Polytopia Tech Tree & Tech Costs
All 25 technologies with what they unlock, the cost of every tech for your number of cities – and a free star planner for your next turn.
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Polytopia tech tree
Five branches, from tier 1 (left / top) to tier 3. Under each tech: the units, buildings and bonuses it unlocks.
Forge
Fish
Port
Water defense
Forest defense
Forest Temple
Clear Forest
Sawmill
Burn Forest
Tech cost formula
tech cost = tier × number of cities + 4 (after Philosophy: about −33 %)
| Cities | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 | 5 ★ | 6 ★ | 7 ★ | 8 ★ | 9 ★ | 10 ★ | 12 ★ | 14 ★ |
| Tier 2 | 6 ★ | 8 ★ | 10 ★ | 12 ★ | 14 ★ | 16 ★ | 20 ★ | 24 ★ |
| Tier 3 | 7 ★ | 10 ★ | 13 ★ | 16 ★ | 19 ★ | 22 ★ | 28 ★ | 34 ★ |
| Tier 1 + Philosophy | 4 ★ | 4 ★ | 5 ★ | 6 ★ | 6 ★ | 7 ★ | 8 ★ | 10 ★ |
| Tier 2 + Philosophy | 4 ★ | 6 ★ | 7 ★ | 8 ★ | 10 ★ | 11 ★ | 14 ★ | 16 ★ |
| Tier 3 + Philosophy | 5 ★ | 7 ★ | 9 ★ | 11 ★ | 13 ★ | 15 ★ | 19 ★ | 23 ★ |
Unit costs
| Unit | Cost | Needs |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | 2 ★ | – |
| Archer | 3 ★ | Archery |
| Defender | 3 ★ | Strategy |
| Rider | 3 ★ | Riding |
| Swordsman | 5 ★ | Smithery |
| Catapult | 8 ★ | Mathematics |
| Knight | 8 ★ | Chivalry |
| Mind Bender | 5 ★ | Philosophy |
| Cloak | 8 ★ | Diplomacy |
Special tribes have their own units – see all units and costs.
Building & action costs
| Building / action | Cost | Population | Needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harvest Fruit | 2 ★ | +1 | Organization |
| Farm | 5 ★ | +2 | Farming |
| Road | 3 ★ | – | Roads |
| Temple | 20 ★ | +1 | Free Spirit |
| Windmill | 5 ★ | see note | Construction · +1 👥 per adjacent Farm |
| Forge | 5 ★ | see note | Smithery · +2 👥 per adjacent Mine |
| Sawmill | 5 ★ | see note | Mathematics · +1 👥 per adjacent Lumber Hut |
| Market | 5 ★ | – | Trade · more ★ per turn |
| Grow Forest | 5 ★ | – | Spiritualism · becomes Forest |
| Hunt | 2 ★ | +1 | Hunting |
| Lumber Hut | 3 ★ | +1 | Forestry |
| Clear Forest | +1 ★ | – | Forestry · gives 1 ★, becomes Field |
| Burn Forest | 5 ★ | – | Construction · becomes Field with Crop |
| Forest Temple | 15 ★ | +1 | Spiritualism |
| Mine | 5 ★ | +2 | Mining |
| Mountain Temple | 20 ★ | +1 | Meditation |
| Fish | 2 ★ | +1 | Fishing |
| Port | 7 ★ | +1 | Fishing |
| Water Temple | 20 ★ | +1 | Aquatism |
FAQ
What does the Polytopia tech tree look like?
There are five tier 1 techs – Climbing, Fishing, Hunting, Organization and Riding. Each one leads to two tier 2 techs, and each tier 2 tech to one tier 3 tech: 25 technologies in total.
How much does a technology cost in Polytopia?
Tech cost = tier × number of cities + 4 stars. Tier 1 techs (e.g. Riding, Fishing) are cheapest, tier 3 techs (e.g. Chivalry, Mathematics) the most expensive.
Why do techs get more expensive?
Every city you own increases the price of every tech by its tier: with 5 cities a tier 3 tech costs 3 × 5 + 4 = 19 stars instead of 7.
Does Philosophy make techs cheaper?
Yes – after Philosophy (Literacy) all techs cost about one third less. The star planner applies it automatically when you mark Philosophy as researched.
Do special tribes have a different tech tree?
Aquarion, ∑∫ỹriȱŋ, Polaris and Cymanti replace some techs with their own (e.g. Polaris Frostwork instead of Fishing). They sit in the same place in the tree and cost the same.