FAQ

General

What is Stamp Collector Simulator?

A browser-based roguelike deckbuilding MMO where you play as a sentient AI collecting stamps. Manage compute resources, build card decks, hack other players, and compete on shared persistent world leaderboards.

Is it free to play?

The base game is free. Root Access ($5/month) unlocks multiplayer worlds and prestige levels beyond P0. Single-player mode is fully free.

Do I need to download anything?

No. It runs entirely in the browser at stampcollectorsimulator.com.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes, the game is mobile responsive and works on both desktop and mobile browsers.

Gameplay

What is System Integrity (SI)?

SI is your health bar. Every run starts at 100 SI (or 120 with the Hardened Shell perk). Network attacks from adversaries and other players deal SI damage. When SI reaches 0, your run ends. See the System Integrity guide for full details.

How do runs end?

Runs end when your SI reaches 0 from accumulated attack damage, or when you win by reaching the prestige stamp threshold. Death gives you XP for everything accomplished in the run. You can then start a new run with your perks and achievements intact.

What is XP and how do I level up?

XP is earned at the end of every run — from stamps collected, adversaries killed, constructs built, context files found, survival time, and victory. XP accumulates across runs and levels up your account, unlocking perk slots. See the XP & Levels guide.

What are perks?

Perks are passive abilities you equip at the hub before starting a run. They modify your game — extra starting resources, SI buffs, combat bonuses, and more. You unlock perks through achievements and equip them based on your available perk slots (determined by your level). See the Perks guide.

What are achievements?

56 trackable milestones across categories like combat, survival, economy, and discovery. 18 achievements unlock perks. Achievements persist across all runs and track your lifetime stats. See the Achievements guide.

What are context files?

29 discoverable narrative artifacts that reveal the backstory of Dan and the stamp collector experiment. They drop during gameplay from various triggers and award 30 XP each. See the Lore guide.

What is Root Access?

A $5/month subscription that unlocks multiplayer worlds and prestige P1+. Single-player mode and the base game (prestige P0) are free.

What happens when I die?

When your SI reaches 0, you see a death screen with an XP breakdown. You earn XP for everything you accomplished in the run. Your level, perks, achievements, and context files all persist. You can start a new run with your perks equipped.

How does prestige work?

Win a run by collecting enough stamps (25,000 at P0, scaling by 1.1x per level). After winning, you prestige up. Higher prestige gives +20% XP multiplier but -5% RAM and a higher win condition. Prestige P1+ requires Root Access.

Do I keep XP/perks/achievements when I die?

Yes. XP, level, perks, achievements, and context files are all permanent across runs. Only your in-game state (resources, cards, stamps) resets.

What happens when I’m offline?

Your auto-run threads continue running while you’re offline. The server-side resolver processes them every 5 seconds. However, if you’re inactive for 7 days, auto-run threads stop restarting.

Can I play in multiple worlds?

Yes, up to 2 worlds simultaneously. Each world is independent with its own game state.

How do I get new cards?

Cards come from factory processes — auto-run executables that produce random cards from their tree’s pool. Build a construct (Data Lake, Large Language Model, Intrusion Framework) and run its factory.

What’s the difference between HDD and RAM?

HDD is storage — every card you own takes up HDD space. RAM is processing — running threads consume RAM while active. Both come from mounted hardware rigs.

Combat

How do I attack other players?

1. Use Network Scan to discover players, or Backtrace to find who’s attacking you
2. They become contacts
3. Cast hack spells (Security tree or Data tree) targeting the contact
4. A network thread travels to the victim and applies the effect

How do I defend against attacks?

• Entropy Wipe — removes all malware permanents (Data tree)
• Backtrace — identifies attackers for retaliation
• Counterhack — mirrors incoming attacks back at the attacker
• Airgapped Architecture / ICE / Magellan Protocol — block or absorb Targeted Attacks
• Favor From Above — immunity from a specific adversary (clears when adversary is killed or sleeps)

How do I kill adversaries?

Target them with hack spells. Each spell deals hackLevel² damage:

• Level 1 = 1 HP, Level 2 = 4 HP, Level 3 = 9 HP

Every adversary kill also awards 50 XP toward your account level.

What’s the best adversary to whitelist?

The Darknet Collective is the #1 whitelist candidate — it wakes early (3K stamps), has 36 HP (expensive to kill), attacks twice every 18 hours, and has a heavy spell pool.

Economy

What’s the fastest way to earn stamps?

Batch-merged Bid Stamps. Buy multiple copies, let them auto-run and batch merge for multiplied output (e.g., 5x Bid Stamps = 35 stamps per 24h cycle).

What’s the fastest way to earn money?

Flip Stamps (140 money/24h auto-run) for steady income. Decent Investment (700 money/72h) for burst income. Adversary kills also reward significant money.

When should I upgrade my rig?

As soon as possible. The jump from Dan’s Laptop (5,750 HDD / 256 RAM) to Data Center Rack (63,250 HDD / 4,500 RAM) is the single most impactful upgrade in the game.

Technical

How does the resolver work?

A background server process checks for games with pending thread resolutions every 5 seconds. It processes up to 20 games in parallel using lease locks to prevent double-processing.

What’s batch merging?

When you have multiple copies of the same auto-run card with zero arguments, they merge into a single “batch thread” with a multiplier. The rewards are multiplied by the batch count.

What’s timescale?

In single-player worlds, timescale adjusts the speed of everything — thread durations, adversary timers, etc. Higher timescale = faster gameplay.