Why a bad leveling curve ruins a good RPG

A great story can only carry an RPG so far if the leveling grinds to a halt. I've abandoned games with wonderful writing because reaching the next chapter meant grinding the same three fights for an hour. It's the single most common way mobile RPGs lose me.

The best curves keep you slightly hungry: strong enough to survive, weak enough that the next upgrade tempts you. Embers of Ardan does this by replacing flat levels with a skill web, so growth always feels like a choice rather than a number ticking up.

When you're testing a new RPG, watch the moment right after the tutorial ends. That's where padding usually creeps in. If the game suddenly needs you to repeat content, it often only gets worse.

My advice: give a game three or four sessions before judging its progression. Some open slow and then breathe. But if you're already dreading the next fight by hour two, trust that feeling.