NGU IDLE Crafting Guide: Resources, Recipes & Priorities

NGU IDLE is 4G's free to play incremental game, on Steam since 1 October 2019 after topping the Kongregate idle charts. It layers an RPG and inventory system over the numbers, with more than 300 hand drawn bosses, over 350 equipment pieces and 47 adventure zones. Energy, Magic and EXP feed a stack of systems that unlock at fixed boss numbers.

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:

Resource Farming by Area

Tutorial Zone

Key resources: Training Set and your first Adventure experience Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent

Focus on gathering materials for Forest Set upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.

The Sky

Key resources: Pissed Off Key and ITOPOD access Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot

Focus on gathering materials for Forest Set upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.

High Security Base

Key resources: HSB Set Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting

Focus on gathering materials for Forest Set upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.

Mega Lands

Key resources: Mega Set plus quest and unlock components Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades

This is where you farm materials for Sewers Set max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.

ITOPOD

Key resources: Uncapped EXP and drops with no zone ceiling Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build

This is where you farm materials for Sewers Set max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.

Upgrade Path

Early Game (Tutorial Zone to The Sky)

1. Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
2. Craft basic defensive gear
3. Save specialty materials, since you'll need them later
4. Focus on Forest Set once accessible

Mid Game (High Security Base)

1. Push Forest Set to mid-level upgrades
2. Start collecting materials for Sewers Set
3. Craft situational consumables for boss fights
4. Upgrade build-specific gear pieces

Late Game (Mega Lands to ITOPOD)

1. Max out Sewers Set. This is your top priority
2. Complete your build's core gear set
3. Craft endgame consumables
4. Optional: upgrade secondary equipment for variety

Crafting Mistakes to Avoid

1. Spreading upgrades across multiple equipment: Focus one weapon to max before diversifying.
2. Hoarding materials: Use them. The game provides enough if you farm efficiently.
3. Upgrading the wrong gear: Check our builds guide before investing.
4. Ignoring High Security Base farming: This area has the best resource-to-time ratio in mid-game.
5. Crafting consumables too early: Save specialty materials for late-game recipes.

Resource Efficiency Tips

• Systems unlock at fixed boss numbers, so pushing bosses is the real progression track. Adventure and Inventory open at boss 4, Augmentations at boss 17, the Time Machine at boss 30 and Blood Magic at boss 37.
• Farm High Security Base 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 NGU IDLE Guides

• NGU IDLE NGU IDLE Overview
• NGU IDLE Best Builds
• NGU IDLE Tier List
• NGU IDLE Walkthrough
• NGU IDLE Beginner's Guide
• NGU IDLE Tips & Tricks
• NGU IDLE Weapons Guide
• NGU IDLE Combat Guide
• NGU IDLE Boss Guide
• NGU IDLE Maps & Locations
• NGU IDLE Classes & Characters

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