Pumps set your water per second. Storage sets whether you can wait for market peaks. This tier list ranks pumps by stage using costs and rates recorded from gameplay videos. Items marked Unconfirmed were seen in-game but exact shop prices were not spoken on camera.
Quick verdict: Early → wells / windmill pipes. First big buy → Pump Jack Water ($12,000, 18/sec). Mid → replace low-rate pumps with purple ~750/sec when you can afford bulk. Late → $25M / $90M / $15B advanced tiers. Always keep storage ahead of pump speed.
Full Pump Tier Table
| Tier | Pump | Rate | Cost | Stage | ROI Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| S (early) | Traditional Pump / Well | 1/sec | Tutorial | 0–10 min | Start here; run ~4 before windmills |
| A (early) | Windmill Pipe | 3–8/sec | Unconfirmed | Early | Solid until Pump Jack |
| A (early) | Metal Windpipe Pump | 8/sec | Unconfirmed | Early | Pairs with windmill setup |
| S (early–mid) | Pump Jack Water | 18/sec | $12,000 | ~15–30 min | Best confirmed early jump |
| B | Pump Jack V2 / V3 | — | Unconfirmed | Mid | Seen in long runs; price TBD |
| S (mid) | Purple pump | ~750/sec | Unconfirmed | Mid–late | Best mid ROI when bulk-bought |
| A (mid) | High-tier row | ~2,000/sec | Unconfirmed | Late mid | Bridge before $90M tier |
| A (mid) | Industrial Pump | High (base ~20.8K/s after install) | Unconfirmed | Mid | Uses 2 placement slots |
| B | Advanced pump | — | $6,500,000 | Late mid | Replaces four 8/sec windmills |
| S (late) | Advanced pump | — | $25,000,000 | Late | Main late bulk buy |
| S (late) | Advanced pump | — | $90,000,000 | Late | Next tier after $25M |
| S (end) | Endgame industrial | — | $15,000,000,000 | Endgame | Highest spoken price |
Sources: AlmostDark $923M run, AccelToWin first look. Full raw list: Shop Prices.
Early Game Priority (0–30 min)
- Claim the free 18K Water Tower first.
- Place 3–4 traditional wells / early pipes.
- Save for Pump Jack Water — $12,000 @ 18/sec.
- Do not spam pumps if tanks fill in under ~2–3 minutes — buy storage instead.
Mid Game Priority
- Replace leftover 8/sec windmills when purple (~750/sec) or industrial pumps unlock.
- Industrial pumps need two slots — expand plot ($25K / $175K) before stacking them. See Base Expansion.
- Production milestones observed in one long run: 56 → 173 → 3K → 5.3K → 20.8K/sec.
Late Game Priority
- Bulk $25M advanced pumps, then $90M tier.
- $15B endgame industrial is a prestige flex — only after storage and plot are maxed for your session.
- Use the Sell Calculator to see how peak ($9) vs trough ($1) changes a full-tank dump.
Buying Rules (ROI)
| Rule | Why |
|---|---|
| Storage before more pumps | Speed without capacity = forced $1 sells |
| Replace, don't only add | A 750/sec pump beats five 8/sec pipes on the same slots |
| Check slot cost | 2-slot industrials need expansion ROI first |
| Sell at peak before big buys | One $9 dump can fund the next pump tier |
Storage Pairing Cheat Sheet
| Storage | Capacity | Cost | Pairs With |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free / shop Water Tower | 18,000 | Free / $150,000 | Early wells → Pump Jack |
| Storage Tower | 80,000 | $1,200,000 | Mid pumps / purple tier |
| Heavy-Duty Wooden Tank | 400,000 | $2,000,000 | High mid production |
| Heavy-Duty Glass Tank | 1,800,000 | Unconfirmed | Late / endgame dumps |