Add one spatial expansion — a new area that feels earned.

Note: This is a long video (40 min). Watch the first 10 minutes, which cover how Hollow Knight's world opens up as you gain new abilities. Skip ahead if time is short.

Discussion Question: In Hollow Knight, you can SEE areas you can't reach yet. Then you gain an ability and suddenly that blocked path opens up. How does that feel? Why is it better than just giving you the whole map from the start? How will YOUR game create that same "now I can go there!" moment?

The world should grow with the player. But expansion must be earned, not automatic. A new area is a reward for progression. The best expansions feel like a door opening — you knew it was there, but now you can finally walk through.
Ami — Deeper Manhattan Zone

Unlock a deeper Manhattan zone at Tier 3. The new area is colored darker, has a higher base encounter rate, and is only accessible after the Tier 3 unlock.
Ida — Second Block

Unlock a Second Block — another 6–8 lots. Only accessible in Car Mode (requires Day 18 unlock). New plane geometry extends the buildable world.

Time: 15–20 minutes | Materials: Graph paper map from Day 9, colored pencils

Pull out your graph paper map from Day 9. You're going to expand it.

Steps:

  1. Draw the new area adjacent to your existing map:
    • Ami: Deeper Manhattan — darker colored zone beyond the current danger area
    • Ida: Second Block — 6–8 new lots connected to the first block
  2. Draw the GATE between the old area and the new area. Use a bold line or a different color. This is the barrier.
  3. Label the gate with the unlock requirement: "Tier 3 unlocked" or "Car Mode active."
  4. Label the new area with what's different: higher encounter rates? Bigger jobs? New resources?

The map should tell the story of progression. Someone looking at it should understand: "You start here, you grow, and eventually you earn access to THERE."
  • Add new plane geometry for expanded area
  • Color or style the new area differently from the original
  • Gate access behind unlock condition
  • Add zone detection for new area
  • Wire new area events to existing tier/progression systems
  • Test: expansion is inaccessible before unlock
  • Test: expansion works correctly after unlock
    •
    Checkpoint

    The new area is locked until the condition is met. After unlocking, it works correctly and feels like a reward.

    Only one new area. No third area. No procedural generation.

    Making the new area accessible without unlock — if the player can walk into it immediately, the expansion isn't a reward.

    New area not connected to existing zone detection — the expansion must integrate with the systems from Day 10, not bypass them.

    Expansion adding too much complexity — the new area should feel like more of the game, not a different game.

    Ask: "Does expansion increase complexity too much?" If the answer is yes, simplify the new area. Expansion should feel like MORE of the game, not a DIFFERENT game.

    During the map activity: The map is a design document. If the progression isn't visible on the map, it won't be clear in the code either. Push them to make the gate obvious and the unlock requirement specific.

    Key test: Show the map to someone who hasn't seen the game. Can they trace the progression path? If not, the spatial design needs work.

    Watch for over-expansion: One new area is enough. If they want three new zones, remind them: this is Version 1. One earned area is more satisfying than three half-built ones.

    Looking ahead: Tomorrow is LOCK DAY — we freeze the feature set and say NO to everything else.