The Crust Beginner Faq — Wiki & Guide
Beginner Faq explained: Quick answers to the most searched questions. Facts sourced from official pages, wiki and community discussions. Updated for the 2026 la
Quick, sourced answers to the questions new The Crust players actually ask, pulled from the game's community forum, 1.0 creators and the store pages. Deeper versions live in the getting-started walkthrough and beginner tips.
Is there a free demo of The Crust?
A free demo existed during early access — Z1 Gaming's "FREE DEMO First Look" (228,420 views) covers a moon-mining slice of it. As of the September 16, 2026 snapshot, the 1.0 Steam page does not advertise a demo. The closest current option is the 1.1 Closed Test: the store page has a "Request Access" button that notifies you when the developer needs testers.
Does The Crust run on Steam Deck?
Unverified at 1.0. During early access (July 2025) players reported launch crashes on Deck after a big update; a developer replied asking for details, and a player later shared a ProtonDB-sourced workaround — adding -dx11 to the launch options:
Launch options: -dx11
That thread predates 1.0, so check current Steam Deck-filtered reviews before buying for Deck.
Can you merge conveyor belts, or only through storage?
You can merge belts directly: run one belt sideways into another and a merger is built automatically. Splitters work the same way — start dragging a new belt sideways off an existing one. A storage-building "interface" also works, but it's optional, not a requirement.
How do I pick up items lying on the ground?
Use the three-chevron tool at the bottom-left of the screen, next to the deconstruct tool. Click a resource pile with three chevrons pointing down (orange) for high priority or two up (green) for low. It works on loose materials, ore and even buildings — as long as drones have a storage or factory that accepts the item, they will haul it away.
Why won't my drones deliver to my factory?
Three documented causes: (1) resource mismatch — every building in the chain must be set to the same resource (iron vein → iron extractor → iron smelter); (2) no accepting destination — the receiving building must allow that resource in; (3) at 1.0 launch, some players reported a genuine bug where drones ignored delivery settings entirely (one lost a fuel chain's ice supply with thousands of ice in storage) — the forum workaround was rebuilding the link; patch notes are the long-term fix.
How many solar panels and batteries do I need?
Veteran baseline for the early base: 12–15 small solar arrays and at least 9 small batteries. Diagnostics: batteries not full by dusk → more panels; batteries empty before dawn → more batteries; adding panels usually means adding batteries too.
Should I play the campaign or sandbox first?
Campaign, on normal or easy. It paces the tech unlocks, gives you a free rover, and — per Pravus's 1.0 run across both modes — "the campaign is actually balanced to provide you these things in a timely fashion." Sandbox rewards players who already understand the economy; if you use it to learn, take the easiest difficulty and treat contracts as optional.
Is The Crust multiplayer?
No — Steam lists it as a single-player game (Single-player, Steam Achievements, Steam Cloud, Leaderboards). All trading happens with Earth factions, not other players.
Do I have to accept every contract?
No, and you shouldn't. Forum advice: decline anything you can't fill from stock, never take the energy-cells contract (unbuildable at that stage), and remember "urgent" flashing is pressure — some urgent deadlines are impossible even with perfect play. Reputation loss from declining is recoverable.