Hull Rupture Guide: Survive Your First 20 Waves
Start with the human engine: build a Reproducer, add Human Storage, and staff the Larva Generator before buying extra turrets. Cover the approach lanes with a few upgraded defenses, expand only when the new route can be covered, and keep a fallback at the Airlock through wave 20.
Quick answer
Hull Rupture’s Classic mode is a 20-wave survival run. The opening is an economy race, not a turret rush: you need enough humans and energy to keep building while the first defenses buy time.
The ship is a connected factory and a kill zone at the same time. Every module you add produces something, but it also adds mass and changes the routes aliens take. A stable run keeps those three jobs in balance instead of maximizing one of them.
Open with the human engine
Build a Reproducer early so the population can replenish. Add Human Storage so you can keep a reserve, and assign most of the remaining workers to the Larva Generator for energy.
Keep two or three humans free whenever you are about to build. A worker assigned to a room is not available for construction, so a full workforce can leave you unable to place the next module.
Once the Reproducer is running, move new humans into energy production. Upgrade the Larva Generator when the next module or turret would otherwise be delayed. If energy is capped or humans are constantly at zero, fix that before buying another weapon.
Place the first defenses
Cover the route, not a single spot. Put the first turret where it can fire on the approaches near the exit and Airlock, add a second on the other lane, and keep a third slot near the Airlock as a fallback.
A Gauss or other penetrating weapon belongs on a long, open line where it can hit several enemies. A short-range weapon belongs in an enclosed loop or a tight turn. Do not spread weak turrets evenly across the whole hull just to make the ship look defended.
| Opening need | First purchase | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Humans are not replenishing | Reproducer | A stable population is the base of every other resource. |
| Energy keeps capping | Larva Generator upgrade | More energy lets the rest of the ship keep working. |
| The next wave is already dangerous | A turret for the main lane | Defense stops a loss before production can pay off. |
| You cannot place a module | Free workers | Assigned humans cannot build. |
Expand with a purpose
Hull Construction pauses the flight and offers a random block. Keep the Airlock and engine unobstructed, extend the outer route so alien drop pods are spread out, and use internal corridors or a loop to form a kill zone.
A longer route is useful only if you can cover it. A beautiful maze with no overlapping fire is just a longer walk. At the same time, every module adds weight. If the ship becomes too slow, add or upgrade engines and protect the fuel supply, or accept fewer route stops and spend the savings on production and defense.
Spend between waves
Buy what your current run can use. A turret box is the safer purchase when the next wave is already dangerous. A module box is better when energy, humans, or a missing production chain is constraining every other choice.
Rerolling the post-combat shop is a legitimate way to avoid a dead offer. On the galaxy map, choose a route for the resource or modifier you actually need. A safer route can be correct when the ship is fragile; a more profitable route can be correct when the current defenses can already carry the next fight.
Carry the run to wave 20
The final stretch is about redundancy. Keep a human reserve for replacements and emergency construction, keep combat units or a strong Airlock fallback behind the turrets, and continue upgrading the main damage line instead of replacing everything at once.
Clear wave 20 with the Despot alive to complete Classic. Patch v1.0.15 calls out waves 8, 9, and 10, not the earlier waves, so treat any pre-launch route advice as a starting point and adapt it to your current shop and hull drops.
Quick decision order
- Keep the Reproducer and energy loop running.
- Protect a small human reserve for construction.
- Buy the turret or module that solves the next wave.
- Add a new production chain only after the current one is stable.
- Reassess speed and expansion whenever the ship starts to feel heavy.