Frostpunk 2 Idea Tree Research Guide

The Idea Tree organizes all Frostpunk 2 research into six thematic branches. Each branch contains a chain of technologies that unlock buildings, upgrades, and city capabilities. Research points generated by Research Institutes determine how quickly you progress through these chains. This guide covers every branch with priority recommendations for campaign and Utopia Builder play.

Heating Branch

The Heating branch improves your generator network and district heat management. Early Heating technologies increase generator output efficiency and reduce fuel consumption per heat unit. Mid-tier unlocks introduce alternative fuel types and generator upgrade paths that change how your city consumes coal and oil. Advanced Heating research enables overdrive modes and emergency heat protocols for whiteout survival.

Heating research directly impacts every district in your city because heat allocation determines operational capacity. Prioritize Heating technologies before expanding district count beyond your generator's comfortable output range. Pair Heating research with adjacency-optimized housing layouts and Heating Hub construction for maximum fuel efficiency. The district heat management guide demonstrates Heating branch priorities by chapter.

Resources Branch

The Resources branch unlocks extraction and processing buildings that feed your city's material economy. Coal Mines, Oil Derricks, Deep-Shaft Mines, and advanced processing facilities all require Resources research. This branch also improves extraction efficiency, reduces workforce requirements for material production, and unlocks recycling technologies that stretch limited deposits further.

Resources research should follow immediately after initial Heating investments in most playthroughs. Without steady material flow, district maintenance fails, building upgrades stall, and hub construction becomes impossible. Match Resources research to your map's available deposits by frostbreaking resource-rich tiles before unlocking the corresponding extraction buildings. See district buildings for structure details.

Frostland Branch

The Frostland branch governs everything beyond New London's city limits. Expedition range improvements, trail construction speed, Skyway technology, outpost buildings, and colony support structures all require Frostland research. This branch becomes essential from Chapter 1 when the Old Dreadnought colony and Frostland exploration introduce multi-settlement management.

Frostland research unlocks in parallel with city research but should not take priority over Heating and Resources until your core city is stable. Once basic heat and material flow are established, Frostland technologies enable resource imports from remote sites that supplement local production. The Frostland exploration guide and colonies guide detail expedition and colony strategies that depend on this branch.

City Branch

The City branch expands housing capacity, infrastructure efficiency, and urban management capabilities. Technologies in this branch improve Housing District output, reduce construction costs, unlock advanced residential buildings, and enhance city-wide workforce allocation. City research supports large-scale expansion in Utopia Builder and late campaign chapters.

City research pays diminishing returns in early chapters when district count is low. Invest in City technologies when you plan major expansion phases or when housing capacity limits workforce growth. Hothouse unlocks and food supplement buildings often appear in or adjacent to the City branch, connecting urban research to food security. Consult the district types guide for housing and food district planning.

Society Branch

The Society branch addresses the human element of Frostpunk 2: faction relations, population morale, crime reduction, and social policy infrastructure. Technologies here unlock buildings and modifiers that reduce tension, improve trust with faction delegates, and manage homelessness and disease outbreaks that threaten city stability.

Society research becomes increasingly important as faction count grows and Council voting complexity increases. Low trust with key factions can block critical law proposals and trigger crisis events. Invest in Society technologies when tension indicators rise or when multiple factions with conflicting agendas join your Council. Pair with the Council negotiation guide and factions overview for political context.

Hubs Branch

The Hubs branch unlocks Food Stockpile Hubs, Heating Hubs, Fuel Stockpile Hubs, and their upgrades. These regional infrastructure buildings connect district production to city-wide storage and heat distribution networks. Hubs research is essential for whiteout preparation and late-game city sprawl management.

Prioritize Hubs research during the prologue to unlock Food Stockpile Hubs before the whiteout deadline. In later chapters, Heating Hub and Fuel Stockpile Hub technologies become critical as district count exceeds generator range. The hub buildings guide explains placement strategy for each hub type, and the whiteout preparation guide covers pre-blizzard hub requirements.