Starter bases
Use these as your base set. Exact outputs can vary by update, but the method holds: craft a broad concept, then recombine it with the basics. If you get a different result, keep moving with the nearest analogous element.
Common early targets
If you want a short shopping list, aim for a few of these and your combos will start branching fast: Steam, Cloud, Rain, Stone, Metal, Energy, Life, Time, City, Ocean.
Four quick starter chains
These are beginner-friendly “recipe cards.” They are examples, not guarantees. If a step lands differently in your build, keep going anyway. Use the new result like the intended ingredient and keep testing.
- Weather chain
- Example: Water + Fire = Steam
- Example: Steam + Wind = Cloud
- Example: Cloud + Water = Rain
- Example: Rain + Earth = Plant (or a close cousin like Growth, Flower, Garden)
Now do the tasting flight: combine Cloud, Rain, and Plant with Water, Fire, Wind, and Earth one at a time. That is where the pantry explodes.
- Geology chain
- Example: Earth + Water = Mud
- Example: Mud + Fire = Brick (or Clay, Pottery, Stone)
- Example: Earth + Fire = Lava
- Example: Lava + Water = Stone (or Obsidian)
From here, try: Stone + Wind, Stone + Fire, Brick + Earth, and Brick + Fire. You’re aiming for stepping stones like House, Wall, Mountain, Metal, Tool.
- Life lane chain
- Example: Water + Fire = Steam
- Example: Steam + Earth = Mud (or Swamp)
- Example: Mud + Rain = Plant (or Growth)
- Example: Plant + Wind = Seed (or Pollen)
- Example: Seed + Earth = Tree (or Forest)
- Example: Tree + a life-like element you unlock (like Life, Nature, Organism) = Animal (or Creature)
If you do not have a life-like element yet, brute-force it: combine Plant and Tree with Water, Earth, and Time one at a time until something like Life, Nature, Organism, or Biology appears.
Once you have anything that resembles Animal or Human, test it with: City, Time, Love, Death, Tool, Food. That’s how you unlock jobs, myths, and whole little worlds.
- Tech chain
- Example: Lava + Water = Stone (or Obsidian)
- Example: Stone + Fire = Metal (or Ore)
- Example: Metal + Fire = Tool (or Blade)
- Example: Tool + Metal = Machine (or Engine)
- Example: Machine + Energy = Electricity (or Power)
- Example: Electricity + Machine = Computer (or Robot)
No Energy yet? Try building toward it by mixing broad movers like Fire, Wind, and Time with your newest “tech-ish” result. When you get something like Power, Engine, Battery, or Electricity, you are basically in business.
Four core lanes
- Weather lane: push toward Steam, Cloud, Rain, Storm, or similar. Then mix each new weather element with Water, Wind, Fire, Earth one at a time.
- Geology lane: push toward Mud, Clay, Stone, Mountain, Lava, or similar. Again, recombine each with the basics to unlock branches.
- Life lane: push toward Plant, Tree, Animal, Human, Life, or similar. Once you have any “living” concept, it tends to connect to food, places, jobs, stories.
- Tech lane: chase Metal, Tool, Machine, Electricity, Computer, Robot, or similar. Tech elements often combine cleanly with City, Space, Time, Energy.
Creative chains
These are not about one perfect answer. They’re about building chains that keep producing new results.
- Build a city: Start with anything that resembles Land or terrain, then work toward House or Building, then City. After that, try combining City with: Water (ports, canals), Wind (power, weather), Fire (industry, nightlife), Earth (suburbs, parks). Keep going until you have a whole map.
- Make a movie universe: Aim for Human, Story, Book, Film, or similar. Then combine with Time, Space, Monster, Love, War, Music. You’re basically pitching sequels to the game until it agrees.
- Do a menu run: Once you unlock anything food-adjacent (Bread, Soup, Cheese, Meat, Fruit), start making a full meal: appetizer, main, side, dessert, drink. Combine Food with Fire (grilled, roasted), Water (boiled, soup), Wind (whipped, airy), Earth (root, rustic).
- Opposites challenge: Pick a pair like Hot and Cold, Life and Death, Light and Dark, Ocean and Desert. Craft toward each side, then combine them. The game often rewards contrast with new concepts.
- My favorite chaos test: Take your newest element and combine it with Water first. Then Fire. Then Wind. Then Earth. It is the fastest tasting flight I know.
Stuck fixes
- Reduce the sauce: If you have a very specific element, back up to something more general. Example: instead of trying to combine “Laser Sword” with everything, try “Sword” or “Laser” or “Energy.”
- Add acid: In cooking, acid brightens. In Infinite Craft, your “acid” is often a broad connector like Time, Space, Life, Energy, Love. Try adding one of those to your stuck element.
- Use the three-hit rule: When a combo fails, do not spiral. Try three purposeful variations (swap one ingredient, then swap the other, then add a basic). If nothing pops, change lanes.
