Level-up

#XP per level

Verified: going from level L to L+1 needs round(5 + 5·(L−1) + (L−1)^2.5) XP.^[1] Powers use the game's deterministic power function imported from boot-CPW8VVmR.js. Picked-up XP is multiplied by XP gain (growthMult); extra levels queue up.^[2]

Computed from the formula.

#Cards

• Verified: 3 cards, plus a 4th with chance min(1, luck).^[3]
• Verified: Tibo has 6 weapon and 6 passive slots. Without limit breaks, base weapons reach level 8, passives level 5; evolutions and unions stay at level 1.^[4] A Spud Forge resets a maxed target to level 1 with stronger damage or bonuses, opening another 8 weapon levels (including evolutions/unions) or the passive's normal level range. Weapon cards, whetstones and chest level rewards all recognize broken weapons.
• Verified: cards are drawn by weight without replacement.

Limit-broken weapon and passive level labels show a cyan star and the number of breaks before the ordinary level, for example ★2 LV 3. This separates the break count from the level gained since the last break; it does not change the bonuses.^[5][6]

#Offer weights

Verified (offer code in sim-BkfBhQfw.js):

So owned weapons and passives are offered far more often than new ones.

#Catalyst guarantee

Verified: if you have a free passive slot and own a base weapon at level 4 or higher whose evolution catalyst you do not own (and have not banished), the last card is replaced by that catalyst (level 6 in Story mode). This also applies to the new weapons.^[7]

#When nothing is left

Verified: if the pool is empty you get “Sack of Gold” (+25 gold) and “Baked Potato” (heal 30). At full HP the gold is taken automatically.^[8]

#Reroll, skip and banish

Keys R, X and B (or the buttons) while you have charges. In-game: “reroll redraws, skip passes, banish bans a card for the run.”

• Reroll spends 1 and draws a new set.
• Skip spends 1 and closes the level-up with nothing.
• Banish spends 1, removes that weapon or passive from offers for the rest of the run, then redraws. Owned equipment stays equipped.^[9]

Charges start at 0 (Inference: no starting grant in the config; the loadout starts rerolls=0;skips=0;banishes=0). They come from pickups, the Seed Vault, Tater Lanterns, elite kills and the Frank.

#Auto-pick in Story mode

In Story mode the recommended card is picked for you after 8 seconds without input; any key press or tap restarts the timer, as do rerolls and banishes (developer's Story state chart). Verified: only Story auto-picks.^[10]

#Recommended picks

Settings has a Recommended picks option, on by default, that marks one card as recommended. The heuristic (from the game's picks code) favours levelling a weapon whose catalyst you own, catalyst passives for weapons close to max level, a small bonus for Peeler, Mash Wave and Tot Toss, and healing below 50% HP. Details are in the mechanics reference. It is a hint, not the only good pick.

#Spud Whetstone

The Spud Whetstone offers up to 3 eligible non-max weapons to level up, outside the normal level-up. This includes limit-broken evolutions and unions.