Continue with Dungeon Settlers Crafting - Workstations & Recipes

Open the companion guide for the next production, character or progression decision.

How do I start research?

In the current first playthrough, finish a house, build the Research Workbench, and open the Research screen. The tree then exposed Basic Cooking and Basic Agriculture as visible choices.

Choose the branch that removes the current bottleneck: Basic Cooking for the cooking route, or Basic Agriculture for a Farm. The screenshot confirms that both options are visible, not that both can be researched at the same time; check the current cost and progress before committing.

How does research work in Dungeon Settlers?

The research loop is: build the Research Workbench, assign a Settler who can reach it, select a visible node, check its prerequisites and inputs, then let the work progress finish. A node is not fully useful just because it appears in the tree; confirm the unlock in the construction, production, equipment, or expedition screen afterward.

If the current node asks for Tech Books or another catalyst, read the item tooltip and the node requirement in your build before going deeper into the dungeon. Public guides and community posts describe different research routes, so use the current Research screen for names, costs, timing, and whether another node must finish first.

How do I unlock Wood Planks?

If a Cooking Workbench blueprint says it is missing three Wood Planks, open Research and complete Wood Processing first. The current item tooltip identifies Wood Processing as the prerequisite for Wood Planks.

After the research is complete, use the Wood Workbench to make the Planks, then return to the Cooking Workbench. The current screenshots confirm the chain, but not the Plank recipe, raw-wood cost, or research time.

What should you research next?

Start by naming the first thing that is stopping progress: food, shelter, production, equipment, recovery, or expedition supplies. Choose the visible research node that directly removes that constraint, not the node that merely looks strongest or sits furthest down the tree.

Before confirming, check the current prerequisite, cost, station or placement requirement, research time, and the actual thing the node unlocks. If a research station, worker, or input is missing, fix that blocker first; a stalled progress bar is not proof that the research order is wrong.

The ready signal is concrete: after completion, you should be able to build, produce, equip, or prepare something that was unavailable before. If you cannot describe the next action, keep the materials and inspect another branch rather than following an old Demo order.

Sponsored banner

What research books mean

Demo and community materials describe research books as a resource connected to research progress, with reports of finding them in dungeon locations such as chests or abandoned libraries.

Those locations and quantities are version-sensitive. The role of books is more useful than an old location list; check current chests, bookshelves, or announcements for exact locations.

If research is not moving

Open the current research screen and check the station, prerequisites, cost, worker priority, research time, and the unlock result. Research needs a Settler working at the Research Workbench; after you activate a node, keep that worker available and wait for the progress bar to advance instead of expecting an instant unlock.

If research books or another input are needed, read the current item tooltip and connect the item to a visible node. Do not send the party deeper just to chase a historical location or quantity.

Review the result after research completes

When a node finishes, check what actually changed: a building option, equipment recipe, production step, research branch, or another settlement capability. Then compare that result with the bottleneck that motivated the choice. If the unlock did not solve it, identify the next missing material or station rather than assuming the research was wasted.

Use the new capability on a small test before redesigning the entire settlement. A limited production run or one prepared expedition can show whether the unlock fits the current party and supply chain.

Keep the research order flexible during Early Access. A path that made sense before a balance or interface change may not remain the best answer after the next update.

Run a small research experiment

When the research order is unclear, choose one node whose outcome you can observe quickly. Write down the bottleneck it is meant to address, the displayed prerequisites, and the first thing you expect to change after completion. This gives the research choice a testable purpose.

After completion, check the construction menu, equipment screen, production tasks, or expedition preparation screen that should reflect the unlock. If nothing changed, inspect the current wording again; the missing step may be a separate station, material, or placement condition.

This experiment does not create a universal order. It creates a dated understanding of the current build and helps decide the next node with less guesswork.