ATMOSFAR Research Guide: Artefacts, Drives and Blueprints

The game does not use a conventional XP tree. You do not level up by building enough walls. You explore, recover knowledge, and spend it at a desk. That makes the research loop the spine of every long session: if you stop finding artefacts, your base stops improving even if your storage is full.

The three research inputs

The ATMOSFAR crafting guide separates the knowledge economy into three inputs. They are easy to confuse because they all look like "loot that goes in the desk", but they arrive by different routes.

A useful mental model: artefacts are the fuel, blueprints are the plans, drives are the story. You need the desk for all three, but you do not find them in the same places.

How the research desk works

The desk is a station, not a menu. You build it, interact with it, and spend artefacts to unlock entries. The crafting guide describes it as the progression gate: a player with a full scrap hold and no artefacts will plateau quickly.

Two practical consequences follow.

First, research competes with building. Artefacts are finite early on, and every unlock is a choice. Do not spend them on cosmetic or low-value entries just because they are available.

Second, the desk belongs on the ship once you have one. The Cloud Cruiser can host a crafting table and a research desk, and it moves with you. That turns the ship into a mobile production centre and saves a return trip every time you find something interesting.

What to unlock first

The exact research tree depends on what you have found, but the priority order is stable:

1. The crafting table. Nothing else works without it.
2. The research desk. This is the engine that turns artefacts into everything else.
3. The material processor. Large scrap is otherwise dead weight, and blueprints are locked behind processing.
4. Electronics and ship modules. Circuit boards, sensors and control units are the bottleneck for ship equipment and research equipment.
5. Reactor and advanced hull parts. These are mid-game goals, not first-session goals.

The ATMOSFAR resources guide lists circuit boards as the electronics bottleneck. If you are choosing between a shiny hull upgrade and a recipe that improves your electronics supply, take the electronics.

Where to find artefacts

Artefacts come from guarded sites. PACE facilities are the most reliable source, and the PACE bases guide covers the approach in detail. The short version: land short, walk in, stun the drones, extract during the reboot, and leave before the patrol returns.

Other sources include story locations and abandoned camps. The map and regions guide explains why the middle layer is the salvage layer: PACE built most of its infrastructure there, so the facilities and the artefacts are concentrated in the same band of islands.

Do not expect a steady drip. Research income is bursty. One good PACE run can fund several unlocks; a long stretch of base-building can leave you with nothing to spend.

Where to find blueprints

Blueprints are found inside large scrap processed by the material processor. This is the part new players miss: the blueprint is not on the ground with a glowing icon. It is inside the wreckage, and you need the processor to open it.

That means the material processor is not just a convenience for bulk salvage. It is a research tool. Build it early, and feed it the largest pieces you can haul. The scrap guide covers which pieces the handheld extractor can break down and which ones need the ship-mounted processor.

Research drives and the storage rule

PACE facilities contain drives and records that advance both knowledge and narrative. The crafting guide notes a launch-patch bug where research drives could be lost, and recommends putting one in ship storage before doing anything risky.

Treat that as a permanent habit, not a one-patch workaround:

• Extract the drive.
• Put it in ship storage or at the research desk.
• Then go back for the rest of the loot.

A drive in your inventory is a drive you can lose to a drone, a fall or a crash. A drive in storage is progress.

Common research mistakes

Hoarding artefacts without spending them. Artefacts do nothing in a box. If you have enough for a useful unlock, take it.

Skipping the material processor. Without it, large scrap is clutter and blueprints stay locked. This is the most common mid-game stall.

Researching everything in sight. Early artefacts are scarce. Prioritise the crafting table, the desk, the processor and electronics before cosmetic or niche entries.

Carrying drives through a facility. Store them first. The risk is not worth the extra loot.

Assuming research is optional. It is not a side system. The reactor, the material processor and advanced hull parts are all research-gated, not metal-gated. The reactor cores guide covers the power side of that progression.

FAQ

What does the research desk consume in ATMOSFAR? Artefacts. It converts them into new craftables, upgrades and story information.

Where do you get blueprints? From large scrap processed by the material processor. They are not loose pickups.

What are research drives for? They advance knowledge and narrative progress. Store them safely before exploring further.

Can you lose research progress? The launch patch notes mention a bug where research drives could be lost. Storing drives immediately avoids the risk.

Do you need the research desk to finish the game? It is the progression gate for craftables, upgrades and story information. Treat it as mandatory.

Sources

• ATMOSFAR on Steam — store description and Early Access notes.
• ATMOSFAR Steam news hub — patch notes, including the research drive fix.
• ATMOSFAR official site — Apog Labs announcements.

Related reading: ATMOSFAR Crafting Guide and ATMOSFAR PACE Bases.

Source note: mechanics in this guide follow the Early Access build available on 3 November 2026, cross-checked against the ATMOSFAR Steam page and Apog Labs patch notes.