Moon Sweepers core loop: dust, depots and shipments

What is the fantasy and the job?

Steam’s About text: the Moon is covered in dust. The Lunar Surface Department (LSD) sent you to clean it up, but the budget only covered a toothbrush. Games Press jokes that the Lunar Surface Department is “conveniently abbreviated to LSD.” The Steam page disclaimer clarifies that LSD employment contracts in the game are fictional entertainment.

What is the collect → deposit → earn → upgrade cycle?

Step	What official copy says
Collect	Gather lunar dust with your current tool, starting from a toothbrush
Store / haul	Fill storage; carrying capacity upgrades let you do more between deliveries
Deposit	Deliver dust to a depot
Ship / earn	Launch shipments to get paid
Upgrade	Spend earnings on tools, capacity, depots, and cleaning vehicles

Games Press shortens the same idea to Collect. Deposit. Earn. Upgrade. Visible cleaning progress is listed as a key feature: dusty terrain turns clean with every pass.

How do depots and belts change the mid-game?

Store copy says you can place depots near your work and expand the operation as you grow. Patch notes add operational detail rather than a new fantasy:

1.0.3

• Deposit intake pays exactly what its screen shows
• Dust and stone arriving by belt are paid as they come in
• Splitters and mergers snap port-to-port; splitters and mergers built by crewmates now work
• Machines can stand across several foundations

1.0.4

• Any crewmate can place splitters and mergers on belts built by others

Treat the depot UI as the authority for payout amounts when belt automation is running. For robot and vehicle systems layered on top of this loop, see tools, vehicles, and automation.

Where does co-op change the economy?

Since 1.0.3, the whole crew uses the host’s upgrade matrix, and anyone’s purchase upgrades everyone. Coordinated spending still matters because one player’s buy advances the shared tree. Full lobby rules: multiplayer.

What this page does not claim

This overview still does not invent dust-per-hex values or a single “best” blueprint. Cross-checked shop and machine numbers (with conflict labels) now live under the data hub and factory ratios. If a third-party site quotes economy math without a second check, treat it as unverified.

New players should still start with the beginner guide before optimizing belts.

Sources and verification

Checked October 27, 2026.

• Steam store — About This Game
• Games Press feature list
• Moon Sweepers 1.0.3 Patch
• Moon Sweepers 1.0.4 Patch

Game imagery © DragDrop Games.