I don't know why I do this to myself. But hey, maybe you can benefit from the information I found. Read to the bottom, please?

All the information contained herein is based off calculations between Rewind 0 and Rewind 10. Anything and everything can change at higher Rewind levels, especially in the 100's.

Consider this your "Bottom Line Up Front". The actual meat of the guide begins later.

This optimization route assumes you want to max all auto clickers before Rewind for maximum VHS leaderboard points.

1. Open auto clickers Steam (10) and Folder (110)
2. Upgrade Steam and Folder each to level 3
3. Open auto clicker Settings (600)
4. Upgrade Steam and Folder to level 10
5. Open auto clicker Internet (3000)
6. Upgrade Steam, Folder, and Settings each to level 15
7. Upgrade Internet to level 5
8. Open auto clicker Calculator (14,000)
9. Upgrade Internet to level 10
10. Upgrade Calculator to level 5
11. Open auto clicker Calendar (200,000)
12. Upgrade Calculator to level 10
13. Upgrade Calendar to level 5
14. Open auto clicker Volume (3,300,000)
15. Upgrade Calendar to level 10
16. Upgrade Volume to level 2
17. Open auto clicker Battery (9,000,000)
18. Upgrade Volume to level 5
19. Upgrade Battery to level 2
20. Open Device (50,000,000), upgrade Battery to level 3, upgrade device to level 2
21. Open MP3 (130,000,000), upgrade Battery to level 4, upgrade MP3 to level 2
22. Open Save (400,000,000), upgrade Battery to level 5, upgrade Save to level 2
23. Open Movie (750,000,000), upgrade movie to level 2
24. Open Games (900,000,000), upgrade games to level 2
25. Open Loading (1 Billion)

From here, max to 1 Billion while repeatedly upgrading each auto clicker in reverse order all the way back down to Steam.

If you don't follow the schedule above, or you reach higher Rewind levels, keep these tips in mind.

1. Open the first three auto clickers ASAP
2. Upgrade the first three auto clickers (Steam, Folder, Settings) each to level 15
3. Upgrade the second three auto clickers (Internet, Calculator, Calendar) each to level 10
4. Upgrade the next two auto clickers (Volume, Battery) each to level 5
5. Upgrade the high-value auto clickers (Device, MP3, Save, Movie) each to level 2 before opening the next
6. Open the final two auto clickers without upgrading

There are 14 unlockable auto clickers and their value to unlock remains the same regardless of Rewind level. The unlockable auto clickers are:

Many of the early upgrades are a nominal increase in cost, especially upgrading from level 1 to level 2. The optimized path takes advantage of this by upgrading each auto clicker to level 2 as quickly as possible. For example, the increased cost to upgrade Steam from level 1 to level 2 is usually about +10%, and Calendar from level 1 to level 2 is around +15%. The yellow values in the portion of spreadsheet below show the cost to upgrade between each level from Rewind level 7.


Eventually, all auto clicker upgrade values smooth out to +20% (1.200). For example, if the value to upgrade Internet at level 14 is 7,613 VHS, then the value to upgrade at level 15 is 9,136 (7613*1.2). At higher levels, the click benefit provided per upgrade cost is reduced (as noted in the green values in the above spreadsheet), making upgrading that auto clicker irrelevant for progression.

Strangely, I have noticed minor changes in the cost to upgrade each auto clicker with each Rewind. Meaning, the values in my spreadsheet are not fixed at every Rewind level... which doesn't make sense... why program almost unnoticeable changes to these values with every Rewind level?

The good news is that, for the most part, the value of each upgrade is approximately +20%, making our optimal path math easier.

I almost didn't include this section because the max upgrade level for each auto clicker can change thanks to the fact that the cost to upgrade them changes per Rewind level. However, before Rewind 10, these max levels have been consistent +/- 1:

1. Steam (Level 102)
2. Folder (Level 89)
3. Settings (Level 79)
4. Internet (Level 70)
5. Calculator (Level 62)
6. Calendar (Level 47)
7. Volume (Level 32)
8. Battery (Level 27)
9. Device (Level 17)
10. MP3 (Level 12)
11. Save (Level 6)
12. Movie (Level 3)
13. Games (Level 2)
14. Loading (Level 1)

Secret: Sometimes you get two levels in Loadings! On occasion, I have seen Loading unlock at 1 Billion VHS, then an upgrade cost LOWER than the unlock cost appears, usually around 980-990 million, to upgrade it to level 2. It is very strange when it happens, but your max CPS goes up an additional 53 million, making the end game quicker for that Rewind level!

Each auto clicker upgrade benefit is a fixed value increase per level. This click benefit does not change per Rewind level.

Remember, these are multiplied per upgrade level, not exponents!

From here, we can calculate the click benefit per VHS ratio just for opening each new auto clicker.

As you can see, the benefit for opening new auto clickers is apparent for the first five (Steam, Folder, Settings, Internet, Calculator). That benefit drops way down during the mid-game, but ramps back up for the final two clickers (Games, Loading). This math shows why the middle of the game is so boring, and the opening and closing are so frantic.

The click benefit versus VHS cost is why we upgrade the clickers in the optimal order. At lower VHS cost, we gain more clicks per VHS spent. As the cost to upgrade changes with each rewind level, it is hard to be specific, but in general, the optimal unlock/upgrade order at the beginning of this guide takes advantage of the most click benefit per VHS spent on upgrades.

Here is one example extrapolated from Rewind 7 for auto clicker Folder (click benefit versus cost in green):



Per the optimal track, we upgrade Folder to level 15, which is on the downward slope of the curve. However, the real value is found in the order we upgrade all auto clickers. Furthermore, the overall cost to upgrade Folder to level 15 is a total of 6,377 VHS, which is significantly below and before spending the cost of 14,000 to unlock Calculator, showing that there is still a click benefit to be realized before diminishing returns.

And finally, we get to the x2 boost. Clicking this button will boost your VHS gather rate for 30 seconds.

The first x2 boost always costs 63 VHS. The final boost always costs more than 1 Billion, which you cannot reach (meaning, the button never says MAX like the auto clickers do when they reach their max value). With all the dumb numbers swirling around my head, the below values are just in general. Specific amounts will vary.

1. 63 VHS
2. 265,000 VHS
3. 1,065,000 VHS
4. 4 million VHS
5. 7 million VHS
6. 68 million VHS
7. 272 million VHS
8. Over 1 Billion VHS (unreachable)

Also, depending on how you use the boost, be aware that the cost for clicking boost may exceed the amount of VHS you receive while boosted, especially if you use it fast and early. This is why my recommendation is to use the boost immediately after opening the Volume, Battery, and Device auto clickers, and with as little VHS as you can have in your bank to cover the cost of the boost. Beyond that, use it as you want.

Yeah... can you tell I have no friends? Send me some love if you think I tortured myself enough.