Game Modes
Story is the campaign backbone of Anime Expeditions, a multi-act, multi-map progression mode that requires clearing acts in order and supports matchmaking for up to several players per queue. Tower of God sits alongside it as a floor-climbing mode where each floor rotates a pair of elemental damage and resistance values, forcing teams to adapt their unit composition floor by floor rather than relying on one fixed setup, and unlike Story it runs without matchmaking, making it a solo test of a player's own roster.
Several modes exist specifically to structure time-limited or repeatable content. Event hosts limited-time content tied to in-game calendars, Challenge covers the game's daily and weekly challenge rotations (including the gem-focused daily challenges capped at a limited number of runs per day), and Villain Invasion runs as its own periodic invasion-style event separate from the standard Event queue. Trial is where Unit Trials live, the fixed-team boss encounters tied to specific unit evolutions, while Tournament hosts the game's competitive PvP-adjacent ranked content across formats like Solo Tournament, Duo Tournament, and the recurring Global Tournament series.
The remaining modes serve the endgame and account-progression loop. Infinite is an endless survival mode that requires prior map progression to unlock and rewards players who can sustain a run for extended periods, Expedition Mode is the payload-defense mode where a team escorts a moving Payload through checkpoints while managing base-building upgrades and buying Stat Anvils, Raid hosts the game's toughest boss encounters gated by both account level and act progression, Mastery is a repeatable farming mode for mastery materials and artifacts, and Sandbox exists purely as a practice space without the stakes or matchmaking of the other modes.
Details
Progression-gated modes
Several modes explicitly check progression before allowing entry. Story locks acts behind act progression, Raid requires both a minimum account level and act progression, Expedition Mode has its own required level, and Infinite and Mastery both require prior map progression. This creates a natural difficulty curve where newer accounts are steered toward Story and Challenge first, with Raid, Expedition Mode, Infinite, and Mastery unlocking as milestones for players who have already built up their roster.
Solo vs. matchmade modes
Not every mode uses matchmaking. Tower of God, Trial, Infinite, and Mastery are built around solo play with a player's own team, while Story, Event, Challenge, Tournament, Expedition Mode, Villain Invasion, and Raid support matchmaking so players can queue with others. This split matters for team planning, since solo modes reward a self-sufficient roster while matchmade modes can lean on teammates to cover weaknesses.
The 12 modes at a glance
Story - act-based campaign, the main entry point for new accounts. Tower of God - solo floor climb with rotating elemental modifiers. Event - limited-time content on a calendar. Challenge - daily and weekly challenge rotations. Trial - Unit Trials tied to evolutions. Tournament - competitive formats including Solo Tournament, Duo Tournament, and Global Tournament. Infinite - endless survival requiring map progression. Expedition Mode - payload defense with checkpoints and Stat Anvils. Villain Invasion - periodic invasion event. Raid - toughest boss content, gated by level and act progression. Mastery - repeatable materials farm. Sandbox - stakes-free practice space.
Which modes to prioritize early
A new account's practical order runs Story first to unlock account level and map progression, Challenge alongside it for its efficient daily Gem income, then Tower of God once a self-sufficient solo roster exists. Trial only matters once a unit with a confirmed evolution is ready to be pushed through its Unit Trial, and Expedition Mode, Raid, Infinite, and Mastery are all better treated as level-20-and-beyond goals rather than early priorities, since each one gates behind meaningful account or map progression first.
FAQ
How many game modes does Anime Expeditions have?
12: Story, Tower of God, Event, Challenge, Trial, Tournament, Infinite, Expedition Mode, Villain Invasion, Raid, Mastery, and Sandbox.
What is the Trial game mode?
Trial hosts Unit Trials, fixed-team boss encounters built around a specific unit, that reward the unique item needed to unlock that unit's evolution.
Which modes require matchmaking?
Story, Event, Challenge, Tournament, Expedition Mode, Villain Invasion, and Raid all support matchmaking, while Tower of God, Trial, Infinite, Mastery, and Sandbox are played solo.
What is the difference between Expedition Mode and the other modes?
Expedition Mode is the payload-defense mode where a team escorts a moving Payload through checkpoints while building and upgrading Expedition-specific structures, distinct from the tower-defense-style waves of Story or Tower of God.
What tournament formats exist in Anime Expeditions?
Solo Tournament and Duo Tournament run as standing competitive formats, alongside a recurring Global Tournament series that rotates through numbered entries.
Which game mode should a new player start with?
Story, since it is the main campaign and unlocks account level and map progression needed for nearly every other mode, paired with Challenge for its efficient early Gem income.
Is Tower of God the same as Infinite?
No. Tower of God is a solo floor-climb with rotating elemental damage and resistance modifiers per floor, while Infinite is an endless survival mode that instead tests how long a team can sustain a single run.
Other systems
Source-checked
Extracted from Anime Expeditions client data (gamemodes.json). updated · GuideDex staff. Report a correction.