Dark Matter is Deuteria's premium currency. Every account starts with some, the game pays more as you play, and buying it is optional. Here is where it comes from and where it is best spent.
Where Dark Matter comes from
- Your welcome package. 500K Dark Matter the moment you register.
- Expeditions. A Dark Matter find is one of the possible outcomes of an expedition.
- The activity bonus. While you play actively, a claimable Dark Matter bonus unlocks at random moments, up to a daily limit.
- Voting. The vote page in game pays Dark Matter for voting for Deuteria on toplists.
- Inviting friends. Share your link from the Invite page. When your friend keeps playing, both of you earn Dark Matter in stages over their first month. It pays for play, never for the signup alone.
- The new-player checklist. Some steps pay a little Dark Matter alongside resources.
- Bounties. Beat the same named pirate or alien captain enough times on expeditions and a bounty pays out automatically.
What to spend it on first
Spend on things that last. An order that works for most new players:
- Officers. Ten account-wide officers you level up with Dark Matter, and every level is permanent. The Geologist raises production, the Construction Expert and the Scientist speed up buildings and research, the Storage Expert grows your stores, the Admiral and the Navigator make your fleets stronger and faster, and the General adds fleet slots.
- Your class, chosen once. The first pick is free and every switch after it costs Dark Matter, so choose with care.
- Lifeform races, if you cannot wait. Rock'tal, Mechas and Kaelesh unlock in that order through expeditions, or straight away for Dark Matter.
- Shop items for a push. Production boosters, extra planet fields and resource packages.
- Instant completion, last. Finishing buildings, research and ships instantly is convenient, but it only buys time.
Dark Matter can also relocate a planet to a new position or fill your alliance's treasury.
Buying Dark Matter
If you want more, Dark Matter is sold in one-off packages on the public price list. There is no subscription, and nothing you can buy is out of reach of a player who never pays.
Next step
That completes the beginner's path. The guide hub has the deeper articles, starting with Academy & Classes and The Synergy Guide.