The End Grows – a Tale of Ashes

Hurry up. The world collapses in 5 minutes.

Alone in a ruin, a strange yellow entity approaches you…

Robots are busy recycling the debris around you. It’s unlikely you’ll withstand their aggression. Fortunately, the entity seems willing to let you relive the last 5 minutes of this world to find answers to this programmed apocalypse.

Unique progression mechanics

Each fight launches you to absurd levels: you can gain over 100 levels by defeating a single monster.

You assign your stat points in real time, during combat, using the directional pad. Adapt instantly and refine your build in the middle of the action.

Earn abilities and keep your items between runs to explore new areas. Items often scale with percentage-based stat bonuses, letting your power grow exponentially with each level gained.

Some items even grant bonus XP percentages for an even more ridiculous leveling pace. Because… every run starts again at level 1.

A vast open world to explore, shaped by the mobility skills and power you gain as you progress.

NPCs, factions, quests — explore a 2D open world

A war rages between the two main factions inhabiting this mysterious open world. Why are they fighting? For resources, of course.

Meet factions H and V, locked in a relentless conflict. Accept their quests… or fight their NPCs to earn credits, XP, and items.

Help H defeat V… or the opposite. Either way, the world resets in 5 minutes.

Real-time events appear on the minimap, which also acts as your countdown, reacting to your actions. You can literally circle the entire world in just 5 minutes. Well… after a few mobility upgrades.

Travel through a variety of environments: ruins, cities, forests, deserts, a war fleet, an airship, and many more. The open world is extremely diverse, and each zone tells a story that helps you understand the deeper mechanics of this world.

An organic and complex world

Through its NPCs and environments, The End Grows tells a story about the end of the world, infinity, and absurdity. For example: the robots at the beginning of the game forge ingots by recycling debris from the ruins. They might not be doing it for nothing… Environmental details and NPC dialogues all contribute to understanding this world.

The storytelling in The End Grows is cryptic without being incomplete. The details of this world form a large piece of interconnected lore.

The End Grows at a glance

The game The End Grows was designed, illustrated, and programmed by a solo developer.

A unique gameplay system

The real strength of the game lies in its leveling system and the near-exponential progression of your character. You increase your stats directly during action with the directional pad. Your character gains huge amounts of XP from every defeated enemy, and you must optimize your run to become strong enough to complete an objective achievable within 5 minutes. Progression is constant, both during and between runs, as items you find remain with you when time reverses.

Items often provide percentage-based stat bonuses as well as bonus XP, making each run’s leveling even more impactful.

Behind the fast and intense gameplay, factions and NPCs bring variety to your objectives. Accept their quests… or fight NPCs to earn credits, XP, and items.

Its deep 2D open world

An adventure across a large 2D side-view open world. A minimalist art style in grayscale with vibrant yellow highlights. It explores themes of apocalypse, infinity, and absurdity. The story of this ending world is revealed through environments, NPCs, and above all, an impactful finale. Around twenty hours of gameplay spread across eight chapters gives this complex narrative the time it needs to unfold.

You have 5 minutes. Good luck.

From “Ashes O” to “The End Grows”

The project was originally developed under the name Ashes O. It takes place in the same universe as Ashes – Exponential RPG on Android and iOS. The “O” referenced the circular open world you explore. The name The End Grows better reflects the story of the game, while the subtitle “a Tale of Ashes” maintains the connection to the universe.