- Can Em All beginner guide: Follow the loop from creature combat to finished-can sales.
- First priority: Keep the crusher and other early machines supplied with raw material.
- Best spending rule: Upgrade the slowest stage instead of buying improvements evenly.
- Factory goal: Reduce walking, idle machines, and repeated manual transport.
- Progression path: Start manually, then add conveyors and automation as capacity grows.
Can Em All Beginner Guide: Start Here
The Can Em All beginner guide begins with one repeatable production loop: defeat creatures, move their bodies to the factory, process them into cans, transport the finished products, and sell them for funds. Your early objective is not to build the largest possible factory immediately. Instead, establish a reliable cycle that produces income without leaving machines or finished products idle.
Can ’Em All is a first-person, single-player incremental factory simulator for Windows. Its central progression combines combat, collection, processing, sales, weapons, machines, conveyors, and automation. The official Can ’Em All Steam page is the best place to check current game information, while the LuisDev website provides the developer’s broader project information.
Combat
Defeat nearby creatures with the equipment currently available. Safe, repeatable clears are more useful than distant fights that interrupt factory supply.
Collection
Move defeated creatures back to the processing area. Bodies left in the field do not contribute to the production line.
Processing
Feed the available machinery, including the crusher and canning equipment, so raw material becomes a saleable product.
Sales
Deliver finished cans to the selling point. Use the income to improve the stage that currently limits production.
| Early focus | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Creature supply | Clear targets near the factory | Shorter transport routes keep production supplied |
| Body collection | Carry defeated creatures to processing | Raw material must reach the machines before income can begin |
| Machine activity | Keep the input side supplied | Idle equipment creates a production delay |
| Product movement | Connect processing to output | Finished cans must reach the selling stage |
| Reinvestment | Upgrade the current bottleneck | Targeted spending improves the complete loop faster |
Stay close to the factory during the opening phase. A nearby, repeatable supply route usually supports faster progression than chasing difficult targets far from the production area.
Step-by-Step Production Loop
The opening workflow is easiest to learn when each stage has a clear purpose. Treat combat as the input phase, not the final objective. The factory only becomes profitable when collected material passes through processing and reaches the sales point.
Defeat Creatures Near the Factory
Use your available weapon to clear creatures within a practical distance of the factory. Focus on consistent encounters that let you create raw material without spending excessive time traveling or recovering from difficult fights.
Collect and Carry the Bodies
Pick up defeated creatures and return them to the processing area. If machines are waiting while bodies remain outside, collection is the current bottleneck and should receive your attention before another distant combat run.
Feed the Processing Equipment
Place the collected bodies into the available machinery. The crusher and related canning equipment convert combat results into products that can be transported and sold.
Move Cans Through the Factory
Use the available conveyors and connected equipment to move processed products toward the output. Keep routes direct enough that you are not repeatedly walking between input, machines, and sales.
Sell and Reinvest
Deliver completed cans to the selling point, then spend the resulting funds on the slowest stage. Improve combat when creatures take too long, collection when carrying is inefficient, or factory capacity when material queues build up.
| Production stage | Player action | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| Combat | Defeat creatures near the factory | Machines wait for material |
| Collection | Carry bodies to the input area | Raw material remains outside |
| Processing | Load the crusher and canning equipment | Input queue is empty |
| Transport | Use clear conveyor connections | Products stop between machines |
| Sales | Deliver finished cans | Output accumulates at the end |
| Reinvestment | Fund the current bottleneck | Income rises slowly despite activity |
Do not judge progress by the number of creatures defeated. Measure success by how consistently material becomes finished cans and returns as upgrade funds.
Weapons, Collection, and Upgrade Priorities
Early spending should support the entire factory rather than one impressive component. A stronger weapon can increase material supply, but it may not help if the crusher, conveyors, or sales route cannot handle the additional input. Likewise, expanding production before improving supply can leave expensive equipment underused.
Use the following decision rule: identify where unfinished material is waiting, then improve that stage first.
| Bottleneck | Recommended upgrade direction | Expected benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Creatures survive too long | Weapon efficiency or combat power | Faster raw-material generation |
| Carrying takes too long | Collection capacity or movement efficiency | More material reaches processing per trip |
| Crusher queue builds up | Crusher throughput or related capacity | Less waiting before canning |
| Products move slowly | Conveyor coverage or route improvement | Fewer manual transport interruptions |
| Finished cans accumulate | Sales access and output flow | Faster conversion of stock into funds |
| Several stages remain idle | Improve the weakest connected stage | Better balance across the full chain |
Early Investment
Prioritize a dependable weapon, basic collection support, and access to the first processing equipment. Avoid expanding beyond the supply your factory can maintain.
Mid-Progression Investment
Improve collection speed, crusher throughput, and conveyor coverage after combat begins producing material consistently.
Late Factory Investment
Increase capacity and automation together. A larger line works best when transport and sales can handle its output.
A fixed upgrade order is less reliable than a bottleneck-based approach. Your layout, combat pace, and available machines determine which purchase creates the largest improvement. Check the production line after every major upgrade and watch for a new delay.
Do not spend early income on advanced automation while the factory still lacks a steady material supply. Build a stable input loop first, then automate repetitive handling.
Factory Layout Tips and Common Mistakes
A useful layout reduces unnecessary walking and keeps each stage visible. Put the input, processing machines, conveyor routes, and output in an order that matches the production flow. The goal is not visual complexity; it is a clear path from raw material to sale.
When expanding, add one production stage at a time. After each change, confirm that material enters the first machine, continues through the line, and reaches the selling point. If one stage produces faster than the next stage can process, that connection becomes the new bottleneck.
| Layout principle | Practical setup | Mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Short input route | Keep collection close to processing | Carrying bodies across unnecessary distances |
| Clear machine order | Arrange equipment from input to output | Creating backtracking between unrelated stages |
| Direct conveyor path | Connect machines with simple routes | Adding turns that make transport difficult to inspect |
| Visible output | Keep finished cans easy to locate | Allowing products to accumulate unnoticed |
| Expandable footprint | Leave room beside active equipment | Building a cramped line that requires constant rebuilding |
First Factory Checklist:
- Defeat creatures within a practical distance of the factory
- Move defeated bodies to the processing area
- Keep the crusher and canning equipment supplied
- Connect the production line to the selling point
- Spend income on the slowest current stage
Common beginner mistakes include fighting too far from the factory, leaving collected bodies outside, buying upgrades without checking the bottleneck, and expanding the line faster than transport can support. Finished products can also become a hidden problem when they reach the output but are not sold promptly.
After changing the factory, watch one complete batch from input to sale. If you cannot quickly identify where it stops, simplify the route before adding more equipment.
Progression Plan for a Smoother Factory
The strongest progression pattern is gradual: establish manual control, identify delays, improve throughput, and then automate repeated actions. Manual work is valuable during the opening phase because it teaches how each stage connects. Automation becomes more valuable once the factory has enough input and output capacity to stay active.
Use this progression plan when you are unsure what to do next.
| Phase | Main objective | Recommended focus |
|---|---|---|
| Opening | Create the first reliable sales cycle | Combat, collection, basic processing |
| Early growth | Reduce repeated walking | Crusher access, simple routes, collection improvements |
| Mid expansion | Increase completed cans per cycle | Conveyor coverage, processing throughput, balanced upgrades |
| Automation phase | Reduce manual handling | Machine connections, continuous input, stable output |
| Optimization | Improve the full chain | Upgrade whichever stage limits cans per minute |
A strong money-farming routine follows the same logic. Keep machines active, prevent finished products from blocking the line, and sell completed stock regularly. Manual production is appropriate while learning the factory, mixed manual and automated production suits expansion, and a more automated line becomes useful for sustained output.
Do not expand merely because space is available. Expand when the current machines are consistently supplied and the next stage can absorb additional output. Otherwise, the new equipment may increase complexity without improving income.
When production slows, inspect the complete chain before purchasing anything. The best upgrade is usually the one that removes the longest delay between creature supply and finished-can sales.
Can Em All Beginner Guide FAQ
Q: What should I do first in Can Em All?
Start by defeating creatures near the factory, carrying their bodies to the processing area, and completing the first can-selling cycle. This teaches the core combat, collection, processing, transport, and sales loop.
Q: Which upgrade should beginners buy first?
Buy the upgrade that improves the current bottleneck. Choose combat efficiency when creatures take too long, collection support when carrying is slow, or machine and conveyor improvements when material queues build up.
Q: Should I automate the factory immediately?
Begin with manual control so you understand the production route. Add automation after the factory has a reliable supply of raw material and enough output capacity to use the additional throughput.
Q: Why is my factory producing slowly?
Check every stage from combat to sales. Common causes include bodies left outside, empty machine inputs, poor conveyor connections, slow transport, or finished cans waiting at the output instead of being sold.
A dependable Can Em All factory is built around balance. Keep combat supply, collection, processing, transport, and sales moving together, then invest in the stage that falls behind.