Totally Safe Moon Project Beginner Guide

Totally Safe Moon Project is easy to start but easy to mess up: you leave your garage, use the Gravity Gun to grab fences, cars and later whole houses, attach them into a climbable staircase, and spend the points you earn at each height goal on a stronger gun. Learn the Gravity Gun's pick up, rotate, attach and throw actions, build wide landings instead of tall spikes, upgrade the gun first, and save the laser in your garage for the very end.

This guide covers everything a new player needs for the first 30 minutes. When you are ready for the full route to the Moon, continue with the Totally Safe Moon Project walkthrough.

What you are actually doing

The Steam description sums it up: a giant asteroid is about to destroy Earth, and your only escape is the Moon. You "use anything you can find to build the tallest tower, from fences and boxes to houses and clouds", earn "rewards like new abilities, items, or points used to upgrade your gear" as you climb, and finally "bring the laser you built in your garage to the top". The developers pitch it as Only Up, except you are the architect.

You can play alone or in online co-op. There is no competition between players; the game is about how far your group gets together. See the multiplayer guide for player limits and inviting friends.

The garage: your base

Every run starts in a garage. Three things here matter:

• Upgrades computer – the terminal where you spend points. You will walk back here many times. The official screenshots show it labelled "Upgrades" next to the exit.
• Invite Friends – a big button (and an on-screen "Press I to invite friends" prompt in the official screenshots) for bringing friends into your session.
• The laser – a grey device with a yellow "Bring to the Moon" sign. You cannot lift it at the start; leave it until your tower reaches the Moon and your Gravity Gun is strong enough.

Gravity Gun controls

The Gravity Gun is your main tool. The on-screen prompts list separate actions for Pick Up Object, Throw Object, Attach Object and Drop:

Other basics confirmed by gameplay videos: E interacts (and holding E revives a downed teammate in co-op), and after a fatal fall you respawn on the ground after about five seconds. If a prompt differs on your keyboard layout, trust the in-game hint.

Height goals and points

On the left of the screen is a height meter with a Next Goal marker. Reaching a goal pays out points (shown as P) and often unlocks something new. The Steam achievements reveal the goal ladder: 10, 20, 40, 65, 95, 120, 175, 250, 300, 350 and 425 metres, each with its own achievement. Several recorded groups received 100 points for their first goal, which is exactly enough for the first Gravity Gun upgrade.

Supply drones also appear around new heights. Shoot them down or break the crates they carry and you unlock a new tool, from genuinely useful ones like the umbrella to joke items like a rubber chicken. The upgrades and tools guide lists everything we could confirm.

12 tips for your first run

1. Upgrade the Gravity Gun first. Its level controls what you can lift. Early on, buses and statues are too heavy; after a couple of upgrades you can move buses, trucks and houses, which build height far faster than fence panels.
2. Start from something already tall. Recorded runs often begin on the flat canopy of the gas station near the start and use wooden fence sections as ramps to it.
3. Build landings, not spikes. A fence stood upright adds height but gives you nowhere to stand. Lay panels flat or as gentle ramps and keep a broad landing at every step.
4. Never pull out the piece someone is standing on. In co-op, grabbing a car from under a teammate sends both of them down. Bring new material up from below instead.
5. Attach before you step. Stop moving a piece and attach it before walking onto it.
6. Pass materials upward. In co-op the fastest groups have one builder at the top while others ferry fences, cars and houses into reach.
7. Use the umbrella as soon as you get it. It slows your fall and lets you glide back to a lower platform instead of falling to the ground.
8. Turn fall damage on only when you are confident. It is a setting. With it enabled, long drops can knock you out; with it off, the tower is far less punishing.
9. Expect visitors. UFOs show up to abduct players and wreck sections of the tower, and asteroid rain later knocks pieces loose. Read the UFOs and asteroid rain guide.
10. Watch your oxygen high up. Near space an oxygen bar appears and Oxygen Totems unlock. Buy several before the final climb.
11. Don't spam the same object. The hidden achievement "I'm Smarter, I'm Better" is awarded when the game catches you trying to exploit it by building with the same few objects over and over.
12. Remember the laser. Touching the Moon does not end the game. A flag on the Moon tells you to bring the weapon there.

How long will your first run take?

Expect roughly one to two hours. Steam reviewers who finished report 1 to 3 hours of playtime, and one German group said their full clear took about an hour. The how long to beat guide covers Chaos Mode and replay value.

Before you buy

The game is Windows-only on Steam, costs $5.99 at full price, and has modest hardware needs (GTX 1060 minimum). See release date and price and system requirements.