This anymaker tutorial covers five named build layers in the order the Steam store page lists them: chassis, engine, components, cables, and controllers. Start with a small chassis sized for the terrain you plan to drive, bolt on one engine, add components such as wheels and power, wire them with the cable layer, then program inputs with the controller layer. The system is moddable per Steam tags, and Early Access launches on 2026-09-18. Crossplay, console ports, and a demo are not announced as of 2026-09-14.
The five layers of the Anymaker tutorial vehicle builder
The official Steam store description orders the build system into five named layers: chassis, engine, components, cables, and controllers. Treat that ordering as a hard dependency list — each layer assumes the previous one is already valid, and skipping ahead produces a vehicle that looks finished but cannot move. The Steam tags Physics, Realistic, and Automobile Sim imply that the simulation cares about mass, power, and torque, so the order is also a physics sanity check: a chassis with no engine has nothing to drive; a chassis with an engine but no wheels has nothing to roll on. A practical way to remember the layers is to think of them as anatomy. The chassis is the skeleton. The engine is the heart. The components are the limbs. The cables are the nerves. The controllers are the brain. Editing any one of them without considering the others produces a vehicle that cannot perform the behavior the player imagined, which is the most common beginner mistake in any anymaker tutorial.
Reading the chassis layer
The chassis defines the size, weight class, and attachment points of the vehicle. For a first build, pick the smallest chassis that fits your planned terrain — a short wheelbase handles better in tight scavenging routes and is easier to wire because there are fewer components to connect. The chassis also determines how many engine mounts are available, so it constrains the engine choices in the next layer. Treat the chassis as the only layer where shape decisions matter. Once the chassis is locked in, every other layer is essentially a parts list: pick an engine that matches the mounts, add the components the engine supports, wire them with the cable layer, and program inputs with the controller layer.
Engine, components, and the wiring chain
The engine converts fuel into torque. The components convert torque into motion — wheels for ground vehicles, propellers for air, screws for water, and any custom attachments the modding scene ships later. Match the engine's torque curve to the components' rated load, because underpowering a heavy chassis produces a vehicle that cannot climb, while overpowering a light chassis produces wheelspin. Cables are the wiring chain. Every component that needs power, signal, or control must be connected through the cable layer, and missing connections are the most common cause of a vehicle that looks complete but does not respond. The controllers layer then programs how player inputs map to the wired components — throttle to engine RPM, brake to wheel lock, steering to wheel angle, and any custom mappings the build needs.
First-vehicle build recipe for launch day
Start with the smallest chassis your terrain needs
Pick the shortest wheelbase that fits your scavenging route. A smaller chassis has fewer components, which makes the cable and controller layers easier to debug. Players coming from Stormworks will recognize this as the minimum bounding box approach used for first rovers — short wheelbase, low center of gravity, and a single seat so the rest of the recipe stays simple.
Done when: Chassis is placed in the workshop and is small enough to drive a tight scavenging loop without overhang.
Bolt on one engine sized to the chassis mounts
Match the engine's torque curve to the chassis mounts — underpowering produces a vehicle that cannot climb, while overpowering produces wheelspin. For a first build, choose the lowest-tier engine that lists the chassis in its compatibility line so you have headroom for the components step.
Done when: One engine is mounted and the chassis-engine compatibility check passes.
Add four wheels and one power component
Four wheels in a rectangular layout give a balanced first test — two in front, two in back, axle distance matching the chassis. Add one power component (battery or generator) that the cable layer can route from the engine. Skip propellers, screws, wings, or weapon mounts on the first build; extra components multiply the wiring you must debug.
Done when: Four wheels are mounted at ground level, and one power component is bolted onto the chassis.
Wire a minimal cable pass: engine to power to wheels
Connect engine output to power component input to wheel inputs with the cable layer. This is the wiring chain that turns a static vehicle into a drivable one. The most common cause of a vehicle that looks finished but does not respond is missing cable connections — keep this pass minimal until you have driven the vehicle once.
Done when: Cable pass is complete with engine to power to wheels wired; the cable diagnostic reports no broken connections.
Program the minimal controller pass
In the controllers layer, map throttle to engine RPM, brake to wheel lock (so both wheels lock together), and steering to wheel angle. Keep this pass minimal — three mappings on three inputs. Anything beyond that is feature creep for a first build and the usual cause of vehicles that drift or refuse to respond on launch day.
Done when: Controller pass shows three mappings; the controllers diagnostic reports no orphaned inputs.
Save the build before risky test drives
Save the vehicle to a named slot before driving it anywhere risky. Early Access patches may reset vehicle state on reload, and a manual save is the only way to recover a working first build after a failed test drive. The save slot also gives you a rollback if the next patch changes a component's wiring signature.
Done when: Build is saved to a named slot and can be reloaded from the workshop without losing the wiring.
How this recipe maps for Stormworks veterans
Stormworks veterans reading this tutorial will recognise the same chassis-engine-components-cables-controllers ordering they already use, but the smallest-chassis-first principle is what tends to differ between Stormworks and Anymaker. Stormworks players often start with a multi-engine tug or boat because that game's mission design assumes higher power density; the Anymaker open-world survival loop rewards the opposite — a short, low-power rover that you can repair quickly when an undead patrol or a military squad damages a wheel. The other Stormworks carry-over is the controller layer. Stormworks uses mission scripting where Anymaker uses player-authored controllers, so the same logical step (throttle to RPM, brake to wheel lock, steering to wheel angle) is wired through a different UI. If you have ever debugged a Stormworks mission by deleting custom logic and rebuilding it from the three default mappings, you already know why the minimal first-build controller pass uses exactly three mappings on three inputs.
FAQ
What are the five layers of the Anymaker vehicle builder?
The Steam store description orders the build system into five layers: chassis, engine, components, cables, and controllers. Treat the order as a hard dependency list — each layer assumes the previous one is already valid.
How do I pick a chassis in Anymaker?
Pick the smallest chassis that fits your planned terrain. A short wheelbase handles better in tight scavenging routes and is easier to wire because there are fewer components to connect.
Why are the cable and controller layers important?
Cables wire every powered component to the engine and the controller inputs. The controllers layer programs how player inputs map to wired components. Skipping either produces a vehicle that looks complete but does not respond.
Will Anymaker support vehicle mods?
Moddable is one of the Steam tags for Anymaker, so Steam Workshop mods are expected once the game goes live in Early Access. An official mod marketplace is not announced as of 2026-09-14.
What is a good first-vehicle build recipe in Anymaker?
Start with the smallest chassis that fits your terrain, bolt on one engine, add four wheels and one power component, run a minimal cable pass (engine to power to wheels), then program a minimal controller pass (throttle to RPM, brake to wheel lock, steering to wheel angle). Save the build to a named slot before any risky test drive.
How do I map controls in the Anymaker controller layer?
In the controllers layer, map throttle to engine RPM, brake to wheel lock (so both wheels lock together), and steering to wheel angle. Keep the mapping minimal on your first build — three mappings on three inputs is the recipe used by the vehicle build tutorial.