Early Game (1–100,000 Cookies)
Best Buildings:
- Cursors:
- Inexpensive and synergize well with upgrades like Reinforced Index Finger.
- Synergy upgrades with Grandmas make them useful early on.
- Grandmas:
- Cheap and provide good CPS for the cost.
- Unlock upgrades like One Mind and Elder Pact for long-term benefits.
- Farms:
- Provide a steady CPS boost at a reasonable price.
Focus:
- Build a balanced number of Cursors and Grandmas to take advantage of synergy upgrades.
- Don’t overspend on higher-tier buildings yet—focus on unlocking early upgrades.
Mid-Game (100,000–10 Billion Cookies)
Best Buildings:
- Factories:
- Offer good CPS relative to cost in this phase.
- Benefit from synergy upgrades with Grandmas.
- Mines:
- Become efficient with upgrades that boost production significantly.
- Banks:
- Unlock the Stock Market mini-game at level 1.
- Temples:
- Provide consistent CPS and unlock the Pantheon mini-game at level 1.
Focus:
- Diversify your building purchases to take advantage of synergy upgrades.
- Gradually increase spending on higher-tier buildings like Banks and Temples as they unlock upgrades and mini-games.
Late Game (10 Billion–1 Trillion Cookies)
Best Buildings:
- Portals:
- Offer a massive CPS boost compared to earlier buildings.
- Early upgrades significantly increase efficiency.
- Time Machines:
- High base CPS makes them worth saving for, even with their higher cost.
- Wizard Towers:
- Unlock the Grimoire mini-game for spells like Hand of Fate, which can spawn Golden Cookies.
Focus:
- Prioritize Portals and Time Machines as their efficiency surpasses lower-tier buildings.
- Continue upgrading mid-tier buildings if they remain cost-effective compared to new purchases.
End Game (1 Trillion+ Cookies)
Best Buildings:
- Antimatter Condensers:
- Extremely high base CPS.
- Worth saving for once their cost becomes manageable.
- Prisms:
- One of the most efficient buildings in the game with a high return on investment.
- Focus on unlocking Prism-specific upgrades.
- Chancemakers:
- Pair with Golden Cookie upgrades for significant synergy boosts.
- Idleverses:
- Provide excellent late-game production with appropriate upgrades.
Focus:
- Build fewer, higher-tier buildings (e.g., Prisms) for efficiency.
- Save for synergy upgrades that multiply CPS across all buildings.
Key Tips for Choosing Buildings
- Use the Efficiency Formula:
- Compare the cost to CPS gain of each building to find the most efficient option:
Efficiency = Cost / CPS Gain
- Compare the cost to CPS gain of each building to find the most efficient option:
- Buy Synergy Boosters:
- Many upgrades boost production based on combinations of buildings (e.g., Grandmas and Mines). Balance purchases accordingly.
- Unlock Mini-Games:
- Level up Farms, Temples, and Wizard Towers with Sugar Lumps to access mini-games for additional bonuses.
- Golden Cookie Boosts:
- During Frenzy or Click Frenzy, prioritize buying higher-tier buildings for maximum gains.
General Rule of Thumb
- Early Game: Focus on Grandmas, Cursors, and Mines.
- Mid-Game: Diversify with Factories, Banks, and Temples.
- Late Game: Invest heavily in Portals, Time Machines, and Prisms.
Balancing efficiency and long-term investment is the key to building a powerful cookie empire! 🍪