Clean all the leaves Upgrades Priority (Bag First)

Cash in Clean all the leaves! only matters when you spend it in an order that shortens the collect → sell → unlock loop. This page ranks upgrade priorities—bag/capacity, grab speed, tool power, and move speed—for early, mid, and late sessions. It complements the Tools Tier List and feeds directly into the checklist on Upgrade Planner.

Confirmed systems in scope: collecting leaves, selling for cash, bag upgrades, tool buy/equip, garage access, vents, and the upgrade shop. We do not invent rebirth trees or copy unrelated leaf games. The goal is a honest spend order that supports map unlocks and a serious 100% push toward the secret ending with up to 12 players online.

Priority overview (launch-era snapshot)

Priority	Upgrade line	Why it matters
S (usually first)	Bag / capacity	Fewer sell trips; protects tool investments
A	Tool power (via shop tools)	Clear speed jumps when equipped
A/B by phase	Grab speed	Strong early; overlaps with better tools later
B→A late	Move speed	Pays off when the map is wide and timers bite

Treat the table as a bias, not a commandment. If your bag is already comfortable and a rake/blower purchase is live in the shop, tool power can leapfrog a tiny capacity bump.

Early game — leave the tutorial pace behind

Buy first: bag/capacity until sell trips stop dominating every minute. Early hands clear slowly; the real time sink is walking to sell half-empty because you panicked, or walking full because capacity is pathetic.

Buy second: the first meaningful tool once you can equip it—see tool tiers. Grab-speed upgrades are fine if they are cheap and tools are gated, but do not max grab while ignoring a rake-tier equip.

Delay: heavy move-speed investment. The first yard sections are compact; speed matters more after unlocks stretch the route between leaves, garage, vents, and sell points.

Early checklist:

1. Learn sell points and the upgrade shop UI (Getting Started).
2. Capacity bump → tool buy/equip → light grab help if needed.
3. Note garage button and vent locations for the next phase (Map Overview).

Mid game — unlock leverage

Mid sessions are about map access and not stalling in a cleaned starter pocket. Capacity remains king whenever new zones raise leaf volume. Tool power rises in priority the moment rake- or blower-style gear is available—clear speed gates how fast you earn the cash for the next unlock.

Grab speed still helps for cleanup and edges, but its relative value falls as AoE tools come online. Move speed becomes a real A-tier consideration once you bounce between garage, shop, vents, and distant yard sections in the same circuit.

Mid-game spend bias:

• Keep capacity one step ahead of your best tool.
• Fund the next tool tier when the shop opens it; equip immediately.
• Sprinkle move speed if zone transitions feel like the new bottleneck.
• Use Area Unlocks so you do not overbuy power for zones you have not opened.

Co-op tip: assign one player to call shop timing. Mid-game failure mode is six players independently buying random upgrades while nobody opens garage flow or finishes the shared zone.

Late game — 100% and secret-ending prep

Late priority shifts from “get stronger” to “finish clean.” Capacity stays critical so final sweeps do not collapse into endless sell walks. Tool power should already be at your best available clear tier; leftover cash goes to whatever removes friction on the last incomplete corners—often move speed plus capacity, not another marginal grab tick.

Late checklist mindset:

• Bag healthy enough for long far-zone sweeps.
• Best clear tool equipped and understood.
• Movement comfortable for vent shortcuts and garage revisits.
• Group plan for unfinished pockets (co-op) or a systematic lane pattern (solo).

Secret-ending hunters should read Secret Ending and keep a pre-100% list on the Upgrade Planner. Upgrades that do not help completion coverage are vanity.

Capacity vs tool power — the core argument

Pick capacity when you are selling constantly, dropping leaves because you are full, or your strong tool feels “wasted” between trips. Pick tool power when you reach sell with time to spare but zones still look heavy after each pass. Pick grab speed when tools are gated and you need a cheap early spike. Pick move speed when walking between objectives is the pain, not the cleaning animation itself.

If you are unsure, default capacity → tool → move, and let grab fill gaps. That order matches most launch-era complaints about slow progression.

Co-op economy

With a full lobby, upgrades do not need to be identical:

• Sellers / bag specialists stack capacity and keep cash circulating.
• Clear specialists stack tool power and own open yard lanes.
• Runners stack move speed to ferry shop/garage objectives and call vents.

Shared awareness beats perfect personal builds. A runner with move speed can unlock group progress even on a modest clear tool.

Patch caution

Balance patches can retune upgrade costs or effects. After notes hit, skim Updates Hub and Codes (still no verified codes at writing, but free cash would reorder priorities instantly). Then rebuild your session plan instead of copying an outdated screenshot guide.

Next steps

1. Cross-check tool letters on Tools Tier List.
2. Convert this priority into a sitting checklist via Upgrade Planner.
3. Align spend with zones using Map Overview and Area Unlocks.

Upgrade priority is how you buy time. Spend to cut sell walks and clear delays first; cosmetics and vanity dumps can wait until the yard—and the secret ending—are actually within reach.