Practical strategies, backed by the game's actual numbers. The tags show when each tip matters most: Early Mid Late Prestige
Never sell raw if you can refineEarly
Refining almost always multiplies value. 3 Training Data ($0.48) become 1 NLP Data ($1.15), a ×2.4 gain. 4 Training Data plus 1 GPU Process ($1.10) become 1 Vision Data ($3.42), ×3.1. Every step up the ladder pays more than its ingredients. Each node card shows its Sell value added.
Balance your ratiosEarly
A node only runs full sets. At base rates, one NLP Preprocessor (capacity 3, 3 per set) needs 9 Training Data/s, about one and a half Crawlers. A Vision Encoder (capacity 27, 4 per set) needs 108/s. Starving a node wastes its capacity, and overfeeding it wastes the input. Match input demand × capacity to what your suppliers produce.
Spam the cheap early upgradesEarly
Data Stream, Training Crawler, NLP Preprocessor, Power and Edge Node upgrades grow only ×1.1 per level. Everything else grows ×1.12. Each level adds a full 1× base rate, and every 25 levels doubles it, so level 25 means 50× output. Keep the early lines topped up with the ×10 buy mode.
Buy Auto Collect earlyEarly
Money sitting in a Collector can't be spent. Auto Collect ($53K, one-time) banks every coin the moment it arrives, so you can keep buying upgrades without clicking.
Use Split to set prioritiesMid
When one output feeds several nodes, it's shared by demand, and Markets and Researchers only get an average share. If you want exactly 25% going to your Researcher, put a Split in front and set the slider. Chain Splits for three-way or four-way divisions.
Build modules, then duplicateMid
Design one balanced production block, select it, Ctrl+G to group it, then Ctrl+D to duplicate it when you have free slots. Groups keep huge factories readable and easy to move.
Signal Booster is a Data Stream multiplierMid
At capacity 18, one Booster turns 180 Data Stream + 180 Energy per second into 450 Data Stream, a net +270/s from a single node. Feed it fully: that takes 2 Power nodes at base rate.
CPU is for GPUs, not for sellingMid
A Compute Unit makes 21 heat for about $2.50/s of CPU Process, one of the worst heat-to-value ratios in the game. Feed it into GPUs (×4 output) and on into Tensor units (×4 again), or use it as Process (any) for Tokenizers.
Chase the top-tier productsLate
Each tier sells for roughly 10–100× the previous one. One Predictive Trading Bot at base rate earns about $149M/s, and the Generative Art Studio turns ~$58 of ingredients into a $262 token. Once a new tier is reachable, redirect resources to it and sell the leftovers.
Sell Rate upgrades are cheap multipliersMid
Each resource's sell price can go up to 2× with 5 upgrades at ×1.5 cost growth. For whatever you sell most, that's a cheap income doubling that costs little compared with building 5 more production lines.
Know your heat budgetMid
The factory settles at 24 + total heat ÷ 10 °C. Stay under 60 °C (total heat ≤ 360) for full speed, or 100 °C (≤ 760) for ×0.9. Past 100 °C you lose 30%, and past 500 °C you lose 80%. Use the heat calculator.
Use zero-heat nodesMid
Vision Encoder, Acoustic Model and Frame Sequencer make 0 heat. Auto Labeling Farm (2) and Privacy Shield Bot (5) are nearly free too. Build them freely, and spend your heat budget on the hot ones: Predictive Trading Bot 39, Tensor 38, Quantum Bit Cell 37.
Level fans, don't just build themMid
A level-1 fan gives −30 heat, and each Fan Heat level adds another −30 per fan: level 10 gives −300 per fan. Past 0 °C you get bonus speed (×1.2), and near absolute zero up to ×1.6.
Bugs are free moneyEarly
Every bug you click pays about 30 seconds of income (more on a streak), but each one costs a node 25% of its output and adds 100 heat. Click them while you're active. For idle play, place an Antimalware Cannon in the middle of your densest area and upgrade its range.
Markets ignore heatMid
Heat and bugs only slow down production nodes. Markets always sell at full price, so a hot factory loses output but never loses sale value.
Roll cheap Matrix items oftenEarly
A Matrix bonus is centered on the number of rolls: after 50 rolls expect about +50%. Early items are cheap (the Training Data item unlocks for $480), so roll them a lot. Remember the bonus only applies while the item is placed, so prioritize grid space for your bottleneck nodes.
Shrink shapes with ResearchMid
Every 5 reshapes take one cell off the shape, from 7 down to a single cell after 30, and each reshape lets you pick the best of three layouts. Small shapes let you fit many more bonuses on the 5×8 grid. Use rotate (R) and flip (F) to pack them tightly.
Keep a Researcher always fedEarly
Research buys node slots, and slots are the real limit on growth. Each model level gives ×1.25 Research, and level 5 unlocks the next model with a 20× bigger base. Keep a steady share of every required resource flowing into a Researcher.
Models survive prestigePrestige
Model levels and the research stock are kept when you go public. Before prestiging, dump everything you can into your Researchers and level models, because that progress carries into the next run.
Prestige early, then when chips grow 50–100%Prestige
Your first prestige at $2B lifetime gives 150 chips, which doubles production. After that, chips grow slowly (twice the money gives only ×1.35 chips), so reset when the new chips would add about 50–100% to what you own. Try the prestige planner.
Upgrade Offline Time before breaksMid
Offline earnings stop at your Offline Time cap: 2 hours at the start, +2 hours per level (up to 12 hours). If you're going to sleep, a few levels (and the Offline Time Matrix item) turn eight hours away into real progress.
Spend your first Patents on Production BoostPrestige
Your first prestige pays a few Patents. Production Boost is the R&D Board's root, costs 2, and adds 10% to every node forever. Buy the Automation Patent early too, so you never have to buy Auto Collect again.
