Voidtrain research governs technological progression, unlocking essential processing machines, locomotive expansions, survival upgrades, and automation tools across your journey through the Void. All progression is conducted through the Research Table, transitioning your train from a bare-bones hand trolley into a fully functional, multi-wagon mobile fortress.
Understanding how the research system is organized—including its branch structures, point requirements, and phase milestones—ensures you do not waste precious materials or stall development while traveling between outposts and depots.
How the Voidtrain Research System Works
Research in Voidtrain is accessed by constructing and interacting with a Research Table aboard your train trolley. In earlier versions of the game, technologies required feeding specific manufactured items directly into the table. Following the game's major progression overhauls, the research tree transitioned into a standardized Stage and Research Point format spanning up to 50 distinct stages.
Every research tier is structured into three specific categories:
- Main Technologies: Core progression nodes situated at the top of each stage. Every technology in the Main category must be completed before you can unlock the subsequent research stage.
- Additional (Secondary) Technologies: Optional quality-of-life enhancements, survival buffs, container expansions, and structural upgrades that can be researched at any point once that stage has been reached.
- Decor Technologies: Cosmetic items, specialized wall types, furniture, and lighting. Unlocking a decor node grants decorative items to customize living spaces and provide environmental coverage for crew members.
Once you supply the required Research Points to a selected node at the Research Table, the technology unlocks immediately.
Key Research Branches and Station Milestones
Advancing through the primary research stages unlocks blueprints for the workstations necessary to process raw floating scrap into advanced engineering alloys.
Level 1 Workstation Progression
In the early stages, your trolley relies on four foundational stations:
- Smelter I: Unlocks the ability to convert raw scrap into Iron Bars and combines scrap with chemical components to forge Copper Bars. Smelting consumes fuel such as wood or creature fat.
- Workbench I: Unlocks the capability to craft mechanical parts, including Bolts, Gears, Springs, Copper Wire, and Copper Pipes. The Workbench does not require fuel to run.
- Lab I: Focuses on processing chemical materials, unstable compounds, and adhesives. The laboratory requires fuel to run recipes.
- Kitchen I: Replaces raw consumption by crafting Grilled Organics, cooked steaks, and purified water from dirty ice and organics.
Secondary Quality-of-Life Upgrades
Rather than forcing every upgrade onto the critical progression path, several functional capabilities sit within secondary branches:
- Stash Upgrades: A four-level technology chain that adds extra capacity rows underneath the standard inventory slots of all train storage containers.
- Sleeping Bag Upgrades: A four-level technology tree granting +1 Rofleemo crew capacity per level, allowing you to recruit more helper companions at depots.
- Demolisher: Provides a 25% chance to refund 100% of an object's construction materials when deconstructing, up from the default 50% refund rate.
- Homely Comfort: A multi-tier passive upgrade that reduces the rate at which your health regeneration drains food while aboard the train.
Voidtrain Early Research Stages and Unlocks
The table below outlines key early research unlocks, the phase requirements, and the components or stations made available to the player:
| Stage / Phase | Research Node | Unlock Category | Unlocks Provided |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Smelter I | Main | Smelter I workstation, Iron Bar, Copper Bar recipes |
| Phase 1 | Container I | Main / Additional | Container I storage unit for train wagons |
| Phase 2 | Workbench I | Main | Workbench I workstation, Bolts component recipe |
| Phase 2 | Basic Components I | Additional | Mechanical components: Gear, Spring |
| Phase 2 | Copper Components | Additional | Copper Pipe, Copper Wire recipes |
| Phase 3 | Lab I | Main | Lab I workstation, chemical refining recipes |
| Phase 3 | Chemical Components | Additional | Secondary intermediate compounds |
| Phase 4 | Basic Components II | Main | Forcer (piston), Bearing components |
| Phase 4 | Container Rack I | Additional | Vertical container storage stands |
| Phase 5 | Kitchen I | Main | Kitchen I workstation, Grilled Organics, clean water options |
| Phase 6 | Bandage I | Main | Bandage I medical crafting |
| Phase 7 | Garden | Main | Garden plot, seed cultivation for organic resources |
| Phase 8 | Armory I | Main | Armory I station, initial weapon assembly/modding |
| Phase 10 | Grappling Hook I | Main / QoL | Grappling Hook deployment, magnetic attraction upgrades |
| Phase 11 | Crusher | Main | Crusher workstation, ice crushing, coal crushing |
| Phase 12 | Steam Engine | Main | Steam locomotive engine upgrade replacing hand trolley motion |
Automation and Logistics Technologies
As train development progresses into higher phases, research shifts from manual maintenance toward automated systems:
- Loot Catchers and Collector Stations: Placed along the sides of wagons to capture floating scrap, wood, and void debris automatically while the train travels, eliminating the need to swim out for every item.
- Water Condensers: Automate water generation over time, freeing up the need to constantly melt dirty ice in kitchen ovens.
- Direct Container Pulling: Following system updates, crafting stations pull needed ingredients directly from storage containers located on the train, streamlining batch manufacturing.
- Rofleemo Work Station Roles: Assigning recruited Rofleemo crew to workstations provides specialized perks, such as the Loader (pulls items across train sections), the Metallurgist (grants chances for bonus ingots during smelting), and the Smelting Genius (reduces smelter fuel consumption).
- Grappling Hook Tree: Upgrading the Grappling Hook extends its retrieval range, increases winch projectile speed, pulls heavy resource chunks like coal, and can break open floating Void resource clusters directly.
Frequently Asked Questions About Voidtrain Research
How do you build the Research Table in Voidtrain?
Open your build menu by pressing the construction book key (default B on keyboard). Select the Research Table blueprint, which requires Scrap Metal and Wood to craft. Rotate the hologram with R to orient the table, and place it in an unobstructed green zone on your train deck.
What are the three categories in each research stage?
Technologies are organized into Main (mandatory technologies required to progress to the next phase), Additional (optional quality-of-life perks, chest expansions, and gear improvements), and Decor (aesthetic furniture, flooring styles, and lighting fixtures).
Can you skip Main technologies to advance faster?
No. All technologies marked under the Main branch of your current stage must be completed before the game unlocks the next numerical stage in the tree. However, Additional and Decor technologies can be bypassed or completed later at your leisure.
How do you obtain Research Points?
Research Points are acquired by depositing collected resources into the Research Table, exploring outposts, opening loot containers in depots, and obtaining research samples dropped by hostile Void fauna such as the Void Shark.
Did recipes like Grease and Sterilizer get removed from research?
Yes. Official research and balance updates streamlined intermediate crafting recipes. Items such as the Sterilizer, Gunpowder, Explosive Mixture, Resin, Grease, and single-use Water Canisters were removed or consolidated into base materials like Fat and direct ice usage to reduce redundant crafting steps.
