Genre: Idle / Clicker

Expert blueprint for idle/clicker games with exponential progression and prestige mechanics.

NEVER Do (Expert Anti-Patterns)

Economics & Math

• NEVER use standard floats for currency; strictly implement a BigNumber (Mantissa/Exponent) system (e.g., 1.5e300) to prevent INF crashes at 1e308.
• NEVER use Timer nodes for revenue generation; strictly use a manual accumulator in _process(delta) to prevent drift during frame fluctuations.
• NEVER hardcode generator costs or growth; strictly use an exponential formula: Cost = BasePrice * pow(GrowthFactor, OwnedCount) (industry standard 1.15x).
• NEVER evaluate exact float equality (==); strictly use is_equal_approx() or >= to prevent "stuck" progress due to precision loss.
• NEVER parse scientific notation strings with to_int(); strictly use to_float() or a dedicated BigNumber parser.

Performance & Optimization

• NEVER update all UI labels every frame; strictly use Signals to update labels ONLY when values change, or throttle updates to 10 FPS.
• NEVER ignore Low Processor Usage Mode for mobile; strictly enable OS.low_processor_usage_mode = true to preserve battery life.
• NEVER instantiate/delete hundreds of text nodes per second; strictly use Object Pooling or MultiMeshInstance for click-feedback.
• NEVER update massive logs by modifying the text property; strictly use append_text() to prevent main thread blocking.

Player Experience & Persistence

• NEVER ignore Offline Progress; strictly calculate seconds_offline * total_revenue using system UNIX timestamps (Time.get_unix_time_from_system()).
• NEVER make the "Prestige" reset feel like a loss; strictly provide a global multiplier that makes the next run significantly faster (2-5x).
• NEVER calculate offline time using Time.get_ticks_msec(); strictly use Persistent UNIX timestamps as ticks reset on app restart.
• NEVER use Node hierarchies for raw data; strictly use RefCounted or Resource objects for lightweight, serializable logic.

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🛠 Expert Components (scripts/)

Original Expert Patterns

• big_number.gd - The foundation for handling e308+ scales using Mantissa + Exponent math.
• generator.gd - Generic template for exponential cost units and rate calculation.
• scientific_notation_formatter.gd - readable formatting for K, M, B, T suffixes and scientific notation.

Modular Components

• offline_progress_calculator.gd - Real-world delta tracking using UNIX timestamps.
• functional_income_reducer.gd - C++ optimized array reduction for fast income summation.
• threaded_catchup_simulator.gd - WorkerThreadPool background simulation patterns.

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Core Loop

1. Click: Player performs manual action to gain currency.
2. Buy: Player purchases "generators" (auto-clickers).
3. Wait: Game plays itself, numbers go up.
4. Upgrade: Player buys multipliers to increase efficiency.
5. Prestige: Player resets progress for a permanent global multiplier.

Skill Chain

Phase	Skills	Purpose
1. Math	godot-gdscript-mastery	Handling numbers larger than 64-bit float
2. UI	godot-ui-containers, labels	Displaying "1.5e12" or "1.5T" cleanly
3. Data	godot-save-load-systems	Saving progress, offline time calculation
4. Logic	signals	Decoupling UI from the economic simulation
5. Meta	json-serialization	Balancing hundreds of upgrades via data

Architecture Overview

1. Big Number System

Standard float goes to INF around 1.8e308. Idle games often go beyond. You need a custom BigNumber class (Mantissa + Exponent).

# big_number.gd
class_name BigNumber

var mantissa: float = 0.0 # 1.0 to 10.0
var exponent: int = 0     # Power of 10

func _init(m: float, e: int) -> void:
    mantissa = m
    exponent = e
    normalize()

func normalize() -> void:
    if mantissa >= 10.0:
        mantissa /= 10.0
        exponent += 1
    elif mantissa < 1.0 and mantissa != 0.0:
        mantissa *= 10.0
        exponent -= 1

2. Generator System

The core entities that produce currency.

# generator.gd
class_name Generator extends Resource

@export var id: String
@export var base_cost: BigNumber
@export var base_revenue: BigNumber
@export var cost_growth_factor: float = 1.15

var count: int = 0

func get_cost() -> BigNumber:
    # Cost = Base * (Growth ^ Count)
    return base_cost.multiply(pow(cost_growth_factor, count))

3. Simulation Manager (Offline Progress)

Calculating gains while the game was closed.

# game_manager.gd
func _ready() -> void:
    var last_save_time = save_data.timestamp
    var current_time = Time.get_unix_time_from_system()
    var seconds_offline = current_time - last_save_time
    
    if seconds_offline > 60:
        var revenue = calculate_revenue_per_second().multiply(seconds_offline)
        add_currency(revenue)
        show_welcome_back_popup(revenue)

Key Mechanics Implementation

Prestige System (Reset)

Resetting generators but keeping prestige_currency.

func prestige() -> void:
    if current_money.less_than(prestige_threshold):
        return
        
    # Formula: Cube root of money / 1 million
    # (Just an example, depends on balance)
    var gained_keys = calculate_prestige_gain()
    
    save_data.prestige_currency += gained_keys
    save_data.global_multiplier = 1.0 + (save_data.prestige_currency * 0.10)
    
    # Reset
    save_data.money = BigNumber.new(0, 0)
    save_data.generators = ResetGenerators()
    save_game()
    reload_scene()

Formatting Numbers

Displaying 1234567 as 1.23M.

static func format(bn: BigNumber) -> String:
    if bn.exponent < 3:
        return str(int(bn.mantissa * pow(10, bn.exponent)))
    
    var suffixes = ["", "K", "M", "B", "T", "Qa", "Qi"]
    var suffix_idx = bn.exponent / 3
    
    if suffix_idx < suffixes.size():
        return "%.2f%s" % [bn.mantissa * pow(10, bn.exponent % 3), suffixes[suffix_idx]]
    else:
        return "%.2fe%d" % [bn.mantissa, bn.exponent]

Godot-Specific Tips

• Timers: Do NOT use Timer nodes for revenue generation (drifting). Use _process(delta) and accumulate time.
• GridContainer: Perfect for the "Generators" list.
• Resources: Use .tres files to define every generator (Farm, Mine, Factory) so you can tweak balance without touching code.

Common Pitfalls

1. Floating Point Errors: Using standard float for money. Fix: Use BigNumber implementation immediately.
2. Boring Prestige: Resetting feels like a punishment. Fix: Ensure the post-prestige run is significantly faster (2x-5x speed).
3. UI Lag: Updating 50 text labels every frame. Fix: Only update labels when values actually change (Signal-based), or throttling updates to 10fps.

Reference

• Master Skill: godot-master