- Melting Power upgrades are the highest-value purchases in Melt All The Ice, speeding up nearly every activity.
- Buy Power early: faster clearing shortens every farming cycle and unlocks deeper frozen areas sooner.
- Tool Strength second: keep your equipment effective as stronger ice appears in later rooms.
- Skip expensive gear early: save high-cost equipment for when cheap upgrades stop providing value.
- Cycle the loop: melt, upgrade, advance, then return to tough barriers with better power.
Why Melting Power Upgrades Come First
In Melt All The Ice, the world is frozen solid, and your progress is gated almost entirely by how quickly your heating tool can clear ice. The core loop is simple: melt reachable ice, earn resources, buy melting power upgrades, then push into newly opened frozen areas. Every point of melting power you purchase reduces the time needed for every single block you clear afterward, which is why direct power upgrades consistently outperform other purchases in the early and mid game.
Here is a real gameplay example of the upgrade loop in action, from clearing the first rooms to pushing deeper into the map:
Video Highlights:
- Demonstrates the full melt-upgrade-progress cycle from a fresh start
- Shows how faster clearing opens new frozen rooms more quickly
- Highlights the payoff of returning to slow barriers after a power upgrade
The value of a melting power upgrade is measured in time saved. If an upgrade noticeably reduces how long a barrier takes to clear, it pays for itself across every future room. If it barely moves the needle, your resources are usually better spent elsewhere — or saved toward stronger equipment.
Before buying any upgrade, ask one question: does this reduce the time to clear my current ice? If the answer is yes, buy it. If not, keep farming or save for a bigger purchase.
Upgrade Priority Rankings
Use this priority table to decide what to buy and when. The rankings reflect practical value — how much real time each upgrade saves during normal progression.
| Upgrade | Effect | Priority | When to Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Melting Power | Increases how quickly ice is cleared | High | Buy first whenever the cost stays efficient |
| Tool Strength | Keeps equipment effective against stronger ice | High | Upgrade when current ice takes noticeably longer |
| Progression Upgrades | Maintains efficient advancement in later areas | Medium | Invest after core melting speed is comfortable |
| Higher-Cost Equipment | Larger gains for late-game map progression | Situational | Save for these when cheaper upgrades lose value |
| Stage | Main Bottleneck | Best Response |
|---|---|---|
| Early game | Weak starting tool, slow clears | Stack Melting Power upgrades |
| Mid game | Stronger ice in new rooms | Add Tool Strength, keep Power rising |
| Late game | Expensive barriers and side routes | Save for higher-cost equipment |
Do not buy expensive equipment before your basic melting speed is strong. A big purchase that drains your resources early can leave you stuck farming slow, low-value ice for a long time.
Step-by-Step Upgrade Path
Follow this sequence to keep your melting power ahead of the increasing amount of ice across the map. The goal is to avoid grinding barriers that are better handled after an upgrade.
Clear the Easy Ice First
Start with nearby ice that melts quickly. This gives steady early progress and opens enough space to see where the next useful routes are located.
Buy Early Power Upgrades
Spend your first meaningful earnings on melting power. Faster clearing reduces the time required for every room that follows, compounding your progress.
Move Into Newly Opened Areas
Once your current section is mostly cleared, push forward into newly accessible rooms instead of repeatedly working on the slowest remaining blocks.
Return to Tough Barriers Later
If a frozen section takes too long, leave it temporarily. Come back after another upgrade so the same barrier melts much faster.
Repeat the Upgrade Loop
Keep alternating between clearing efficient routes and improving melting strength. This prevents the common bottleneck of reaching later areas underpowered.
Consistent small upgrades beat forcing one giant barrier. If a wall feels slow, the correct answer is usually another melting power purchase, not more grinding.
Combining Upgrades With Classes and Co-op
Upgrades do not exist in isolation. Your class choice and team setup change which upgrades deliver the most value.
Melting-Focused Class
- Best synergy with Power upgrades
- Prioritizes direct ice-clearing speed
- Ideal for fast map advancement
Progression-Focused Class
- Balanced benefits across areas
- Supports steady advancement
- Good match for mixed upgrade spending
Farming-Focused Class
- Built for long resource sessions
- Pairs with saving for high-cost equipment
- Strong before large progression purchases
| Upgrade Order | Solo Play | Co-op Play |
|---|---|---|
| Melting Power | Buy immediately | One player stacks Power for the main route |
| Tool Strength | Buy when clears slow down | Assign to players handling slow barriers |
| Progression Upgrades | After speed is comfortable | Spread across the team evenly |
| High-Cost Equipment | Save, buy once value drops elsewhere | Coordinate purchases to avoid duplication |
In co-op, avoid stacking every player on the same low-value task. Let one player push the main route while others finish nearby ice, inspect side paths, or regroup on slow barriers — this is where coordinated upgrades save the most total time.
When the team hits a time-consuming frozen section, regroup and focus progress there together instead of leaving one under-upgraded player to handle it alone.
Goals Checklist and Bottlenecks
Use this checklist to track your upgrade milestones and catch common progression stalls before they cost you hours.
| Bottleneck | Symptom | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Slow early clears | Basic ice takes too long | Prioritize Melting Power |
| Stuck on one wall | Repeatedly melting the same barrier | Leave, upgrade, return later |
| Underpowered new area | New rooms clear painfully slowly | Add Tool Strength before entering |
| Wasted savings | Long grinding with no upgrade | Buy the next efficient Power tier |
| Missed routes | Cleared rooms feel unfinished | Check corners and side openings |
Upgrade Milestones:
- Buy the first Melting Power upgrade before leaving the starting area
- Open at least one new path into an unexplored room
- Add Tool Strength when clears slow down noticeably
- Return to and clear one previously skipped barrier
- Save for higher-cost equipment once cheap upgrades lose value
Ice that was inefficient to clear earlier can hide side rooms and optional routes. After each meaningful power upgrade, revisit areas you skipped — extra melting power often reveals spaces worth checking.
FAQ
Q: What is the best first upgrade in Melt All The Ice?
Melting Power is the best first purchase. It directly reduces the time needed to clear ice, which improves nearly every activity — farming, opening paths, and pushing into new frozen areas.
Q: When should I buy expensive equipment instead of cheaper upgrades?
Save for higher-cost equipment only when smaller upgrades no longer provide a noticeable improvement. Buying expensive gear too early can slow your progression and leave you farming low-value ice for a long time.
Q: What should I do if a frozen barrier takes too long to melt?
Leave it and progress elsewhere. Return after your next melting power upgrade — the same barrier will clear much faster, so you lose less total time than forcing it with a weak tool.
Q: Do melting power upgrades help in co-op play?
Yes. In co-op, coordinate upgrades so one player stacks melting power on the main route while others handle side paths and slow barriers. Coordinated purchases save far more team time than everyone upgrading randomly.