PRIME PROTOCOL is an instance-based platformer built around one rule: only extracted assets persist.
Each run generates a new route. Artifacts appear as physical objects in-world—carried, dropped, swapped, and committed to extraction. THE HUB is the only stable space. The run is a system test.

OPERATING LOOP

• DEPLOY into a procedural run

• ACQUIRE units and artifacts

• LOCATE an extraction portal

• EXTRACT to bank secured inventory to the hub stash

Runs end in one of two states: EXTRACTION CONFIRMED or RUN TERMINATED.
Unsecured assets do not persist.

DETERMINISTIC EXITS

Extraction portals spawn at fixed distance thresholds and appear on dedicated off-path platforms with a guaranteed return path. Visibility is intentional: portals broadcast presence early via off-screen glow/audio and expire after a short window. Only one portal instance exists at a time. When the timer ends, the portal closes.

ARTIFACTS AS EQUIPMENT

Artifacts are not stat ladders. They function as equipment that changes movement feel, perception, and decision pressure. Inventory flow is hub-managed: stash → equipped/backpack → run. Artifacts remain physical and can be swapped during the run.

INSTABILITY RESPONSE

Carrying artifacts destabilizes the environment. Instability scales with the number of artifacts in the backpack and is expressed through skill-respecting, telegraphed effects (platform behavior, lighting response, hazard intensity). The extraction portal remains stable and unaffected.

NO FALL DAMAGE

Falling is positional consequence only. Progress is defined by maximum forward distance logged.

KEY FEATURES

• EXTRACTION PLATFORMER LOOP — procedural runs, permanent banking via extraction, hub persistence only

• DETERMINISTIC PORTALS — distance-threshold exit logic, visible early, short active window, silent closure

• PHYSICAL ARTIFACT INVENTORY — artifacts exist in-world; pickup, drop, swap; bank on extraction

• EQUIPMENT-DRIVEN DESIGN — artifacts change gameplay feel; no power creep ladder

• INSTABILITY SYSTEM — backpack load destabilizes the environment; clear visual escalation; exit immunity

• CLINICAL RUN VERDICTS — fast end-of-run statements and immediate hub return

EARLY ACCESS STATUS

Prime Protocol is in active development. Core systems are operational. Early Access focuses on tuning, expansion of artifact behaviors, additional hazards/variations, and progression polish. Features are added only when implemented and tested.

DEMO

A limited First Ten Minutes demo is planned to demonstrate the extraction loop, portal pressure, and hub banking.