The rules as taken from Free Advice: To Lock or Unlock a Glass Ceiling Boost, the previous numbered Glass Ceiling Boost must be owned and all lesser numbered Glass Ceiling Boosts must not be owned.

The rules are fairly simple, but it quickly becomes more and more difficult as you work towards higher glass ceilings. It's simple once you get the hang of it, but it's tedious as hell and costs a ton of glass. The reward is definitely worth the effort though, as the Glass Ceiling multipliers are absolutely crazy when maxed out. When you unlock the Ceiling Broken badge, you no longer have to follow the rules and can just buy the Glass Ceiling boosts straight up should you ever decide to reset at endgame.

Below is a list of active Glass Ceilings required to reach the next Glass Ceiling level. For example, to get from Glass Ceiling 1 (GC1) to Glass Ceiling 2 (GC2), you start with GC0 and GC1 active (01), then lock GC0 and leave GC1 active (1), then buy GC2 (12). To get to GC3, you buy 0 (012), lock 1 (02), lock 0 (2), and buy 3 (23).

(Note: I haven't yet unlocked the last sand and castle tools, so I don't know how GC 10 and 11 work.)

GC0:
0

GC1:
01

GC2:
1
12

GC3:
012
02
2
23

GC4:
023
0123
123
13
013
03
3
34

GC5:
034
0134
134
1234
01234
0234
234
24
024
0124
124
14
4
45

GC6:
045
0145
145
1245
01245
0245
245
2345
02345
012345
12345
1345
01345
0345
345
35
035
0135
135
1235
01235
0235
235
25
025
0125
125
15
015
05
5
56

GC7:
056
0156
156
1256
01256
0256
256
2356
02356
012356
12356
1356
01356
0356
356
3456
03456
013456
13456
123456
0123456
023456
23456
2456
02456
012456
12456
1456
01456
0456
456
46
046
0146
146
1246
01246
0246
246
2346
02346
012346
12346
1346
01346
0346
346
36
036
0136
136
1236
01236
0236
236
26
026
0126
126
16
016
06
6
67

GC8:
067
0167
167
1267
01267
0267
267
2367
02367
012367
12367
1367
01367
0367
367
3467
03467
013467
13467
123467
0123467
023478
23467
2467
02467
012467
12467
1467
01467
0467
467
4567
04567
014567
14567
124567
0124567
024567
24567
234567
0234567
01234567
1234567
134567
0134567
034567
34567
3567
03567
013567
13567
123567
0123567
023567
23567
2567
02567
012567
12567
1567
01567
0567
567
57
057
0157
157
1257
01257
0257
257
2357
02357
012357
12357
1357
01357
0357
357
3457
03457
013457
13457
123457
0123457
023457
23457
2457
02457
012457
12457
1457
01457
0457
457
47
047
0147
147
1247
01247
0247
247
2347
02347
012347
12347
1347
01347
0347
347
37
037
0137
137
1237
01237
0237
237
27
027
0127
127
17
017
07
7
78

GC9:
078
0178
178
1278
01278
0278
278
2378
02378
012378
12378
1378
01378
0378
378
3478
03478
013478
13478
123478
0123478
023478
23478
2478
02478
012478
12478
1478
01478
0478
478
4578
04578
014578
14578
124578
0124578
024578
24578
234578
0234578
01234578
1234578
134578
0134578
034578
34578
3578
03578
013578
13578
123578
0123578
023578
23578
2578
02578
012578
12578
1578
01578
0578
578
5678
05678
015678
15678
125678
0125678
025678
25678
235678
0235678
01235678
1235678
135678
0135678
035678
35678
345678
0345678
01345678
1345678
12345678
012345678
02345678
2345678
245678
0245678
01245678
1245678
145678
0145678
045678
45678
4678
04678
014678
14678
124678
0124678
024678
24678
234678
0234678
01234678
1234678
134678
0134678
034678
34678
3678
03678
013678
13678
123678
0123678
023678
23678
2678
02678
012678
12678
1678
01678
0678
678
68
068
0168
168
1268
01268
0268
268
2368
02368
012368
12368
1368
1368
0368
368
3468
03468
013468
13468
123468
0123468
023468
23468
2468
02468
012468
12468
1468
01468
0468
468
4568
04568
014568
14568
124568
0124568
024568
24568
234568
0234568
01234568
1234568
134568
0134568
034568
34568
3568
03568
013568
13568
0123568
023568
23568
2568
02568
012568
12568
1568
01568
0568
568
58
058
0158
158
1258
01258
0258
258
2358
02358
012358
12358
1358
01358
0358
358
3458
03458
013458
13458
123458
0123458
023458
23458
2458
02458
012458
12458
1458
01458
0458
458
48
048
0148
148
1248
01248
0248
248
2348
02348
012348
12348
1348
01348
0348
348
38
038
0138
138
1238
01238
0238
238
28
028
0128
128
18
018
08
8
89

Ceiling Broken:
089
0189
189
1289
01289
0289
289
2389
02389
012389
12389
1389
01389
0389
389
34898
03489
013489
13489
123489
0123489
023489
23489
2489
02489
012489
12489
1489
01489
0489
489
4589
04589
014589
14589
124589
0124589
024589
24589
234589
0234589
01234589
1234589
134589
0134589
034589
34589
3589
03589
013589
13589
123589
0123589
023589
23589
2589
02589
012589
12589
1589
01589
0589
589
5689
05689
015689
15689
125689
0125689
025689
25689
235689
0235689
01235689
1235689
135689
0135689
035689
35689
345689
0345689
01345689
1345689
12345689
012345689
02345689
2345689
245689
0245689
01245689
1245689
145689
0145689
045689
45689
4689
04689
014689
14689
124689
0124689
024689
24689
234689
0234689
01234689
1234689
134689
0134689
034689
34689
3689
03689
013689
13689
123689
0123689
023689
23689
2689
02689
012689
12689
1689
01689
0689
689
6789
06789
016789
16789
126789
0126789
026789
26789
236789
0236789
01236789
1236789
136789
0136789
036789
36789
346789
0346789
01346789
1346789
12346789
012346789
02346789
2346789
246789
0246789
01246789
1246789
146789
0146789
046789
46789
456789
0456789
01456789
1456789
12456789
012456789
02456789
2456789
23456789
023456789
0123456789