Level-ups you can feel, and a faster first hour

What a level-up looks like in The Ember Depths 0.20: the talent star, boss bonus points, the first time a talent fires, the next-unlock bar and the Awakening.

A golden ★ flies from your level to the talent button, and an act boss's first kill brings a banner and a bonus point.
The first time a talent you learned fires in a fight, the skill's button glows and the talent's name floats over your hero.
A thin bar along the bottom of the run shows the next thing you are working toward: a level, a skill rank that opens a talent, or a boss point. You can switch it off in Settings.
New heroes meet the Awakening the first time they come home: choose your path, then your first talent.

Your first talent gets a big moment: a burst of light, what it does, and your Power before and after. Every Legend point you place shows its Power gain too.
A level gained mid-fight waits until the fight is over, then lights up and asks you to choose.
Your first clear of Bramble Hollow pays a big XP bonus: level 5 lands right as you finish. Dungeon cards show the level foes fight at and how much XP they pay you.
Back in town the surprises come one at a time: the session card first, then one new thing per visit.