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❤ Card-based Progression

The game's progression is primarily driven by the cards you draw from different magical decks, such as Arcane, Alchemy, or Nature. When building a room or recruiting a student, you choose from three random card options. This creates an element of randomness and replayability, as every game will feature a unique combination of available options. You must strategically choose which cards to add to your school, balancing the needs of different magical disciplines and trying to create synergies between rooms and students. Careful card management is crucial, as you must decide whether to invest in specialized rooms and students or maintain a more generalized approach.

❤ Room Placement and Synergies

In addition to the card-based mechanics, you must also carefully plan the layout and organization of your university. Placing rooms adjacently can create synergies and bonuses, such as putting a Refectory next to a Dormitory to provide easy access to food and rest for students. The placement of rooms is not entirely free-form, as certain areas may become blocked off or restricted, forcing you to be creative in how you utilize the available space.

❤ Student Management

Recruiting and managing students is a central aspect of the gameplay. You can choose from a diverse range of student traits and personalities, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Careful placement of students in the appropriate "houses" or class groups can provide significant benefits, as certain traits and abilities work well together. As students progress, they can unlock different future occupations, ranging from powerful archmages to menial peasants.

❤ Faction Interactions and Challenges

The game world is populated with various factions, each with their own agendas and demands. You must navigate these relationships, completing quests and satisfying the factions' needs to receive beneficial bonuses and avoid negative consequences. These faction interactions add an extra layer of challenge and unpredictability to the gameplay, as you must constantly adapt to the changing circumstances and demands of the different groups.

❤ Dungeon Exploration

While the core of the game revolves around building and managing the university, you also have the opportunity to send your most capable students on dungeon crawling expeditions. These missions provide a refreshing break from the main gameplay loop and a chance to acquire rare resources and artifacts.

❤ Replayability and Emergent Narratives

One of the strengths of the gameplay is its high level of replayability. Due to the randomized card draws, student traits, and faction interactions, every playthrough can lead to a unique and emergent narrative. You may find yourself faced with different challenges and opportunities in each game, leading to varied experiences and strategies. The ability to make meaningful choices, such as the focus of your university's curriculum, adds to the sense of player agency and narrative control.