In this guide What Infinite Marble Workshop is Controls The fifteen modules Flux, levels and marbles Watching it run Tips Questions and answers
What Infinite Marble Workshop is
Infinite Marble Workshop is a builder with no fail state. You grow a marble machine on a workbench, the marbles run through it by themselves, and every module a marble crosses pays flux, the currency that buys more modules. There is no timer and nothing to lose. A new workshop starts with a small working machine already running (a lift, two short runs of track, one spiral and a chute), and it keeps earning while you watch.
Controls
- Tap a module in the palette along the bottom to select it, then tap an empty spot on the bench to place it.
- The arrow button flips which way a new module will flow, left or right.
- The minus button turns on erase mode. Tap a placed module to remove it for half its price back.
- Undo takes back your most recent placement for a full refund.
- The last lift and the last chute cannot be erased, so the machine can never stop running.
The fifteen modules
| Module | Price | Flux per pass | Unlocks at |
|---|---|---|---|
| Track | 10 | 1 | Level 1 |
| Curve | 12 | 1.2 | Level 1 |
| Ramp | 14 | 1.2 | Level 1 |
| Chute | 26 | 6 | Level 1 |
| Funnel | 30 | 3 | Level 1 |
| Lift | 70 | 2 | Level 1 |
| Gate | 22 | 2 | Level 2 |
| Splitter | 26 | 2 | Level 2 |
| Spiral | 40 | 4 | Level 2 |
| Pegs | 20 | 2 | Level 3 |
| Merger | 22 | 2 | Level 3 |
| Bouncer | 26 | 2.5 | Level 3 |
| Bowl | 32 | 3 | Level 4 |
| Launcher | 38 | 3 | Level 4 |
| Wheel | 48 | 4 | Level 4 |
Lifts carry marbles back up to the top of the machine, and chutes collect them at the end of a route. The chute pays the most per pass of any module.
Flux, levels and marbles
Your workshop level depends on lifetime flux, the total you have ever earned, so spending never lowers it. Level 2 arrives at 300 lifetime flux, level 3 at 1,200, level 4 at 3,000 and level 5 at 7,000.
Levels also unlock richer marbles. Ceramic marbles are the baseline. Glass marbles arrive at level 2 and earn 10 percent more per pass, copper at level 3 earns 20 percent more, and starlight at level 4 earns 50 percent more.
The machine adds marbles as it grows. It starts with six and gains one for every three modules on the bench, up to a few dozen. Marbles that fall off the machine simply come back through a lift, and progress saves automatically every few seconds on your device.
Watching it run
The settings sheet has a section called Watch the workshop, with three presets: Showcase, Buildout and Close-up. Each one hides the interface and lets a camera follow the machine. Double-tap the screen to come back. The same sheet has switches for sound, haptics and reduced motion, and a button to reset the workshop.
Tips
- Lengthen the route before widening it. Every extra module between a lift and a chute is paid on every lap.
- End long routes with a chute. At 6 flux per pass it is worth as much as six pieces of plain track.
- At level 1 the funnel pays the most per pass of any piece you can put in the middle of a route: 3 flux, for a price of 30.
- Use Undo for experiments. It refunds the whole price, while erasing later returns only half.
- Once they unlock, pegs, bouncers and launchers are the quick earners. Each pays 2 to 3 flux and passes the marble on in well under a second.
- If a module is out of reach, wait. The machine earns by itself, and more modules also mean more marbles.
Questions and answers
Can the machine break or stop?
No. The last lift and chute are protected from erasing, and marbles that fall off come back.
Do I lose my level if I spend flux?
No. Levels are based on lifetime flux earned, not on what you currently hold.
What is the difference between erase and undo?
Undo reverses the latest placement with a full refund. Erase removes any module and refunds half.
How do I leave the watch mode?
Double-tap the screen.