Build a ship that can fund its own survival

The first alien wave is only the start of the problem: your ship also needs the workers, energy, and fuel to survive the next one. This Hull Rupture demo walkthrough follows that loop from the opening production setup to the standard objective of surviving 20 waves and defeating the final boss. Build a functioning economy, turn its output into useful defenses, and keep checking the routes enemies will take.

The demo includes a tutorial and a replayable standard mode. The official Steam demo page confirms the 20-wave objective; September and October updates changed several systems shown in older recordings.

Establish humans, Energy, and the first defense

Begin with the tutorial so you can identify the Reproducer, energy production, human storage, engine, and Airlock. Humans are a working resource: assigning too many to one task can leave another part of the ship waiting.

In a recorded early-demo player experience, the opening sequence builds a Reproducer, assigns workers to a Larva Generator for Energy, and places a basic turret before the first wave. The important lesson is the dependency, rather than the old construction prices: new workers support production, and production funds the equipment protecting them.

Watch the approaching-wave information and check both the upper and lower hull. Enemies move toward the Airlock after landing, so a gun covering only one approach does not solve the other. Keep enough production operating to make the next purchase useful instead of spending everything on a structure you cannot support.

Expand the economy when its bottleneck becomes clear

As the ship grows, review three questions: are you producing enough Energy, can the workforce support the modules, and is Fuel keeping up with travel? More engines and a larger ship increase the importance of balancing propulsion with the resources feeding it.

The early-demo playthrough repeatedly runs short on humans and Fuel. It uses the Bioreactor to convert humans into Fuel, then improves reproduction and storage so the crew can support further expansion. This is an example of solving one bottleneck without forgetting the systems that feed it, not a requirement to copy every module in the recording.

In the updated demo, the Bioreactor-related Auto function can send humans through the converter automatically. It reduces repeated assignments, but those humans still come from your workforce. Check that production elsewhere is not being starved while the converter runs.

Info Mode displays current resource income per minute. Use it to inspect the economy after an upgrade, while remembering that a changing input supply or a production cap can interrupt that rate.

Use the updated hull, shop, and map systems

Older videos expand through shipyards and buy individual kits. The September demo changed both parts of that sequence:

  • Hull Construction: pause flight and place a randomly offered block, while keeping the Airlock and engine clear. A new empty module slot becomes buildable when a completed module is next to it.
  • Post-battle shop: choose themed module or turret boxes according to the ship's current need, then adapt to the kits received.
  • Despot's Chamber: assigned humans can produce additional random module kits; unwanted kits can be sold in the shop.

On the galaxy map, choose destinations that address the current run. Markets, events, and rewards can help compensate for a shortage, but faster travel also requires engine investment and Fuel. You do not need to visit everything.

Keep hull shape and production space connected to the defense plan. Open positions and exposed corners suit long-range turrets; tighter passages can suit short-range weapons. A larger ship with poor coverage is not automatically safer.

Prepare the wave-20 boss approach

By the final stretch, invest in weapons your economy can actually construct and upgrade. The September rebalance made advanced resources easier to obtain, but the developers still emphasize needing substantial turret defenses for the final boss.

The October construction deep dive says bosses land at the far upper-left part of the hull, away from the Airlock. Consider the length of that approach and where your weapons can fire along it. Turret relocation is free in the updated demo, but it takes time and causes downtime, so establish useful positions before relying on them during the attack.

The recorded early-demo player completes wave 20 with a varied turret network, including long-range weapons, while maintaining production and backup units inside the Airlock. That illustrates a successful run; it does not prove the same kit sequence is guaranteed or the strongest current build. In the September balance, turrets are the main defense and Airlock units are the fallback for survivors.

FAQ

What completes the standard Hull Rupture demo?

Survive 20 attack waves and defeat the final boss. Developer announcements also describe endless continuation beyond the standard objective.

Why does my game look different from an older walkthrough?

The September update introduced Hull Construction and themed shop boxes, among other changes. Earlier recordings show the preceding expansion and purchase systems.

Should I spend every human on Fuel?

Humans also keep production modules working and support other tasks. Replenish Fuel while checking reproduction, storage, and working assignments so solving propulsion does not halt the economy.