Why the order matters
The Collector sells permanent upgrades — they carry into every future run, including the ones after you die. Cells left unspent die with the run; cells spent here compound for the rest of the game. So the first decisions are not “which weapon is best” but “which permanent upgrades smooth the curve fastest.”
Two principles from the game’s own upgrade tree:
- Permanent before situational. Buy the upgrades that help every run before the item you happen to want this run.
- Depth before breadth. One weapon you understand beats five you don’t.
The priority order
1. Health Flask upgrade
More flask charges (or a stronger heal) is the single highest-value early buy. A flask that can save you twice per biome is worth more than any one weapon.
2. Recycling
Lets you break unwanted gear for cells at the Collector. Turns dead-weight drops into permanent currency — this is what makes every later unlock affordable.
3. Gold Reserves
Raises the gold cap and passive income. Gold funds shops and the Legendary Forge, so this pays back continuously.
4. Random Starting Weapons
Adds variety to your opening kit so you are not stuck on the rusty sword every run. More options early means more chances to find a weapon that fits your colour.
5. Fill plus-quality (Blacksmith) before 1 BC
The Blacksmith spends cells to raise the baseline quality of gear that drops in future runs. Pushing this gauge toward 100% before you raise difficulty means your weapons arrive already inflated when enemies get tougher. It is one of the most consistent ways to flatten the difficulty curve.
6. Items, one at a time, in your active colour
Once the economy is stable, unlock items — but one at a time, and prefer ones in the colour you actually play. Unlocking a heavy Survival weapon while you run Tactics gives you a reference frame you can’t use.
7. Skills and mutations as you go
Unlock skills and mutations that match your colour next; they are cheaper to trial and immediately change how runs feel.
8. Outfits and showroom — last
Outfits are cosmetic. The Backpack (third slot) and Specialist Showroom add mechanical overhead new players don’t need yet; the Showroom’s main draw (Hunter’s Grenade for farming blueprints) only matters once your pool runs low. Save both until the upgrade tree is otherwise empty.
A first-run spending plan
- Run 1–3: flask, recycling, gold reserves, random starting weapons.
- Between runs: dump spare cells into plus-quality until near full.
- Once stable: unlock one weapon in your colour, learn it, then one mutation, then the next.
- Only after all the above: outfits, backpack, showroom.
Mistakes that waste early cells
- Buying five weapons at once — none gets learned, pool bloats.
- Unlocking outfits early — cosmetic spend with zero run impact.
- Skipping the flask — the one upgrade that saves runs immediately.
- Raising difficulty before plus-quality — harder enemies arrive while your gear is still weak.
- Ignoring the break-the-door trick — after your first boss kill you can skip the Collector, carry cells forward and invest them directly with the Blacksmith to fill the Forge faster.
Related
See how a run works, the common mistakes page, and best beginner build for what to do with the gear you unlock.