{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/rpg-grind--endless-waves","type":"mechanic","id":"rpg-grind--endless-waves","lang":"en","title":"Endless waves","summary":"The player survives successive waves and decides whether the extra reward is worth the next stage’s risk.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/rpg-grind--endless-waves/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/rpg-grind--endless-waves.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/rpg-grind--endless-waves.md","aliases":[],"tags":["RPG grinding","Repeatable challenges"],"sourceIds":["source-71403440f270db22"],"sources":[{"id":"source-71403440f270db22","title":"Bloons TD 6","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/960090/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"The player survives successive waves and decides whether the extra reward is worth the next stage’s risk."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Action → reward\n\n<a id=\"endless-waves-loop\"></a>\n\n- Survive the assault longer → reach further reward thresholds. <a id=\"endless-waves-repeat\"></a>\n- Choose a reward or upgrade between waves. <a id=\"endless-waves-option-2\"></a>\n- Stop a run at a convenient threshold. <a id=\"endless-waves-option-3\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"After every fifth wave, the party can claim its loot or stay for the next chest."},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"A systematic RPG grind reference: 110 mechanics and 330 variants in 18 sections. Four layers answer different questions: what the player repeats, what develops, how rewards arrive and what constrains the loop. It covers single-player RPGs, ARPGs, MMORPGs and adjacent management and accumulation systems. Every mechanic has an explanation, variants and a hypothetical example; coverage, combinations and verified game observations follow the catalog."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"rpg-grind","id":"endless-waves","title":"RPG grinding","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/rpg-grind/#endless-waves","categoryIds":["challenges-collections"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Endless waves","description":"The player survives successive waves and decides whether the extra reward is worth the next stage’s risk.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/rpg-bloons-td6-05.webp","width":1440,"height":810,"game":"Bloons TD 6","sourceUrl":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/960090/","originalUrl":"https://shared.akamai.steamstatic.com/store_item_assets/steam/apps/960090/ss_ab05c1ce749ecc1a6e76a8efc4d4dd21f534d091.1920x1080.jpg?t=1782123772","credit":"Ninja Kiwi / Ninja Kiwi","rights":"© Ninja Kiwi / Ninja Kiwi. All rights reserved.","caption":"The defence continues into round 107","alt":"The defence continues into round 107","markers":[{"x":79,"y":4,"label":"The round counter tracks the continuing session"}]},"tips":["Escalate the threat predictably and let players preserve their result."],"examples":[{"title":"Bloons TD 6","url":"https://store.steampowered.com/app/960090/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial RPG grind taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and expanded to cover activities, progression goals, reward rules and constraints. All original thirty family/branch/variant identities are preserved. Official developer and publisher sources support only the specifically described released-game observations; design variants and scenarios are hypothetical.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/rpg-grind"}}