Game mode
The Camp
The Camp is the base of every Keeper in Cromon Quest, the creature-collection RPG on Cronos, and the place where the game's two in-game currencies, Shards and CroCoin, turn into permanent upgrades. It holds nine buildings in three groups. Three outposts change the core loop: the Expedition Hall opens up to 4 parallel missions, the Aether Reactor cuts the Aether refill from 60 to 35 minutes, and the Aether Conduit raises the cap from 10 to 20. Three maze outposts improve every Shadow Run: more energy, a starter kit, a lantern that sees further in the fog. Three Pit outposts shape the weekly descent: a lift that skips the shallow floors, an infirmary, a rail switch. Every upgrade costs currency and a timer, never CRO, and the Camp produces nothing by itself: it makes everything else produce more. Free to start, with three starter Cromons.
How does the Camp work?
- Earn the currencies. Shards come from almost every mode; CroCoin from Uncommon and higher expeditions; maze orbs from the Shadow Run. None of them can leave the game, and all of them are what the Camp spends.
- Pick a building and pay its next level. The card shows the cost and exactly what the level changes: one more expedition slot, five minutes off the Aether refill, one more point of cap.
- Wait out the timer. From one hour for a first level to about 3 days for the top of the Conduit. Nothing shortens it; queue it before you log off.
- Keep it forever. A building never decays, never needs upkeep and never has to be rebuilt. What you upgrade stays upgraded.
What do the nine buildings do?
| Building | Levels | What it changes | Paid in |
|---|---|---|---|
| Expedition Hall | 4 | One expedition slot per level, from 1 to 4 missions out at once | Shards + CroCoin |
| Aether Reactor | 5 | Aether refill from one point every 60 minutes down to every 35 | Shards + CroCoin |
| Aether Conduit | 10 | +1 Aether cap per level, from 10 to 20 | Shards + CroCoin |
| Energy Reactor (maze) | 10 | +1 maze energy per hour and +10 to its cap, per level | Maze orbs |
| Starter Kit (maze) | 5 | Extra consumables seeded into every run's inventory | Maze orbs |
| Lantern of the Rift (maze) | 2 | Sight through the fog, from 5 cells to 25 at the top level | Maze orbs |
| Express Lift (Pit) | 4 | Start a descent at floor 2, 4, 6 or 8 instead of the top, energy untouched | Shards + CroCoin |
| Field Infirmary (Pit) | 4 | A knocked-out crew member is released after 24, 12 or 4 hours, then instantly | Shards + CroCoin |
| Rail Switch (Pit) | 3 | Swap the pending wave for the other rail, up to 3 times per descent | Shards + CroCoin |
What does it cost, level by level?
The two Aether buildings share the same first gate, 1,000 Shards and no CroCoin, tuned to be roughly a week of casual play. Then the ladders diverge. The Reactor tops out at level 5 for 25,000 Shards and 1,500 CroCoin; the Conduit keeps climbing to level 10 at 100,000 Shards and 6,000 CroCoin, the single most expensive upgrade in the game and, by design, a multi-month goal. The Expedition Hall's second level (1,000 Shards, 100 CroCoin) is the first real wall a new Keeper meets: doubling parallel expeditions is worth an investment, and the price says so.
The Pit buildings sit in between: the Express Lift's first level costs 3,000 Shards and 150 CroCoin and skips the first 2 floors of every descent; its top level, 45,000 Shards, skips 8. The three maze outposts are paid in the orbs the Shadow Run itself drops, so the maze funds its own improvement.
In what order should I build?
Reactor first, because a faster refill helps every single day and every mode that spends Aether, starting with the Arena. Expedition Hall second: a second slot doubles what comes home while you sleep. The Conduit comes once you catch yourself logging in with a full bar, since a higher cap only helps a Keeper who was wasting regen. From there the choice follows what you play. A maze regular wants the Lantern early (seeing 13 cells instead of 5 changes how a run reads); a Pit regular wants the Lift, which is the one building that buys depth; the Infirmary matters the day a mustered crew gets knocked out and you would rather not wait 24 hours. The Aether guide has the numbers behind the first two choices.
Camp questions
Does the Camp produce resources?
No. The Camp is where Shards and CroCoin are spent, not made. Its nine buildings are permanent upgrades: more expedition slots, more Aether, a better start in the Shadow Run maze and in The Pit. The resources come from playing the modes those buildings improve.
What does a building cost?
Shards and CroCoin for the outposts and the Pit buildings, maze orbs for the three Shadow Run outposts, plus a build timer from one hour to about 3 days. The first level of the Aether Reactor costs 1,000 Shards and no CroCoin; the tenth level of the Aether Conduit costs 100,000 Shards and 6,000 CroCoin, the most expensive upgrade in the game. Nothing in the Camp costs CRO.
Which building should I build first?
The Aether Reactor, then the Expedition Hall. A faster Aether refill helps every day; a second expedition slot doubles what comes back while you are away. Both first levels sit at the same 1000-Shard gate, which is roughly a week of casual play.
Can I skip a build timer?
No. A timer runs from one hour to a few days depending on the level, and there is nothing to buy that shortens it. Queue an upgrade before you log off and it is done when you come back.
Do buildings help a free account?
Yes, and equally. Free to start: connect a wallet and receive three starter Cromons, then every building is available for the currencies those Cromons earn. A Keeper with three starters and a level 5 Reactor refills Aether faster than one with thirty NFTs and none.
Your first building is a week away
Free to start: connect your wallet, receive three starter Cromons, and earn the Shards for the Reactor by playing.