Dumb Ways to Build Jobs: All 3 Crisis Jobs Explained
The three jobs at a glance
| Job | Goal | Time trial | Finished (Steam) | Certifications |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel Hapless | Restore power to the hotel. | Under 20 minutes | 71.3% | 6 |
| Drain Strain | Unclog the drain, then escape. | Under 25 minutes | 30.0% | 6 |
| Crane Climb | Climb the tower to the statue at the top. | Under 30 minutes | 13.7% | 6 |
Completion rates read:
How the job board works
Jobs are picked from Level Select in the lobby. Before you start you choose Normal or Master Builder and whether to switch on Infinite Revives, which lets the crew revive at Port-a-loos as often as they like. According to PlaySide's support centre, none of these can be changed once the job is under way, and Infinite Revives does not block certifications.
Master Builder unlocks for all three Jobs once every Job has been finished on Normal. Each Job has its own set of six certifications: finish it, beat the time trial, finish with zero total deaths across the crew, finish it on Master Builder, and two hidden challenges. The full list with unlock rates is on the achievements page, and the gear you will be juggling is on the tools page.
1. Hotel Hapless
Goal: Restore power to the hotel. On-screen objectives seen so far: Reach the Hotel → Retrieve battery → Restore Power.
A city block around a hotel with a Grand Opening billboard: rooftops and awnings, a road and an overpass with live traffic, a working crosswalk, and an office with a piranha tank and a camera in the corner.
Hazards
- Cars on the road and the overpass
- Piranhas in the water and in the office fish tank
- The battery gives off a shock at regular intervals, and whoever is carrying it drops everything
- Long falls between rooftops
Tips from launch crews
- The traffic is live, and the crosswalk actually works. Use it instead of running the road.
- Plan the battery run in short hops between safe ledges. When it shocks you, you drop it, so have a teammate close enough to pick it up or hand it on.
- Revive Passes can be picked up inside the level; one launch crew found one by the piranha water early on.
- A solo PS5 player got up the rooftops by nailing a pocket trampoline a little higher each attempt, then bouncing off it.
Time trial
Under 20 minutes. Read aloud from the job screen on a launch-day stream, which also named the reward: the Mogging emote.
Hidden challenges seen on streams
- Deliver an egg to its nest
- Find the missing letter and put it back (players replaced an O)
Hotel Hapless certifications
- Checking In (71.3%): Complete Hotel Hapless.
- Express Check Out (15.9%): Complete the Hotel Hapless time trial.
- Have a Safe Trip (6.7%): Complete Hotel Hapless with zero total deaths.
- Dead and Breakfast (5.0%): Complete Hotel Hapless in Master Builder Mode.
- O, There It Is! (4.3%): hidden on Steam, no description shown
- Numpty Dumpty (2.5%): hidden on Steam, no description shown
2. Drain Strain
Goal: Unclog the drain, then escape. On-screen objectives seen so far: Unclog the blockages → Escape!.
The sewers under Dumbville: deep pipe shafts, toxic green water, floating logs, a loose refrigerator and a bin of dynamite.
Hazards
- Toxic green water at the bottom of the shaft
- A countdown once the drain opens, while the crew climbs out
- Heavy loose objects swinging around the shaft
- Explosives, including your own
Tips from launch crews
- Two launch crews cleared the blockage with dynamite from the bin in the level. One of the Job's hidden challenges even asks you to remove a plug with excess force.
- Popcorn gives a big jump boost, which helps in the tall shaft.
- Get your ladders and planks in place before the drain opens: the escape runs on a countdown.
- Keep an eye on the refrigerator flailing around the shaft; launch crews warned each other to stay clear of it.
Time trial
Under 25 minutes. Read aloud from the certification list on a launch-day stream.
Hidden challenges seen on streams
- Remove a plug with excess force
Drain Strain certifications
- Pipe Dream (30.0%): Complete Drain Strain.
- Pumped Up (10.1%): Complete the Drain Strain time trial.
- Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind (2.9%): hidden on Steam, no description shown
- Totally Drained (2.7%): Complete Drain Strain in Master Builder Mode.
- Live and Unplugged (2.5%): Complete Drain Strain with zero total deaths.
- Plugged In (2.2%): hidden on Steam, no description shown
3. Crane Climb
Goal: Climb the tower to the statue at the top. On-screen objectives seen so far: Reach the Statue.
A windy high-rise site in a thunderstorm, with a working crane, stacks of steel beams, and a Bean-shaped Statue of Liberty with a torch at the top.
Hazards
- Wind on the upper floors
- Lightning around the statue
- The longest falls in the game
- Teammates standing where the crane needs to swing
Tips from launch crews
- The crane moves beams and Beans up the tower. Whoever works it needs everyone else out of the swing path.
- Port-a-loos sit along the climb, so revive there instead of carrying bodies down.
- The megaphone carries your voice across the tower, which helps when the crew splits up.
- A UFO shows up near the top. One hidden challenge wants a photo of it, so bring the camera up.
Time trial
Under 30 minutes. Read aloud from the certification list on a launch-day stream; that crew missed it by about three minutes.
Hidden challenges seen on streams
- Snap a photo of the UFO
- A challenge involving a lightning rod
Crane Climb certifications
- Tall Story (13.7%): Complete Crane Climb.
- Speedy Skyscraper (3.9%): Complete the Crane Climb time trial.
- Unscathed Summit (2.1%): Complete Crane Climb with zero total deaths.
- Rescue Mission (2.0%): hidden on Steam, no description shown
- Solid Conductor (1.9%): hidden on Steam, no description shown
- Sky-High Triumph (1.7%): Complete Crane Climb in Master Builder Mode.
What is not known yet
PlaySide has not published the time-trial limits. Ours were read off the job screen by streamers on launch day, so treat them as close but unconfirmed. Steam hides the text of six job certifications, and we only list the challenge wording players read out on camera, not guesses. This page will change when patch notes or new Jobs arrive; the patch notes page tracks that.
Sources: Steam global achievement stats (11 September 2026), PlaySide's support centre, official Steam screenshots, the Dot Esports review, and launch streams by Dooley Noted, Northernlion with Kate Lovelymomo, Parkenev and Skycaptin5 (10 September 2026).
Jobs FAQ
How many jobs are in Dumb Ways to Build?
Three at launch: Hotel Hapless, Drain Strain and Crane Climb. A developer confirmed on the Steam forum that there is no procedural generation and that new Jobs will arrive in post-launch updates.
What order do the jobs go in?
Launch streams played Hotel Hapless first, then Drain Strain, then Crane Climb, and the Steam completion rates fall in the same order: 71.3%, 30.0% and 13.7% the day after launch.
How do you unlock Master Builder?
Finish all three Jobs on Normal. PlaySide's support centre says that unlocks the Master Builder version of every level at once. Choose it in Level Select before the job starts.
Does Infinite Revives stop you earning certifications?
No. PlaySide's support centre says switching on Infinite Revives when you pick a level does not disable certifications.