Follow your current quest, choose one useful upgrade, and gather for that upgrade. Run a compatible crafting task alongside gathering when available. If you hit a wall, identify the blocker before grinding more levels.
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Start with one useful goal
Read the current main quest and name the thing stopping you. Is it a target enemy, a missing ingredient, or an item you cannot equip? That answer determines your next session. A level going up is satisfying, but it does not always remove the blocker.
- Check the quest’s exact target, including the stage if one is shown.
- Pick one craft or equipment improvement that helps with that target.
- Find the materials that improvement needs and train the relevant gathering skill.
- Set a compatible crafting task alongside gathering when available.
- Return to the quest or encounter and check whether the change helped.
Opening route: wood → equipment → first fight
Community playthrough · build unconfirmed The narrator describes this run as Early Access. The sequence below comes from its transcript; timestamps identify the observed steps, not speedrun targets. Follow your current quest if it differs.
- Gather starter logs, then equip the axe. Claim the completed objective and inspect the next one.
- Process logs into timber/boards. Raw wood and the material used by a weapon recipe are different steps.
- Craft the requested longsword and equip it. Match the item name; making another sword type may not satisfy the objective.
- Prepare wooden armor and a shield if you keep losing. Check the equipment slots before retrying the first area.
- Complete the next chopping objective. In this recorded EA route, merchant access follows the 15-action objective.
- Move into fishing and cooking when the quest directs you there. Keep food available for the next combat step.
Continue through gathering, mining, alchemy and upgrades, with timestamps →
Your first session: find the right screen
This is an interface walkthrough using the official game images, rather than a timed leveling route. Work through the steps that match your current unlocks.
- Combat → Act Map: find your current area by number. Work on area completion to unlock the next area; match the main quest’s exact stage.
- Inventory → Equipment: inspect the equipped weapon and tool slots. Keep weapon slots separate from the Axe, Pickaxe, Shovel and Fishing Rod slots.
- Blacksmithing → Tools or Weapons: choose the actual output and rarity. Read the owned/required ingredient counters before gathering.
- Run gathering and production toward that recipe: for example, the Battle Axe screenshot calls for Copper Ingots and a Coal Ingot. These are ingots, not raw ore.
- Return to Inventory: compare and equip the completed item, then revisit the required area.
- Merchant: inspect useful upgrades and sale offers after reserving ingredients. Check your own offline cap before leaving.
See the ingredient-counter examples → · See the merchant upgrade screen →
Let your next craft choose your training
Open a recipe you can actually use, then work backward from its ingredients. This keeps your gathering and production pointed at the same result. If the recipe is out of reach, compare a currently available alternative before training toward a distant tier.
| Your blocker | Next useful action | Read next |
|---|---|---|
| Missing materials | Train the skill supplying the recipe you chose. | Skill hub |
| Not enough gold | Reserve recipe ingredients; inspect remaining sale candidates. | Keep vs sell |
| A combat wall | Observe whether the problem is survival, damage or a locked area. | Combat checks |
| Unspent points | Compare reachable bonuses against the task you are actually running. | Build directions |
At gathering level 18, check tier 3 resources; the next published milestones are 28, 40, 55 and 70. Follow the level checkpoints →
What to craft first
Compare the displayed benefit of a usable tool or equipment upgrade with what you already own. Prefer a craft with an immediate job: supporting a gathering task you will run, or addressing the combat problem you observed. Check the requirement before using materials.
Crafted tools had their equip-level restriction removed in Hotfix #3. That change does not establish that every recipe is available immediately, or that non-tool equipment has no requirements. Check the patch ↗
Keep the next upgrade within reach
Reserve materials for the recipe you selected and items needed by your active objective. Compare duplicate equipment before selling it. When an item’s use is unclear, inspect its tooltip and relevant recipes rather than assuming that a low sale price makes it disposable.
Choose points for the task ahead
The skill tree supports different specializations. Before acquiring a node, check its complete effect, prerequisites and whether the activity it improves is part of your current plan. A gathering bonus does little for your immediate goal if you are only trying to solve a fight.
Hotfix #5 added a hold-to-acquire prompt. Follow the game’s tooltip if a click alone does not acquire an accessible node. For point choices, see build priorities before committing.
Go back to the actual quest target
If progression appears stuck, compare the main quest’s stage with the area where you are fighting. Hotfix #5 made these target stages clearer. Hotfix #3 also corrected quest advancement that occurred without the required enemy defeat.
Use the stage displayed in your quest rather than an old walkthrough’s assumption. If a lock remains, follow the locked-area checks; repeating an unrelated battle is not a verified solution.
Before you close the game
Offline progression is a confirmed feature. To make it useful, leave with a purpose rather than an arbitrary activity.
- Choose a task whose output contributes to your next goal.
- Check the materials for your selected production task and review inventory space.
- Confirm the intended activities are running.
- Check the game’s save indicator and let Steam finish syncing before switching devices.
- On return, compare actual rewards with what you expected before planning a longer absence.
Three detours worth avoiding
- Training everything equally. Revisit the next useful unlock instead of leveling for symmetry.
- Following demo numbers. Recent patches changed requirements, XP and prices. Check dates before acting.
- Changing several things at once. Make one targeted adjustment and observe the result so you know what helped.
Keep the progression checklist open next to your game to carry the plan between sessions.
Common questions
What should I train first?
Train toward the material required by your next usable craft or current objective. A universally fastest starting order is not verified.
Can gathering and crafting run together?
Yes. The official Early Access launch announcement explicitly confirms simultaneous gathering and crafting.
Why does an older guide show a different level requirement?
Hotfix #5 lowered requirements for several resource tiers. Use the verified milestone table and check your installed version.
Sources & verification
Official Developer announcement or reply. Community Player report, not reproduced by us. Unknown More evidence needed. Routes and priorities are editorial advice. No in-game tests are claimed.
- Community transcript: МАЙНИНГ ➤ КРАФТ ➤ БОЙ — Between Adventures IDLE #1; chapter times in the starter route. Recording build not identified.
- Official launch announcement ↗
- Hotfix #5: progression and quest changes ↗
- Hotfix #3: tools and quest fix ↗