Short version (Update 8): buy shovels first until the Diamond Shovel. After that, buy the detector first on every new island, then the shovel, and the washer only when cleaning backs up. Unlock the next island only after you own its predecessor's detector. The current end of the path is Necropolis gear at Tombstone Tides, then the Ribcage Reef line.
Stage 1 — Home Beach Gear Shop (free → ~9M)
- Shovel first. Plastic → Wood → Stone → Metal → Gold → … → Diamond (9.2M). Each tier adds dig power and walkspeed, so you cover the beach faster.
- Detector second. Rusty → … → Crystal (6.4M, Luck x110). Upgrade once digs keep pace.
- Spray last. Basic → … → Garnet Pressure Washer (5.2M). Early cleaning is rarely the bottleneck.
Stage 2 — Update 1 Gear Shop tiers (7.5M → 145M)
Sandstone → Amber → Scarab → Malachite → Aquamarine. The detector jump (x110 → x850 luck) matters most. These shovels have more power but only ~18–22% walkspeed, so a Diamond Shovel is still nicer for sprinting between low-tier spots.
Stage 3 — Frozen Shores → Lava Lagoon (hundreds of millions → 700B)
Frozen Shores tops out at the Eclipse tier (Eclipse Detector Luck x10,500). Lava Lagoon has four tiers per line (Shovel 8B–700B, Spray 8B–700B, Detector 6.5B–550B). Fix your weakest line first, not all three evenly.
Stage 4 — Paradise Point → Tombstone Tides (6T unlock)
Paradise Point sells the Storm, Magma and Archangel Shovels. Then save for Tombstone Tides (6T to unlock, 64x island luck) and the Necropolis set: Detector 40T, Shovel 40T, Spray 32T. Buy the detector first. This is the standard setup for Genesis and Primordial hunting.
Stage 5 — Ribcage Reef (Update 7, ~300T unlock)
Fifteen new gear tiers topped by the Abyssal Detector. Detector first, shovel second. The washer can wait, because Heatwave weather already gives 5x cleaning and polishing speed.
Halloween Event gear (Update 8): buy or skip?
The three Jack-o'-lantern pieces cost Candy Corn, not coins, so they don't compete with your main upgrades. Their stats are below late-game gear. Buy them for the Jack-o'-lantern mutation chance and because they leave after October. Details in the Halloween Event guide.
Non-gear upgrades worth buying
- Plot floors & pedestals: 4th floor (Update 6, ~1.5Qd reported) and a 5th floor in Update 7 (with 8 new pedestals). More displays = more museum value.
- Equip Best (Update 5): one button fills every pedestal with your most valuable items.
- Totems (Update 6): trade fresh digs to the Yeti on Frozen Shores and fill every slot with Luck totems.
How to know what to upgrade next
- The game won't let you dig a tall beam, or digs crawl → shovel.
- You only see low-tier beam colours on a new island → detector (and Totems).
- Your backpack is full of dirty finds → washer, or wait for Rain/Heatwave.
Game passes worth it
Cheapest wins: +100 Storage (36 Robux) and Teleport Pass (99). Early-game value: 2x Gold (599). Mint Condition+ (1,499, Update 8) is a late-game luxury. Full list on the gear tier list. Keep a coin reserve before big buys. The gold calculator helps.