Compound first
The upgrades that pay off are the ones that make future days better. Mining speed and carry capacity do that directly — a faster drill and a bigger pack mean tomorrow’s dig yields more than today’s. Flat damage bumps feel good and matter less, because the wave scales anyway.
Within gadgets, the same rule applies. The Drilling Rig deepens your shaft, the Lift speeds the haul (and its Gravitational Lift supplement pulls everything up at once), the Resource Converter efficiency upgrades make iron self-sustaining, and the Orchard fruit buff grants +25 speed and +0.20 mining that regrows every 1.5 cycles. These are the compounding picks.
One strong line
Spreading upgrades across every tree feels safe and plays badly. Pick a line — usually economy first, then the defence your dome lacks — and push it. The gadgets guide explains which slots to fill so your gadgets and upgrades cover different gaps instead of doubling up.
Gadgets versus upgrades
Gadgets are immediate; upgrades compound. A run that buys only gadgets stalls once waves outscale the flat help, and a run that buys only upgrades gets overwhelmed before the compounding kicks in. The balance is the game.
Spend before the wave
Unspent resources do nothing at night. Bank nothing you could have converted into an upgrade or a gadget. The resources guide covers turning iron and water into a stable economy so you always have something to spend.
Related guides
- Tree Guide — reading an upgrade path before you commit.
- Gadgets Guide — immediate help to pair with compounding upgrades.
- Resources Guide — what to mine so you can actually spend.