Balance Changes

A transparent log of every economy tuning change and fairness fix made to Tycoon Cards — the numbers behind the game, and why we adjusted them.

Business cost curve smoothing (v1.2.0)

When we expanded the business roster from 10 to 100 tiers, we deliberately used a gentler per-tier cost and income multiplier for the 90 new businesses than the original 10 used. Continuing the original steep curve across 90 more tiers would have produced absurdly large numbers with very little meaningful progression in between. The smoother curve means more frequent, more satisfying unlocks instead of a few enormous leaps.

Casino house edges (v1.1.0)

Every casino game launched with a house edge between roughly 1% and 3%, deliberately kept low and transparent — each game publishes its approximate edge directly in the casino lobby. We consider the edge a core piece of game balance, not just a background number, which is why it gets its own dedicated breakdown in our Casino Edge Explained article.

Casino RNG fairness fixes

Two casino games — Roulette and the Fortune Wheel — originally had a mismatch between the visual spin animation and the actual random result: the wheel could visually land on one segment while the payout was calculated for a different one. We rebuilt both games so the result is determined first, then the exact rotation needed to visually land on that true result is calculated afterwards — the display and the outcome can no longer disagree.

Casino bet-processing fix (v1.1.0)

A React state-update timing issue meant casino bets could deduct money from a player's balance without the corresponding game actually starting, in certain rapid-click scenarios. This was fixed by checking the player's balance synchronously before committing to a bet, rather than relying on a state update that hadn't yet completed.

Releases with balance-relevant changes

v1.2.0 — Business Expansion — 100 Tiers (April 2026)
v1.1.0 — Casino Expansion (February 2026)

Developer Commentary

🎙️ From the team:Balance changes are the update category we're most careful about, because they touch numbers players have already built strategies around. We aim to always explain the 'why', not just announce the 'what'.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do balance changes ever reduce what I've already earned?

No. Balance changes affect future costs, income rates or odds — they never retroactively remove money, cards or businesses you already own.

Are casino house edges ever changed without notice?

No. Any house-edge adjustment is documented here and in the relevant patch note, with the old and new figures both stated.

What's the difference between a balance change and a bug fix?

A balance change adjusts numbers that were working as intended but needed retuning (like a cost curve). A bug fix corrects something that was not working as intended (like a display glitch). Some releases include both — we label each accordingly.