🔄 02 — Core Game Loop

The core game loop is designed around three nested cycles: the Minute Loop (active play), the Hour Loop (background progress), and the Session Loop (strategic decisions). Together they ensure players always have something rewarding to do, whether they play for two minutes or two hours.

⏱️ The Minute Loop (Active Play)

This is what happens every time a player opens the game and actively engages:

1. Check store — customers are browsing; tap to collect coins from completed shelves
2. Restock shelves — drag items from stockroom to empty display slots
3. Check farm — harvest ready crops, collect animal products
4. Queue processing — send raw goods to bakery, dairy, jam kitchen, etc.
5. Complete quests — tick off daily tasks for XP and card rewards
6. Run campaigns — spend Shopper Cards to boost customer budgets
7. Upgrade — spend coins/tokens to level up displays, plant new crops, hire workers

💡 Design Note: Every tap in the minute loop generates visible, satisfying feedback — coin pop-ups, harvest animations, supply lane movement.

⏰ The Hour Loop (Background Progress)

While the player is away, the game continues working:

📅 The Session Loop (Strategic Decisions)

Each play session, players make medium-term decisions:

1. Which crops to plant — balancing growth time vs. store demand
2. Which display to stock with Farm vs. Supplier mode
3. When to launch a Campaign — timing for maximum revenue
4. Which buildings to upgrade — unlocking higher-tier processing
5. Which zones to expand — farm zones vs. store zones vs. greenhouse
6. Which workers to assign — optimising idle production

🗺️ Full Loop Diagram

FARM SIDE                         STORE SIDE
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Plant Crops → Grow → Harvest       Customers Arrive
     ↓                                    ↑
Collect Animal Products        Stock Displays ← Stockroom
     ↓                                    ↑
Queue Processing Jobs ──► Finished Goods ──► Supply Lane
     ↓                                    ↑
Spend Farm Tokens      Earn Coins → Upgrade Displays
     ↓                                    ↑
Upgrade Farm Buildings ←──── Reinvest Profits ────────

🎯 Retention Hooks