Gravebound loot & resources
Quick answer: crystals improve gear at upgrade (weapon) stations during a run; scrap rerolls the modifiers on armor pieces at the Tinkerer's workshop in the lobby. Both come out of the wasteland — extract with them.
The two currencies, confirmed
| Resource | Confirmed use | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Crystals | Used at upgrade stations to improve gear | Player reports on Steam; consistent with the store page's mid-run weapon stations |
| Scrap | Rerolls modifiers that drop on armor pieces, at the Tinkerer's workshop (accessible from the lobby) | Developer Yonti, Steam discussions |
The developer's full answer on scrap: "Currently, Scraps are only used to reroll modifiers that drop on Armor pieces — available in the Tinkerer's workshop (accessible from the Lobby). The more modifier stacks you accumulate, the better the perk bonus…"
Mid-run upgrades: weapon stations
The store page describes weapon stations throughout the wasteland where you upgrade armor and weapons during the run — more damage, bigger magazines, better stats. This is the loop's pressure valve: spend at a station and get stronger now, or bank everything and risk losing it.
Where loot comes from
- Events and objectives — the store page's loot engine ("complete events, grab what you can").
- Enemy drops — footage confirms guns drop from enemies: "It's good to know that the enemies can drop weapons for you." Robots specifically drop scrap when blown up (pre-launch footage).
- Recycling — the in-game tutorial states
EQUIPMENT CAN ALSO BE RECYCLED FOR RESOURCES, so unwanted helmets/armor convert back into materials (exact rates not yet confirmed). - Pickups seen in footage include medkits and helmets on the ground.
How to think about loot in Early Access
- Extract first, admire second. Loot in your bag only exists once you're out.
- Crystals = power now. Station upgrades change how the next fight goes.
- Scrap = power later. Bank it and reroll armor modifiers at the Tinkerer's workshop between runs.
- Modifiers stack. Prioritize armor pieces with modifiers worth stacking over flat higher numbers — but treat exact perk values as unconfirmed until you can verify them in the build.