Skip the grind
Tired of the first hour of mining, crafting, and walking? Skip the grind lets you configure exactly what you spawn with — and optionally unlock parts of the tech tree — then get on with building your factory.
Everything is controlled from a single in-game configurator. No console commands required (though they're available if you want them).
Features
Starting loadout
- Presets: Easy, Minimal, Vanilla, or Blank (build your own)
- Custom item list: pick any items, set counts, add/remove rows
- Power armor: optional, with a configurable equipment grid (reactors, exoskeletons, roboports, etc.)
- Extra reach: bonus build/reach distance (0–200 tiles)
- Apply anytime: changes save automatically; use Apply to my character now to refresh your inventory mid-game
Early tech unlock
Unlock whole branches of the tech tree at game start, with a confirmation list before anything is researched:
- Mining
- Munitions (weapons, turrets, walls)
- Logistics (belts, bots, trains)
- Production (assemblers, furnaces, modules)
- Power (steam, solar, nuclear, poles)
- Fluids (pipes, pumps, oil)
Only tech up to red, green, blue, and purple science is included. Prerequisites are unlocked automatically. Unticking a category re-locks only what this mod unlocked — your own research is left alone.
Quality-of-life
- Toolbar shortcut + Ctrl+I hotkey
- Game pauses while the configurator is open (single player)
- Overflow items/equipment spill to inventory or the ground instead of being lost
- Skips the freeplay intro cutscene so items are delivered reliably
How to use
- Enable the mod and start Freeplay (or any scenario where you control a character).
- Open the configurator: toolbar button or Ctrl+I.
- Pick a preset or edit items, armor, reach, and tech categories.
- Start a new game — your loadout is applied when your character spawns.
- Or click Apply to my character now to apply immediately.
Commands
/skip-the-grind-config— open the configurator/skip-the-grind— re-apply your saved loadout to your character
Mod settings (main menu)
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Default loadout for new games | Easy / Minimal / Vanilla / Blank |
| Access mode | How long the configurator stays available (see below) |
| Time limit (minutes) | Used with Time limit / Both modes |
| Write debug log | Optional troubleshooting log (off by default) |
Access modes
- Unlimited — configurator always available
- Disabled — mod fully off (no items, no GUI)
- One-time use (default) — auto start items still apply; configurator locks after you click Apply to my character now once
- Time limit — locks after N in-game minutes from first use
- Both — locks when either one-time apply or the time limit is reached
Notes
- Config is per player, per save — each player can have their own loadout in multiplayer.
- Compatible with Factorio 2.1.
- Requires base only.
- Want a simpler version with one-time use only? See Skip the grind: One-time.
Troubleshooting
Enable Write debug log in Mod settings, reproduce the issue, then check:
Factorio/script-output/skip-the-grind/debug.log
Attach that file when reporting a bug.
2.18.12 - Fixed issue vacuuming up all items around you, Global reach and robot speed values should remain when save loaded back up.