Missions, quests & the Signal arc
The five campaign phases, the optional side challenges, and how to advance the Signal — without spoiling where it leads.
This page tells you how the quests work and how to progress them — never what you find. The discovery is the whole point, so we've kept the answers out.
What are the campaign phases?
The main quest is a five-phase arc — the Lunar Chronicle. Each phase hands you a short goal list; finishing one grants a reward and opens the next, guiding you from your first footprint all the way to the Gateway.
| Phase | Goals |
|---|---|
| Phase 1 — First Footprint |
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| Phase 2 — Pioneers |
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| Phase 3 — Expansion & Wonder |
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| Phase 4 — Far Side Legacy |
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| Phase 5 — Horizon |
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What are the side challenges?
Optional challenges pop up as you play — small objectives with real rewards and no penalty for ignoring or failing them. Take them freely; the worst case is a pretty light show.
| Challenge | Goal | Reward |
|---|---|---|
| Home Sweet Dome | Reach 12 colonists | +100 Supplies, 2 new colonists |
| Light Up the Moon | Produce at least 5 energy per second | +80 Metals |
| Solar Storm Prep | Have 400+ energy stored AND a Med Bay before the storm peaks | +50 Research, storm becomes a light show |
| Lunar Talent Show | Have 2 Recreation buildings to host the show | Happiness surge + a new specialist arrives |
| UAP Signal Decoding | Keep the Observatory running while it decodes the signal (progress builds over time) | The signal reveals coordinates... +60 Research, +3 Helium-3 |
| Rover Rescue | A rover is stuck! Click the flashing rover on the map to rescue it. | +120 Metals and one very grateful rover |
| Crystal Hunt | Stockpile 15 Helium-3 | +10 bonus Helium-3, the crystals glow brighter |
How do you advance the Signal mystery?
The Signal is a 12-fragment story you decode through normal play, escalating across five stages from a faint anomaly to full contact. You don't grind it — you trigger it by doing the things a growing colony does. Open the 📡 Signal panel anytime to see what you've uncovered.
The fragments unlock, in order, as you:
- Play the early days and catch a UAP flyby in the sky.
- Build an Observatory and run the UAP decoding challenge.
- Research Orbital Scanning to resolve what's under the far ridge.
- Research Xenoarchaeology and build the Excavation Site on the ruin.
- Grow your population and research Resonance, then Gateway Protocol.
Decoding every fragment earns The Whole Message. Landing at Daedalus or using the Strong Signal mutator makes the arc escalate faster.
Is there anything after the Gateway?
Yes — opening the Gateway unlocks a post-win second act called The Waking, a three-phase objective ladder that keeps your save alive with new alien-hybrid buildings and goals. You can keep building as long as you like.
| The Waking — phase | Goals |
|---|---|
| The Waking — First Light |
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| The Waking — The Spreading Light |
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| The Waking — Full Bloom |
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Ready to build your own?
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