Moon Sweepers Beginner Guide: Toothbrush to First Shipment

In Moon Sweepers, your first income loop is simple: sweep up lunar dust with the starting toothbrush, fill your storage, deliver the dust to a depot, and launch a shipment to get paid. Then spend the money on better cleaning tools and more carrying capacity so you can handle bigger jobs. The official Steam description describes this collection, shipment and equipment loop.

The first loop, step by step

1. Sweep dust with the starting toothbrush. Watch the dusty terrain clear as you pass over it.
2. Fill your storage. Your carrying capacity caps how much dust you can hold at once; the official description lists more capacity as an upgrade.
3. Deliver to a depot. Bring the collected dust to a depot to drop it off.
4. Launch a shipment from the depot to get paid. Payment comes from launching shipments, not from sweeping alone.

Repeat the collection and delivery loop as you work toward the next equipment purchase.

Where to spend your first earnings

The two upgrades the official description points to are tools and capacity:

• Better tools: the description lists new cleaning tools as something to buy with your earnings.
• More carrying capacity: lets you handle larger jobs before each delivery.

The description also talks about setting up depots close to where you work and bringing in cleaning vehicles as the operation expands. These are described as later expansion options, not guaranteed early unlocks. See vehicles and garages for how vehicles fit in.

Co-op: play with up to 16

Online co-op lobbies support up to 16 players. Crews can split up to cover more territory, or all work one area. For navigation between discovered stations, see the Moon Map and fast travel guide.

Upgrades in co-op (version 1.0.3)

The 1.0.3 patch notes changed upgrades in multiplayer: the crew now relies on the host's upgrade matrix, and when any player buys an upgrade, it applies to everyone. For older saves, each upgrade keeps the highest level any player had reached.

This is a specific rule about the upgrade matrix, not a blanket statement that all money or all purchases are shared. For the matrix rule and host controls, see shared upgrades. The 1.0.3 announcement's multiplayer version requirement described that patch at release; it is not an instruction to install 1.0.3 now.

Practical early tips

• Place depots near where you sweep. The official description mentions depots near your work as the operation grows.
• Track your progress. The official description says you can follow your progress over the Moon's surface.
• Use your current bottleneck to compare purchases. If cleaning feels slow, compare available tools; if your storage fills before you finish a pass, compare capacity. This is a planning suggestion, not a tested best-buy order or a claim about specific upgrade values.

Version note

This guide was checked against the official Steam announcements up to the 1.0.5 patch (October 28, 2026). The 1.0.5 notes do not describe changes to the collection and shipment loop above. They do change building: pieces can now be placed straight onto dusty ground with no need to clean it first, and taking a piece down returns its full cost rather than 75%. Check the official announcements for anything newer.

Moon Sweepers FAQ

How do you get paid in Moon Sweepers? By launching a shipment from a depot after you deliver the dust. Payment comes from launching shipments, not from sweeping alone.

How many players can join a Moon Sweepers co-op lobby? Online co-op lobbies support up to 16 players, according to the official Steam description.

Does Moon Sweepers co-op share everything I buy? No. Since 1.0.3, the crew shares the host's Upgrade Matrix, so one crewmate's matrix purchase upgrades everyone. That is not a statement that all money or purchases are shared; see shared upgrades.