How to get an S in Rivets
Updated September 25, 2026. Figures come from the live game.
The short answer
Tap each rivet as close to its centre as you can before it rusts; points fall off with distance from the centre. Don't tap early (anything under 90 ms scores nothing) and never tap a decoy from level 20 (−60 points each).
Where you play it
When you build or upgrade a Scrapworks or a Warehouse on a pad, the camera eases to that pad and a steel plate goes up on the scaffold. Two bound workers hold it steady while bolt heads glow through the plate. Hammer each one before it rusts over.
Before the countdown: (1) what each grade buys floats over the plate, (2) the timer ring, (3) Mort sets the job, (4) close to back out with nothing spent.
Fence barricades, practice runs and the Daily Challenge still play Rivets on the classic steel sheet.
What Rivets decides
Rivets is the mini-game for Scrapworks, Warehouses and fence barricades. The grade sets the build time and the building's quality for good.
| Grade | Score | Timer | Building quality |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 900+ | Half | Masterwork: +20 % for good |
| A | 750+ | 70 % | Fine: +10 % |
| B | 550+ | 85 % | Standard |
| C | 350+ | Full | Standard |
| Fail | Under 350 | Nothing queued, nothing charged | Play again |
How it's scored
- Each rivet is worth the same; a tap dead centre gets all of it, and the value falls off towards the rim.
- A rivet you miss before it rusts scores nothing.
- A tap within 90 ms of a rivet appearing counts as inhuman and scores nothing, so don't mash.
- From level 20, decoys appear. Tapping one costs 60 points.
The grade lands on the site: (1) the stamped badge with the time saved, (2) the building rising out of the scaffold, gems and all for an S or A, (3) the effect in the bar. Tap Details for the full card.
How it gets harder
| Skill level | Rivets | Rivet size | Time before rust | Tricks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8 | Largest | 1.6 s | — |
| 10 | More | Smaller | Shorter | Rivets start to drift |
| 20 | More | Smaller | Shorter | Decoys you must leave alone |
| 30 | 20 | Smallest | 0.7 s | Fast drift, more decoys |
Your Rivets skill level goes up by one with every S and down by one after two fails in a row. Higher levels are harder, but the building order uses your level, so practice pays.
Tips
- Hold the phone steady with your off hand and tap with one thumb.
- Aim at the centre bolt, not the plate's edge.
- Once rivets drift, tap where the rivet is going, not where it was.
- Practise in the Training Yard first: three runs a day are paid in scrap and timber.
Questions players ask
Which buildings use Rivets?
Scrapworks, Warehouses and fence barricades. Road gates and Watchtowers use Signal Lamps.
What happens if I fail Rivets?
Nothing is queued and nothing is charged. You can play again straight away.
What is a Masterwork building?
A building earned with an S grade. It works 20 % better for good: more output, storage or wall hp.