Prepare the three parts of the budget
Start with your current Lab Stardust balance. Next, list the purchases you still want to make, in the order you would actually buy them. Finally, read the price of each remaining step from the game. The Lab guide explains the permanent-upgrade context; this page explains the arithmetic.
Use specific labels such as “my next capacity upgrade” or an exact card name and level transition. A broad label like “max damage” can hide several prices and make it unclear whether a previously purchased level was counted twice.
- Enter the balance visible now, after any completed purchases.
- Add each remaining purchase and its current cost.
- Leave an unknown price blank rather than entering zero.
- Check the order and remove any duplicate step before interpreting the result.
A worked budget example
These are invented demonstration inputs, not verified game prices: a balance of 550 and three planned costs of 600, 800 and 400. A budget that covers a cost still does not confirm a separate in-game unlock requirement.
| Result | Calculation |
|---|---|
| Remaining purchase cost | 600 + 800 + 400 = 1,800 |
| Stardust still needed | 1,800 − 550 = 1,250 |
| Can the first purchase be paid now? | No: the first step costs 600 and the balance is 550. |
| If you instead had 2,000 | The input budget would cover the goal with 200 left. |
Purchase order changes the next milestone
The total cost stays the same when you reorder the same purchases, but the first affordable step can change. In the example, moving the 400-cost purchase first would make that first step affordable. Whether that is desirable depends on the purpose of the upgrade, not only its price.
Keep prerequisites in their required order. Reordering a later level before the level it depends on does not make it purchasable. When comparing plans, explain both the cost and what each earlier purchase would let you do.
Add a run estimate when you have real rewards
If comparable recent runs earned 180, 220 and 200 Stardust, their average is 200. The example deficit of 1,250 divided by 200 gives 6.25, so the planner rounds up to seven similar runs. This estimates effort under your input assumptions; it is not a hidden reward formula.
If the corresponding times are 10, 12 and 11 minutes, the average is 11 minutes and the scenario takes about 77 minutes. When a time is missing, keep the budget and run estimate but do not invent a complete time estimate.
A PokeBonk fourth move budget with a reference price
The observed first 4th move purchase costs 1,500 Stardust in PokeBonk v0.7.1. With a hypothetical balance of 900, the remaining budget is 600. Select that exact goal, confirm the price in your current Lab and update the balance after a purchase. This PokeBonk upgrade budget answers how much is missing; it does not establish an unlock requirement or prove the best next choice.
Frequently asked questions
Why does a blank price stop the full result?
A missing price is unknown, not free. The known subtotal can still be useful, but the full deficit and remaining effort need every selected cost.
Does an affordable budget guarantee the upgrade is unlocked?
No. The planner checks your entered amounts. The live game determines level prerequisites, eligibility and actual purchase availability.
How much Stardust do I need for my next PokeBonk upgrade?
Subtract your current Stardust balance from the sum of remaining upgrade prices, with a minimum gap of zero. For example, a 1,500 target and a hypothetical 900 balance leave 600 to earn.
Sources & research notes
The sources below distinguish our menu observations, original announcements, community reports and browser documentation. Check the version and scope before applying a value to your run.
- PokeBonk v0.7.1 — directly observed English menusOriginal project
Fresh Guest, zero completed runs and no purchases. Read starter passives, default keys, touch settings, 19 first-level Lab prices, the visible item pool, Squirtle’s move panel and mode preparation screens. Screenshots appear alongside the relevant guide sections. Combat outcomes, later-level prices and real-device touch performance were not tested.