You play as the Intern, an astronaut hired by the intergalactic company Static Factory to scavenge abandoned moons for valuable scraps. Your first mission takes place on the moon Polymorphia.
You (represented by @ on the game map) start the mission inside your spaceship, and have 4 Health Points. The spaceship is represented by several squares of floor (_) surrounded by walls (#) in the middle of the scrap-littered game map. You can pick up scraps to place them in your unlimited inventory, or discard them on the floor. Scraps include large bolts (+) and metal sheets (%).
Also on Polymorphia are several craters (u) from which enemies spawn; there are Suspicious Astronauts (ඞ) and Huntsman spiders (8), as well as the harmless, scrap-stealing Alien Bugs (a). Should the Suspicious Astronaut enter within one exit of you, you'll be killed instantly. Against other creatures though, your weapons include your fists and the metal pipe (!) scrap. Also of interest are puddles of water (~) — drinking from these increases your max health. The Jar of Pickles (n) scrap, on the other hand, has a 50-50 chance of healing or harming you, depending on its expiry date.
The Pot of Gold ($) scrap, meanwhile, increases your spending power, which you'll need if you're to purchase the following items from the ship's Computer Terminal (=):
- Astley, an AI device (z) that plays unlockable song lyrics.
- Dragon Slayer Sword (x)
- THESEUS (^), a portable teleporter that moves you anywhere within a single map
- Energy Drink (*) for healing
- Toilet Paper Roll (s). It has no function.
Be warned, there's a chance the Terminal takes your money without dispensing the item, or demands double the item's price. A chance that varies according to the item.
The moon has plants known as "Inheritrees”, which start off as saplings (t) producing small fruits (o). With their mature stage (T) comes larger fruits (O). Fruits aren't just scraps, but also healing items.
The Computer Terminal can take you to Polymorphia's sister moon Refactorio (home to differently-behaved Inheritrees), or to the factory's spaceship parking lot. There, you'll be greeted by a humanoid figure (H) who'll buy your scraps off you.