See
1. Locked tool
Spot a tool that stays grayed or blocked in your belt. That is a tech-gate — not a broken bind and not a missing settings toggle.
Unlock · growth_unlock_20260930
Locked tool? Read the unlock. Progress Lab. Equip.
CLASHROIDS tech-gates are meant to be readable: when a tool stays locked, the requirement lives on the tool — progress Lab/tech until it clears, then use it in your belt. No mystery binds. Free in the browser. Steam Coming Soon (app 4296990) — wishlist toward 10K+.
The unlock loop
Read
2. Unlock requirement
Read the unlock copy on the tool itself. Affordance first: the requirement should tell you what Lab/tech progress clears the gate — no invented keybinds or node names.
Progress
3. Lab / tech
Advance Lab and tech until the requirement clears. Keep flying the belt while you progress — unlocks drop in when the gate opens.
Use
4. Equip in belt
Once unlocked, the tool is yours to use in the belt. Find inventory and control toggles under Options → Controls → Hotbar if the HUD still hides it — then fight with the new tool.
Why unlock affordance matters
- » Tech-gates should be readable on the tool: see locked → read requirement → progress Lab/tech → unlock → use in belt.
- Distinct from settings discoverability (hotbar), input schemes (controls), and the bind cheat-sheet (hotkeys): this page is about Lab unlock clarity, not remapping keys or finding toggles.
- Do not invent specific keybinds, tech-tree node names, or Lab step numbers — trust the unlock copy on the tool.
- Wishlist on Steam so Early Access crews land already knowing how tech-gates work.
Go deeper
- Hotbar — Options → Controls → Hotbar; find inventory and control toggles.
- Tips — practical belt advice once tools unlock.
- Quickstart — first-session path into free browser PvP.
- Ships — hulls and loadouts once your tools open.
- Powerups — belt pickups that stack with unlocked tools.
- Controls — input schemes and how you steer the ship.
- Hotkeys — bind cheat-sheet for common actions.
- Wishlist — Steam app 4296990, free browser + Early Access goal.
- Play — free browser asteroid PvP, no download.