The Riftbreaker is a base-building survival game where you play as Captain Ashley Nowak in a powerful mech suit, establishing a base on the alien planet Galatea 37 to build a rift portal back to Earth. The game uniquely blends hack-and-slash ARPG combat (you personally fight alien hordes in your mech) with tower defense and base management. Your mech swaps between weapons in real-time while your base's automated defenses handle waves of alien attackers. Research new technologies across multiple alien biomes, manage power grids and resource chains, and hack through thousands of aliens. It's Factorio meets Diablo.
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 synergies |
| 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
Jungle
Key resources: Basic resources, starting base location, combat tutorial encounters Farming efficiency: Low value per run, but safe and consistent
Focus on gathering materials for Minigun upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Desert
Key resources: Cobalt, unique desert enemies, underground attack mechanics Farming efficiency: Good early-game farming spot
Focus on gathering materials for Minigun upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Acid Biome
Key resources: Bio-materials, acid resistance tech, challenging base defense Farming efficiency: Best mid-game farming, worth revisiting
Focus on gathering materials for Minigun upgrades here. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Volcanic Region
Key resources: Uranium, nuclear technology, toughest alien encounters Farming efficiency: High-value materials for late-game upgrades
This is where you farm materials for Plasma Sword max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Tundra
Key resources: Crystal materials, cold-specific challenges, DLC weapons and tech Farming efficiency: Best resources in the game, requires strong build
This is where you farm materials for Plasma Sword max upgrades. See our maps guide for detailed area layouts.
Upgrade Path
Early Game (Jungle — Desert)
- Upgrade your starting equipment to functional level
- Craft basic defensive gear
- Save specialty materials — you'll need them later
- Focus on Minigun once accessible
Mid Game (Acid Biome)
- Push Minigun to mid-level upgrades
- Start collecting materials for Plasma Sword
- Craft situational consumables for boss fights
- Upgrade build-specific gear pieces
Late Game (Volcanic Region — Tundra)
- Max out Plasma Sword — 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 Acid Biome 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
- Walls and towers need overlapping fields of fire — place towers behind walls so they shoot over them, creating layered defense that enemies must pass through.
- Farm Acid Biome 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 The Riftbreaker Guides
- The Riftbreaker The Riftbreaker Overview
- The Riftbreaker Best Builds
- The Riftbreaker Tier List
- The Riftbreaker Walkthrough
- The Riftbreaker Beginner's Guide
- The Riftbreaker Tips & Tricks
- The Riftbreaker Weapons Guide
- The Riftbreaker Combat Guide
- The Riftbreaker Boss Guide
- The Riftbreaker Maps & Locations
- The Riftbreaker Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy The Riftbreaker, check out these related guides:
- Palworld Crafting Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
- Rust Crafting Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
- ARK: Survival Evolved Crafting Guide — survival game with similar mechanics
