Voidtrain Beginner's Survival & Progression Guide

Gathering, crafting, trolley management, research, and battle are all covered in this complete guide to Voidtrain's early gameplay. It also covers depot administration, weapon handling, lifehacks for maximizing resource efficiency, and the function of Rofleemos in automation and research.

Although Voidtrain's early game may appear slow-paced, it's the best time to gather information and grasp the basics before encountering actual threats.

Starting Out – Resource Gathering and Early Progress

Take It Slow

There's no need to rush or continuously charge the cart at first. In any case, you will be stopping frequently, and there are no dangers in the first part of the vacuum. Take your time collecting any items you can find, including chemicals, metals, wood, and scrap.

Chemicals are worth gathering even if they are less important in the early stages. Use them mostly to prepare meals for your research partner, who is essential to unlocking new technology.

Research and Building Basics

Research is the key to Voidtrain's advancement. Upgrades, train parts, and new crafting stations will be continuously unlocked.

Every significant workbench and station will ultimately need to be constructed, so it's best to start with the most important structures and add decorative elements later, once you have more space.

Managing a Small Trolley

Initially, your trolley space is extremely limited. Don't worry — you'll be able to expand and upgrade it once you reach a depot. Until then, squeeze stations close together and stay organized.

Fortunately, you can relocate buildings without having to demolish them. Demolition returns only 50% of the materials, so avoid doing it unnecessarily. When the trolley grows, move your setup to better layouts.

You can freely move storage chests without losing their contents, so rearrange as needed.

Efficient Storage & Crafting Tricks

Container Upgrade Lifehack

Here's a simple but highly efficient storage trick:

Building Container II outright costs one bolt.

However, if you build Container I first and upgrade it, it only costs metal bars instead.

This trick saves time and resources by avoiding bolt refinement early on.

Loot Catchers

You'll soon encounter floating devices called loot catchers — small creatures that collect nearby materials in exchange for a bit of water.

They have a cooldown timer, so remember to stop occasionally to let them recharge or assist them manually if you want to gather everything efficiently.

Dealing with Damage, Repairs, and Survival

Floor Damage and Repairs

You can construct new floors even outside depots, and this isn't just for aesthetics — floors can take damage during attacks.

When damaged, don't panic: every hammer strike repairs a tile by 50%, and most enemies deal far less per hit.

Even if a floor breaks completely, replacing it costs only one wood, and as of 2025, objects placed on broken tiles aren't lost.

Restoring Health

Both you and your train will take damage throughout the game.

Health can be restored in several ways:

Eating or drinking: restores hunger and gradually regenerates HP.

Using bandages provides instant healing and is generally more efficient.

Respawning: dying and respawning is viable if loot loss is disabled in your settings.

Armor plates can reduce damage, but must be used as consumables — not worn. They only work if you have a leather suit equipped and tend to offer minimal protection overall.

Depots – Safe Havens and Upgrading the Train

Depots are your main upgrade stations and safe zones. No enemies will attack your train while parked, allowing you to repair, refuel, or rearrange structures at your leisure.

Here, you can:

Add new wagons, platforms, and modules

Move or remove the trolley controls

Expand your base and storage space

Depot Efficiency Tips

Starting from Gate 4, avoid multitasking while traveling. Save all building, refining, and rearranging for depot stops.

Trying to manage everything mid-track only adds unnecessary stress.

Maintain a clear container system — for example:

Top: Iron parts

Bottom: Copper

Right-hand: Personal items

Near loot catcher: Basic gathered materials

This organization helps track resources easily, especially once production scales up.

Building a steam engine later will require rearranging everything again, so stay flexible.

Steam Engine & Coal Refinement

When you first find coal lumps, you'll need to process them before use.

Follow these steps:

Use a Recycler to refine coal lumps into coal chunks.

Craft Steam Batteries at your workbench.

Although the steam engine isn't particularly vital early on, it provides cover during battles and increases your train's efficiency later.

Weapons & Combat

Acquiring Firearms

In Voidtrain, guns cannot be crafted from basic void resources. You must find weapon parts as loot.

Until then, you'll rely on the revolver, which has limited upgrade potential — only two basic quality tiers exist.

The best attachments for it improve accuracy and range, covering its main weaknesses in early combat.

Weapon Maintenance

Weapons degrade over time, reducing their damage output.

Always repair your guns to maintain performance — neglecting this can make battles unnecessarily long.

Repairs can be done at the Armory.

Avoid clutter by discarding low-quality items immediately, as they are of little value and only take up space.

Weapon Upgrades & Modules

When you find better modules or frames:

Use the Armory to compare stats.

Only install upgrades that don't drastically alter your weapon's feel.

This helps maintain consistency while still improving firepower.

Rofleemos – Companions and Automation

After finding amber, you'll unlock your first Rofleemo — a small creature that can perform multiple tasks. You'll adopt one at nearly every depot afterward.

Uses and Perks

Rofleemos can:

Operate crafting stations

Reload weapons

Man turrets

Provide passive bonuses when assigned correctly

Each Rofleemo has specific perks that activate only when they're assigned to compatible stations (e.g., scientists to research desks).

Happiness and Decor

If certain perks remain locked, it may be because your Rofleemo is unhappy due to a lack of decor.

Building small decorative items near their sleeping area improves morale and unlocks additional perks.

Hidden Research & Train Walls

Adopting Rofleemos may also unlock hidden research on previous research desk pages — including train wall blueprints and other upgrades.

These features appear retroactively, even if they weren't available earlier.

Dark red (brown) research bubbles indicate depot-only blueprints — these cannot be crafted elsewhere.

Advanced Research & Resource Management

When you start encountering zinc, feed it into your research table. You'll collect much more than you need, and it's critical for late-game upgrades.

If tasked with "Find a place to open the chest," the correct location is the anvil at the end of the enemy base in a depot — not your crafting menu.

Rushing Through the Void

Once your steam engine is operational and your lootcatchers are active, you can safely accelerate through the void.

Lootcatchers and gatherer stations (especially when managed by a Rofleemo) will keep collecting materials automatically, allowing you to focus on exploration and combat.

Weapon cores are found only in secret chests on Witch Islands or arena locations.

Adopt a new Rofleemo at every depot for better automation and train efficiency.

Final Tips

Avoid overbuilding early; prioritize essential stations.

Keep your layout adaptable — upgrades will often force rearrangements.

Always repair weapons before combat-heavy sections.

Maintain Rofleemo happiness to unlock their full potential.

Don't worry about perfection early — Voidtrain rewards experimentation and adaptability.

Voidtrain is about survival as much as it is about exploration and improvisation.

Every stage, from improving your first trolley to managing a multi-wagon stronghold, calls for ingenuity, planning, and perseverance.

A seamless passage through the void—and beyond—is ensured by mastering research, keeping your weapons in good condition, and effectively managing your Rofleemos.