Worthbound MVP Scope

Worthbound MVP Scope

Status

Canonical Production File
Version: 0.1
Authority Level: Production
Depends On:

• 09-Production/00-Mobile-First-MVP-Rescope.md

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1. Purpose

This file defines the explicit MVP scope of Worthbound.

Its purpose is to answer:

• what is in
• what is out
• what is optional
• what must exist before the MVP can be called real

This file is a guardrail against feature creep.

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2. MVP Goal

The goal of the MVP is to prove that Worthbound works as a mobile-first single-player financial life RPG with:

• one board
• one compelling loop
• four distinct archetypes
• meaningful events and opportunities
• basic protection through insurance
• a clear passive-income win condition

The MVP is successful if players can understand the game quickly, complete repeated runs, and feel that different archetypes create different financial life stories.

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3. MVP Success Criteria

The MVP succeeds if it proves all of the following:

A. Core Loop Clarity

Players understand what happens each cycle.

B. Archetype Distinction

The four archetypes feel meaningfully different.

C. Strategic Readability

Players can understand tradeoffs on a mobile screen.

D. Protection Relevance

Insurance changes outcomes enough to matter.

E. Progression Satisfaction

Building passive income feels meaningful.

F. Win Condition Legibility

Players clearly understand how to win and how close they are.

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4. Core In-Scope Systems

The following systems are mandatory for MVP:

4.1 Cycle Loop

• receive income
• pay expenses
• resolve event
• review action choice
• update state
• continue

4.2 Archetypes

• Skilled Worker
• Professional
• Corporate Climber
• Entrepreneur

4.3 Financial State

• salary
• passive income
• fixed expenses
• current cash
• basic debt pressure

4.4 Event System

• one event per cycle
• clear immediate outcome
• compact event pool

4.5 Opportunity System

• simple choices
• small pool of asset/protection/debt-reduction opportunities
• visible cost / reward / risk

4.6 Insurance System

• simple coverage tiers
• visible event mitigation
• easy-to-read consequences

4.7 Win / Loss State

• passive income >= expenses
• collapse state when recovery is no longer plausible

4.8 Mobile UX

• readable screen structure
• clean navigation
• short turns
• strong feedback

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5. Minimum Content Requirements

The MVP should include at least:

• 4 playable archetypes
• 1 board
• 1 full loop structure
• 20–40 events
• 12–24 opportunities
• 6–12 asset-like purchases or upgrades
• 3 insurance coverage states
• enough balancing variance to support repeated runs

These are starting targets, not rigid final counts.

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6. Recommended MVP Session Shape

The game should be designed for:

• short mobile sessions
• easy resume
• low friction between cycles
• meaningful progress in small play windows

A single run should feel manageable, repeatable, and understandable.

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7. Out-of-Scope Systems

The following are explicitly outside MVP scope:

• additional archetypes beyond the core four
• deep beneficiary system
• full legacy transfer system
• multiple boards/worlds
• expansive narrative branches
• broad tax complexity
• deep market simulation
• large itemization systems
• complex loadout systems
• social or multiplayer features
• live service structures
• side modes or mini-games
• rich meta-progression unless proven necessary

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8. Optional but Allowed

The following are allowed only if they remain very lightweight:

• simple family/household modifier
• basic tutorial flow
• one or two difficulty presets
• small unlock layer after first win
• lightweight streak / score summary
• simple run-history screen

Optional features must not delay the core loop.

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9. MVP Board Rule

The board should support readability and pacing.

It may take forms such as:

• looped board path
• linear progression lane
• card-space board
• compact city-track abstraction

The exact board presentation is flexible.

The rule is: the board must clarify progression, not decorate it.

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10. MVP Balance Rule

The MVP is balanced when:

• no archetype is the obvious dominant pick
• every archetype has a viable route to win
• higher salary comes with meaningful counter-pressure
• protection decisions are not trivial
• events feel consequential but not random
• opportunities feel worth considering

Perfect balance is not required for MVP. Clear viability is required.

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11. MVP Art / Presentation Rule

The MVP does not require final AAA polish.

It does require:

• coherent visual identity
• consistent UI language
• readable icons and cards
• premium-feeling clarity
• enough style to feel like a real product

Placeholder quality is acceptable early.
Unreadable clutter is not.

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12. MVP Technical Rule

The MVP should be buildable with minimal service dependence.

Recommended posture:

• local save
• data-driven content
• no mandatory backend
• minimal infrastructure cost
• rapid iteration pipeline

Backend services should only be added when they unlock a clear product need.

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13. Definition of “MVP Complete”

Worthbound MVP is complete when all of the following are true:

1. A player can start a run on mobile.
2. The player can choose from four archetypes.
3. The game can complete repeated cycles cleanly.
4. Events and opportunities create meaningful variation.
5. Insurance visibly changes outcomes.
6. Passive income can realistically overtake expenses.
7. The game can be won and lost.
8. The UI remains readable on mobile.
9. The game feels like a product, not just a prototype spreadsheet.

If these conditions are met, the MVP exists.

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14. Working Summary

The Worthbound MVP is deliberately narrow.

Its purpose is not to express every future idea. Its purpose is to prove the product through one clean mobile-first experience.

That means:

• fewer systems
• stronger clarity
• faster implementation
• earlier playtesting
• lower risk
• better discipline