Pareto loop, DeepSeek-V4-Flash with thinking, bare observation
All eight candidates scored the same on two of the three training floors, so the frontier held the whole population and gen02 alone chose the parents.
- Loop
- Pareto loop, 8 candidates
- Task model
- DeepSeek-V4-Flash
- Teacher
- DeepSeek-V4-Flash
- Starting prompt
- core_rules.txt
- Observation
- bare
- Training floors
- simple, gen01, gen02 · 1 episode each
- Started
- 2026-10-04 22:39
- Result file
- gepa_result_gs5_pareto_dsthink_bare.json
Evaluation after the run
| Floors | Prompt | Kills | Mean goal score |
|---|---|---|---|
| held-out | Rules-only | 32/39 | 0.737 |
| held-out | Best of the Pareto loop | 24/39 | 0.602 |
| training | Rules-only | 5/9 | 0.558 |
| training | Best of the Pareto loop | 6/9 | 0.606 |
From gs5_pareto_dsthink_bare.json; its episodes are listed on the episodes page.
Mean goal score on the training floors per candidate (click to open). Small dots: score per floor; dashed: best so far.seedmutationmerge
Candidate 2mutationfrom candidate 1score 0.678returned as the best prompt
show2,958 characters
+328 words · −478 words
You play Magic Tower on a single floor. Each turn the engine shows your current stats (HP, ATK, DEF, keys) and a numbered list of every legal action you can take *rightright now*.now. Each action is presentedshown with theits exact consequence shown on screen (fight: monster stats and the damage you will take; open door; or auto-collect item). You reply with exactly: FINAL_CHOICE: <number>.
CORE MECHANICS
- Combat: you always strike first. Your hit = your ATK − monster DEF. If your ATK ≤ monster DEF you deal 0 damage and cannot(min win.0). Monster hit = monster ATK − your DEF; if your DEF ≥ its ATK it does 0(min damage.0). Rounds alternate until one side reaches 0 HP. If you die you lose.
- Keys: a door of a colour needs exactly one key of thatmatching colour;key, theconsumed keyon isuse. consumed.Only Openingopen a door that leadsif nowherethe wastesmap thatconfirms keythe andarea abehind turnit —contains alwaysitems verifyyou fromstill theneed mapor thatis the dooronly leadspath to athem. usefulA areadoor beforeto spendingan aempty key.
-dead-end Items:wastes walkingthe ontokey aand cellthe collectsturn.
- itItems automatically.auto-collect Redon step: red gems +ATK, blue gems +DEF, potions +HP, keys are collected. HP is never restored between fights.keys.
KEY STRATEGIC RULES
1. Use the map givenAlways inhave thea systemfloor prompt.plan Beforebefore everyacting. decision,Know knowwhich whatitems you are tryingstill toneed reach:(remaining remainingATK ATK/DEFDEF gems, HP potions, thenkeys) and the boss. The battlePick listactions onlythat showsactually whatmove you can fight *now*; moving happens by choosing a fightalong that isroute adjacent— onnever thatthe path.cheapest Neveravailable, picknever an"exploration" actionwithout justa becausegoal.
2. itBefore isopening theany cheapestdoor, availableverify —from alwaysthe askmap "doesthat thisit actually move meconnects towardto a neededuseful itemarea. orIf athe requiredregion door?"
2.is Identifyalready gatewayreachable monsters.without Somea monsterskey, blockor theif onlyit passageleads to a group of items.dead Youend, mustdo defeatNOT themopen toit.
3. proceed,To soreach budgeta theirtarget HPitem, costidentify asthe partexact ofmonster that route.blocks Preferthe topath clear(the a"gate"). gateFight it once when you pass it, ratherpass. thanDo fightingnot inexpensivefight monsters that lead nowhere and then later paying theare samenot gatebetween costyou again.
3.and Doorsa areneeded onlyitem worth— openingeven if the map showscheap, that the region behind them contains items you still need orHP is the final path to thewasted. boss.Conversely, Ifif a door opens onto an emptymonster dead‑endIS oron athe regionroute, withfight nothingit left,— dothe notcost openis it.unavoidable.
4. Before attemptingWhen thetwo boss,route compute:choices yourexist, hits‑to‑killcompare =their ceil(bosstotal HP / max(1, your ATK −cost bossto DEF)),reach andthe bosssame hitsgoal on(gate youfight =+ max(0,any bossoptional ATKfights), −not yourjust DEF).the Totalimmediate damagefight's takencost. =Prefer (hits_to_killthe −cheaper 1)total ×path, boss_hit.even Youif winthe iffirst thatstep damagelooks <more yourexpensive.
5. currentAfter HP.you've Oncecollected every item on the floor has been collected,floor, the only remaining relevant action is the boss fight — take itleft ifis the calculation leaves you alive, even with 1 HP.
5. Do not skipboss. necessaryCompute: fightshits to save HP. Fightingkill a= cheapceil(boss monsterHP that/ blocksmax(1, your only path is alwaysATK required;− theboss costDEF)); isboss unavoidable.hits Conversely,on neveryou fight= amax(0, monsterboss thatATK is− notyour onDEF); yourdamage routetaken to= a(hits−1) needed× itemboss_hit. orTake the bossfight —if thatdamage HP< iscurrent wasted.HP.
6. When the engine lists "you cannot"Cannot win this fight now", that is a strongnow" signalmeans you lack ATK or DEF for that target. It does *not*not mean the fight is irrelevant;skip it means you must first— collect more gems, and the plan must include every gate andgems fightfirst, onbut thekeep wayit toin thoseyour gems.plan.
7. Priorities in order:Priority: (a) collect all ATK/DEF gems that are reachable without excessiveATK/DEF cost,gems, (b) collect HP potions whenthat theycost areless cheapHP relativethan tothey theirrestore value,(net (c)gain), clear(c) unavoidable gate fights along the path,fights, (d) fight the boss when the boss damage calculationmath shows a safe win. Balance gem cost against their benefit: eachEach +1 ATK reduces everydamage futurefrom fight'severy roundsfuture andfight; each +1 DEF reduces everyeach future monster's damagehit by that much1 — these amplify across all remaining fights, so it is usually worth paying 20–402–4 HPtimes the single‑fight saving to reachget them.
8. Never act without a plan for the wholemulti‑step floor.plan. Before each action,choice, know the next two2–3 ormoves: threewhich steps:item, which itemgate, youwhat need,that whichfight monstercosts. orIf doortwo liesoptions betweenboth youseem andvalid, it,pick andthe whatone that fightgets willyou cost.to the next ATK/DEF gem with the least total damage.
End your answer with: FINAL_CHOICE: <number>
Starting prompt against the returned prompt (candidate 2)
+503 words · −119 words
You play Magic Tower, a turn-based dungeon gameTower on onea single floor. Each turn youthe getengine shows your statecurrent stats (HP, ATK, DEF, keys) and a numbered list of theevery actionslegal action you can take now;right now. Each action is shown with its exact consequence (fight: monster stats and damage you answerwill take; open door; auto-collect item). You reply with oneexactly: actionFINAL_CHOICE: number.<number>.
GAMECORE RULES:MECHANICS
- ACombat: fightyou isstrike afirst. sequenceYour ofhit rounds;= youATK hit− first.monster YourDEF (min 0). Monster hit = yourmonster ATK -− theyour monster'sDEF DEF.(min 0). Rounds alternate until one side reaches 0 HP. If youryou ATKdie <=you lose.
- Keys: a door colour needs exactly one matching key, consumed on use. Only open a door if the monster'smap DEFconfirms youthe cannotarea damagebehind it atcontains all.items you still need or is the only path to them. A door to an empty dead-end wastes the key and the turn.
- TheItems monster'sauto-collect hiton =step: itsred ATKgems -+ATK, yourblue DEF;gems if+DEF, yourpotions DEF+HP, >=keys.
KEY itsSTRATEGIC RULES
1. Always have a floor plan before acting. Know which items you still need (remaining ATK DEF gems, potions, keys) and the boss. Pick actions that actually move you along that route — never the cheapest available, never "exploration" without a goal.
2. Before opening any door, verify from the map that it cannotactually hurtconnects you.to Thea fightuseful endsarea. If the region is already reachable without a key, or if it leads to a dead end, do NOT open it.
3. To reach a target item, identify the exact monster that blocks the path (the "gate"). Fight it once when oneyou sidepass. reachesDo 0not HP.fight Ifmonsters that are not between you reachand 0a needed item — even if cheap, that HP youis losewasted. Conversely, if a monster IS on the game.route, fight it — the cost is unavoidable.
-4. AWhen doortwo needsroute achoices keyexist, ofcompare their total HP cost to reach the same colour;goal each(gate keyfight opens+ exactlyany oneoptional doorfights), andnot isjust usedthe up.immediate fight's cost. Prefer the cheaper total path, even if the first step looks more expensive.
-5. WalkingAfter ontoyou've ancollected every item collectson it:the gemsfloor, raisethe only action left is the boss. Compute: hits to kill = ceil(boss HP / max(1, your ATK − boss DEF)); boss hits on you = max(0, boss ATK − your DEF); damage taken = (hits−1) × boss_hit. Take the fight if damage < current HP.
6. "Cannot win this fight now" means you lack ATK or DEF permanently,for potionsthat restoretarget. HP,It keysdoes opennot doors.mean skip it — collect more gems first, but keep it in your plan.
-7. Priority: (a) reachable ATK/DEF gems, (b) HP potions that cost less HP than they restore (net gain), (c) unavoidable gate fights, (d) boss when the math shows a safe win. Each +1 ATK reduces damage from every future fight; each +1 DEF reduces each future monster's hit by 1 — amplify across all remaining fights, so it is notworth restoredpaying between2–4 fights.
GOAL:times killthe single‑fight saving to get them.
8. Never act without a multi‑step plan. Before each choice, know the bossnext and2–3 staymoves: alive.which item, which gate, what that fight costs. If two options both seem valid, pick the one that gets you to the next ATK/DEF gem with the least total damage.
End your answer with: FINAL_CHOICE: <number>