Captain of Industry drops you on an unmapped island with a damaged ship, a handful of settlers and a pile of scrap. MaFi Games put it into Early Access on 31 May 2022 and it pairs terrain deforming open pit mining with factory chains, a settlement that eats food and produces Unity, and a world map you sail yourself. Every machine and vehicle also burns maintenance, so a factory that cannot feed its own upkeep will tear itself apart.
Resource management and crafting determine how quickly your power scales. This guide covers what to prioritize, where to farm, and how to avoid wasting resources on the wrong upgrades.
Crafting Priority List
The order you should invest resources:
| Priority | Target | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Primary equipment | Biggest damage increase per resource spent |
| 2 | Core build gear | Enables your build's key combinations |
| 3 | Defensive upgrades | Survivability for boss fights |
| 4 | Secondary equipment | Situational options for specific content |
| 5 | Consumables | Temporary boosts for hard content |
Resource Farming by Area
Home Island
Key resources: Coal, iron ore, copper ore, limestone, later quartz and uranium ore Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Blast Furnace upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Oil Rig
Key resources: Crude oil supply, the route to diesel self sufficiency Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Blast Furnace upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Groundwater Well
Key resources: Fresh water without the power cost of a Thermal Desalinator Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Blast Furnace upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Sawmill
Key resources: Steady wood income, charcoal without coal mining Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Mine Control Tower max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Damaged Cargo Ship
Key resources: Additional trade ships, salvaged materials Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Mine Control Tower max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Home Island to Oil Rig)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials, since you'll need them later
- Focus on Blast Furnace once accessible
Mid Game (Groundwater Well)
- Push Blast Furnace to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Mine Control Tower
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Sawmill to Damaged Cargo Ship)
- Max out Mine Control Tower. This is your top priority
- Complete your build's core gear set
- Craft endgame consumables
- Optional: upgrade secondary equipment for variety
Crafting Mistakes to Avoid
- Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment: Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
- Hoarding materials: Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
- Upgrading the wrong gear: Check our builds guide before investing.
- Ignoring Groundwater Well farming: This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
- Crafting consumables too early: Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.
Resource Efficiency Tips
- Maintenance is the real difficulty curve. Below 75 percent a machine or vehicle can break down, and the chance rises toward 50 percent at zero, so one depot starved of electronics can cascade into a base wide stall.
- Farm Groundwater Well during mid-game for the best return on time
- Check the walkthrough to know when each resource becomes available
- Match your farming route to your build. Some classes farm faster in certain areas
More Captain of Industry Guides
- Captain of Industry Captain of Industry Overview
- Captain of Industry Best Builds
- Captain of Industry Tier List
- Captain of Industry Walkthrough
- Captain of Industry Beginner's Guide
- Captain of Industry Tips & Tricks
- Captain of Industry Weapons Guide
- Captain of Industry Combat Guide
- Captain of Industry Boss Guide
- Captain of Industry Maps & Locations
- Captain of Industry Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Captain of Industry, check out these related guides:
- Stardew Valley Crafting Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- Satisfactory Crafting Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
- The Sims 4 Crafting Guide: simulation game with similar mechanics
