Early game (first hour)
| Method | Pays | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ship dust by hand | depends on weight | Fill your tool → depot → launch. Buy the Household Broom ($25) first so each trip carries 3 kg |
| Flags | $100 each (one guide says $200) | Untangle them as you pass |
| Survey sites | $250 each | Complete them when you find one |
| Finished hexes / regions | small bonus (e.g. $10 per hex ⚠️) | Region Bounty upgrade adds more |
Mid game: let belts sell for you
- Building Tool ($50) → Packager ($100) → conveyor ($0.50/m) into the depot’s outside intake. Since 1.0.3 anything arriving by belt is paid as it comes in.
- Buy Market Contracts (+6% payout at level 1, $120) once dust reaches the depot steadily; buy Supplier Network (cheaper purchases) before a big spend.
- Get a vehicle — the Lunar Sweeper ($2,500) cleans a 2.8 m strip (vehicles).
Late game: process everything
| Product | Machine | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Raw dust | — | 1× |
| Moon Sand | Pressure Chamber ($500, 10 kW) | 3× |
| Moonstone | Stone Press ($1,000, 18 kW) | 7× ⚠️ |
Add solar power so machines keep running (they stop at night when batteries run out — night). Then buy J.O.O.N.A.S. units ($20,000) with Capsule Catchers ($1,500): since 1.0.4 they keep cleaning with nobody nearby. Players at this stage report money stops being a limit — one reported millions in the bank with hundreds of robots ⚠️. Full setup: automation.
Money achievements
Dust Pays the Bills ($1,000) → Filthy Rich ($10,000) → Lunar Payday ($100,000) → The Moon Is a Gold Mine ($1,000,000, 4.1% of players), plus spending tiers up to Small loan of $1 million. See achievements.