked by colored beams","alt":"Loot on the ground is marked by colored beams","markers":[{"x":31,"y":43,"label":"Groups of color-marked items"},{"x":20,"y":27,"label":"Loot distinguished from the environment"}]},"tips":["Back rarity colors with text or shape and show how to pursue a reward."],"examples":[{"title":"Grim Dawn","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/219990/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original bilingual editorial overviews authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and reviewed on 2026-10-21. Scenarios are hypothetical design examples; prototype checks describe work to perform, not completed playtests. Primary sources support the stated techniques and implementation context, not every proposed variant.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/progression-rewards"}}