Slots are the real cost
Every Dome Keeper gadget occupies a slot, and slots are scarce. Two gadgets that share a slot are a choice, not a stack — installing one blocks the other. The gadget database filters by slot so you can see the conflicts before you commit.
Here is where the 26 gadgets actually compete:
| Slot | Gadgets fighting for it | Spaces |
|---|---|---|
| Dome Surface | Auto Cannon, Buzz Saw, Stun Laser, Dome Armor | 1 |
| Dome Surface (Secondary Combat) | Shockwave Hammer | 1 |
| Dome Backside | Furnace, Spire | 1 |
| Dome Backside (Secondary Combat) | Missile Launcher | 1 |
| Cellar | Blast Mining, Condenser, Drillbert, Iron Worms, Probe, Resource Converter, Suit Blaster, Teleporter | 2 |
| Keeper Suit | Prospecting Meter, Resource Packer | 1 |
| Mine Shaft | Drilling Rig, Underground Station | 1 |
| Primary | Droneyard, Orchard, Repellent, Shield | 4 (all fit) |
| Shaft | Lift | 1 |
The tightest bottlenecks are Dome Surface (4 into 1), Cellar (8 into 2), Mine Shaft and Keeper Suit (2 into 1). The Primary slot is generous — you can run all four of Droneyard, Orchard, Repellent and Shield together.
What this means for building a set
Because the Dome Surface slot forces a single pick among four strong options, your dome’s built-in weapon usually decides it:
- Need anti-air / splash? Auto Cannon (heavy damage to approaching monsters).
- Need a slow field? Stun Laser (slows monsters, can delete ticks without damage upgrades).
- Need a melee sweep? Buzz Saw (patrols the cupola, hits nearby enemies).
- Need to survive hits? Dome Armor (+100 HP by default).
The Cellar slot is where your economy lives: Condenser (water), Resource Converter (iron↔water), Iron Worms (extra iron), Blast Mining / Suit Blaster (clear rock), Drillbert (auto-dig straight), Teleporter (instant travel), Probe (recon). You get two of these — pick the two your run cannot live without.
Types, not names
Think in types. A balanced run wants a mining answer (Drilling Rig or Drillbert), a production answer (Condenser + Converter), and a combat answer (a Dome Surface pick plus a delay gadget). Three of one type and none of another is how runs stall.
When to specialise
Early runs want breadth — one answer per axis. Later runs, once you know what the waves do, can commit: a Converter-led iron engine, or a Drillbert + Lift mining line. The upgrades guide covers compounding the picks you make here.
Related guides
- Gadget Database — all 26, filterable by slot and type.
- Defense Guide — which combat and delay gadgets to install.
- Mining Guide — the mining gadgets and why distance is the real cost.