Start With the Building Tool
Building upward is how an Alchemy Factory shop grows without consuming every ground-level tile. A solid floor plan lets you put production above bulky machines, reserve lower areas for belts, and keep customers moving through the store.
Before placing ground floors or planning a multi-level layout, make sure the building system is available in your current save. The interface and unlock flow can change between versions, so use the live Workbench, build menu, and placement preview as the final authority.
Community reports describe this general progression:
| Step | What to do | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Progress until the Workbench can be researched | The Workbench opens the route to construction tools. |
| 2 | Craft the Building Tool | This enables basic building actions and structures. |
| 3 | Upgrade the Building Tool | Higher tool levels unlock more advanced building options, including fuller multi-floor construction. |
| 4 | Open the build menu and inspect placement feedback | Costs, available parts, and valid placement rules may differ in the current version. |
Players often encounter supported platforms before they can freely cover purchased ground plots with finished floors. That can feel backward, but it makes sense once you treat the first elevated platform as the foundation of a vertical factory.
When you are ready to build, start small. Put down a test support, build a short span, then confirm the preview remains valid before committing materials to a large roof or second story.
A practical first setup is:
- Build a supported platform above one production area.
- Leave clearance around machine inputs, outputs, and belts.
- Add a route for your character and customers before filling the level with equipment.
- Test whether the new floor interferes with existing machines or paths.
- Expand the same support pattern only after the first section works.
Build Floors From Reliable Supports
Upper floors need support beneath them. Walls and pillars can carry the structure, while beams can bridge between supported points and reduce the number of solid blocks you need to place.
The key rule is continuity: supports should run from the floor you are building all the way down to the ground. A pillar that appears close to another wall may still fail if its own vertical chain is broken.
| Building part | Primary job | Placement guidance |
|---|---|---|
| Pillar | Carries weight vertically | Stack it directly above a matching pillar below. |
| Wall | Supports floors while enclosing rooms | Keep wall sections aligned across stories when they carry upper levels. |
| Beam | Bridges a span between supports | Place each end on valid support before extending the floor over it. |
| Floor tile | Creates walkable or usable surface | Use the placement color and span limit to judge validity. |
| Quarter floor tile | Fills narrow or awkward gaps | Use it where a full tile will not fit or remain supported. |
A simple grid is easier to expand than a decorative but irregular structure. Choose pillar or wall locations that you can repeat on every level, then build upward along those same positions. This preserves structural integrity and makes later blueprints more predictable.
Do not assume nearby pieces share support. A wall offset from the pillar below may look connected from one angle, but the build preview can still show that the floor span is limited. If the preview changes from valid to warning or invalid as you drag outward, shorten the span or add a direct support.
Beams are especially useful above non-stackable equipment. Instead of filling the area under a machine’s ceiling with blocks, run beams across supported points and place the floor above them. This creates a clear working bay below while preserving space for machines, belts, and access.
Before demolishing anything structural, inspect the floors and walls above it. Removing a support can also remove connected construction that relies on it. Build replacement supports first, confirm the upper structure remains valid, and only then remove the old wall or pillar.
Plan a Usable Multi-Level Factory
A strong building is not automatically a useful factory. Each level needs room for production, routes for people, and a layout that can be repaired or expanded without dismantling half the shop.
Start by deciding what each floor is for. Keeping similar machines together makes belts easier to trace and reduces the chance that a stairway or support column blocks an important connection.
| Floor area | Good use | Design consideration |
|---|---|---|
| Ground level | Heavy production, inputs, bulk storage | Preserve belt routes and access to machines. |
| First upper level | Secondary crafting or compact processing | Build directly over beams or a repeated support grid. |
| Shop level | Shelves, sales areas, or customer-facing displays | Keep a reachable path to vertical access. |
| Roof or top level | Storage, utility space, or future expansion | Leave support positions available for another story if needed. |
Use full floor tiles for broad, regular areas. Switch to quarter tiles around support columns, edges, stairs, and narrow gaps. Small tiles take more placements, but they are often the cleanest way to finish a span that a large tile cannot cover.
Walls serve two purposes: they support floors and define rooms. You can mix walls and pillars, but do so intentionally. A wall-heavy design creates enclosed production rooms, while pillars leave more open sightlines and easier belt routing.
Keep these layout habits in mind:
- Repeat the same support grid on every story.
- Put stairs, lifts, or other vertical routes in a location that does not interrupt production.
- Leave a maintenance aisle near complicated belt junctions.
- Avoid building a floor directly over a machine until you know its height and interaction space.
- Reserve a small empty bay for future vertical access or structural changes.
If you are building over table saws, crushers, nurseries, or other tall equipment, test the clearance with one machine first. A floor can let you stack more production into the same footprint, but it is only worthwhile if you can still reach the equipment and route its inputs and outputs.
Blueprint tools can speed up repeated structures. Once a support-and-floor module works, save or copy it so future levels retain the same pillar spacing. Check copied blueprints carefully when rotating or moving them; a pattern that is structurally sound in one location may need a different connection point in another.
Add Walls, Doors, and Vertical Access
Floors alone do not make a finished factory. Walls provide support and room boundaries, while doors, windows, roof pieces, stairs, or lifts shape how the building functions and feels.
Use the relevant build-mode controls to cycle through wall variants. The available options may include regular wall segments, doors, windows, and triangular roof-end pieces. If a part is missing, check the Building Tool level, Workbench research, and the current build category rather than assuming it is unavailable permanently.
For vertical travel, stairs are the straightforward option because they can be placed wherever your layout allows. Some players also create temporary routes with stacked objects, but a purpose-built route is easier to navigate and maintain.
When planning vertical access, ask three questions:
- Can the player reach every work area without climbing through machinery?
- Can customers reach an upper shop floor through a valid path?
- Does the route leave enough room for future belts, walls, or another story?
Place access near an outer wall or in a dedicated central bay. A central stairwell is convenient for several floors, while an edge stairwell preserves more uninterrupted production space. Either approach works as long as the support grid and walking path remain clear.
Use doors where rooms need an obvious entry point, and use windows when you want visibility without sacrificing the wall structure. For roof shapes, triangular end caps can finish gabled sections, but build the load-bearing walls and floors first. Decoration is much easier once the factory is structurally complete.
FAQ
How does alchemy factory how to build floors work?
Research the Workbench, craft the Building Tool, and upgrade it as required by your current progression. Then place floors from valid walls, pillars, and beams, using the live placement preview to confirm each span.
Why will my upper floor not place?
The likely cause is incomplete support. Check that the wall or pillar beneath the planned floor continues straight down to the ground. Add supports, shorten the span, or use beams between valid endpoints.
Can walls support floors instead of pillars?
Yes. Walls can act as supports, and they are useful when you want enclosed rooms. Keep supporting wall segments aligned on each level so the support chain does not break.
When should I use quarter floor tiles?
Use quarter tiles for narrow gaps, edges, and sections where a full tile exceeds the supported span. They also help shape floors around pillars, stairs, and uneven layouts.
Is it safe to demolish a supporting wall?
Not until you check the structure above it. Removing a wall or pillar can remove supported floors and walls connected to it. Add replacement support first, then demolish the old piece.