How the ending works
The ending is the ship ascent. Find the crashed starship at radius 28, spend alien alloy on hull and thrusters, then lift off. The ascent lasts 60 seconds. Every asteroid hit removes one hull; at zero hull the ship crashes. At 60 seconds you reach space and the ending plays.
- →Find the Crashed Starship at radius 28 to unlock the ship tab.
- →Spend alien alloy on hull and thrusters. Each point costs one alloy.
- →Lift off and dodge asteroids for 60 seconds.
- →One asteroid hit removes one hull. Zero hull ends the attempt.
The standard ending
Survive the ascent and the screen fades to the ending. The game shows your score for the run and your total score, then offers a restart. There is no final boss and no choice to make; reaching space is enough. This is the ending most first runs should aim for.
The fleet beacon alternate ending
The fleet beacon is an optional item carried by the immortal wanderer at the end of the Ravaged Battleship dungeon at radius 28. Defeat it, take the beacon, and carry it when you lift off. If the beacon is in your stores at the ending, the game adds a longer epilogue about the wanderer homefleet. The beacon does not change the ascent or the survival requirement; it only adds the alternate ending text.
- →The Ravaged Battleship is at radius 28, the same ring as the crashed ship.
- →The immortal wanderer has 500 health and cycles through shield, enraged, and meditation states.
- →Bring steel armour, a rifle or plasma rifle, hypos, and stims. This is the hardest fight in the game.
- →Carry the beacon through lift-off. Keep it in your stores; the ending checks for it.
The crash
A crash is not an ending. If the hull reaches zero during the ascent, the ship falls back and you return to the ship tab. You can reinforce the hull, add thrusters, and try again. The only permanent loss is the alloy you already spent.
- →Crash at zero hull, then reinforce and relaunch.
- →Thrusters make the ship faster and therefore easier to dodge with.
- →If you keep crashing, add two or three more hull before spending alloy on thrusters.
What carries over
After the ending, the game saves your score and a reduced version of your stores as prestige. On a new run, a Destroyed Village landmark can appear on the map with those supplies. Perks, map progress, and buildings do not carry over; a new game starts fresh apart from the prestige cache.
- →Score and a reduced store bundle are saved as prestige.
- →A Destroyed Village can appear on the next run's map with the prestige supplies.
- →Perks reset on a new game.
- →Buildings, workers, and map progress reset.
Which ending should you aim for?
Use your first run to learn the build order and the ascent. On a later run, clear the Ravaged Battleship, take the fleet beacon, and launch with enough hull to survive. The beacon fight is optional, so do not attempt it until you have steel armour, a strong ranged weapon, and a comfortable supply of healing items.
- →First run: standard ending. Learn the ascent and the asteroid pattern.
- →Second run: clear the Ravaged Battleship and carry the beacon.
- →Do not skip hull upgrades to afford the beacon fight. Both matter.
Play A Dark Room online
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Start playing →Frequently asked questions
How many endings does A Dark Room have?+
There are two: the standard ship ascent and the fleet beacon alternate ending. A crash is a failed attempt, not an ending.
How do I get the fleet beacon in A Dark Room?+
Defeat the immortal wanderer at the end of the Ravaged Battleship at radius 28. The beacon is guaranteed loot.
Do I need the fleet beacon to finish the game?+
No. The standard ending only requires surviving the 60-second ascent. The beacon adds the alternate epilogue.
What happens if my ship crashes?+
You return to the ship tab and can reinforce the hull, add thrusters, and try again. A crash does not delete your save.
Does A Dark Room restart automatically after the ending?+
It shows your score and a restart option. Restarting clears the save but keeps the prestige stores.
Do perks carry over to a new game?+
No. A new game starts without perks. Only the prestige store bundle carries over, through the Destroyed Village cache.
How much hull should I bring for the ending?+
Five hull and five thrusters is a comfortable target. Add more hull if you expect to get hit.