Research is conducted at an Enclosed Research Station that must be fully enclosed with walls, corners and a working door — any gap halts output entirely. The consensus priority chain is Hunting Processing → Repair Stand → Metalworking. Days 1–7 keep settlers alive, gear functional, and food stable; Days 8–14 bring the Ore Refining and Blacksmithing Suite power spike; Day 15+ unlocks Advanced Alchemy, Ward Enchantments and Steel/Alloy Forging for boss-floor gear.
On this page
Days 1–7 — survival-first research
| Priority | Tech | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
1 | Hunting Processing | Unlocks the Hunter's Workshop for turning dungeon carcasses into meat, hide and bone. |
2 | Repair Stand | Keeps degrading gear functional during real-time combat. |
3 | Bone Swords and Bone Bows | Better base damage than starting gear. |
4 | Hide Armor and Wooden Helmets | A real bump to max HP beyond Floor 1. |
5 | Basic storage and crop beds | Stabilizes food and material supply. |
Days 8–14 — equipment power spike
| Priority | Tech | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
1 | Ore Refining and Blast Furnace | Converts raw iron into usable ingots. |
2 | Organized Warehousing | Prevents haulers from being buried by loot. |
3 | Anvil and Blacksmithing Suite | Unlocks platemail and steel weapons — the game's power spike. |
Day 15+ — late-EA tech
| Priority | Tech | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
1 | Advanced Alchemy Station | Counters bleed, poison and burn effects on deeper floors. |
2 | Ward Enchantments | Passive protection against settlement events. |
3 | Steel and Alloy Forging | Best gear in Early Access. |
4 | Relic Attunement | Slots magical relics from boss chambers into party members for tactical synergy. |
What delays a Research Station
A gap in the enclosure (any missing wall, corner, or unclosed door halts output); a low-Intelligence settler (assign the highest-Intelligence member to the Research Station); or a material shortage (unlocking a tech node still requires physically gathering the corresponding materials — wood, bone, hides, ore — from dungeon runs).