Overview
Resource gathering is the foundation of all other systems in Solarpunk. Players collect raw materials from the floating islands and process them into tools, building materials, and components. Gathering methods range from manual mining with a Pickaxe to automated extraction with drills.
Resource types
Resource | Source | How to obtain |
|---|---|---|
Sand | Brown rocks (sandstone) | Mine with Pickaxe |
Stone | Green rocks (stone with moss) | Mine with Pickaxe at dedicated spots |
Iron | Small iron outcrops | Mine scattered deposits throughout islands |
Wood | Trees | Chop with Axe |
Clay | Various mining | Obtained randomly alongside other materials |
Cotton | Farming | Grow and harvest from planted seeds |
Algae | Magnet Fisher | Collected automatically by the Automatic Magnet Fisher |
Truffles | Pigs | Dug up by pigs exploring the island |
Rock types
Solarpunk has visually distinct rock types that yield different materials:
Brown rocks (sandstone): These lighter-colored rocks produce Sand when mined. Sand is used in crafting and is a component for glass building materials.
Green rocks (stone with moss): These darker rocks with visible moss produce Stone. Stone is a basic material used across many recipes and building components.
Iron
Small iron outcrops are scattered throughout the world on various islands. Iron is not available from regular rock deposits; players must find these specific iron nodes. Iron tools are available in the full game (they were not included in the demo) and last significantly longer than their wooden counterparts.
Clay
Clay is obtained randomly alongside other materials while mining. There are no dedicated clay deposits; instead, clay appears as a secondary drop when gathering from various rock types. Clay is used in crafting recipes and as a component for brick building materials.
Truffles
Truffles are a unique resource that cannot be mined or farmed directly. They are exclusively obtained by raising pigs, which dig up truffles from the ground as they explore the island. This makes pigs a valuable animal to keep for access to this otherwise unobtainable resource.
Tool durability
Tools in Solarpunk have a durability system. Each use of a tool reduces its durability until it breaks:
Wooden tools: Break quickly. Made from Sticks and Stones via quick craft. Expect to re-craft these frequently in the early game.
Iron tools: Last significantly longer than wooden tools. Require iron, which is found at scattered outcrops. Available in the full game but not in the demo.
Tool durability was a point of feedback during playtests, with many testers noting that wooden tools break too quickly, leading to frequent trips back to the crafting menu. The developers have acknowledged this as an area for balancing.
Automated gathering
As players progress, they can build automated machines to handle resource extraction:
Automatic Drill: Extracts resources from ground deposits without manual mining. No longer produces stone as a byproduct.
Automatic Magnet Fisher: Collects algae from below the islands. Algae is used in advanced crafting recipes.
Both machines require power from the Energy System to operate.