Upgrade Priority Guide

Knowing what to upgrade matters as much as knowing when to sell. This guide ranks upgrade categories by impact at each stage of the game.

Upgrade Categories

🛢️ Pumps

Pumps extract water from underground. Higher-tier pumps produce water faster.

• Pros: More water per minute = more profit per sell cycle.
• Cons: Useless if storage is too small — water gets wasted or forces bad sells.
• Best for: Mid-to-late game when storage can keep up.

⛽ Storage Tanks

Tanks hold water between extraction and selling. Capacity is your market timing tool.

• Pros: Enables holding through low trends; single highest-ROI early upgrade.
• Cons: Doesn't increase production speed on its own.
• Best for: Early game priority #1. Keep upgrading throughout.

🏭 Technology

Unlocks advanced features — better extraction methods, automation, or efficiency boosts.

• Pros: Often provides multiplicative bonuses to production or selling.
• Cons: Usually expensive; may require base expansion first.
• Best for: Mid game once basic pump + tank loop is stable.

🏗️ Base Expansion

More physical space for additional pumps, tanks, and tech buildings.

• Pros: Removes placement limits; required for late-game scaling.
• Cons: Large upfront cost with no immediate production boost.
• Best for: When you've maxed out current base placement slots.

Recommended Priority by Stage

Early Game (First 15 Minutes)

1. First pump placement
2. Storage tank upgrade (×1–2)
3. Second pump
4. Another storage upgrade

Mid Game

1. Continue storage upgrades (never stop)
2. Upgrade existing pumps to next tier
3. Unlock first technology
4. Add more pump slots

Late Game

1. Base expansion
2. Max-tier pumps across all slots
3. All available technology unlocks
4. Max storage for full market cycle control

Cost-Efficiency Tips

• Don't buy the most expensive upgrade if a cheaper one gives 80% of the benefit.
• Sell during high market trends before making big purchases — your cash goes further.
• Check if a technology unlock enables cheaper upgrades elsewhere before buying standalone items.
• Reinvest 100% of early profits — don't hoard cash without upgrading.

Full Upgrade Tier List

Ranked by overall impact across all game stages:

Rank	Upgrade	Impact	Best Stage
S	Storage tank upgrades	Enables market timing — highest ROI	All stages
A	Pump tier upgrades	Linear production increase	Mid–Late
A	Technology unlocks	Often multiplicative bonuses	Mid–Late
B	Additional pump slots	Good if storage keeps up	Mid
B	Base expansion	Required for late scaling	Late
C	Cosmetic / layout changes	No income impact	Any

Upgrade Decision Flowchart

Ask yourself these questions before every purchase:

1. Are my tanks filling before the next high trend? → Yes = upgrade storage.
2. Do I have unused pump placement slots? → Yes = add/upgrade pumps (if storage OK).
3. Is there a technology unlock available? → Yes = check if it boosts production or capacity.
4. Have I maxed all slots on current base? → Yes = consider base expansion.
5. None of the above? → Upgrade storage anyway (never regret bigger tanks).

Technology Upgrade Guide

Technology branches vary by update, but generally prioritize in this order:

1. Capacity / storage tech — directly extends market timing window.
2. Extraction speed tech — more water per peak sell.
3. Sell price multiplier tech — increases cash per unit at any trend level.
4. Automation tech — if added, reduces manual sell timing pressure.
5. Cosmetic / quality-of-life tech — lowest priority for income.

When NOT to Upgrade

• Don't upgrade during a low trend sell — wait for peak sell, then buy with the extra cash.
• Don't expand base with empty pump slots — fill current plot first.
• Don't max one pump while others are base tier — spread upgrades evenly.
• Don't buy tech you can't afford without draining all cash — keep a small buffer for emergency storage upgrade.

Combine this with our Market Trends strategy for the fastest progression path.