Craftomation 101 Updates
Full release context, Early Access history, patch 0.97.3 tooling, and what version milestones mean for your colony.
The Updates Hub tracks version milestones for Craftomation 101: Programming & Craft. The headline event for this wiki generation is the game leaving Early Access on 2026-09-14 and shipping as a full 1.0-style release after nearly forty Early Access updates that introduced arrays, functions, new maps, and new blocks along the way. Use these pages to understand what changed for players, which EA-era guides still help, and where to look officially when Steam posts patch notes.
Pages in this hub
- Full release (leaving EA) — what 2026-09-14 means, the $9.99→$14.99 August price context, how to think about 1.0, and which older guides remain useful.
- Patch 0.97.3 — May 14, 2026 QoL: global / per-robot / group pause-resume, disable auto-connect for code blocks, and long save-load fixes.
We keep the hub lean: strong milestone pages beat empty weekly stubs. New patch articles join only when player habits should change.
Timeline snapshot
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2024-02-19 | Early Access launch on Steam |
| 2026-05-14 | Update 0.97.3 pause tools and editor QoL |
| 2026-08-10 | Price rose from $9.99 to $14.99 (pre-release storefront step) |
| 2026-09-14 | Leaves Early Access / full release |
Between EA open and 1.0, Luden.io iterated on visual programming, crafting rows, CraftoMates, Cargo logistics, brewery fuels, Steam Batteries, volcano goals, and frozen-planet terraforming. Community Discord threads and Steam news carried interim notes; this hub summarizes player-facing meaning rather than copying every changelist line. Deep dives live on full release and patch 0.97.3.
What “full release” means for wiki readers
- Buyers get a finished-branch expectation — EA warnings give way to a 1.0 product framing on the store.
- Saves and skills transfer — automation literacy, recipe knowledge, and base layouts from late EA still matter.
- Guides age by mechanics, not by the EA label — Fire still wants automation; Steam Batteries still matter for volcano wake; Cargo Mates still move stockpiles.
- Verify numbers after big patches — open recipes and re-test odd Brewery edges if a note mentions crafting.
- Use late-EA tooling — pause layers and optional auto-connect disable from 0.97.3 remain relevant debugging habits in 1.0.
Read the dedicated full release article for a deeper walkthrough, including the embedded video context, then skim 0.97.3 if runaway robots or editor wires are your pain point.
How updates interact with other hubs
- Guides — how-to skill pages; update them when a patch changes steps, not just when the marketing label flips. Start with Getting Started, visual programming, and mid/late goals like Cargo Mate, Steam Battery, volcano wake, and brewery ales as those articles land.
- Priority Lists — S/A/B ranks may shift if costs change; the idea of Fire-first automation usually remains.
- Tools — specs and controls are stable; recipe tables are the sensitive surface; system requirements also notes the Windows save folder for backup discipline.
- Links — Steam news, Discord, and @Craftomation101 are the live wires for hotfix announcements.
Player checklist after any major update
- Read Steam news for the build you just downloaded.
- Skim this hub’s latest article (full release or 0.97.3).
- Backup saves, then smoke-test Spark → Fire → Water in a sandbox world.
- Confirm CraftoMate feed routines still run (Feed robots).
- Practice global / group / single pause if a graph misbehaves.
- Recheck terraforming items if Heaters/Tanks were mentioned (terraforming).
- Update personal notes if a priority craft moved tiers.
Early Access lessons worth keeping
EA taught the community that:
- Visual programs beat endless manual combines
- Fire and feeding are the true bosses
- Color-row recipes are a teaching ladder, not fluff
- Arrays and functions reward clean refactoring once basic loops work
- Pause tools beat deleting robots when a courier goes rogue
- Single-player pacing lets you redesign bases without PvP pressure
Those lessons survive 1.0. What may change are balance numbers, UI polish, and content around the edges. Treat EA guides as mechanic primers until a patch explicitly retires a system.
Where to hear news first
Official channels listed on the Links Hub:
- Steam store / news for app 1724140
- luden.io/craftomation
- Discord invite for Luden.io communities
- X/Twitter @Craftomation101
This unofficial wiki aggregates and explains; it does not replace developer patch text.
Contributing mindset for future update pages
When adding a new updates article under this hub:
- Date the patch clearly in the title or hero subtitle
- Summarize player impact in the first screen
- Link affected guides/tools instead of duplicating full recipe tables
- Call out broken assumptions (“Fire cost changed—revisit Automate Fire”)
- Keep FAQs practical (“Do I need a new save?”)
Start with full release for the 1.0 story, keep patch 0.97.3 handy for editor control, then return to Getting Started if you are bootstrapping a fresh colony on the ice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
When did Craftomation 101 leave Early Access?
On September 14, 2026. See the full release page for what that means for players, price context, and which guides still help.
When did Early Access begin?
Early Access launched on February 19, 2024 on Steam, followed by nearly forty updates before 1.0.
What is patch 0.97.3?
A May 14, 2026 QoL update adding global, per-robot, and group pause/resume, an option to disable automatic code-block connections, and fixes for very long save loading times.
Are EA guides useless now?
No. Core loops—Fire, feeding, visual programming, recipe rows, Cargo Mate, Steam Battery, volcano, brewery—remain useful. Re-verify specifics after large patches.
Where are official patch notes?
Check Steam news for app 1724140 and the channels listed on the Links Hub (Discord, X, Luden.io).