M: In the game Bullets Per Minute, I don't seem to be making any progress. Now, you can say that part of it is luck and part of it is that you need to get good at it to make progress, but it feels like I've been at the same entry-level plateau for way too long in terms of how games usually progress. What I mean is that I think I unlocked the second character maybe two hours into my playtime. Since then, I've managed to regularly get past the second, I don't know what to call it, the second segment, the place where the arena changes its surroundings and stuff, and the music changes. I've been able to do that regularly, but whatever actions I have taken never seem to indicate any kind of approach towards progress. Like, I see no indication that I'm just, you know, two rounds away from unlocking the third guy or that if I just stretch myself a little further in the third arena area that it will unlock some sort of auto-load that makes things get better. Now, I know that hard games can be hard, that not everything has to be designed for people who are dilettantes in games, but I don't think I've unlocked more than one trophy in the entire thing. I'm playing on the PS5, by the way. Which, to me, just feels weird, and I just would like to know, am I approaching this game wrong and there's only like five trophies, so I shouldn't be surprised by that or the lack of progress? Is it Dead Souls-level hardware? If you've played for ten hours, you just are getting to the point where you might be able to start saying you can make progress or what? Because this is... I enjoy the concept, I enjoy the execution, but one of the reasons why I end up playing games is also those meaningless but definable goals. They don't even have to be easy goals, but I don't even see any defined goals that are impossible. And if I'm remembering wrongly, and there are some, they are so remote to where I am right now that I'm at least surprised that there isn't some sort of indicative ledge to let you know that you are getting towards that. Most games at least would have some sort of measurement, even if it's a worthless thing, of how long, how much, whatever you've been doing. And like I said, I'm enjoying the game mechanic itself, but I don't want to waste the storage space and time if it turns out that I need to put in 20 more hours, maybe get to the third level, and that I should have been grinding for coins the entire time because it turns out that if you get 100 you can unlock the Uzi or something like that.

G: I did some digging into how BPM: Bullets Per Minute is structured, and I think I can reassure you a bit: your experience (feeling stuck, not seeing obvious progress) is fairly normal given how the game is designed. But there is a method to what looks like stagnation. Below is a breakdown of how progression really works in that game, what “progress” you should expect early on, and tips to push past the plateau.

How Progression in BPM Really Works (and why it feels opaque)

First, one of the biggest “gotchas” is that you reset almost everything each run. The game is a roguelike/roguelite, so most of your upgrades, weapons, and power-ups are ephemeral (they last only for that run). citeturn0search16turn0search0turn0search10

That means that even if you feel like you did “well” in one run, when you die you go back to square one (with some exceptions). So it can be demotivating if you don’t see persistent gains.

However — there is some form of persistent (meta) progression. For example:

Unlocking new characters (Valkyries) is part of the permanent progression. citeturn0search1turn0search10turn0search3turn0search7
Unlocking character “powers,” secondaries, and ultimates also requires meeting certain criteria (for instance, beating the game on certain difficulties) for each character. citeturn0search2turn0search3turn0search6
The “shops” or armory in-game may have a “loyalty” or scaling unlock component — spending more coins across runs can unlock more items or variants. citeturn0search0turn0search6turn0search10
There are trophies/achievements tied to finishing the game (or defeating the final boss) with various characters, and on different difficulty settings. citeturn0search9turn0search5turn0search3

So while any given run resets most stuff, your cumulative play does unlock things slowly, especially new characters and new abilities.

In fact, from the trophy list:

You need to Complete the game on Hard with Göll, Freyr, Hildr, Njord, and Odr. citeturn0search9
Some trophies are “Ascension” style, e.g. “Defeat Nidhogg with [character] on Easy” citeturn0search9turn0search3
There’s also a trophy “Multiplier — Get a score of over 700,000” which is independent of finishing the game. citeturn0search5turn0search3turn0search9

So yes — there are “end-goals” and meta-unlocks. But they are relatively far ahead from the starting runs. So when you’re in your first 5–10 hours, most of what you do is learning, experimenting, gradually unlocking bits and pieces, and removing your ignorance of the systems.

Why It Feels Like You’re Stuck

Given that structure, here are some reasons you might feel like you’re not progressing:

Invisible Progress
Because much of progression is hidden (you unlock new weapons or variants behind conditions you haven’t hit yet), you may not see the progress until you pass some threshold (finish the game once, or unlock a new Valkyrie).
Steep Learning Curve + RNG Variance
BPM leans heavily on randomness: weapon drops, item drops, the layout of rooms, shops appearing or not, etc. Many players remark that even skilled runs can fail due to bad luck. citeturn0search8turn0search10turn0search16
So your success is partly limited by “getting a good run.” That means some runs will feel under-powered or like “you can’t do anything right,” even if your skill is improving.
High Hurdles for Permanent Unlocks
Unlocking new characters or powers often require you to complete the entire game (i.e. defeat all bosses) on certain difficulties. That’s a big leap from “completing a few arenas.” citeturn0search3turn0search10turn0search6
So until you get one full run under your belt, many of the “trophy / unlock” goals are too far ahead to serve as short-term milestones.
Lack of Intermediate Milestones in the UI
The game does not always clearly show “you are 70% of the way to unlocking X.” A lot of the leitmotif is “you just have to win overall, do multiple runs.” Many systems are hidden or not tracked explicitly. Reviews have pointed out that the game “tells you absolutely nothing about your adventure.” citeturn0search10

What to Expect Over Time

If you put in more time, I do think you'll eventually break past your plateau. Here’s a rough sketch of what your experience might look like:

Runs 1–10: Mostly experimentation, dying early, unlocking small bits (maybe one or two new Valkyries). Getting familiar with weapons, timing, enemy patterns.
After a few successful full runs: You’ll start getting the character unlocks, and start accomplishing some trophy goals (especially the “Ascend on Easy” ones).
Mid-game (maybe 20+ runs): You’ll build a better sense of synergy (which items/weapons/traits work well), start reliably reaching later worlds, start finishing the game on lower difficulties.
Later game: Trying the Hard mode, finishing with multiple characters, earning all trophies. This is a long haul and will take practice.

In short: the real “progress” is slow, and the early part is about learning and experimentation more than “leveling up” in a linear sense.

Tips to Push Past the Early Plateau

Here are some strategies to help you feel more productive and break through:

Pick one Valkyrie and try to “complete” them gradually
By focusing on one, you’ll learn synergies, and eventually you’ll get the required trophies/unlocks for that one, which gives you a sense of progress.
Learn item/weapon synergies
In many runs, choosing “good enough” items that work together is more important than going for super rare items. As you understand how weapons and gear combine, your runs will improve.
Play on easier difficulties to learn
If there’s an “Easy / Practice” mode (some players mention a practice mode that reduces the world count or makes bosses easier) that can help you reliably finish runs and unlock content. citeturn0search8
Watch guides / build suggestions
The community has put together item guides, recommended builds, etc. Following those can make your runs more efficient. citeturn0search6turn0search3
Don’t get discouraged by bad RNG runs
Some runs will fail badly due to bad drops or layout. That’s part of the game. Use them to learn — “I died because I never got healing / got bad weapons” — and try not to treat them as a waste.
Look at the trophy list as a roadmap
Seeing how many trophies require full-game completion (on Hard, multiple characters) gives you a long-term goal. But also aim for the more reachable ones early (like “Ascend on Easy” for early characters, or reaching a score threshold).
Keep a mental (or written) log
Track which Valkyries you’ve unlocked, which ones have their secondaries/ultimates unlocked, which trophies you’ve gotten. This gives you tangible markers of progress even when the game UI does not.

If you like, I can pull up a progression roadmap for the PS5 version (which Valkyries unlock when, what “milestones” the trophies require) so you can see “your next goal.” Do you want me to do that?