The general goal is to extract numbers from the map, transform them into required numbers, and deliver them on belts to the Hub in the centre of the map.

Deliver numbers to level up, accessing higher numbers to extract, new features, and buildings that can process numbers into different numbers.

• While using a tool etc., instruction text is shown in the top-left of the screen.
  
• In the early game, you don't need to remove or stop delivering level numbers. In fact, early upgrades need those same numbers, so you can leave them going until you need room at the hub to deliver other things.
  
• From the start, you can produce multiple processed numbers at once. (Eg. 1+1 = 2.) But cannot practically use multiple number sources without crossing the streams. (Eg. 1+2 = 3) So you'll likely need to make just one at a time with a pair (Eg. each 1+2 is using a different pair of 1-extractors and 2-extractors.) When you unlock the Bridge however, you can route numbers more complexly and set up rows of processors to take lots of each number and
  output them all to one belt.

Move the view ("Pan") by using the arrow keys, WASD. Hold shift while using these keys to move faster. Or drag with right-click.

Zoom the view, with the mouse wheel.

Pause time, with the spacebar. Or use Esc to open the pause menu.

At the top-right of the screen, a number of buttons can be used to show various dialog windows.

• Undo (CTRL+Z), Redo (CTRL+Y): These undo the last action, or redo an undone action.
  
• Zoom to Hub (H): Pans to the hub, and zooms into it.
  
• Place Marker (B): Click to place a new marker on the map. When placed a textbox appears, letting you type whatever you want the marker to say. Zooming out will keep the text at a readable size. Click on an existing marker to edit its text or delete it. (You can use Markers to easily find the production of a number no longer needed, to go over and adjust it to send a useful number.)
  
• Delivered Numbers: Shows the Delivered Numbers window (see below for details).
  
• Upgrades: Shows the Upgrades window (see below for details).
  
• Menu (Esc): Pauses the game and shows the pause menu. This includes Resume, New Game, Load Game, Save Game, Options (including keyboard shortcuts), and Exit. Press Esc to Resume.

There are 4 editing tools that allow you to manipulate areas on the map.

Activate a tool with the shortcut or by clicking on its button in the build menu. Then click and drag a box on the map to apply the tool to that area (the Hub is ignored). There is a maximum width and height to this area.

• Copy (CTRL+C): Built objects within or overlapping with the area are copied into the clipboard.
  
• Paste (CTRL+V): Previews the latest thing copied. Click to place a copy. Or click and drag in a line to paste multiple copies in a row. (Can be used to copy belts pointing backwards and paste them in a line.) Press R to rotate the preview before placing. Use (Shift+Scroll Wheel) to change to earlier/later things copied.
  
• Cut (CTRL+X): Copies, and deletes what was copied, including any numbers within the area.
  
• Clear (C): Removes all numbers within the area. (Useful when changing the inputs to a more complex factory setup, to clear the old ones and immediately start processing the new inputs instead.)
  
• Demolish (X): Deletes all built objects within or overlapping the area.

In the centre of the map is a large blue box: the "Hub."

Deliver numbers along belts to the hub to collect them. Collected numbers count toward levelling up, which unlocks new features, processors, and extraction access to higher-number patches. And also to upgrade various features already unlocked such as belt speed. The hub can take numbers from up to 20 ingoing belts at once.

On the hub is shown:

• Levelling number - large, white.
  
• Delivered / required - green.
  
• Current level.
  
• Rewards when next level is reached.

When enough of the number has been delivered, a transparent white circle blasts out across the entire map and a sound effect plays.

Apart from number fields that can be extracted, new buildings and features are unlocked through these level-ups. They come in this order:

• Starts unlocked: Belt, Extractor
  
• Adder
  
• Belt Bridge
  
• Belt Priorities
  
• Subtractor
  
• Divider
  
• Exponentiator
  
• Storage

Click on one grid space and drag to another space to plan out a belt. Drag as far as you want, and the belt plan will extend in a line from where you started dragging, towards your mouse. Let go of the drag to place belts along the plan, which will move numbers from the start to the end of that plan.

The first and last grid space will have half-belts placed there. Belts placed in or through blocks will be skipped.

If Bridges are unlocked, bridges will be placed along the belt as appropriate.

If Priorities are unlocked, click on a belt coming out of a junction with multiple exits, to show a green diamond and give it priority. Belts with priority cause numbers to only use that exit unless there's no room for a number to enter that space. Click on a different outgoing belt to change priority for that junction, or click the priority to remove prioritisation.

Build a belt to another half-belt to create a corner.

• If there are multiple belts going into a space, numbers from each belt will be sent into that space alternately. (Including Processor inputs.)
  
• If there are multiple belts coming out of a space, numbers in that space will be sent to the outgoing belts alternately. (Including Processor outputs.)

Place a bridge to allow numbers to go in one side and come out on the opposite side, without interrupting or mixing with the flow going in and out of the other sides. This unlocks a lot of techniques for setting up your processors and belts.

For example, a belt carrying 1s can go in the top of a bridge and out the bottom, while a belt carrying 2s can go in the left of the same bridge and out of the right.

Bridges are automatically placed when building a belt across a grid space with a full belt in it. (Not a half-belt.)

Build an extractor on a dark box on the grid, to extract the white number shown in the middle of that box. That number is sent out, divided among all out-going belts. The upgrade "Extractor Level" defines the speed based on how many outgoing belts it can serve at full speed.

Processors take up multiple grid spaces, in a unique colour and block shape. Click to place, or click and drag to place multiple in a row. Use R to rotate the block clockwise (or Shift+R for counter-clockwise) before placing.

A darker square on the block with a letter indicates an input; build ingoing belts to those squares to feed numbers into the block.

Each input can hold a buffer of 5 numbers within the block. While there are at least one number in each input, the processor will process them for some time (depending on their upgraded speed) and then flash and output resulting number(s) from the outputs.

A lighter square indicates an output; build outgoing belts from those squares to take numbers out of them. Just like the extractors, numbers coming from an output will be shared evenly among outgoing belts from that output.

If not connected to an outgoing belt, each output can buffer 2 numbers, which will then be sent as soon as an outgoing belt is built next to it.


Inputs: A, B. Output: A+B.


Inputs: A, B. Output: A×B.


Inputs: A, B. Output: A-B.


Inputs: A, B. Output: A÷B (rounded down), R (remainder).
Note, both outputs must be taken before new inputs can be processed.


Inputs: A, B. Output: Aᴮ.


This does not process numbers to make a new number. Instead it acts like a hub, storing up to 10,000 copies of a single number. (The number is set by the first number it receives while empty.) Those copies can be output through outgoing belts.

Shows all numbers currently being delivered to the Hub, and the speed of delivery. Numbers used to level up with be in yellow at the top left. Numbers used for upgrades will be listed after that, marked with what they could be used to upgrade. After that are listed numbers that are not currently counting towards anything.

A button can be clicked to cycle through the speed notation: per second, per minute, or per hour.

Below the listing, required numbers for the next 12 upcoming levels are shown.

Click the upward-arrow icon button in the top-right of the screen to open the Upgrades window.

Each row shows:

• The name of the upgrade.
  
• Its current level.
  
• The current speed (or number of belts extractors can efficiently feed).
  
• Up to three required numbers.
  
• A large button to build that upgrade. Only clickable if the required numbers have already been delivered.

Each of the required numbers show:

• The number - large, white.
  
• How many have been delivered / how many are required - green when met, white when unmet.

Deliver such numbers to the hub as normal, and they will contribute to the upgrades automatically. When an upgrade is able to be built, a sound effect will trigger and the upward-arrow icon on the button will become green.