ForgeTax contract completion requires surviving until May 5 by successfully paying the dragon's escalating daily tribute without letting its anger reach the lethal third stage. Following developer GraveYardDev's 21-Day Contract update, the campaign was reduced from its original 30-day run to a tighter 21-day timeline, culminating in a base final tribute of 145,000G.
Below is an overview of the contract mechanics, quota progression, failure penalties, and strategies needed to secure the "Clocking Out" achievement.
How the 21-Day Contract Works
In the current version of ForgeTax, the contract runs for 21 in-game days, starting on April 15 and concluding on May 5. Both START and CLEAR markers appear directly on the in-game calendar.
Players can track their current progress and tomorrow’s tribute requirement at any time by looking directly at the bell or the tribute counter. Meeting the required gold threshold and ringing the bell advances the day.
| Contract Parameter | Official Specification |
|---|---|
| Contract Duration | 21 in-game days (April 15 to May 5) |
| Initial Release Duration | 30 in-game days (pre-patch version) |
| Final Day Base Tribute | 145,000G |
| Completion Achievement | Clocking Out (Survive through May 5) |
| Post-Contract Mode | Endless tribute scaling ("A Job for Life") |
Higher-tier relics and expanded merchant stock appear earlier in the run to match the shortened timeline, giving players the tools needed to scale sword values quickly.
Managing Dragon Anger and Daily Quotas
The dragon demands tribute delivered to the counter each day. Falling short carries immediate consequences that threaten your run:
- Supply Reduction: Submitting insufficient tribute reduces the number of raw swords provided in your next daily supply by one blade.
- Anger Accumulation: The dragon's patience operates on three stages of rage.
- Lethal Wrath: If the dragon's anger reaches the third stage, the blacksmith is executed, ending the run and unlocking the "Now Hiring" achievement.
The final settlement on Day 21 includes a specific clearing condition: if you have a gold shortfall on the final day, the contract still counts as completed as long as the dragon's anger was not already high enough to trigger the lethal third stage. Surviving this final deadline grants the "Clocking Out" achievement.
If you manage to clear a tribute quota in full while sitting at the final stage of rage, you unlock the "One Last Chance" achievement. Paying at least three times the requested quota awards "Keep the Change."
Core Mechanics to Scale Blade Values
Reaching the 145,000G target requires pushing sword enhancements high enough to survive late-game demands.
Triggering Frenzy
Every successful strike on the anvil raises a sword's value, but each hit also rolls a risk of cracking or outright destruction. Striking the same sword 10 consecutive times charges Frenzy. On the following strike, Frenzy activates, granting a brief window where you can hammer rapidly without any risk of blade destruction.
Balancing Tribute and the Relic Machine
Every sword you forge presents a choice:
- Place on the Counter: Contributes the blade’s monetary value toward the daily quota.
- Feed to the Relic Machine: Sacrifices the blade to acquire relics that modify forging odds, boost upgrade jumps, recover damage, or provide destruction shields.
Because higher tribute demands arrive quickly in the 21-day format, investing early swords into relic synergies is necessary to reliably forge weapons valued in the tens of thousands of gold later in the week.
Post-Contract Play: A Job for Life
Completing the contract on May 5 does not automatically force the player out of the forge. Players who choose to continue forging after clearing the contract face continuously rising tribute requirements beyond the initial 145,000G base.
Successfully paying the tribute in full three additional times after the official contract completion unlocks the achievement "A Job for Life."
Official Sources
- Steam Store Page: ForgeTax (App ID: 5245810) by GraveYardDev
- Steam Community Announcement: "21-Day Contract Update — Balance, Performance & Steam Cloud" (GraveYardDev)
