How to shake vending machines in Abiotic Factor

Shake it until you break it.

Abiotic Factor vending machines
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Getting food in Abiotic Factor can be a pain. Sure, you can grow your own produce and make Soups, but sometimes, you just need a snack from the vending machine, and you have no money. In such a rare circumstance, you can always shake a vending machine.

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Here’s how to shake vending machines in Abiotic Factor.

Before you shake vending machines in Abiotic Factor

Abiotic Factor skill tree with the Strength feat highlighted
Gotta be strong to get those free snacks. Screenshot by Dot Esports

Before you give those vending machines a shake, consider this: Do you have the strength to shake one? After all, you are playing as a scientist in Abiotic Factor, and scientists aren’t known for their upper body Strength. Fortunately, you can always raise your Strength and here’s the best way how.

Load yourself up with a bunch of heavy items. If you want to conserve inventory space, you can simply dismantle a large table or an Anvil and carry it around (this only uses up one inventory space but weighs a ton). You need to be only slightly over-encumbered (the yellow line, not the red line). 

Abiotic Factor boosting strength by carrying a heavy load
That’s how you build muscle. Screenshot by Dot Esports

While over-encumbered, walk around the facility and do whatever you like. As you walk, your Strength will slowly rise, little by little. It will take a while, but if you keep at it, you’ll have Strength level five before you know it. 

When you have Strength Level five, you can start shaking vending machines.

Abiotic Factor: How to shake vending machines

Abiotic Factor shaking vending machines
Shake it. Give me that sweet stuff. Screenshot by Dot Esports

To shake vending machines in Abiotic Factor, walk up to them and position your aim at the center of the machine (not to its buttons like you would when you are buying something). As long as you have Strength level five, the vending machine will shake, and if you’re lucky, you might get a snack or a drink. The chances of getting a free snack from a vending machine are low, so you need to keep shaking them.

Fortunately, there is another use for shaking vending machines. Each time you shake one, you get 10 Strength experience. This means that you can further boost your strength (on level eight, you can wield heavy melee weapons, which is super useful) by continuously shaking two vending machines next to each other. 

Abiotic Factor a cookie fell out of a vending machine
Look, a cookie! Screenshot by Dot Esports

Trust me, you need to do this because, later in the game, a heavy melee weapon can save your life. Oh, and not to mention all the free snacks you get while doing this. It sure beats growing Super Tomatoes with Anteverse Wheat. Good luck and happy shaking. 

Author
Image of Aleksandar Perišić
Aleksandar Perišić
Staff Writer at Dot Esports. Aleksandar has been gaming ever since he can remember and has been writing game reviews long before he joined Dot Esports. He loves MMORPGS, Nintendo and Indie games. He also steals gifts on Christmas but then gives them back when everyone starts to sing.