Scrap Mechanic Creative Mode
Unlimited parts, instant building, and the sandbox where every Survival machine starts as a blueprint.
What Creative Mode is
Creative Mode is Scrap Mechanic’s pure sandbox. You spawn with every building part already in your inventory, no hunger, no raids, and no resource gathering. It is the fastest way to learn the Connect Tool, the Lift, controllers, sensors and vehicle physics before you risk materials in Survival.
Version 1.0 did not remove Creative Mode — it expanded it. All new 1.0 parts (Sticky wheels, UV Grow Beds, Sawbot, Turret Seat, Baby Craftbot and more) are available immediately in Creative without unlocking Schematics.
How to start a Creative world
- Launch Scrap Mechanic from Steam.
- Select Creative Mode on the main menu.
- Choose a flat or terrain world template.
- Invite friends through Steam if you want co-op building.
Creative saves carry over to 1.0 without issues. If you have an old Creative world from Early Access, it should load normally after updating.
Core tools every builder needs
| Tool | What it does |
|---|---|
| Connect Tool | Links engines, switches, sensors and logic gates. Essential for every machine. |
| Lift | Raises, lowers and rotates parts for precise placement. |
| Mechanic Handbook | In-game tutorial for your first vehicle. Open it from the hotbar. |
| Paint Tool | Recolours blocks and parts for visual clarity. |
For deeper automation, read controllers and sensors.
Chat commands
Creative Mode supports console commands typed into chat:
/spawn [item]— spawn any part or item instantly./time [day\|night]— change time of day./godmode— invincibility (useful when testing explosive builds)./weather— toggle or set weather (added patch 1.0.3)./timeofday— jump to a specific time of day (patch 1.0.3)./timeprogress— enable or freeze the day/night cycle (patch 1.0.3).
Patch 1.0.4 also restored missing Creative parts and added many Survival components to the Creative spawn list — if a part vanished after launch day, update Steam and check again.
These commands do not work in Survival Mode.
Creative vs Survival
| Feature | Creative | Survival |
|---|---|---|
| Parts | All unlocked | Gated by Craftbot + Schematicbot |
| Resources | Unlimited | Gathered and crafted |
| Enemies | None (unless spawned) | Full bot roster + raids |
| Terrain | Flat templates or terrain | Procedural world with biomes |
| Story | None | Full Chapter 2 questline |
The Scrap City Garage bridge
The biggest 1.0 quality-of-life addition for Creative players is the Garage in Scrap City. Once you reach Scrap City in a Survival save, the Garage can import blueprints from your Creative worlds and spawn finished machines directly into Survival. This is the recommended workflow for complex vehicles, mining rigs and automated farms.
Multiplayer Creative
Creative supports the same Steam invite co-op as Survival. There are no dedicated servers — one player hosts and others join through the friends list. Version 1.0 improved network responsiveness, but large connected builds still load the host CPU. Split complex factories into separate structures with small gaps between them for smoother sessions.
When to use Creative first
- Before your first warehouse run — prototype a Spud Gun cart or defensive turret layout.
- Before Excavation Island — test a mining rig design with Plasma Drills and drill attachments.
- Before a boss fight — build and tune a Trash Bot arena vehicle without wasting Survival resources.
For the Survival counterpart, start with the getting started guide. For game modes beyond Survival, see Challenge Mode.
Watch the community walkthrough for this guide:
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Do Creative worlds work in Scrap Mechanic 1.0?
Yes. Creative saves from Early Access load normally in 1.0. Only old Survival saves are incompatible.
Can I bring Creative builds into Survival?
Yes, through the Garage in Scrap City. Export blueprints from Creative, then import them at the Garage once you reach Scrap City in Survival.
Is there a part limit in Creative?
There is no hard part cap, but extremely large creations (10,000+ connected parts) will slow down physics on any machine. Split builds into modules for best performance.