i hate Sanctum/Ultimatum so much

The Sanctum-style design punishes mistakes retroactively: a single failure near the end can erase hours of progress.

That structure works in roguelikes, where the run itself is the reward, but it fails badly when the payoff is permanent character power.

When a system demands intense focus, consumes hours, and frequently ends with nothing gained, it stops being a challenge and becomes a time sink.

Early Access should be about testing ideas, not testing players’ tolerance for wasted effort. This isn’t a rage reaction but a recurring pattern—and recurring patterns point to flawed design.

If the same wall blocks players season after season, the problem isn’t difficulty, it’s misalignment with how the game actually plays.

The fourth trial makes this clear: after investing time and learning the system, one failure wipes everything, killing momentum and leaving only fatigue.