Five guides cover the loop. Read them in order if you are starting fresh, or jump to the system that is currently killing you.

The order that works

  1. 1
    First hour

    The elevator, the facility, the first scan and the first tool. What to do before exploring.

  2. 2
    Crafting

    Handle, head, binder. Why material tags matter more than recipes.

  3. 3
    Base upkeep

    The overgrowth clock, and why repairing beats expanding.

  4. 4
    Infection

    How infection accumulates, what clears it, and what mutation costs.

  5. 5
    Creatures and hazards

    What reacts, what chases, and what is better left alone.

What the guides assume

They assume the Early Access build, and they assume you have not played the playtest. Where a system changed during the playtest, the page describes the current behaviour rather than the earlier one — two-handed stamina use is the clearest example.

They also assume you are playing with at least one other person. Everything in them works solo, but the division of labour that makes co-op comfortable changes the order you should do things in.

Systems that will move

Early Access is a moving target by design. The studio has said that story updates during the run add biomes, creatures and resources on top of what ships in December, which means a route that works on day one can gain options later without the old route disappearing.

Two consequences for reading these pages:

  • Check the date. Every guide carries the date it was last checked against the build. A page from December 2026 describes the launch build, not the version you are playing in March.
  • Expect new materials to change crafting priorities. Assembly reads material tags, so a new plant with a useful tag set can replace an old part in a single update.

Where a system changed during the playtest, the page describes the behaviour that shipped rather than the earlier version — two-handed stamina is the example that caught the most players out.

The one habit that saves runs

Scan first. Everything in the ecosystem is a resource, and the difference between a plant that feeds you and a plant that infects you is the scan. It costs a hold of a button and it is the difference between a tool you can build and a material you are carrying without knowing what it does.