If you want to start today, here is the minimum viable spreadsheet. Open a blank sheet and type this exactly:
| Planet | Level | Base Ore | Rate/sec | Upgrade Cost | ROI Hours | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Planet 1 | 25 | Copper | 25*(1+2.5)=87.5 | 18k | 0.2 | | Planet 2 | 22 | Iron | 22*(1+2.2)=70.4 | 22k | 0.3 | | ...and so on... | | | | | |
In Cell D2 (Rate/sec): =B2*(1+(B2*0.1)) Wait, this is recursive? No. Correct formula is Base Rate * (1 + (Level * 0.1)). idle planet miner spreadsheet
In Cell F2 (ROI Hours): =E2 / (VALUE_OF_ORE * D2 * 3600)
Then, CONDITIONAL FORMAT on Column F: Red for >24 hours, Yellow for >8 hours, Green for <2 hours. If you want to start today, here is
Now, you never ask "What do I upgrade?" again. You upgrade the Green ones.
If you want to compare two planets after bonuses: A spreadsheet can automate this with VLOOKUP or
Net Ore/sec = (BaseRate × (1 + MineUpgrade/100) × ManagerMiningBonus × MothershipBonus × ColonizationBonus)
÷ (TransportTime × CargoCapacity / Load)
A spreadsheet can automate this with VLOOKUP or INDEX(MATCH) across tables.
The game is called Idle Planet Miner, but the spreadsheet might reveal you are losing money.