Official overview
How the Maw drives progression
The official store says the Maw grows larger as it is fed and that the facility changes with each phase. Products, tools, and systems expand as you keep manufacturing and feeding it.
Author checklist
Treat every phase transition as a checkpoint
- Stop production.Prevent a backlog while the room or available systems change.
- Record the visible change.New area, product, tool, terminal item, or route.
- Check current patch notes.Separate live behavior from launch-day advice.
- Test the old lane at low volume.Find the first actual failure before rebuilding.
- Scale the new product deliberately.Do not assume later value fixes a bad path.
Version boundary
Do not turn the demo preview into a current exact count
The June developer FAQ previewed three fresh phases for the full game. That statement described a release plan before launch; it is not the same as a current hands-on audit of every phase name and threshold.
Demo-era We will replace this boundary note only after the full progression is recorded on the live build.
Stale-guide filter
Advice to qualify
“The demo phase count is final”
Unsupported without a current progression audit.
“Raw ducks fill every late meter”
Community guides specifically dispute this for the upstairs pipe; treat it as an unverified lead.
“One exact route is optimal”
Physics layouts depend on current tools, scale, and the bottleneck you actually observe.
Related tasks
Where to go next
If the current phase is stable but your products spill or stall, use the Automation & Factory Guide. If you are opening upper areas for hidden progression, use the labeled leads in Achievements & Endings.
Sources and limits
Maw growth and phase changes: official Steam store. Exact current phase thresholds, names, and unlock tables remain unverified and are not invented here.