Save for Interest
Spend less now, earn more next round—until an opponent breaks you.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Competitive play
- Design focus
- Economy · Risk
No.146Dota Underlords01The core loop
Action → feedback → next choice- 01Collect round income
- 02Decide how much to spend
- 03Earn interest on savings
- 04Absorb the fight result
↻Feedback changes the situation — the next round starts from there.
Walk through one round
A simplified design example. Situations and numbers illustrate the mechanic, not exact rules from a reference game.
- T1
Turn 1 · The situation
You hold 38 gold; interest is +1 per 10, max 5. You're at 60 HP facing a strong opponent.
- T2
Turn 2 · The player chooses
You spend just 8 to upgrade one key unit and keep 30.
- T3
Turn 3 · The feedback
You lose the fight for 8 HP but bank 3 interest, starting next round at 38 again.
- T4
Turn 4 · The next decision
At 52 HP, two more losses get risky; decide when to go all-in.
How it plays
At round end you earn bonus gold for every 10 held, up to a cap. Saving means a weaker board now and more health lost in fights. You read your health and opponents' strength to decide when to stop saving and spend it all.
What the player weighs
- Max interest builds the strongest economy but bleeds health
- Spending early protects health but may leave you short late
02Start small
Scope is an editorial estimate for the minimum prototype, not the reference game or a production schedule.
03One mechanic, different implementations
Teamfight Tactics
Each 10 gold held yields +1 at round end, capped at 5, which with streak bonuses creates the classic 'sit at 50' rhythm.
Dota Underlords
It also pays capped interest on saved gold, pitting rerolls against banking (exact values shifted across patches).
The difference worth noticing
The rules are close; the difference comes from surrounding systems like streak bonuses, items and reroll costs that shift saving's payoff.
Case notes are Yoroll editorial summaries; rules may change between versions.
04What could you combine?
Add loans: borrow gold now for power, but interest is zero while in debt, forcing a save-or-borrow choice.
Prototype this combo in Yoroll→Follow the next idea
Farm or Push
Stay where income is safe, or risk failure for the next tier?
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Gauge your strength
- 02Choose farm or push
- 03Get reward or fail
- 04Retarget your tier
Know Your Max Bid
Holding your limit while others raise the bid is the hardest auction lesson.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Appraise the lot
- 02Set a personal cap
- 03Raise or drop out
- 04Win it or let it go
Debt on the Clock
A big debt and recurring due dates make every purchase feel tense.
- Prototype complexity
- Who plays
- Solo decisions
- 01Earn income
- 02Pay fixed costs
- 03Save for the due date
- 04Repay or reinvest