Tuxedo Labs put Teardown into Early Access on 29 October 2020 and shipped version 1.0 on 21 April 2022. Every wall, pipe and vehicle across its 40 mission campaign is built from destructible voxels, and the heists are designed around that fact. You get unlimited time to carve a route through a site, then 60 seconds to grab the loot and reach the escape vehicle once the alarm trips.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best builds, equipment worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
Unlimited preparation, 60 second escape
Most campaign missions split into two phases. You can wander and demolish for as long as you like, but touching the first target starts an alarm and a countdown of roughly 60 seconds to the escape point.
Destruction that persists into the timer
Damage you cause during preparation stays on the map when the clock starts. Knocking a hole through three warehouse walls early turns a long corridor route into a straight line later.
Tool upgrades bought with heist money
Missions pay cash you spend at the computer in the Löckelle Teardown Services office. Plank count and shotgun ammunition are the two upgrades that change routing the most, so they beat raw damage tiers.
Vehicles as tools and as getaway
Cars, boats, forklifts and cranes are drivable, and several missions require driving a target vehicle out rather than carrying loot. A vehicle also removes fencing faster than any handheld tool.
Level editor with Lua scripting
Teardown ships the same editor Tuxedo Labs used, with Lua scripting and direct Steam Workshop upload. Community maps, vehicles and custom game modes install from the Workshop in one click.
For a deeper dive into how these systems interact, see our Teardown combat guide.
Builds Overview
| Build | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tunnel Runner | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Plank Bridge Router | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Vehicle Extractor | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Explosive Demolisher | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
| Quiet Cutter | A | Versatile approach | Balanced stats |
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our Teardown builds guide. For rankings, check the tier list.
Equipment Guide
| Equipment | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Sledgehammer | The starting tool and the only one with no ammunition meter. | Opening interior walls, windows and floors during preparation, when nothing is being timed. |
| Blowtorch | Melts through metal, which the sledgehammer simply bounces off. | Metal gates and marina hulls, and any locked door where the frame is the weak point. |
| Spray can | Draws coloured lines on any surface and destroys nothing at all. | Marking the escape path, target positions and plank anchor points before the alarm starts. |
| Plank | Fires planks that stick where they land and hold your weight. | Crossing water at West Point Marina and reaching upper floors without using stairs. |
| Pipe bomb | A thrown explosive with a short fuse and a blast wide enough to open concrete. | Concrete and stone walls, and pre rigged demolition contracts where the target is the building itself. |
Sledgehammer: The starting tool and the only one with no ammunition meter. It breaks wood, glass and plaster instantly and chews weak masonry slowly, and its upgrades raise how hard a material it can handle.
Blowtorch: Melts through metal, which the sledgehammer simply bounces off. Hinges, chains, safe doors, shipping containers and boat hulls all fall to it, and its fuel recharges rather than running out permanently.
Spray can: Draws coloured lines on any surface and destroys nothing at all. It is the only tool with no upgrades, because marking a route does not scale.
Plank: Fires planks that stick where they land and hold your weight. Upgrades raise both the number you carry and how long each one is, which is why it is the first upgrade worth buying.
Pipe bomb: A thrown explosive with a short fuse and a blast wide enough to open concrete. You carry a limited number, so it is worth saving for material that nothing else touches.
Full breakdowns in our Teardown weapons guide.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Löckelle Teardown Services | Available from the first contract onward | Tool upgrades, mission select, a consequence free testing yard |
| Lee Chemicals | Campaign part 1, first mission | First cash payout, sledgehammer and spray can practice |
| West Point Marina | Campaign part 1, early missions | Plank routing practice, boat extraction, blowtorch work on hulls |
| Villa Gordon | Campaign part 1, mid campaign | High value targets on upper floors, the story turn against your employer |
| Quilez Security | Campaign part 1, late missions | Late campaign payout, a real test of fully upgraded tools |
Löckelle Teardown Services: The campaign hub and your own company office. The computer here accepts contracts and sells tool upgrades using the money missions pay out, and the yard outside is a free place to test explosives.
Lee Chemicals: The opening contract, handed over by Gordon Woo, on a small industrial site. It exists to teach the two phase structure before the maps get complicated.
West Point Marina: A waterfront site spread across two missions, full of boats, jetties and metal hulls. Water blocks the direct line, which is exactly where the plank tool earns its upgrade cost back.
Villa Gordon: Gordon Woo's own property, split across two missions, with valuables spread over several floors of a large house. Vertical routing matters more here than raw demolition.
Quilez Security: A security company compound and one of the tighter late part 1 contracts, with a compact layout and targets shut behind metal rather than an open industrial site.
See our maps & locations guide for detailed area breakdowns and our walkthrough for the optimal progression path.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Trigger nothing until the route is finished. Preparation has no time limit whatsoever, and every hole you punch beforehand is still open when the 60 seconds begin.
- Spray can lines survive the alarm. Draw arrows on the floor at every corner of your route, because at full sprint you will misremember which warehouse door you opened.
- Spend your first upgrade money on plank count and shotgun ammunition. Both create routes that did not exist, while sledgehammer damage tiers only shorten swings you already had time for.
- Vehicles are demolition tools. Driving a forklift or truck through a fence line during preparation clears more material in five seconds than the sledgehammer manages in a minute.
- The blowtorch answers metal and nothing else. If the sledgehammer bounces off a gate, chain or container, switch tools rather than swinging harder.
- Fire spreads through wooden structures and will consume targets you have not collected yet. Keep the extinguisher on a bound key for any map with timber framing, which includes the marina.
- Falling is rarely fatal and usually fast. Cutting a hole in a floor and dropping two storeys beats taking the stairs once the timer is running.
- Planks anchor to anything, including a plank you placed a second earlier. Chain them into a ramp over water rather than swimming, because swimming is slow and limits what you can carry.
- Check target placement before choosing a pickup order. The countdown starts on the first target, so begin with the one furthest from your escape and finish with the closest.
- Sandbox mode hands you every tool with no limits. Learn what a pipe bomb actually removes from concrete there, before you spend a limited charge on a paying contract.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Treating doors and stairs as the intended path. Teardown maps have no correct route, and a hole through two walls is nearly always shorter than the corridor.
- Starting the alarm to find out where the targets are. Walk the whole site first, since the game gives you unlimited time to do exactly that.
- Spending upgrade money on damage boosts early. Plank count and shotgun ammunition change which routes exist, damage only speeds up routes you already had.
- Ignoring fire until it reaches the loot. One stray blowtorch spark in a wooden marina building can destroy a target before you collect it.
- Forgetting the escape vehicle needs a clear path too. A perfect route to the loot is worthless if the getaway is still boxed in by a fence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Teardown have combat?
It is a destruction sandbox first. The shotgun and rocket launcher exist to remove material rather than to fight, though the later part of the campaign does add hostile robots that shoot back.
How long is the campaign?
Forty missions in the main campaign, plus the free Art Vandals mini campaign with five more and its own Paperboy Gun and Jackhammer tools. Most players finish the main run in 10 to 15 hours.
Is there multiplayer?
Yes. Teardown supports online sessions for up to 12 people across campaign missions, sandbox maps and community content pulled from the Steam Workshop.
Which tool upgrades should I buy first?
Plank count and shotgun ammunition. Both open gaps and plaster that were previously closed to you, which matters more than the sledgehammer damage tiers sold at the same computer.
Can I mod it?
Yes. Tuxedo Labs ships the level editor it used internally, with Lua scripting and direct Steam Workshop upload for maps, vehicles and custom game modes.
More Teardown Guides
- Teardown Best Builds
- Teardown Tier List
- Teardown Walkthrough
- Teardown Beginner's Guide
- Teardown Tips & Tricks
- Teardown Weapons Guide
- Teardown Combat Guide
- Teardown Boss Guide
- Teardown Maps & Locations
- Teardown Crafting Guide
- Teardown Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Teardown, check out these related guides:
- Terraria Guide: sandbox game with similar mechanics
- VRChat Guide: sandbox game with similar mechanics
- Garry's Mod Guide: sandbox game with similar mechanics
