Dungeon Settlers Research Tree
Dungeon Settlers research tree with Tech Book costs, prerequisites, unlock paths, and practical priorities for food, equipment, housing, storage, and camping.
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Start with Wood Processing and Basic Storage, then choose the branch that unlocks the next need: Basic Cuisine for food, Hunting Processing for camps and gear, Wooden Housing for rooms, or Basic Alchemy for staffs. The source table reports 31 entries with Tech Book costs and prerequisites.
Version note: the table is cross-checked against an independent database using game build 25154317 through v0.4.19. v0.4.23 changes higher-difficulty Research Work Amount scaling, not the published node costs or prerequisites. The current Game Guide remains authoritative.
If the first station is not built, start with Research Table and Cogwheel. It covers the starting wagon and idle-station checks. This page assumes the Research Station is available.
Budget for the whole unlock path
The following totals are calculated from the 31-node table below, counting each prerequisite once. They assume none of the path is complete and exclude construction materials.
| Goal | Paid studies on the path | Tech Books from zero |
|---|---|---|
| First cooked-food branch | Basic Cuisine | 2 |
| Basic Camping Kit | Hunting Processing → Campsite Setup | 5 |
| Staff Crafting | Basic Alchemy → Staff Crafting | 5 |
| Farming | Basic Cuisine → Basic Farming | 5 |
| Jerky / Drying Rack | Basic Cuisine → Drying | 6 |
| Goddess's Tears | Basic Alchemy → Staff Crafting → Dark Thorn Vine Purification | 9 |
| Kiln / Metal Processing | Wood Processing II + Wooden Housing → Bonfire → Metal Processing | 11 |
| Intermediate Storage | Basic Alchemy → Staff Crafting → Dark Thorn Vine Purification → Intermediate Storage | 14 |
For example, Metal Processing's own cost is 4 books, but reaching it from zero takes 2 + 2 + 3 + 4 = 11. If Wooden Housing and Bonfire are already complete, the remaining Wood Processing II and Metal Processing cost 6. Do not budget only the final node or pay again for a shared prerequisite.
These are calculations from build 25154317, not freshly measured v0.4.29 costs. Subtract completed nodes and compare the remaining nodes with your current research screen before committing.
Check difficulty before changing your whole research plan
In v0.4.23, higher-difficulty Research Work Amount changed to 1.15× on Very Hard (from 1.33×) and 1.30× on Devastation (from 1.66×). This is workload scaling, not a rewrite of every node.
If research differs from an older guide, record Management Difficulty, then compare the displayed node, prerequisites, Tech Book cost, researcher, and room. The current UI is authoritative for a specific save.
How to use the tree
Research unlocks options; it does not create the building, station, ingredients, or worker that uses them. Before choosing a node, name the immediate result you need: a food source, campsite supply, piece of equipment, workstation, storage type, or room material. Follow its prerequisite chain, then separately check the unlocked recipe or construction cost.
The Tech Book column is the cost reported for the individual node. It is not the total cost of every unfinished prerequisite. A branch with two prerequisites, such as Metal Processing, requires both links to be complete before the node becomes available. Do not spend your last books on a decorative branch if a food, camping, or equipment bottleneck is stopping the next expedition.
“Unlock focus” below gives the useful destination rather than every single item in a node. It is a quick planning aid, not a claim that any weapon or room is universally best.
Starting and early research
| Tech Books | Research | Requires | Unlock focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Wood Processing | None | Wood planks and basic wood equipment |
| 0 | Basic Storage | None | Equipment storage and a cloth bag |
| 2 | Wood Processing II | Wood Processing | Wooden weapons; route toward metal |
| 2 | Wooden Housing | Wood Processing | Beds, wooden furniture, and room upgrades |
| 2 | Hunting Processing | Wood Processing | Hunter workstation and repair support |
| 2 | Basic Alchemy | Basic Storage | Alchemy workstation and staff route |
| 2 | Basic Cuisine | Basic Storage | Cookery workstation and food branch |
| 2 | Textile Processing | Basic Storage | Thick textile and cloth equipment |
For a first settlement, completing both starting studies preserves choice. Follow Basic Cuisine when hunger and food preparation are the direct problem. Follow Hunting Processing when a campsite or material-processing route is blocking a run. Wooden Housing makes sense when the next useful change is sleep, furniture, or room quality—not simply because a higher tier is visible.
Mid-tree branches: choose the job you need
| Tech Books | Research | Requires | Unlock focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Bonfire | Wooden Housing | Bonfire and the metal/housing path |
| 3 | Campsite Setup | Hunting Processing | Basic Campsite and Basic Camping Kit |
| 3 | Bone Processing | Hunting Processing | Bone weapons and elemental staffs |
| 3 | Carapace Processing I | Hunting Processing | Carapace armor, weapons, bow, and arrows |
| 3 | Staff Crafting | Basic Alchemy | Staff workstation and lesser elements |
| 3 | Relief Rations | Basic Cuisine | Meat and turnip porridge |
| 3 | Basic Farming | Basic Cuisine | Farm and wood fence |
| 3 | Basic Monster Cuisine | Basic Cuisine | Monster Barbecue and Slime Pudding |
| 4 | Metal Processing | Wood Processing II + Bonfire | Kiln, accessories workstation, later casting |
| 4 | Advanced Wooden Housing | Bonfire | Better wood construction and furnishings |
| 4 | Bone Processing II | Bone Processing | Fortified bone protection |
| 4 | Carapace Processing II | Carapace Processing I | Carapace shields, weapons, and staffs |
| 4 | Dark Thorn Vine Purification | Staff Crafting | Goddess's Tears; storage path |
| 4 | Arcron Processing | Staff Crafting | Arcron weapon, armor, and staff set |
| 4 | Improved Grass Porridge | Staff Crafting + Relief Rations | Improved Grass Porridge |
| 4 | Drying | Basic Cuisine | Drying Rack and Jerky |
The food branch is Basic Cuisine → Relief Rations, Basic Farming, or Basic Monster Cuisine; Drying later opens Improved Cuisine. The expedition branch is Hunting Processing → Campsite Setup for camping, or Bone/Carapace Processing for equipment. Magic-focused parties should not assume Staff Crafting automatically supplies a usable staff: check its workstation, materials, and the member who will use the result.
Late research and the remaining prerequisites
| Tech Books | Research | Requires | Unlock focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | Casting Processing | Metal Processing | Casting Workbench |
| 5 | Stone Housing | Advanced Wooden Housing | Mason workstation and stone construction |
| 5 | Leather Processing | Campsite Setup | Leather workstation |
| 5 | Intermediate Storage | Dark Thorn Vine Purification | Stone and pottery storage options |
| 5 | Improved Cuisine | Drying | Kitchen Cooking Station |
| 5 | Underground Monster Cuisine | Basic Monster Cuisine | Gloth Egg Omelet |
| 5 | Advanced Stone Housing | Stone Housing | Advanced stone furniture and decoration |
Use the late nodes as destinations, not an opening checklist. Stone Housing and Advanced Stone Housing are appropriate when construction quality and the linked room goal matter. Intermediate Storage is useful when inventory organization is the actual bottleneck; it is not a substitute for food, staffing, or a missing workstation. The path to Goddess's Tears is also relevant to Base Expansion, but make sure the expansion project is ready before consuming books on its prerequisite.
Research is selected but the station stays idle
Check that every prerequisite is complete, the shown Tech Books are available, and a worker can reach the Research Station. If the station is not yet built, follow Research Table & Cogwheel.
v0.4.29 improves units vacating finished work positions, including research stations. If construction has crowded the lab, inspect access to the station before buying another research node or enlarging the room. Room Upgrades separates recognition and tier requirements from an idle job.
Sources and review boundary
The database and official patch sequence were re-read October 18, 2026. The prerequisite and book table retains its original data-build boundary; the branch totals above are arithmetic from that table.
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v0.4.29 official notes — research-station work-position changes.
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Dungeon Settlers research database and its sources note — 31 entries, prerequisite links, Tech Book counts, and stated game-data build 25154317; reviewed September 15, 2026. This is the table’s v0.4.19 data boundary, not a claim that it is the newest live build.
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Dungeon Settlers Research Guide — independent cross-check for unlock groups and workload context; reviewed September 15, 2026.
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Dungeon Settlers on Steam — official confirmation that research unlocks buildings and equipment; reviewed September 15, 2026.
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v0.4.23 patch notes — official Very Hard and Devastation Research Work Amount adjustment; reviewed September 15, 2026.
Continue exploring
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