Beginner Guide
Minute-by-minute route, the first rain, and four traps every keeper walks into.
Launch-day wire
- Launch day, 586 concurrents by morning — the "unhinged incremental" pitch travels well.
- First sun-kill clear: 47:12 (chain-routed). The sub-45 route is being argued in the record thread.
- Rain-parade follower bonus: bug or joke? The devs have acknowledged the question with a single fire emoji.
- The piano chord has been transcribed. It is four notes. Nobody agrees on the fourth.
Minute by minute, first run
Minutes 0-6 · Learn the toss
Drag fuels in an arc — flat throws roll off the pile. Feed pinecones steadily; the Popcorn Chain pays for your whole first phase if you keep the rhythm.
Minute 6 · First rain
The Sun's first rain cloud arrives around minute six with a shadow warning. Rain halves burn value — never feed big fuel wet. Save a chair.
Phase I priorities
Quick Grip I-III and Yard Sale before anything else. Every other purchase in phase one is a trap for new keepers.
Phase II · Choose a religion
Cult arrives. Decide: automation (comfort), chains (speed), or shelter (cozy). The Builds page has the arguments; there is no wrong answer at 3-5 hours.
Phase III · Watch the sky
Satellites are telegraphed by shadows. Keep a Moon Chunk in reserve per rain event. The staring contest (240k°, 45s) ends the game — chain reactions are the only verified answer so far.
Four new-stoker traps
✗ Feeding big fuel during rain
Rain halves burn value. The tanker you fed wet is the community's most-shared day-one regret.
✗ Hoarding currency for the "perfect" shop
Early upgrades compound. Quick Grip pays for itself in a minute; buy on sight.
✗ Over-hiring before Feeder Rows
Followers past six trip over each other. Rows first, headcount second.
✗ Panic-burning pamphlets
Pamphlets are follower income first, fuel second. Burning them all leaves the cult starved.
"The first six minutes teach you everything except patience. Patience is taught by rain."
— top-rated beginner tip
Launch-day questions
The tag says incremental, but the run is 3-5 hours. Active feeding stays optimal until late phase two; only the Flamekeeper idles between sessions (4h cap).