Money Making Guide
Last verified: November 2026 · Steam release build
All income sources
| Source | Value | Best stage |
|---|---|---|
| Raw dust | ≈ $1/kg (+up to 28% from economy upgrades) | Always, but small |
| Hex (region) bonus | $10 → $25 → $40 per finished hex | Early |
| Flag | $100+ each, 195 in total | Early (nearby flags) |
| Survey site | $250 each, 26 in total | Early–mid |
| Moon sand | 3× dust | Mid |
| Moonstone | ≈ 7× dust (~$9/kg with all bonuses) | Mid |
| Placing structures on dust | A little cash for the dust under the footprint | Very early |
Early game: bonuses beat dust
With a broom that holds 6–24 kg, a trip is worth $6–24, but finishing a hex pays $10 flat — and $40 after both Region Bounty upgrades. A wide broom clears a hex in one or two trips, so the bonus is often worth more than the dust. Work hex by hex, and buy Region Bounty I ($200) and II ($600) before Market Contracts II.
- Buy the first container upgrade on every new tool — it doubles income for pennies.
- Carry spare brooms as extra containers (Tool Belt Slot 2 and 3).
- Leave hexes at 95% just before a bounty upgrade, then finish them all.
Exploration cash
The base area has several flags within a few hundred metres. Walking out for twenty minutes early on easily earns a few hundred dollars — more than the same time sweeping with a hand brush. Survey sites pay $250. The HUD always points home, and another station appears on the HUD once you are far enough away, so you cannot really get lost.
Mid game: multiply every kilo
The Pressure Chamber is the turning point. For $800 (with a Large Solar Tracker) every kilo of dust is worth three times as much, forever. The Stone Press takes that to roughly seven times. Then stack the economy tab:
- Market Contracts I/II/III — $120 / $400 / $1,100 for +6% / +12% / +18%.
- Supplier Network (≈ $700) — 10% off tool and container upgrades.
- Luna Exchange ($2,500) — +10%, for +28% total.
Percentage bonuses apply to every sale including sand and stone, so they are worth more the more you produce. A good rule: buy the Pressure Chamber before Luna Exchange, and Luna Exchange before your second vehicle.
Late game: volume
Once dozens of JONAS robots are firing capsules, you will collect more dust than any factory can process. At that point refining stops mattering — selling raw dust through unconnected Capsule Catchers still makes millions. Put every dollar into more JONAS: each one cleans hexes and adds income at the same time.
AFK income
JONAS robots, catchers and solar-powered factories run while you are away. Before leaving the game on, dump a huge vehicle load into the production queue, check that every catcher has a free path to sell, and add solar so the night does not stall the line. Our first overnight with about 20 JONAS went from $20,000 to $272,000.
Money traps
- Push Sweeper — $500 including garage for roughly broom-level collection.
- Max-level container upgrades on early tools — buy the next tool instead.
- Robot Vacuum Mk1 before sand — slow payback; sand triples everything instead.
- Small solar panels — no battery, useless at night. Only build Large Solar Trackers.
- Removing buildings in old builds — early versions refunded only 75%. Current versions refund 100%.