Prestige is a score attack, not a survival run
Normal Dome Keeper asks whether you survive the next wave. Prestige asks how much you can bank before the run ends. The score displayed for each wave is:
cobalt multiplier × base prestige
Both values start at 1 and both are shown in the bottom-left of the HUD while you play, so you can watch the product climb in real time. Each one is raised by a different dome tech tree upgrade:
- Cobalt multiplier — raised by the send cobalt upgrade. Every unit of cobalt you send home feeds the multiplier.
- Base prestige — raised by sending iron or water through the matching dome tech tree upgrade.
That split is the whole strategic spine of the mode. Cobalt raises the multiplier that multiplies everything else, so early cobalt investment compounds; iron and water raise the base number being multiplied. A run that only feeds one side of the equation stalls at a fraction of what a balanced one banks.
The four variants
| Variant | Rule that defines it | What it punishes |
|---|---|---|
| Countdown | Cobalt multiplier starts at 20 and drops by 1 every cycle | Slow starts — the same haul is worth less the longer you take |
| Endless | The original mode; run until the monsters overrun you | Greed without a defence floor |
| Fixed Cobalt | Exactly 10 cobalt for the run; normal cobalt generation is disabled and the Cobalt Cave does not spawn | Any plan that assumes a cobalt income stream |
| Miner Mode | No monsters at all; the run is 20 waves of pure scoring | Nothing but your own mining route |
Countdown is the default and the one most players meet first. Because the multiplier starts at 20 and ticks down once per cycle, the opening minutes are worth the most points of the entire run — a slow first two waves cannot be recovered later, no matter how clean the rest is. The wiki’s own strategy note is blunt: leave the planet once the multiplier goes negative.
Fixed Cobalt removes the multiplier engine almost entirely. With cobalt generation disabled and the Cobalt Cave absent, you get a flat 10 and have to convert it into as much base prestige as possible. It is the variant that most rewards knowing the iron and water conversions by heart.
Miner Mode is the practice room. Twenty waves, no enemies, and therefore no excuse: if your score is low here, it is the route, not the defence.
Unlocking the variants
Countdown is unlocked from the start; the rest are gated behind a specific purchase. Inside any unlocked variant (Miner Mode excluded), buy the “Leave this planet” upgrade. That purchase is treated by the game as winning the run, and it unlocks the next variant.
Practically, that means the unlock is not a difficulty check — it is a commitment check. You have to reach the point in a Prestige run where leaving is affordable, which usually means surviving long enough for the score engine to be running properly. If you are stuck on unlocks, the problem is almost always the first three waves, not the last three.
Leaderboards and seasons
Each variant keeps its own leaderboard, opened from the Prestige button in the top-right of the main menu. Entries show player name, keeper, main gadget, chosen dome and score — so the board doubles as a record of which keeper/dome/gadget combinations actually produce top scores in the current patch.
The wiki is explicit about why seasons exist: every major update changes what the best strategy is, so every major update starts a new season with a separate board. Old scores are not deleted; they are filed under the season they were set in. If you are comparing your run against a board, check which season you are looking at before concluding that a build is weak.
What to fix first if your score is low
- Cobalt before iron. The multiplier is applied to base prestige, so a point of multiplier early is worth more than a point of base late — but only if you then send iron or water to give it something to multiply.
- Stop treating wave N as the goal. In Countdown the wave number is a clock, not a target. The score curve peaks early.
- Pick the variant that matches the question you are asking. Testing a mining route → Miner Mode. Testing a defence build → Endless. Testing whether you can convert a fixed budget → Fixed Cobalt.
Related guides
- Dome and Keeper Guide — which dome and keeper pairing suits a scoring run.
- Gadget database — the main gadget is shown on the Prestige leaderboard, so it is part of the build.
- Resource Guide — what iron and water actually convert into.
- Achievements guide — one of the base achievements is simply unlocking Prestige.