I'm working on a heist game where a job can go quiet or go very loud, and I keep going back and forth on how the police response should ramp up.

Right now heavier response (more patrol cars, then a chopper, then the really big stuff) is tied to what you actually do: crashes, explosions, wrecked cop cars all push the heat up. Stay clean and the response stays small.

The alternative I'm weighing:

A) Escalation tied to noise. Your choices decide how bad it gets. A careful run stays manageable, a messy one snowballs. Feels fair, but a skilled player can stay at low heat forever, and the late game can lose its pressure.

B) Escalation on a clock. The longer you're out, the worse it gets, no matter how quiet you are. Keeps every run tense and stops players from camping, but it can feel like the game is punishing you for being patient and careful.

(Or some mix: noise sets the level, time slowly pushes it up, and going quiet lets it decay.)

For people who like stealth that can fall apart into chaos: which version feels more honest to you? Any games that got this balance right, or badly wrong?

(Dev note, not a pitch: this is for Heistfest, our small heist/getaway game on Steam. Feedback on the mechanic is the point.) https://store.steampowered.com/app/1451220/?utm_source=reddit&utm_campaign=community&utm_content=ext-stealthgames-1019