Return to the Lab
A temporary research mode. You fly across the lab's floor-maps («Ground Zero Ruins», «Winter Frontier» and beyond), spend energy to move and catch zombie genomes — from weaklings to overlords and chests — with normal and upgraded capture orbs. Catches per run are limited; the deeper the floor, the more valuable the loot. Caught genomes are broken down into skill fragments.
How it works
A timed research mode. Buildings at your base generate Helicopter Energy. Each flight over a floor-map spends energy to move and lets you catch zombie genomes with normal and advanced capture orbs. Catches per run are limited; the deeper the floor, the more valuable the loot. There are 3 difficulty tiers.
Resources & orbs
Helicopter Energy
Capture Ball
Advanced Capture Ball
Exploration Points
Experiment PointsBase buildings
Base buildings passively generate the mode's resources — Helicopter Energy, capture orbs and enhancement crystals.
Helicopter Energy Generation Efficiency
Capture Ball Production Efficiency
Reagent Production Efficiency
Floor-maps
Floors unlock as you progress. The deeper you go, the more events and the higher the special-genome chance.
| Floor | Map | Events | Special % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ruins Zero | 5 | 5% |
| 2 | Winter Frontier | 10 | 5% |
| 3 | Windswept Sandbar | 15 | 5% |
| 4 | Twilight Realm | 20 | 5% |
| 5 | Nightmare Ruins | 20 | 5% |
| 6 | Realm of Eternal Winter | 20 | 5% |
| 7 | The Barren Sands | 20 | 5% |
| 8 | Sunset Embers | 20 | 5% |
| 9 | Final Frontier | 20 | 5% |
Genomes & chests
What you meet on a flight: rank-and-file zombies, overlord bosses and research chests. The border colour is the genome's rarity; the base loot is on the right.
Special catch targets
Rare creatures are caught with capture orbs. Left is the cost with a normal orb, right with an advanced orb.
×1×1×1×1×2×1×2×1×5×1×5×1×1×1×1×1×2×1×2×1×5×1×5×1×1×1×1×1×2×1×2×1×5×1×5×1Genome traits
A caught genome rolls a trait — a buff to work efficiency, stamina drain or capture chance. Zombies with better traits are assigned as workers in base buildings and speed up production.
Enhancement crystals
Gear that boosts the helicopter in combat.
Daily tasks
Tasks refresh daily: spending energy, catches and collecting resources all grant rewards.
- Claim any Testworks resource today
- Spend 20 Experimental Energy today
- Spend 50 Experimental Energy today
- Spend 100 Experimental Energy today
- Spend 200 Experimental Energy today
- Capture 1 zombie today
- Capture 2 zombies today
- Capture 5 zombies today
- Capture 10 zombies today