GRAVHOUNDS Research Points: How to Earn RP and What to Spend It On

How You Earn Research Points

Dev Log #1 reworked RP milestone rewards for the demo. You get more RP at the start, steady earnings from stat milestones, and larger payouts from expedition completion and time played. The goal was to open up progression options sooner.

The end-of-mission screen tallies your contribution. One creator's results showed damage, construction and credits as tracked categories. The developer also fixed tracking for pipeline-building and perfect-performance milestones.

Research Points at a Glance

How RP flows in and out, in one list.

• Earn: starting amount, stat milestones, expedition completion, time played.
• Spend: research lab on the mining ship.
• Trees: turrets, weapons, Mods, Training.
• Extra costs: Biomass for Mod upgrades; materials for some unlocks.
• Carry-over: demo progress resets at Early Access.

The End-of-Mission Tally

After each job, the game shows milestone results and a star rating before you return to the ship. Dev Log #1 added a Skip button to speed up the milestone tally. That helps when you just want to start the next expedition.

A UX-focused demo reviewer noted that the star rating does not explain why you scored four stars instead of five. No official breakdown of the rating has been published. We will not guess the formula.

Where to Spend RP

The research lab is on the mining ship. Demo footage shows several trees you can invest in. Recorded sessions also mention separate training and weapon points in the lab, so read each screen carefully.

• Turrets: new designs and branching evolutions, such as gunner to scatter or longbore, and laser to arclight or lancer.
• Weapons: unlocks like the sniper rifle and grenade launcher, plus gun upgrades.
• Mods: unlock Mods into your reward pool and upgrade them (upgrades also cost Biomass).
• Training: health, movement speed, boosters, Mod and Showstopper cooldowns, and mining efficiency.

Materials and Blueprints Also Matter

Some unlocks need more than RP. One creator found the sniper rifle needed Electrium and titanium ore, which a specific planet rewarded. Planet cards show which materials each job offers.

Blueprints found on planets unlock new turrets, Mods and weapons. Dev Log #1 added blueprint counts to the Star Map, updating to show which ones you have collected. Use it to plan which planets to revisit.

Spending Tips

Decide on a direction before you spend. One co-op group put everything into turrets, then realised other trees needed points too. Talk with your team so you cover different roles.

Mod upgrades need Biomass as well as RP, so pick jobs that reward it when you plan Mod upgrades. Turret paths and weapons are covered in our best builds guide. Remember demo progress will not carry into Early Access.

Turret Research Paths

Turret research is where many players spend their first points. Demo footage shows the research lab offering new turret designs with branching evolutions. COSMO's line when you unlock one is that your defensive vocabulary just improved.

• Gunner turret: branches into scatter or longbore (long range).
• Laser turret: fires a continuous beam with no splash; branches into arclight or lancer.
• Rocket turret: available in the demo, toned down for balance.
• Electro coil: a lightning-style turret one group found at the end of the laser path.

Training Upgrades

Training is the character side of research. Demo footage lists health, movement speed, boosters, Mod cooldowns, Showstopper cooldowns and mining efficiency. COSMO describes it as making a better version of you.

Training points carry your Gravhound's growth between missions. One creator noted it lets a slow, tanky character gain speed and boost. That makes it worth investing in alongside turrets.

Credits Versus Research Points

Do not confuse Research Points with credits. Credits are earned during a mission by collecting resources, and you spend them at the Fabricator on build kits. One creator saw a turret cost 500 credits early in a run.

Research Points are earned from milestones and spent between missions in the lab. Credits reset each mission, while research unlocks persist. Hazard Pay, a Mod, adds bonus credits for kills.

Why Replaying Planets Helps

One preview described the core loop as returning to older missions to grow stronger before harder ones. Expedition completion and time played both pay RP. Replaying a planet you can clear safely is a reliable way to build up points.

Harder planets offer better materials, according to the Steam page. Balance safe RP runs with riskier jobs for scarce materials. The pipeline guide helps you clear jobs faster.

Official Trailer

▶ Official media

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