Use the main route to find the slow step.
Drain the Lake is a short loop game. Fill from the lake, use the drain return, cash out, spend once, and repeat. If the next loop does not feel easier, the upgrade did not solve the real bottleneck.
- Travel slow: start with Character or movement speed.
- Fill slow: improve bucket fill or collection efficiency.
- Cashout weak: keep the route short before pushing depth.
- Deeper water dangerous: aim for checkpoint safety before greed.