Satisfactory Beginner’s Guide: New Player Tips & Mechanics Overview

(Estimated Read Time: 8 minutes)

Perhaps it’s the ability to let you create intricate automated factories that enticed you to start a new game in Satisfactory. Otherwise, it might be its online multiplayer features so you can build and have fun with friends. Either way, you have to start somewhere in this game, and we’re here to help you through this Satisfactory Beginner’s Guide.

Satisfactory Beginner's Guide: An Overview for New Players

Some players might find similarities between Factorio and Satisfactory since both are factory-building games. Both titles have comparable features, including exploration, combat, crafting, and resource-gathering. However, in many ways, Satisfactory sets itself apart from Factorio and other factory-building games. For instance, Satisfactory is set in a 3D world, whereas Factorio is 2D. Additionally, Satisfactory players can ride a range of vehicles, such as cars and trucks, and use other modes of transportation, like elevators and jump pads. Satisfactory is also reasonably new compared to Factorio, with its Early Access release date on March 19, 2019. On the other hand, Factorio was released as an Early Access title on February 25, 2016. However, Factorio launched its full release on August 14, 2020. Moving forward, Satisfactory players become pioneers sent to “colonize” an alien planet. Pioneers must then go through a tutorial explaining some of the game’s basic systems, such as resource-gathering and building. You should be able to build a reasonably small factory by the end of the tutorial.

Satisfactory Core Mechanics

Before moving forward, it’s important to mention that the following Satisfactory beginner’s guide highlights the game’s core mechanics. However, the details found below won’t dive deep into each system, as they would require in-depth explanations. Nonetheless, you should find the information needed to help get your feet wet into the game.

Build Gun

Unlike other games with sandbox elements wherein you can build and dismantle by hand, Satisfactory requires its pioneers to use a Build Gun. It projects a hologram on the desired location for a structure with its Construction Mode. Additionally, using the Build Gun on a built structure can dismantle it using its Dismantle Mode. There’s also a Customizer Mode in the Build Gun. Pioneers can access this mode by pressing the “X” keyboard key (by default). As its name implies, this mode allows you to paint different colors and textures onto various surfaces, particularly on buildings and vehicles.

Clock Speed

Timing is vital in automation, especially in the factories built in Satisfactory. Pioneers can set the clock speed of Constructors, Miners, Biomass Burners, and other production and power buildings. This setting can be changed within the percentage range of 1% to 250%, and you can fine-tune the speed up to four decimal places.

Combat

Sometimes, pioneers must engage in combat against the hostile creatures living on the alien planet. Thankfully, you have access to different weapons to help cull the dangerous wildlife. These weapons and their damage outputs are the following:

• Xeno-Zapper: 5
• Xeno-Basher: 9
• Iron Rebar: 15
• Stun Rebar: 5 + 5 seconds stun
• Shatter Rebar: 15 x 2
• Explosive Rebar: 50 explosion damage
• Rifle Ammo: 5
• Homing Rifle Ammo: 6
• Turbo Rifle Ammo: 4
• Nobelisk: 50
• Gas Nobelisk: 5 poison damage per second x 30 sec
• Pulse Nobelisk: 5 explosion damage + knockback
• Cluster Nobelisk: 50 explosion + 5 x 25 secondary explosions
• Nuke Nobelisk: 150 explosion + radiation x 30 sec

Additionally, the hostile creatures you’ll likely encounter while gathering resources are the following:

• Alpha Hog
• Fluffy-Tailed Hog
• Alpha Spitter
• Spitter
• Flying Crab
• Flying Crab Hatcher
• Alpha Stinger
• Elite Gas Stinger
• Baby Stinger

Notes: Hogs, Spitters, and their variants were introduced in the October 17, 2018 patch.

Crates

Satisfactory has two main crate types: Death and Dismantle. Each crate has its unique function and properties.

• Death Crate: Appears after a pioneer dies and respawns. However, the pioneer must travel to where they died to retrieve this crate and its items.
• Dismantle Crate: Appears after dismantling a building with the Build Gun.

Head Lift

Head lift is a property in certain buildings, and it measures the maximum height that pioneers can push fluids. Only the start and end point matters when determining head lift. That means you don’t have to put much significance on the pipeline’s overall shape. Don’t confuse head lift with elevation. The former is a requirement to fill a container while considering the difference of the latter. Milestones and the Molecular Analysis Machine (MAM) Pioneers can progress in Satisfactory through milestones. Reaching a specific tier in a milestone unlocks new buildings, equipment, crafting recipes, and more. Also, achieving the Tier 1 milestone lets pioneers access the MAM, a machine that unlocks additional buildings and blueprints. At the time of writing, this building is the only other way to unlock other buildings and blueprints other than the milestones. The unlockables in the MAM are separated into different research trees, which are the following:

• Alien Organisms
• Caterium
• Hard Drive
• Mycelia
• Nutrients
• Power Slugs
• Quartz
• Sulfur

Pioneers can unlock each tree by picking up a particular item from the MAM’s user interface. For example, gathering a Caterium Ore for the first time unlocks the Caterium tree.

Power

Most buildings won’t function without electricity. Pioneers can produce electricity from power generators, and the available units under this building category at the time of writing are the following:

• Biomass Burner
• Coal Generator
• Fuel Generator
• Geothermal Generator
• Nuclear Power Plant

Pioneers must then attach a power storage to the generator to store electricity. Then, supply a building with electricity by connecting it to a power storage using railways, train stations, power lines, or power poles.

Radiation

Radiation is a negative effect that can damage a pioneer’s health over time. The player can counter this adverse effect by wearing a Hazmat Suit, which is unlockable at Tier 7. If the player doesn’t have protection, the screen becomes slightly distorted, reducing functional visibility. Aside from radioactive locations, holding or being near specific items can cause radiation spikes. These items include the following:

• Uranium
• Uranium Fuel Rod
• Uranium Waste
• Encase Uranium Cell
• Non-Fissile Uranium
• Plutonium Pellet
• Plutonium Fuel Rod
• Plutonium Waste
• Encase Plutonium Cell