Attribute points
Raw character statistics — strength, dexterity, vitality, intelligence — that players allocate manually at level-up or via item consumption, distinct from automatic stat growth. Dark Souls' manual attribute allocation at each level and Diablo II's stat-point spending both make character build a series of deliberate, permanent-feeling investment decisions. Designers use attribute points to give players direct agency over their character's identity from the earliest levels, to create soft-gating via stat requirements (a weapon needing 40 Strength), and to make min-maxing and build theorycrafting a rewarding meta-layer. Key decisions: respec availability (Dark Souls' rare and costly respec items make choices weighty; other games offer free respecs to encourage experimentation), stat breakpoints and diminishing returns, whether attributes gate equipment or just modify combat math, and clarity of what each point actually changes numerically. Pitfall: opaque scaling (does 40 Strength actually matter more than 39?) forces players toward wikis rather than in-game feedback — clear breakpoint indicators solve this.
- Dev effort: Small
- Timing: Real-time or turn-based
- Common in: rpg, soulslike, arpg