Project Solaris Shopkeeping, Money, and Crafting

Gold decides whether Hom enters a Trial Ceremony undergeared or ready. In Project Solaris, you earn money primarily through battles and the Shopkeeping action card (a shop minigame / earn-money day). You spend that gold on two different philosophies of gear: Solaris equipment that is expensive, powerful, and available when you can pay, and Hom equipment that is cheaper to craft in bulk but rolls more random outcomes. This guide compares income routes and sets crafting priorities that sync with 100-Day Strategy, Combat QTE, and Trust and Bond.

Shopkeeping versus Battle income

Shopkeeping days

Pick Shopkeeping when your wallet is the lowest resource on the four-way scorecard (readiness, money, Trust, skills). Shop sessions are steadier: you trade a combat day for predictable cash and crafting fuel. They shine in the first half of a ~20-day interval so purchases exist before ceremony week, not on the morning of a boss.

Strengths:

• Smoother gold curve for Solaris spike buys
• Time to craft multiple Hom pieces and reroll toward skill flavor
• Lower risk than forcing Battles while fatigued

Weaknesses:

• No QTE practice — fingers go cold
• Trust does not rise while you count coins
• Easy to over-shop and arrive at Day 10 mechanically rusty

Mitigation: after a shop block, schedule a warm-up Battle before elites or Trial Ceremonies (Controls habits matter again quickly).

Battle days

Battles spike loot, materials, and — critically — timing reps for yellow and red gauges. Choose Battle when combat readiness or practice is the bottleneck, or when enemy drops beat shop wages for your current goal.

Strengths:

• Direct combat XP for your hands
• Drops that feed crafts
• Story and pressure practice for Day 10 / ceremony patterns

Weaknesses:

• Swingier money
• Risk of brick fights that waste the day and resources
• Temptation to ignore Social and Shopkeeping until broke

Hybrid rule of thumb

In a ten-day slice, many strong runs look like: 3–4 Battle, 2 Shopkeeping, 1–2 Social, 1 Learn, 1 Rest (order varies). Adjust toward shop when Solaris’s next buy is the clear power spike; adjust toward Battle when Hom’s QTE consistency is the real problem.

Crafting priority: Solaris versus Hom

Solaris gear — expensive power, buy when ready

Solaris pieces are the “pay to solve a wall” option. Because they are powerful and available whenever you can afford them, save intentionally for breakpoints: pre-Day 10, pre-first Trial Ceremony, and pre-Day 100. Do not drip-feed gold into minor Solaris upgrades if a single meaningful purchase would change a ceremony plan.

Hom gear — cheaper bulk craft, random outcomes

Hom crafts are your volume lane. Expect randomness. The correct response is not rage-reroll forever; it is match crafts to skill flavor. If Hom’s active kit is skewed toward certain command types, craft toward that fantasy so QTE payoffs and identity align. Mismatched “high roll” gear that fights your skill list is a trap.

Priority order for most players:

1. Craft Hom pieces that support skills you can already yellow.
2. Bank gold toward one Solaris breakpoint purchase.
3. Craft experimental Hom pieces only after ceremony week is funded.
4. Reassess with Tier List Hub guidance once you know which lines scale.

Linking money to Trust and skills

A rich, low-Trust save still misses hard QTEs. Do not let Shopkeeping starve Social forever — Trust and Bond explains why Reliability is combat power. Likewise, Learn skills you cannot fund or execute waste calendar days. Economy is a servant of the 100-day plan, not the master.

August and the shop fantasy

August is the shopkeeper face of the economy fantasy. Interacting with shop systems can overlap with cast scenes tracked on the Players Hub. Enjoy the character writing, but keep the mechanical goal clear: fund the next Trial without freezing your QTE practice.

Interval shopping plan

Using the ~20-day boss cadence from 100-Day Strategy:

• Days +1 to +7 after a ceremony — Shopkeeping and Hom crafts while pressure is low.
• Mid interval — Mix Battle practice with Social if Trust lagged.
• Final 3 days pre-ceremony — Stop experimental crafts; warm up; buy the Solaris piece you saved for; Rest if clicks look sloppy.

Common economy mistakes

• Buying every Solaris option as it appears
• Crafting Hom gear with no skill-flavor plan
• Shopkeeping the day immediately before Day 10 with zero warm-up Battle
• Ignoring Rest until black gauges burn potions and dignity
• Checking ending charts (Endings) while broke and undergeared for the next ceremony

Demo and achievement note

The Steam demo (app 3400280) is a safe sandbox for tasting shop pacing before a full 100-day economy. The full game lists 85 Steam achievements — some will likely reward exploration of systems, but do not derail ceremony prep chasing every badge on a first clear.

Related reading

• Getting Started
• 100-Day Strategy
• Combat QTE
• Trust and Bond
• Controls
• Endings
• Tier List Hub
• Guides Hub

Earn with purpose. Craft toward the skills you click. Spend Solaris gold on breakpoints. That is how shopkeeping wins Trial Ceremonies.