Progression
The progression layer: why the puzzle is only half the game
You win levels to earn stars. The stars buy story. The number of stars a task costs is where the pacing actually lives.
Last checked · 8 min readProgression notes · Newcastle
The half of these games that is not the puzzle
Most guides to casual puzzle games explain the board. Elvarquen covers what surrounds it: the renovation or harvest layer that consumes your progress, the two currencies that pull in different directions, and the advertising that pays for the whole arrangement.
How this site is put together
Three principles. They explain both the content and the absences.
Observed, then written
Every mechanic here was watched over enough sessions to be confident it repeats. Where something behaved differently across updates, the guide says so instead of presenting one version as the rule.
Store links, nothing else
Game links point at the developer's official listing. Nothing is hosted here, and no modified build or third-party client is linked from any page.
No in-game currency and no advertising
Elvarquen cannot add coins, stars or lives to any game and will never ask you to sign in to one. It carries no advertising. One PDF written here is sold; the guides stay free.
Start here
The progression layer: why the puzzle is only half the game
These games are two systems bolted together: a puzzle that produces a currency, and a storyline that consumes it. Almost everything people describe as the game getting harder is really the second system changing its prices while the first one stays roughly the same.
All guides
Four guides about the systems wrapped around the board. Filter by whichever one you are trying to make sense of.
Economy
Two currencies, and what each one is really for
One currency you earn, one you mostly buy. Keeping them apart is the whole design, and it explains most of what these games ask of you.
Last checked · 7 min read
Board goals
Goals that regrow, and the levels built around them
When the thing you are collecting grows back, running out of it stops being the danger and running out of moves becomes the only one.
Last checked · 6 min read
Advertising
Rewarded video, advertising, and what you are agreeing to
Watching an ad for an extra life is a straightforward trade. The prompt you accepted before it is the part worth reading.
Last checked · 7 min readGames referred to in these guides
Free to install in Australia, each with optional in-app purchases. Links open the studio's own store listing.
| Game | Studio | What the board asks for | Board style | Official listing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Homescapes |
Playrix | Win levels for stars, spend stars on a renovation storyline | Square grid, swap two neighbours | Google Play App Store |
 Fishdom |
Playrix | Win levels for coins, spend coins on decorating a tank | Square grid, swap two neighbours | Google Play App Store |
 Farm Heroes Saga |
King | Gather a set number of crops within a move limit | Square grid, collect goals | Google Play App Store |
 Royal Kingdom |
Dream Games | Layered obstacle levels feeding a construction storyline | Square grid, swap two neighbours | Google Play App Store |
Prices, ratings and update dates are not copied onto this page because they change too often to stay honest. The listing shows the current Australian figures.
From the same desk · A$13
The Progression & Currency Handbook
The systems around the board, in one PDF: star pricing across a full storyline, the soft and hard currency map, regrowing goals, and a worksheet for pricing a game before you spend in it. Requested by form, paid by transfer off the site.
Common questions
Is Elvarquen an official site for any of these games?
No. It is written by one person in Newcastle and has no connection to Playrix, King, Dream Games, Apple or Google. Nothing here can change anything inside a game.
Do you give away coins, stars or lives?
No. Those exist only in the games and only the games issue them. Sites promising them in exchange for an account login are attempting to take the account.
Why is there no ratings column in the table?
Because those numbers change weekly and would be misleading within a month. The table links to the listing, where the current figures are always shown.
Do these guides apply to both platforms?
The systems described work the same way on iPhone and Android. Menus, event schedules and purchase flows differ, and the guides note it where it changes what you should do.
Are these games free?
All four are free to install in Australia and all four sell optional extras. Some also show advertising. The store listing discloses both before you install.
What is the handbook on this site?
A PDF I wrote, A$13, requested through a form and emailed after a bank transfer. It is the only thing sold here and it contains writing, not anything that exists inside a game.
Can you reverse a purchase or restore an account?
No. In-app purchases are transactions with Google or Apple and only they can refund one. Account problems go to the studio's own support channel.