Tech tree

One of your long-term objectives is to unlock new technologies from the five branches of the tech tree. In the aftermath, much of mankind’s knowledge was either lost or outright destroyed. Fragments can still be recovered from various locations on the world map to aid the colony. The research locations can be searched for Science points which, unlike other resources, are immediately available for the colony. And the bigger your specialists' research skill is, the faster they can extract all the usable knowledge a particular location has to offer.

Technology branches

Science points can be spent to unlock technological advancements in the tech tree, which is divided into five branches:

• Colony adds to your housing and general colonist potential.
• Food offers both improvements to production speeds and completely new forms of cultivation and animal breeding.
• Exploration improves your efficiency and possibilities on the World Map while also increasing the settlement's security.
• Production increases production capabilities and unlocks new structures.

The further down the tree a particular advancement is, the more it costs, so always keep an eye on museums, old radar stations and observatories while exploring the map. Science is what takes your colony to the next level from just surviving into getting back what was lost.

List of technologies

Colony

	Technology			Unlockables	Prerequisites	Description
	Heavy Tarps	8h	50	+40% Durability to: Emergency Shelter Tent	N/A	It's not much in terms of comfort, but making the tarps in tents more rigid gives them a bit more strength and lessens the feeling your home might fly off at a modest breeze.
	Nurses	15h	100	Medical Tent: +1 Work slots	N/A	Shared duties and clear communication in life-threatening situations are paramount, so colonists are treated quickly and correctly.
	Weatherproof Seams	4h	25	−3 Repair cost to: Emergency Shelter Tent	Heavy Tarps	Learning to do seams that hold up in the rain, snow or meteor storm means tents and emergency shelters can be repaired with small patches instead of replacing entire sections.
	Medical Training	8h	50	Medical Tent: +15% Healing speed	Nurses	Without a steady supply of medicine and medical equipment, people have to rely on simple, straightforward methods of healing. Learning about these is key in keeping your population safe.
	Communal Living	15h	100	Shanty Tenement	Either: Heavy Tarps Nurses	Getting people out of tents and into better housing takes some planning. Tenements house several people within the same cramped space. A Shanty gives more space per colonist but is more costly to build. Both of these buildings are safer than Tents and Emergency Shelters, and they offer better protection against radiation.
	Interior Walls	15h	100	Tenement: +20 Happiness	Communal Living	A large open space shared with other residents discourages intimacy. Crude interior walls gives couples some much-needed privacy. Children are more likely to be born in Tenements and Emergency Shelters.
	Roof Supports	8h	50	+40% Durability to: Shanty Tenement	Communal Living	In general, colonists appreciate their shelters not caving in on them while they sleep. Proper supports prop up the roof and strengthen the structure to a point.
	Sweet Porcelain	12h	75	Shanty: +20 Happiness	Interior Walls	The smooth touch of porcelain is definitely a luxury in the aftermath. Shanties with an actual indoor toilet are loved by the tenants and envied by their neighbors.
	Education	15h	100	School	Communal Living	Educating future generations at Schools is more important than it has ever been. Educated children gain a permanent Educated trait if they go to school long enough. Education makes them more efficient members of society once they start working.
	Remembrance	15h	100	Memorial	Communal Living	Remembering those who are gone is painful, but it is the only way forward. A Memorial allows people to light a candle for those lost to the apocalypse and gain some Happiness in the process.
	Simple Decorations	4h	25	Tiny Pink Flowers Tiny White Flowers Red Flowers White Flower Bush	Education	A modest selection of decorations to cheer up your modest Colony.
	Pavement	8h	50	Paved Road	Remembrance	Caesars and pharaohs figured stone-paved roads the way to bring a bit of civilization to a settlement—and keep their sandals clean.
	Guardians	23h	150	Guard Post	Either: Education Remembrance	Guards are the backbone of defending the Colony against hostile animals or people. Assign people to Guard Posts so they'll gear up and focus on protecting their fellow Colonists.
	Hazmat Engineering	23h	150	Environmental Station Nuclear Waste Storage	Either: Education Remembrance	Clearing heavily polluted soil without proper equipment is a death sentence. An Environmental Station provides the means to clear Pollution Deposits and store the waste in a Nuclear Waste Storage.
	Rubber Scrubbers	15h	100	Environmental Station: +20% Production speed	Hazmat Engineering	Pollution disposal is dirty and dangerous business. Proper scrubbers handle the removal of hazardous material faster, so colonists need to spend less time in the glowing soil.
	Centralized Repairs	1d 6h	200	Maintenance Depot	Either: Guardians Hazmat Engineering	Keeping track of all repairs in a large colony is a hassle. A Maintenance Depot automatically fixes damaged buildings within its work radius provided it is staffed and supplied properly.
	General Storage	23h	150	General Storage	Either: Guardians Hazmat Engineering	Valuable goods deserve a proper place to be stored. A General Storage is a converted and reinforced shipping container able to withstand the elements and thieves alike. Stores all resources that can be stored in a Food Storage or in a Warehouse.
	Shelving	8h	50	General Storage: +2000 Capacity	General Storage	Making use of the limited floor space by building shelves and organizing the contents maximizes how much valuable stuff can be crammed into a container. And people say that those who have the most stuff in the end will be kings.
	Medical Center	1d 6h	200	Field Hospital	Either: Centralized Repairs General Storage	There is no way to keep a large colony healthy with a simple Medical Tent. A properly managed Field Hospital is both more spacious and effective in treating a wide variety of conditions.
	Weapon Crafting	1d 6h	200	Gunsmith	Either: Centralized Repairs General Storage	Fighting post-apocalyptic wildlife and crazed bandits at melee range isn't the smartest thing one could do. A Gunsmith supplies Guards with proper weapons to defend the Colony.
	Prescriptions	23h	150	Field Hospital: +25% Healing speed	Medical Center	It's rather likely medics will be treating the same people over and over in the aftermath. Knowing and keeping track of patients helps give them the right treatment faster.
	Cleansing	1d 6h	200	Sauna	Either: Medical Center Weapon Crafting	Hygiene in the post-apocalypse seems like a minor thing to worry about. Yet, if completely forgotten, it will lead to diseases that would have been easily prevented with a nice shower and a bit of socializing in a hot sauna.
	Surge Protectors	1d 6h	200	Lightning Rod	Either: Medical Center Weapon Crafting	Directing massive amounts of Energy harmlessly to the ground requires ample protection. But once that's sorted, Lightning Rods will help the Colony to protect itself from destructive lightning strikes.
	Aggression Release	1d 6h	200	Arena	Cleansing	For some, the way to relax is to get punched in the face or see someone else knocked silly. The Arena allows colonists to brawl and let off some steam while others enjoy the carnage from the stands. Perhaps it's not civilized, but it sure is fun, and Happiness is assured for those who like this sort of thing.
	Knowledge Preservation	1d 6h	200	Library	Surge Protectors	Preservation of old world texts in a Library is smart for several reasons. That way, you can learn from the past or sometimes just let stories whisk you away from a harsh reality. There is something for everyone in this library, so every visitor will get a small boost of Happiness in their lives.
	Impressive Decorations	8h	50	Bottle Cactus Log Flowers Brazier Plastic Flowers Plastic Viola	Aggression Release	An impressive selection of decorations to enliven your burgeoning settlement.
	Elegant Decorations	8h	50	Small Green Bush Tall Green Bush Lantern Bottle Tree Paper Windmills	Knowledge Preservation	A reasonably elegant set of decorations to jazz up your growing Colony.
	Comfortable Housing	1d 6h	200	House	Either: Aggression Release Knowledge Preservation	Move your colonists from cramped and leaky quarters into proper houses. A House offers the pinnacle of post-apocalyptic luxury and comfort, if you can afford to build one.
	Electric Decorations	8h	50	Small Street Light Medium Street Light Large Street Light Green Tree	Comfortable Housing	Powered-up decorations to finalize your advanced settlement. Electric Lights require small amounts of Energy.
	Supported Walls	15h	100	Two-story House	Comfortable Housing	Building more than one floor is not as straightforward as it sounds. Making them cheap and sturdy at the same time is a real feat of engineering.
	Cabinets	1d 21h	300	Game Arcade	Comfortable Housing	A selection of classic game arcade cabinets explain why Colonists willingly spend hours on end inside this dark, noisy space and come out happier than they went in.
	Couch Potato	1d 21h	300	Movie Theater	Comfortable Housing	Look, sometimes you just want to sit down and enjoy a silly movie or watch a documentary about ice lake fishing. The Movie Theater is a good way to give a big boost of Happiness to every visitor.

Exploration

	Technology			Unlockables	Prerequisites	Description
	Bartering	15h	100	Trade Center	N/A	Your colony is not the only one in the world. Other societies are still out there and willing to exchange goods once you have built a trade center to coordinate these transactions. Trade offers can be managed from the trade menu.
	Frontier Outposts	15h	100	Outpost Depot	N/A	Unlocks outpost depots used for establishing and maintaining outposts on the world map. Expanding your colony's influence past its borders is essential for the colony's survival. Outposts allow specialists to drop off their scavenged resources without travelling back to the colony. After dropping the resources off at the outpost, they are automatically transferred to the colony. One outpost depot can support a single outpost.
	Motorization	23h	150	Garage	Either: Bartering Frontier Outposts	Unlocks garages for repairing and storing cars found on the World Map. Found vehicles must first be brought to a Garage to be repaired by a specialist.
	Engine Overhaul	12h	75	Station-wagon: +1 Action points	Motorization	While it is a miracle the big ol' clankers haven't all rusted shut, their engines are surely in need of more than a quick tune-up.
	Blowtorches	12h	75	Garage: +20% Production speed	Motorization	Cutting or bending metal is an arduous process. With blowtorches, it's still slow, but it makes the work quicker and more bearable. Faster vehicle repairs.
	Reinforced Gate	23h	150	The Gate	Motorization	Approaching a reinforced gate makes anyone respect a society living behind it a bit more. Survivor groups are questioned in more detail before being allowed to join the colony. Sometimes, questioning can reveal important information about the group's conditions.
	Disaster Forecast	1d 6h	200	Radar	Reinforced Gate	Catastrophes are bad. Catastrophes you did not know were coming are a lot worse. A radar station tuned to monitor the weather, airwaves and distant broadcasts can save numerous lives as an early warning system. It will not prevent the catastrophe, but it gives you more time to prepare for the next one. Extends the early warning period from one to three days.
	All-terrain Tires	15h	100	+2 Action points to: Hatchback Sedan Station-wagon	Disaster Forecast	Without proper traction, it doesn't really matter how many horses you have under the hood. All-terrain tires help put that power to the ground on any surface.
	Fortress	1d 21h	300	The gate: +1 Work slots	Disaster Forecast	A prosperous colony attracts all sorts of attention. Keep unwanted visitors and bandits away by building your gate strong and tall like a fortress.

Food

	Technology			Unlockables	Prerequisites	Description
	Survival Skills	8h	50	+20% Production speed to: Fishing Hut Trapper	N/A	Hunting and fishing are some of the oldest survival skills known to man. The same tricks our ancestors used to fish and hunt in the Stone Age are as valuable now as they were back in the day. Luckily, there are no mammoths or saber-tooth cats to worry about.
	Big Game Hunting	15h	100	Trapper: +1 Work slots	Survival Skills	Just because humans are (probably) the apex predators of this land doesn't mean you can hunt all animals successfully. Catching big prey needs big-brain thinking, but is well worth the effort.
	Pack Tactics	8h	50	Trapper: +1 Work slots	Survival Skills	A proper hunter pack can spot, encircle and catch their prey a lot faster than a lone wolf.
	Basic Farming	15h	100	Small Field	Survival Skills	It sounds relatively simple to grow something in the dirt, but this age-old knowledge has been lost when most of the population moved to big cities. If it helped hunter-gatherer tribes grow into great civilizations, it might be worth learning for a post-apocalyptic society.
	Skinning	8h	50	Trapper: +1 Fiber production	Survival Skills	Using every bit of the animal is not only respectful but also smart. Meat can be eaten and skins turned to Fiber by processing the carcass properly.
	Wider Piers	8h	50	Fishing Hut: +1 Work slots	Skinning	A bigger Pier means more Fishers, and more Fishers means more Fish for your Colonists.
	Larger Larder	15h	100	Food storage: +2000 Capacity	Either: Basic Farming Skinning	Consider yourself fortunate to have so much food that storing it becomes a problem. But, as the saying goes, an organized Food Storage is a happy Food Storage—more spacious too.
	Communal Eating	19h	125	Cookhouse Logging Camp	Larger Larder	More centralized solutions to feed a growing number of hungry mouths. Warm meals keep hunger away and put a smile on everyone’s face, so it doesn't hurt to put some extra love in the food everyone eats. The Cookhouse creates and distributes nutritious Meals prepared from raw Food ingredients. A Logging Camp produces Firewood for the Cookhouses to operate.
	Line Cooks	8h	50	Cookhouse: +1 Work slots	Communal Eating	Flailing around next to pointy and hot things is a recipe for disaster. Line cook training helps several people work efficiently and safely in the kitchen.
	Advanced Farming	23h	150	Medium Field Large Field	Communal Eating	Takes farming to the next level as larger fields yield bigger harvests that help in feeding even the largest of colonies. Placing them on Fertile soil grants an extra production bonus.
	Better Scythes	12h	75	+20% Harvest speed to: Small Field Medium Field Large Field Greenhouse	Advanced Farming	Sharper and better balanced scythes reduce the time required to harvest the crops. The Grim Reaper would be proud.
	Alternative Proteins	1d 6h	200	Insect Farm	Advanced Farming	Post-apocalyptic societies must find new and more efficient sources of protein. Edible insects can provide just that. Insect Farms function similarly to Fields but provide steadier Food production and an alternative to Meat. Find new types of insect eggs to bolster yields even further.
	Protected Crops	1d 6h	200	Greenhouse	Advanced Farming	Greenhouses shield the crops from the elements. They can function even through a Nuclear Fallout, providing security in food production during more difficult times.
	Heated Hives	12h	75	Insect Farm: −30% Energy consumption	Alternative Proteins	Insects tend to multiply rapidly. Heating their hives instead of the entire building helps them grow fat and crunchy in a controlled environment while saving Energy.
	Boring Methods	1d 14h	250	Bore Well	Either: Alternative Proteins Protected Crops	Clean Water can be hard to come by, especially in dry climates. Bore Wells are drilled as deep as required to tap into water reserves, which allows placing them on any soil type.
	Bigger Barrels	1d 6h	200	Large Water Tower	Boring Methods	Constructing large, structurally sound and waterproof barrels is surprisingly difficult. Many scientists will get wet researching how this can be achieved.
	Delicacies	1d 21h	300	Bakery Mill	Boring Methods	Even in the aftermath, people crave a bit of luxury. The smell of freshly baked Bread can have a surprisingly large effect on morale. A Mill grinds Wheat into Flour, which is then turned into Bread at the Bakery.
	Coated Hoppers	15h	100	Mill: +20% Production speed	Delicacies	Getting those grains to slide smoothly on a coated surface ensures that you enjoy fresh bread that much quicker. Isn't it relaxing to just look at those grains go.
	Chef Training	2d 5h	350	Mess Hall	Either: Bigger Barrels Delicacies	Feeding a large number of people requires discipline and organization. Chef Training unlocks the Mess Hall, where cooks prepare large amounts of Meals for hungry colonists.
	Organized Kitchen	15h	100	Mess Hall: +1 Work slots	Chef Training	Kitchen's no place for chaos. Proper arrangements and organization means more meals are produced quicker and with less cursing.

Production

	Technology			Unlockables	Prerequisites	Description
	Crowbars	8h	50	+20% Production speed to: Recycler Scrapper	N/A	Pulling old metal or stuck plastic bits apart with your bare hands is tough. Crowbars allow colonists to scavenge deposits faster and without hurting themselves.
	Reclaimable Materials	12h	75	Scrapper: +1 Metal production	Crowbars	Knowing how to process different types of scrap metal means an item thought to be trash might end up becoming a treasure—relatively speaking.
	Scavenger Teams	8h	50	+1 Work slots to: Recycler Scrapper	Crowbars	Two pairs of eyes spot valuable resources faster than one. A duo of scavengers working in tandem brings construction resources back to the colony more efficiently.
	Inventory	12h	75	Stockpile: +2000 Capacity	Crowbars	Warehouse inventories keep stuff apart from things and doodads separate from whatchamacallits. It maximizes the use of space and helps colonists to find what they're looking for.
	Logistics	15h	100	Warehouse: +2000 Capacity	Inventory	A logical and consistent method of packing things together never happens accidentally—it must be created. The way basic logistics get you more capacity within the same space seems almost magical.
	Solar Power I	15h	100	Solar Panel	Inventory	Getting the power back on is a major step toward rebuilding a civilization. Solar Panels are an efficient way to produce Energy during the day.
	Wind Power I	15h	100	Wind Turbine	Inventory	Getting the power back on is a major step toward rebuilding a civilization. Wind Turbines provide a reliable and steady Energy source.
	Panel Coating	15h	100	Solar Panel: +40% Durability	Solar Power I	Solar panels are not the world's sturdiest invention, and flying debris and extreme weather can slowly wither them. Coating the panels with translucent material protects them from the smaller things the apocalypse throws your way.
	Tough Bearings	15h	100	Wind Turbine: +40% Durability	Wind Power I	There are many moving parts to a wind-based power plant. Its ball bearings are in constant motion and prone to breaking or jamming, so strengthening them helps when things get rough. Looking at rotating things is fun, and this really helps keep them rotating!
	Energy Storage	23h	150	Battery Rack	Either: Solar Power I Wind Power I	Producing Energy without storing it can be a recipe for disaster. Repurposed Battery Racks can hold a decent charge and keep things running even when Energy production has halted.
	Quality Capacitors	8h	50	Battery Rack: +40% Durability	Energy Storage	Running high-voltage current as efficiently as possible allows packing a bit more juice in the same space.
	Power Saws	23h	150	Sawmill	Energy Storage	Scavenging planks for construction will inevitably come to an end at some point. A proper Sawmill guarantees a steady supply of that sweet, sweet timber.
	Apprentices	12h	75	+1 Work slots to: Tailor Tool shop	Power Saws	A proper relationship between workers means more products created for Colonists and less thrown at those you're working alongside.
	Craftsmanship	12h	75	+20% Production speed to: Tailor Tool shop	Power Saws	Basic knowledge of tool and clothing manufacturing means faster production and less thumbs smacked by hammers or pierced by needles.
	Biofuel Formula	1d 6h	200	Refinery	Power Saws	Unlocks Refinery for manufacturing Fuel from Sunflower seeds. Refineries are essential in providing a steady source of Fuel for the Colony's exploration needs. Without Fuel, vehicles cannot be repaired. Refineries require Oil made from Sunflower seeds to function.
	Junk Recycling	1d 6h	200	Mechanic Shop	Power Saws	Scrapper's side product, Junk is useful and even valuable for those able to recycle it. The Mechanic Shop converts it into mechanical Parts, which are required in advanced construction and item creation. Produces Parts.
	Controlled Burn	12h	75	Refinery: +30% Production speed	Biofuel Formula	Creating better burning kilns limits how much Oil is wasted in biofuel processing. Doing more with less is the name of the game.
	Battery Stacking	1d 14h	250	Large Battery Rack	Either: Biofuel Formula Junk Recycling	Producing Energy without storing it is just a waste. Tinkering with Battery Racks allows them to be chained together for even greater effect. They will keep things running even when Energy production has halted.
	Circuit Breakers	15h	100	+60% Durability to: Solar Panel Wind Turbine Large Solar Panel Large Wind Turbine	Battery Stacking	Power Plants are some of the most vulnerable Buildings. Circuit breakers help protect these sources of lovely Energy by cutting the connection before permanent damage occurs.
	Durable Components	15h	100	−1 Repair cost to: Solar Panel Wind Turbine Large Solar Panel Large Wind Turbine	Battery Stacking	Reinforcing used Components means less of them implode when things go south.
	Solar Power II	1d 21h	300	Large Solar Panel	Battery Stacking	Getting the power back on is a major step toward rebuilding a civilization. Large Solar Panels provides cheap, clean Energy in moderate quantities. Solar Panels shut down during the night.
	Wind Power II	1d 21h	300	Large Wind Turbine	Battery Stacking	Getting the power back on is a major step toward rebuilding civilization. Large Wind Turbines provide clean Energy in large quantities.
	Industrial Mining	2d 5h	350	Concrete Extractor Metal Extractor Plastic Extractor	Either: Solar Power II Wind Power II	Scavenging construction materials by hand will only take you so far. Heavy machinery like Extractors will greatly boost production, but it requires both constant maintenance and large amounts of Energy to extract Metal, Plastic and Concrete.
	Conveyor Belts	15h	100	+20% Production speed to: Concrete Extractor Metal Extractor Plastic Extractor	Industrial Mining	An endless smooth stream of materials on a conveyor belt can be mesmerizing to watch and shows a definite sign of progress. Improves production speed for all extractors.
	Junior Engineers	15h	100	+1 Work slots to: Concrete Extractor Metal Extractor Plastic Extractor	Industrial Mining	The cabin might get a bit crowded at times, but additional workers help keep the valuable Extractors running longer each day.