Lunar Drifter carries its Danger Level beyond the end of a run

Lunar Drifter’s clock gives you an immediate problem; its Danger Level gives you a longer one. The official description says Arcade Mode lets you choose your route, and carries Danger Level between scenarios—even between different runs. Starting another attempt is therefore not described as wiping this particular slate clean.

Clocks and hourglasses add seconds inside the action. They solve the local problem of a limited timer, while the carried Danger Level concerns what follows a scenario or a run. Keeping those systems separate matters: more time now is not evidence of less danger later.

The listing does not reveal how the level rises or how it can be reset. The supported attraction is the longer arc around a score chase: you choose a path through scenarios whose escalation can follow you into another attempt. That is a different commitment from enjoying one frantic round and expecting the next to forget it.