Player wiki
Research
73 technologies over 8 tiers, costing 5.67B research points in total. 6 of them are forks: taking one side closes the other for the whole run.
How research is paid for
Research points come from two places: the LAB lane of your dial, at 25 energy per point, and a steady 0.2 point per second for staying in the PERFECT zone. The costs printed below are the final costs — the tier multiplier is already applied, so this is exactly what you pay.
The forks — read these before you spend
6 pairs are mutually exclusive. Both sides sit at the same tier and cost the same, so the choice is never about price: it is about what your run becomes.
| fork | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| tier 3 · 2250 RP | FORCED CADENCE Harder overdrive, hotter | GOVERNOR A floor under bad turns, cooler |
| tier 4 · 24000 RP | JUST IN TIME Machines get cheaper to repeat | BUFFER STOCK +25% from machines you own |
| tier 5 · 450000 RP | CARTEL +40% on what you made | VERTICAL Materials cost 25% less |
| tier 7 · 90000000 RP | WORLD FACTORY +60% from machines | MASTER'S HAND +120% from every turn |
| tier 1 · 800 RP | SISTER PLANTS +40% per site | REGIONAL DEALS +30% region price |
| tier 1 · 800 RP | SWARMING +25% swarm | SYMBIOSIS -25% intake, +20% output |
What each technology opens
Most technologies change a multiplier. These ones open something new — a machine you could not buy, or a good you could not trade.
| technology | unlocks |
|---|---|
| DYNAMO | AUTO-CRANK II |
| CONVEYOR | BELT DYNAMO |
| ASSEMBLY LINE | INDUSTRIAL CRANK |
| MASS PRODUCTION | STEEL FOUNDRY, STEEL |
| INDUSTRIAL REACTOR | REACTOR LOOP |
| MINING DRILL | COPPER MINE, IRON MINE |
| ROBOT ARM | ROBOTIC CRANK |
| AUTONOMOUS FACTORY | AUTO FACTORY |
| TITANIUM | TITANIUM MILL, TITANIUM |
| CARBON FIBER | CARBON KILN, CARBON |
| GRAPHENE | GRAPHENE PRESS, GRAPHENE |
| DEEP MINING | SILICON QUARRY |
| INDUSTRIAL AI | AI CORE |
| MATTER COMPILER | QUANTUM LATTICE, QUANTUM |
| QUANTUM PROCESSOR | QUANTUM SPINNER |
| DYSON NETWORK | DYSON TAP |
The whole tree
| technology | effect | cost (RP) | after | effects | materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BASIC GEARS | +10% crank power | 10 | — | crank power +0.1 | — |
| LUBRICATION | -20% heat | 15 | BASIC GEARS | heat produced -0.2 | — |
| REINFORCED SHAFT | +20% overdrive, -10% heat | 25 | BASIC GEARS | heat produced -0.1 · overdrive bonus +0.2 | — |
| FLYWHEEL | Crank keeps spinning | 30 | BASIC GEARS | flywheel: the crank coasts +1 | — |
| MECH EFFICIENCY | +10% all output | 40 | LUBRICATION | everything +0.1 | — |
| CONVOYS | +25% shipped | 4 | — | site output +0.25 | — |
| HIGH VOLTAGE | -15% energy eaten | 12 | CONVOYS | site energy drain -0.15 | — |
| TWIN PLANTS | +60% plant output | 35 | HIGH VOLTAGE | extra starting machines +0.6 | — |
| LOAD BALANCING | -35% saturation | 100 | TWIN PLANTS | demand saturation -0.35 | — |
| SURVEYS | -30% region cost | 280 | LOAD BALANCING | region cost -0.3 | — |
| SISTER PLANTS | +40% per site | 800 | SURVEYS | extra sites +0.4 | — |
| REGIONAL DEALS | +30% region price | 800 | SURVEYS | unit price +0.3 | — |
| LEAN METABOLISM | -20% intake | 4 | — | swarm intake -0.2 | — |
| SHORT CHAIN | +30% output | 12 | LEAN METABOLISM | swarm output +0.3 | — |
| EARTHWORKS | +50% ground | 35 | SHORT CHAIN | new ground +0.5 | — |
| DAMPERS | -40% strain | 100 | EARTHWORKS | swarm strain -0.4 | — |
| MOBILE WORKSHOP | lab share x2 | 280 | DAMPERS | swarm lab share +1 | — |
| SWARMING | +25% swarm | 800 | MOBILE WORKSHOP | swarm size +0.25 | — |
| SYMBIOSIS | -25% intake, +20% output | 800 | MOBILE WORKSHOP | swarm intake -0.25 · swarm output +0.2 | — |
| TIMING | +20% band | 4 | — | — | — |
| BEARINGS | +25% intake | 12 | TIMING | — | — |
| TOOTHING | +5% per turn | 35 | BEARINGS | — | — |
| ISOCHRONISM | +30% band | 100 | TOOTHING | — | — |
| TRANSMISSION | +35% intake | 280 | ISOCHRONISM | — | — |
| GREAT SPRING | +10% per turn, +20% band | 800 | TRANSMISSION | — | — |
| technology | effect | cost (RP) | after | effects | materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DYNAMO | Unlocks AUTO-CRANK II | 120 | BASIC GEARS | — | — |
| BATTERY | +4h offline cap | 180 | DYNAMO | offline cap (h) +4 | — |
| CAPACITOR BANK | +25% overdrive | 225 | DYNAMO | overdrive bonus +0.25 | — |
| TRANSFORMER | +15% sale price | 225 | DYNAMO | sale premium +0.15 | — |
| EFFICIENT MOTOR | +15% machines | 300 | DYNAMO | machine output +0.15 | — |
| ORDER BOOK | Limit orders, 2 slots | 150 | TRANSFORMER | limit-order slots +2 · unlocks limit orders +1 | — |
| technology | effect | cost (RP) | after | effects | materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CONVEYOR | +10% machines, new machine | 1.00K | EFFICIENT MOTOR | machine output +0.1 | — |
| COOLING SYSTEM | +30% cooling | 1.50K | TRANSFORMER | cooling +0.3 | — |
| ASSEMBLY LINE | Unlocks INDUSTRIAL CRANK | 2.00K | CONVEYOR | — | — |
| MASS PRODUCTION | Cheaper machine scaling | 2.50K | ASSEMBLY LINE | machine cost growth -0.01 | — |
| INDUSTRIAL REACTOR | Unlocks REACTOR LOOP | 3.00K | ASSEMBLY LINE | — | STEEL ×20 |
| MARKET DESK | Unlocks the price dial | 1.25K | ORDER BOOK | unlocks the price dial +1 | — |
| MINING DRILL | Unlocks copper & iron mines | 1.75K | CONVEYOR | — | — |
| FORCED CADENCE | Harder overdrive, hotter | 2.25K | COOLING SYSTEM | heat produced +0.15 · overdrive bonus +0.5 | — |
| GOVERNOR | A floor under bad turns, cooler | 2.25K | COOLING SYSTEM | cooling +0.2 · quality floor +0.5 | — |
| technology | effect | cost (RP) | after | effects | materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROBOT ARM | Unlocks ROBOTIC CRANK | 15.0K | INDUSTRIAL REACTOR | — | SILICON ×30 |
| FACTORY CONTROLLER | +20% machines | 21.0K | ROBOT ARM | machine output +0.2 | — |
| LOGISTICS AI | +20% sales, better lab | 30.0K | FACTORY CONTROLLER | lab efficiency +0.1 · sale premium +0.2 | — |
| AUTONOMOUS FACTORY | Unlocks AUTO FACTORY | 48.0K | FACTORY CONTROLLER | — | TITANIUM ×15 |
| TRADING FLOOR | +1 order, price alerts | 18.0K | MARKET DESK | alert lines +2 · limit-order slots +1 · price alerts +1 | — |
| JUST IN TIME | Machines get cheaper to repeat | 24.0K | FACTORY CONTROLLER | machine cost growth -0.02 | — |
| BUFFER STOCK | +25% from machines you own | 24.0K | FACTORY CONTROLLER | machine output +0.25 | — |
| technology | effect | cost (RP) | after | effects | materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TITANIUM | +10% all, new material | 225K | MASS PRODUCTION | everything +0.1 | — |
| CARBON FIBER | +20% machines, new material | 330K | TITANIUM | machine output +0.2 | — |
| GRAPHENE | +40% cooling, new material | 450K | CARBON FIBER | cooling +0.4 | — |
| SMART MATERIALS | Wider perfect zone | 600K | GRAPHENE | perfect zone width (rpm) +60 | — |
| FLASH SALES | Cheap ask drains the battery | 375K | TRADING FLOOR | FLASH SALES +1 | — |
| DEEP MINING | Unlocks the silicon quarry | 270K | MINING DRILL | — | — |
| FREIGHT CONTRACTS | Unlocks delivery contracts | 300K | TRADING FLOOR | contracts +1 | — |
| CARTEL | +40% on what you made | 450K | FLASH SALES | sale premium +0.4 | — |
| VERTICAL | Materials cost 25% less | 450K | FLASH SALES | material discount +0.25 | — |
| technology | effect | cost (RP) | after | effects | materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICING AI | Sell price tracks the market | 6.00M | NEURAL CONTROLLER | prices itself +1 | — |
| NEURAL CONTROLLER | Rhythm quality floor 40% | 3.20M | LOGISTICS AI | quality floor +0.4 | — |
| PREDICTIVE MAINT. | Overheats recover 2x faster | 4.80M | NEURAL CONTROLLER | overheat duration +0.5 | — |
| AUTONOMOUS ECONOMY | +30% sale price | 6.40M | NEURAL CONTROLLER | sale premium +0.3 | — |
| INDUSTRIAL AI | +15% all, unlocks AI CORE | 8.00M | PREDICTIVE MAINT. | everything +0.15 | GRAPHENE ×15 |
| MARKET MAKER | Deeper books, half the impact | 4.00M | FREIGHT CONTRACTS | deep seam output +1 | — |
| technology | effect | cost (RP) | after | effects | materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QUANTUM BATTERY | +40h offline cap | 40.0M | INDUSTRIAL AI | offline cap (h) +40 · offline efficiency +0.25 | — |
| MATTER COMPILER | -30% material costs | 60.0M | QUANTUM BATTERY | material discount +0.3 | — |
| PROBABILITY ENGINE | Luckier events | 80.0M | MATTER COMPILER | luck with events +0.5 | — |
| QUANTUM PROCESSOR | +100% research | 100M | MATTER COMPILER | research +1 | QUANTUM ×10 |
| STANDING ORDERS | Orders never expire, +2 | 50.0M | PRICING AI | alert lines +1 · contract slots +1 · limit orders never expire +1 · limit-order slots +2 | — |
| WORLD FACTORY | +60% from machines | 90.0M | QUANTUM PROCESSOR | machine output +0.6 | — |
| MASTER'S HAND | +120% from every turn | 90.0M | QUANTUM PROCESSOR | crank power +1.2 | — |
| technology | effect | cost (RP) | after | effects | materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ORBITAL INDUSTRY | +50% machines | 625M | QUANTUM PROCESSOR | machine output +0.5 | — |
| SOLAR COLLECTOR | +100% crank power | 1.00B | ORBITAL INDUSTRY | crank power +1 | — |
| DYSON NETWORK | Unlocks DYSON TAP | 1.50B | SOLAR COLLECTOR | — | QUANTUM ×80 |
| STELLAR ENGINE | +100% all output | 2.00B | DYSON NETWORK | everything +1 | — |
The patent office
Patents are the second currency, and they buy something cores cannot. Cores pay in size — more energy, more machines, more of the same run. Patents pay in shape: the run starts differently, or the game gains a rule it did not have. A patent is filed, not awarded. It no longer waits for the end of an act: every gesture that proves something drops notches into the depot, and 10 notches make a patent — paid on the spot, while you are still playing. The gauge sits on the header rule, so the office is something you watch fill from the first minute instead of an hour in.
| proof | what it does | notches |
|---|---|---|
| PURGE | a purge cashed inside the band | 2 |
| CONVOY | a convoy landed inside the band | 1 |
| SYNC | a sync held inside the band | 1 |
| DEAL | a deal closed above the mark | 1 |
| DEAL | the same deal, closed at double the base price | 2 |
| CONTRACT | a delivery contract honoured | 1 |
| CONTRACT | the same contract, when it also earns a star | 1 |
| FORK | a fork taken — the door you closed behind you | 3 |
| REGION | a region opened in act II | 3 |
| TURN | a notch dropped in act IV | 2 |
The game opens the proof, your hand closes it. A purge is only worth notches if you cash it inside the band, a deal only counts once it beats the mark. Nothing is ever rounded away either: the remainder stays in the box, so filing a proof is worth it even on a run that ends early. The office shows the last 3 so you can always see where the notches came from. You also earn them by playing differently, never by playing longer: first tree finished under each directive, first crossing with each kit, challenges, refit stars, distinct directive pairs, factory commissions, and one a day at most from the daily. There are 114 patents to win against a tree that costs 99 — and 99 of them without ever opening the game on a particular day. The tree does not ask for a calendar.
| node | effect | patents |
|---|---|---|
| WORKSHOP PLANS | Starting kits are better stocked | 1 |
| INHERITED TOOLING | Begin with two techs already done | 2 |
| NIGHT SHIFT | +20% of what the factory makes offline | 3 |
| FOREMAN | +20% machine output | 3 |
| SUPERVISED REDLINE | Overdrive pushes the machines harder | 5 |
| HEAVY EXTRACTION | Mines dig half again as fast | 5 |
| GREAT HALL | One more commission on the desk | 6 |
| DOUBLE DIRECTIVE | Carry two directives in one run | 8 |
| node | effect | patents |
|---|---|---|
| THE REGISTER | Price alerts, and one more line | 1 |
| THE GUILD | Haggling swings half again as far | 2 |
| BROKERAGE | Two more limit orders | 3 |
| CRISIS PREMIUM | +15% on everything you made | 3 |
| INTEGRATION | Materials cost 15% less | 5 |
| DAY COUNTER | Reroll the order of the day | 5 |
| UNDERWRITING | Orders survive the act break | 6 |
| TRADE CHARTER | Start with the desk already open | 8 |
| node | effect | patents |
|---|---|---|
| THE REEL | The crank keeps turning on its own | 1 |
| BELLOWS | Vents clear heat half again as fast | 2 |
| METRONOME | A floor under sloppy cranking | 3 |
| GOVERNOR | -10% heat everywhere | 3 |
| STEEL ARM | +30% from every turn | 5 |
| WIDE ZONE | The perfect zone is easier to hold | 5 |
| SECOND VALVE | Overheating lets go sooner | 6 |
| MASTER'S HAND | The perfect zone pays research | 8 |
The node f8 is the pivot: it allows two directives in one run, and it sits deep on purpose. It is the point where the game re-explodes combinatorially instead of adding another multiplier. Commissions survive a crossing and pay in patents. The first eight open at your first core payout — about an hour in, the same moment the vault lights up — not somewhere near the end of the game.
| commission | asks for | shows up after | patents |
|---|---|---|---|
| A THOUSAND TONS | iron_sold ≥ 1.00K | at the first cores | 2 |
| ELECTRIFICATION | energy_sold ≥ 5.00M | at the first cores | 2 |
| THREE SHIFTS | big_crew ≥ 3 | at the first cores | 2 |
| NOT ONE INCIDENT | clean_run ≥ 1 | at the first cores | 2 |
| CADENCE HELD | perfect_time ≥ 1.80K | at the first cores | 2 |
| JUST IN TIME | orders_filled ≥ 10 | at the first cores | 2 |
| ALL NIGHT LONG | best_offline ≥ 21.6K | at the first cores | 2 |
| A GOOD DEAL | haggle_won ≥ 50.0K | at the first cores | 2 |
| STEELWORKS | steel_sold ≥ 5.00K | after 6 commissions | 3 |
| TITANIUM ORDER | titanium_sold ≥ 800 | after 6 commissions | 3 |
| GRAPHENE BATCH | graphene_sold ≥ 300 | after 6 commissions | 3 |
| QUANTUM BATCH | quantum_sold ≥ 100 | after 6 commissions | 3 |
| CRISIS PROFITS | event_money ≥ 1.00M | after 6 commissions | 3 |
| FIVE TAPS | dyson_five ≥ 1 | after 6 commissions | 3 |
| THE WHOLE TREE | directed_tree ≥ 1 | after 6 commissions | 3 |
| THREE PAIRINGS | dir_pairs ≥ 3 | after 6 commissions | 3 |
| THE HAULIER | contracts_kept ≥ 25 | after 6 commissions | 3 |
| SIXTY DELIVERIES | contracts_kept ≥ 60 | after 6 commissions | 3 |
| THE GREAT WORK I | deep_run ≥ 1 | after 14 commissions | 2 |
| THE GREAT WORK II | full_shelf ≥ 1 | after 14 commissions | 3 |
| THE GREAT WORK III | deeper_run ≥ 1 | after 14 commissions | 5 |