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Release Notes for Timberborn

1.0.12.3-db72a8c-gm

Note: Update 7 saves should be compatible with Timberborn 1.0, but with all the changes we’ve made, we strongly recommend starting a fresh settlement. Here’s to the new adventure!

New map objects

Timberborn 1.0 makes the post-apocalyptic wasteland much more varied, thanks to the many new objects found on the maps. Map creators can use these tools prepare more meaningful challenges, and encourage unusual strategies.

Automation

In Timberborn 1.0, you can automate your settlements’ operations. On a basic level, you could simply open and close your floodgates based on the water level in your reservoirs and maybe set off some fireworks when the badtide ends. Take it a step further and pause your Lumber Mills when you are running low on logs. Go crazy and build a fully automated utopia run by arrays of relays, gates, and valves - just make sure you hook them up correctly. Your beavers’ lives depend on it. You can see the automation in action in last week’s surprise reveal video.

The simplest automation setup could involve a single condition that turns a building on or off. As an example, a Depth Sensor activates when the water level rises above a chosen threshold. Then, you select a pausable building, such as a Water Pump, click “Automate”, and select that Depth Sensor. As long as the Sensor stays active, the Water Pump works. When the water level falls below the threshold, the Depth Sensor becomes inactive, and the Water Pump pauses, freeing up its worker again. And that’s the gist of it! Further buildings allow you to build increasingly elaborate setups that work in beautiful, mechanical harmony.

Additional buildings and automation-related changes

While these buildings can be helpful without automation, they’re made to make the best use of the new feature.

Customizable lights

Everyone likes making settlements their own, and automation is another step towards that, so we think this deserves a separate section.

Iron Teeth: Metalsmith and metal balance

We felt that the metal production chain on the Iron Teeth side could use an update, especially since Folktails have already had their unique good in the form of Paper.

Maps

Some Timberborn maps, both built-in and created by our talented players, are centered around a specific challenge rather than the regular sandbox gameplay. With the newly added map objects, we expect that to become even more common. To accommodate that trend, we’ve added a new map category - the Unconventional maps - with three shining new examples. We’ve also updated the existing maps.

Map Editor

The new objects are now available in the map editor. We’ve also made some changes to how the toolbar works, and added the feature that all map creators have been asking for.

Spiral Stairs

Ah, yes, the legendary design that eluded beaver engineers for years has finally made it into the game! The Spiral Stairs make it much easier to create compact routes connecting different levels of terrain and structures.

Banners

When we made it possible to paint beavers’ tails and saw how much our players liked that feature, the banners were bound to happen next. If you enjoy customizing your settlement, you may now put up banners of two types. Pick from a few faction-specific designs or use any custom image you want. Just make it safe for work, that’s all the beavers do!

Duplication tools

We agree that at later stages of the game, placing multiple identical workshops or warehouses gets tedious. Lo and behold - it’s now much easier! You can copy a building’s settings - for example, the chosen recipe - onto another existing building of the same type. Or, you can order the construction of a new building that will be set up the same way right away.

Visual fidelity

A 1.0 release can’t be complete without tweaking the graphics across the board.

Granular graphics and camera settings

It’s not just the bloom you can toggle! You can now control the quality of various elements of the game and switch off some of the more controversial or performance-heavy effects.

Animations

It only took us four years (more, actually) to add the animation to beavers’ deaths! But since we hope you won’t need to watch it too often, we’ve also expanded the idle animations’ list and more.

Moving plant life

By implementing moving plant life, we also aim to enhance the game’s visuals and make the world more vibrant - but since it's a significant change, it deserves a separate section.

Hot dams!

We’re updating models for the most important buildings any beaver, in-game or not, knows.

Tutorial

It was high time to give the tutorial a critical look. While Timberborn is a sandbox and discovering what works and what doesn’t is a huge part of the fun, the basics could be explained better - in a less linear way, while also covering more aspects of the game.

Notifications and alerts

Notifications and alerts also received an important quality pass.

Rubble changes

By removing the rubble that you don’t give a dam about, we’re reducing clutter on the screen and, since that rubble is no longer there, the game’s performance improves a bit. It also makes sense not to eat food that has sat at the bottom of the lake for weeks. We’re also fixing an issue that sometimes occurred in the early game.

Waterfall flow limitations

…are gone! You can see the difference in this curiously shaped setup pictured above.

Decorations

It’s not much, but it’s honest work.

In-game intro

Watch on YouTube

Releasing the full version of the game is not just about gameplay tweaks! To celebrate the 1.0 release, we added a cinematic intro to the game. While the in-game version doesn’t use voice-over, the one we have up on YouTube, dubbed the Lore Trailer, does! It is narrated by Shaun Dooley (Elden Ring, Netflix's Witcher series). Watch it above.

User interface

We’ve got quite a few UI-related tweaks.

Audio

Ding-dong-whoosh!

Balance

Performance

Modding

With 1.0, we’re upgrading the mod creation pipeline. It’s much easier to create mods - whether you’re a veteran modder or a newbie who wants to try their hand at modding. Mods should also be more resilient to changes in the base game and other mods. We’ll cover that across a few sections. If you’ve ever wanted to add a crazy new building or translate the game into Pig Latin, read on!

Mod templates

Mod anything with JSON

We’ve finished what we started in Update 7, taking steps towards unifying how specifications and prefabs are defined.

Modding tools

Our Unity modding tools were updated to support the new Blueprint approach, along with some general improvements.

Other changes in the modders’ world

Misc.

Bug fixes

1.0.12.3-db72a8c-gw

Note: Update 7 saves should be compatible with Timberborn 1.0, but with all the changes we’ve made, we strongly recommend starting a fresh settlement. Here’s to the new adventure!

New map objects

Timberborn 1.0 makes the post-apocalyptic wasteland much more varied, thanks to the many new objects found on the maps. Map creators can use these tools prepare more meaningful challenges, and encourage unusual strategies.

Automation

In Timberborn 1.0, you can automate your settlements’ operations. On a basic level, you could simply open and close your floodgates based on the water level in your reservoirs and maybe set off some fireworks when the badtide ends. Take it a step further and pause your Lumber Mills when you are running low on logs. Go crazy and build a fully automated utopia run by arrays of relays, gates, and valves - just make sure you hook them up correctly. Your beavers’ lives depend on it. You can see the automation in action in last week’s surprise reveal video.

The simplest automation setup could involve a single condition that turns a building on or off. As an example, a Depth Sensor activates when the water level rises above a chosen threshold. Then, you select a pausable building, such as a Water Pump, click “Automate”, and select that Depth Sensor. As long as the Sensor stays active, the Water Pump works. When the water level falls below the threshold, the Depth Sensor becomes inactive, and the Water Pump pauses, freeing up its worker again. And that’s the gist of it! Further buildings allow you to build increasingly elaborate setups that work in beautiful, mechanical harmony.

Additional buildings and automation-related changes

While these buildings can be helpful without automation, they’re made to make the best use of the new feature.

Customizable lights

Everyone likes making settlements their own, and automation is another step towards that, so we think this deserves a separate section.

Iron Teeth: Metalsmith and metal balance

We felt that the metal production chain on the Iron Teeth side could use an update, especially since Folktails have already had their unique good in the form of Paper.

Maps

Some Timberborn maps, both built-in and created by our talented players, are centered around a specific challenge rather than the regular sandbox gameplay. With the newly added map objects, we expect that to become even more common. To accommodate that trend, we’ve added a new map category - the Unconventional maps - with three shining new examples. We’ve also updated the existing maps.

Map Editor

The new objects are now available in the map editor. We’ve also made some changes to how the toolbar works, and added the feature that all map creators have been asking for.

Spiral Stairs

Ah, yes, the legendary design that eluded beaver engineers for years has finally made it into the game! The Spiral Stairs make it much easier to create compact routes connecting different levels of terrain and structures.

Banners

When we made it possible to paint beavers’ tails and saw how much our players liked that feature, the banners were bound to happen next. If you enjoy customizing your settlement, you may now put up banners of two types. Pick from a few faction-specific designs or use any custom image you want. Just make it safe for work, that’s all the beavers do!

Duplication tools

We agree that at later stages of the game, placing multiple identical workshops or warehouses gets tedious. Lo and behold - it’s now much easier! You can copy a building’s settings - for example, the chosen recipe - onto another existing building of the same type. Or, you can order the construction of a new building that will be set up the same way right away.

Visual fidelity

A 1.0 release can’t be complete without tweaking the graphics across the board.

Granular graphics and camera settings

It’s not just the bloom you can toggle! You can now control the quality of various elements of the game and switch off some of the more controversial or performance-heavy effects.

Animations

It only took us four years (more, actually) to add the animation to beavers’ deaths! But since we hope you won’t need to watch it too often, we’ve also expanded the idle animations’ list and more.

Moving plant life

By implementing moving plant life, we also aim to enhance the game’s visuals and make the world more vibrant - but since it's a significant change, it deserves a separate section.

Hot dams!

We’re updating models for the most important buildings any beaver, in-game or not, knows.

Tutorial

It was high time to give the tutorial a critical look. While Timberborn is a sandbox and discovering what works and what doesn’t is a huge part of the fun, the basics could be explained better - in a less linear way, while also covering more aspects of the game.

Notifications and alerts

Notifications and alerts also received an important quality pass.

Rubble changes

By removing the rubble that you don’t give a dam about, we’re reducing clutter on the screen and, since that rubble is no longer there, the game’s performance improves a bit. It also makes sense not to eat food that has sat at the bottom of the lake for weeks. We’re also fixing an issue that sometimes occurred in the early game.

Waterfall flow limitations

…are gone! You can see the difference in this curiously shaped setup pictured above.

Decorations

It’s not much, but it’s honest work.

In-game intro

Watch on YouTube

Releasing the full version of the game is not just about gameplay tweaks! To celebrate the 1.0 release, we added a cinematic intro to the game. While the in-game version doesn’t use voice-over, the one we have up on YouTube, dubbed the Lore Trailer, does! It is narrated by Shaun Dooley (Elden Ring, Netflix's Witcher series). Watch it above.

User interface

We’ve got quite a few UI-related tweaks.

Audio

Ding-dong-whoosh!

Balance

Performance

Modding

With 1.0, we’re upgrading the mod creation pipeline. It’s much easier to create mods - whether you’re a veteran modder or a newbie who wants to try their hand at modding. Mods should also be more resilient to changes in the base game and other mods. We’ll cover that across a few sections. If you’ve ever wanted to add a crazy new building or translate the game into Pig Latin, read on!

Mod templates

Mod anything with JSON

We’ve finished what we started in Update 7, taking steps towards unifying how specifications and prefabs are defined.

Modding tools

Our Unity modding tools were updated to support the new Blueprint approach, along with some general improvements.

Other changes in the modders’ world

Misc.

Bug fixes

0.7.8.1-6eeaeed-gw (2025-05-08)

Patch notes 2025-05-08 (Update 7 - Ziplines & Tubeways)

Note: Saves created on Update 6 or before should load just fine, although due to the addition of 3D terrain, there might be some small quirks and surprises. Maps on older saves are also not updated to their revised versions, so… maybe it’s time for a new playthrough?

Ziplines

As colonies grow, the need for efficient transportation of beavers, bots, and resources also increases. In Update 7, both factions get a speed boost with unique means of mass transit, offering the dwellers several advantages over treading the dirt paths or swimming.

Our nature-friendly Folktails enjoy high-speed thrills and get to ride Ziplines. Created with Stations, Pylons, and Beams, zipline networks easily cover large distances and elevation differences. Setting them up is a matter of choosing the connections with a few clicks.

Tubeways

The Iron Teeth’s new transport method requires a little more careful setup than Ziplines but rewards you with extra flexibility and can be integrated into the city as it grows. Our industrious faction builds Tubeway networks, consisting of Stations serving as endpoints, and the 1x1 modules that connect them - Tubeways and Solid Tubeways. Notably, the modules are water- and badwater-proof, and they can be joined just like regular paths… but also vertically.

3D Terrain

While the in-game terrain has always been made of little 3D cubes, you could only place them one atop another. With Update 7, terrain blocks go on all Solid surfaces - roofs, platforms, and overhangs. This gives you much more flexibility in reshaping maps and choosing where to grow your fields and forests. You can finally cultivate crops on top of lodges and warehouses. You may create extra-compact hanging gardens where plants grow on multiple levels. You might even hide your beavers’ settlement in a cave, with a river irrigating its green dome.

Speaking of caves, it is now also possible to overhang terrain blocks. The overhanging terrain needs to be attached to another terrain block and you cannot have more than three unsupported blocks protruding sideways, but it is still regular terrain that can be irrigated and contaminated.

Tunnels

Your beavers now finally know how to dig into walls, building tunnels of any width. Need to transport something, but there’s a huge landmass in the way? Just cut through. Want to move your beavers into a cave? Find a mountain and dig a hole!

Layer tool

We’re expanding the usability of the layer tool since terrain is now three-dimensional and you can turn your beavers into moles, a.k.a build tunnels.

Adaptive Power Shafts

Similarly to the Tubeways, the good ol’ Power Shafts are now also adaptive. We’ve replaced the existing fixed-shape Power Shafts with two new, adaptive modules - Power Shafts and Solid Power Shafts. As you expand and update your power grid, you no longer need to delete old connections, causing outages for entire districts. The new Power Shafts simply change their shape as new connections are added or removed. And yes, that also enables vertical junctions!

Quality-of-life

One cannot argue Adaptive Power Shafts are a big W here, but it’s also the smaller things!

Maps

With the addition of 3D terrain, Ziplines, and Tubeways, we’ve reviewed all built-in maps to incorporate, and give you opportunities to play with, the new features.

Map Editor

The map editor itself now also has more tools toys to play with.

Balance

With Update 7, we’re reducing the amount of downtime the players experience, and that - paired with the new content - required a significant rebalancing. This includes changes to mines and metal production, platforms, and tweaks to the effects of well-being. Also, Birches should now be better in the early game.

Visuals and audio

Everyone likes pretty shadows. No RTX needed!

Performance

Misc.

Modding

We are continuing our efforts to make creating mods for Timberborn easier and today’s release brings a few important changes.

Bug fixes

Known issues

We’re aware of some persistent issues related to multi-threading, especially on the i9 CPUs. These issues are experienced only by a small percentage of players, and range in severity. We’re working on a fix but in the meantime, should you experience serious crashing even after disabling all mods, consider switching back to the Update 6 branch.

0.7.8.1-6eeaeed-gm (2025-05-08)

Patch notes 2025-05-08 (Update 7 - Ziplines & Tubeways)

Note: Saves created on Update 6 or before should load just fine, although due to the addition of 3D terrain, there might be some small quirks and surprises. Maps on older saves are also not updated to their revised versions, so… maybe it’s time for a new playthrough?

Ziplines

As colonies grow, the need for efficient transportation of beavers, bots, and resources also increases. In Update 7, both factions get a speed boost with unique means of mass transit, offering the dwellers several advantages over treading the dirt paths or swimming.

Our nature-friendly Folktails enjoy high-speed thrills and get to ride Ziplines. Created with Stations, Pylons, and Beams, zipline networks easily cover large distances and elevation differences. Setting them up is a matter of choosing the connections with a few clicks.

Tubeways

The Iron Teeth’s new transport method requires a little more careful setup than Ziplines but rewards you with extra flexibility and can be integrated into the city as it grows. Our industrious faction builds Tubeway networks, consisting of Stations serving as endpoints, and the 1x1 modules that connect them - Tubeways and Solid Tubeways. Notably, the modules are water- and badwater-proof, and they can be joined just like regular paths… but also vertically.

3D Terrain

While the in-game terrain has always been made of little 3D cubes, you could only place them one atop another. With Update 7, terrain blocks go on all Solid surfaces - roofs, platforms, and overhangs. This gives you much more flexibility in reshaping maps and choosing where to grow your fields and forests. You can finally cultivate crops on top of lodges and warehouses. You may create extra-compact hanging gardens where plants grow on multiple levels. You might even hide your beavers’ settlement in a cave, with a river irrigating its green dome.

Speaking of caves, it is now also possible to overhang terrain blocks. The overhanging terrain needs to be attached to another terrain block and you cannot have more than three unsupported blocks protruding sideways, but it is still regular terrain that can be irrigated and contaminated.

Tunnels

Your beavers now finally know how to dig into walls, building tunnels of any width. Need to transport something, but there’s a huge landmass in the way? Just cut through. Want to move your beavers into a cave? Find a mountain and dig a hole!

Layer tool

We’re expanding the usability of the layer tool since terrain is now three-dimensional and you can turn your beavers into moles, a.k.a build tunnels.

Adaptive Power Shafts

Similarly to the Tubeways, the good ol’ Power Shafts are now also adaptive. We’ve replaced the existing fixed-shape Power Shafts with two new, adaptive modules - Power Shafts and Solid Power Shafts. As you expand and update your power grid, you no longer need to delete old connections, causing outages for entire districts. The new Power Shafts simply change their shape as new connections are added or removed. And yes, that also enables vertical junctions!

Quality-of-life

One cannot argue Adaptive Power Shafts are a big W here, but it’s also the smaller things!

Maps

With the addition of 3D terrain, Ziplines, and Tubeways, we’ve reviewed all built-in maps to incorporate, and give you opportunities to play with, the new features.

Map Editor

The map editor itself now also has more tools toys to play with.

Balance

With Update 7, we’re reducing the amount of downtime the players experience, and that - paired with the new content - required a significant rebalancing. This includes changes to mines and metal production, platforms, and tweaks to the effects of well-being. Also, Birches should now be better in the early game.

Visuals and audio

Everyone likes pretty shadows. No RTX needed!

Performance

Misc.

Modding

We are continuing our efforts to make creating mods for Timberborn easier and today’s release brings a few important changes.

Bug fixes

Known issues

We’re aware of some persistent issues related to multi-threading, especially on the i9 CPUs. These issues are experienced only by a small percentage of players, and range in severity. We’re working on a fix but in the meantime, should you experience serious crashing even after disabling all mods, consider switching back to the Update 6 branch.

0.6.8.4-e18214b-gw (2024-10-10)

Patch notes: 2024-10-10 (Update 6)

NOTE: Saves created on Update 5 will load fine. However, Update 6 replaces some buildings. This includes the old Metal Platforms or the deprecated High Power Shaft. If you load a save with those, they will be there, but you won’t be able to add more. The map you played on will not be updated. Also, if you started the save before the February hotfix, the flexible start won’t unlock.

Three-dimensional water physics

One of Timberborn’s hallmark features is water physics. Yet, until now, we’ve used a cleverly designed 2.5-dimensional system. Our water had variable depths and formed waterfalls, but it was like a sheet thrown over the map’s topography. With Update 6, we’re finally implementing the real, three-dimensional system, which allows way more complex interactions with fluids.

Under the new physics, it is possible to run layers of fluids atop one another and over buildings. As Levees and Dams can now be placed everywhere, the most obvious application is the long-requested ability to build aqueducts. Thanks to the newly added Impermeable Floor, water can also flow over platforms or the roofs of all Solid buildings. Pair that with the new ways of building vertically, and you may even build an entire underwater city!

Automated sluices

The new water physics system finally allowed us to add one of the most often-requested building blocks to Timberborn, the Sluice. And it’s automated!

New platforms

Three-dimensional water physics just asked for cool new toys! So, we’ve remade the existing Metal Platforms and added Overhangs - including natural ones available in the map editor. Use these tools to raise multi-layered airborne cities and save space on the ground.

Vertical Power Shafts

No beaver city is complete without an efficient power grid. With the Vertical Power Shafts we’re adding today, you’ll save lots of space when connecting areas on different elevations. For extra efficiency points, you can even a building directly on top of them.

Wonders

Timberborn is a highly replayable sandbox experience with self-imposed goals - and we stick to that! However, we’ve also heard your requests for more clearly defined end-game objectives. Hence the addition of faction-specific wonders - large, expensive buildings that can be activated to “complete” the run if you wish. Launching a wonder comes with a reward, too.

Flexible start

Your playing experience on a map may differ vastly depending on where you start. Now, after you complete a wonder, you can change the starting location for future runs on the map.

Modding support

We’ve also remade the modding system to make the most common modding tasks easier to accomplish, less prone to errors, less prone to compatibility issues, and overall, make the game more fun to experiment with. If you’re a mod creator, read the documentation on Timberborn Wiki and check out the GitHub repository with some sample mods and tools.

Tail customization, a.k.a. detailing

High fashion finally arrives at Timberborn thanks to the most punny building, the Detailer! You can pick from a few default faction-specific designs and have them temporarily tattooed on the visitors’ tails. Or, you can add your own custom images! (Just the SFW stuff, please).

Mud Pit and other changes to buildings

Beavers like mud, but some more than others. We’re giving Folktails a larger new building, the Mud Pit. The Iron Teeth retain the old Mud Bath. There are also quite a few other changes to buildings and their construction.

Construction stages

Construction guidelines

With the addition of overhangs, aqueducts, and increased focus on vertical building, it was time to implement a new quality-of-life feature. When constructing new buildings, it is now possible to toggle the construction guidelines view. This view helps you align new buildings correctly despite height differences or large distances.

New animations

Beavers, bots, and their animations have received extra love from us!

Maps and map editor

Timberborn now has 13 built-in maps! In addition to the pretty new map, Cliffside, all previously available maps have been updated to better work with the features of Update 6.

Performance

Our water physics rework as well as several other optimizations resulted in more gains on the performance front.

Analytics

We want to better understand how you play the game, and descriptive feedback is much more useful when paired with some hard data. That’s why when you open the game after the update, we will ask you to agree to the collection of data from your playthroughs. This helps us a lot but it is optional - and if you change your mind, you can always withdraw your consent and delete your data via the in-game settings. You can review our updated privacy policy here.

Localization

Timberborn is now available in a whopping 15 languages - and the original localizations should be improved. Let us know if you find any gaffes!

Misc.

Bugs

0.6.8.4-e18214b-gm (2024-10-10)

Patch notes: 2024-10-10 (Update 6)

NOTE: Saves created on Update 5 will load fine. However, Update 6 replaces some buildings. This includes the old Metal Platforms or the deprecated High Power Shaft. If you load a save with those, they will be there, but you won’t be able to add more. The map you played on will not be updated. Also, if you started the save before the February hotfix, the flexible start won’t unlock.

Three-dimensional water physics

One of Timberborn’s hallmark features is water physics. Yet, until now, we’ve used a cleverly designed 2.5-dimensional system. Our water had variable depths and formed waterfalls, but it was like a sheet thrown over the map’s topography. With Update 6, we’re finally implementing the real, three-dimensional system, which allows way more complex interactions with fluids.

Under the new physics, it is possible to run layers of fluids atop one another and over buildings. As Levees and Dams can now be placed everywhere, the most obvious application is the long-requested ability to build aqueducts. Thanks to the newly added Impermeable Floor, water can also flow over platforms or the roofs of all Solid buildings. Pair that with the new ways of building vertically, and you may even build an entire underwater city!

Automated sluices

The new water physics system finally allowed us to add one of the most often-requested building blocks to Timberborn, the Sluice. And it’s automated!

New platforms

Three-dimensional water physics just asked for cool new toys! So, we’ve remade the existing Metal Platforms and added Overhangs - including natural ones available in the map editor. Use these tools to raise multi-layered airborne cities and save space on the ground.

Vertical Power Shafts

No beaver city is complete without an efficient power grid. With the Vertical Power Shafts we’re adding today, you’ll save lots of space when connecting areas on different elevations. For extra efficiency points, you can even a building directly on top of them.

Wonders

Timberborn is a highly replayable sandbox experience with self-imposed goals - and we stick to that! However, we’ve also heard your requests for more clearly defined end-game objectives. Hence the addition of faction-specific wonders - large, expensive buildings that can be activated to “complete” the run if you wish. Launching a wonder comes with a reward, too.

Flexible start

Your playing experience on a map may differ vastly depending on where you start. Now, after you complete a wonder, you can change the starting location for future runs on the map.

Modding support

We’ve also remade the modding system to make the most common modding tasks easier to accomplish, less prone to errors, less prone to compatibility issues, and overall, make the game more fun to experiment with. If you’re a mod creator, read the documentation on Timberborn Wiki and check out the GitHub repository with some sample mods and tools.

Tail customization, a.k.a. detailing

High fashion finally arrives at Timberborn thanks to the most punny building, the Detailer! You can pick from a few default faction-specific designs and have them temporarily tattooed on the visitors’ tails. Or, you can add your own custom images! (Just the SFW stuff, please).

Mud Pit and other changes to buildings

Beavers like mud, but some more than others. We’re giving Folktails a larger new building, the Mud Pit. The Iron Teeth retain the old Mud Bath. There are also quite a few other changes to buildings and their construction.

Construction stages

Construction guidelines

With the addition of overhangs, aqueducts, and increased focus on vertical building, it was time to implement a new quality-of-life feature. When constructing new buildings, it is now possible to toggle the construction guidelines view. This view helps you align new buildings correctly despite height differences or large distances.

New animations

Beavers, bots, and their animations have received extra love from us!

Maps and map editor

Timberborn now has 13 built-in maps! In addition to the pretty new map, Cliffside, all previously available maps have been updated to better work with the features of Update 6.

Performance

Our water physics rework as well as several other optimizations resulted in more gains on the performance front.

Analytics

We want to better understand how you play the game, and descriptive feedback is much more useful when paired with some hard data. That’s why when you open the game after the update, we will ask you to agree to the collection of data from your playthroughs. This helps us a lot but it is optional - and if you change your mind, you can always withdraw your consent and delete your data via the in-game settings. You can review our updated privacy policy here.

Localization

Timberborn is now available in a whopping 15 languages - and the original localizations should be improved. Let us know if you find any gaffes!

Misc.

Bugs

0.5.7.0-db02fc5-gw (2024-01-18)

Patch notes 2024-01-18: Update 5

Please note: Update 5 should be compatible with Update 4 saves and maps. However, the existing maps were not created with badwater in mind. There are no Badwater Sources there, obviously, and even though badtides do come, their effects can be unpredictable on an unmodified map. Please start the new game on one of the fancily reworked built-in maps.

Badwater and badtides

Toxic waste of hooman origin now flows across the maps. It taints water, contaminates beavers, disables irrigation, and kills plant life. Its addition is easily the biggest change to the game since its launch. To better understand why we’ve added it, check out the original announcement here.

Badwater engineering

To counter badwater’s harmful effects you may use the ol’ reliable hydroengineering tools. However, sometimes even the most clever use of dams, floodgates, pumps, and terraforming may not be enough. That’s why we added a selection of special new buildings. And since we now have two free-flowing liquids on the maps, we also tweaked the existing infrastructure.

Extract and new production chains

Badwater may be a deadly threat but the lumberpunk beavers are too resourceful not to benefit from it, mostly through a new good known as extract. (Mass-produced adult Iron Teeth beavers are a net positive, right?)

Attractions and decorations

Our efforts towards making factions more unique continue! After the all-new monuments in Update 4, today’s update brings significantly more variety to the attractions and decorations.

Terraforming

With bots granted a new trait in the form of badwater immunity, we can finally allow beavers to shine in the terraforming business. Speaking of which, cool beavers don’t look at explosions but with the new, badwater-powered dynamite in place, they may reconsider.

Other changes to buildings

Here are the many other additions and changes to the roster of in-game buildings, mostly rounding up our “make the factions more unique” initiative.

Irrigation rework

Adding badwater and the contamination shenanigans in Update 5 prompted us to look further at the irrigation system. The resulting rework finally eliminated the two long-standing issues with this core feature of Timbernborn.

Reworked maps

We have updated all built-in maps to accommodate the presence of badwater and badtides, as well as the irrigation tweaks. Changes range from slight to dramatic - Thousand Islands, Mountain Range, and Helix Mountain, for example, have been completely rebuilt.

Balance

In light of Update 5 changes, we’re tweaking the game’s balance across the board. Here is what we changed on top of the tweaks mentioned elsewhere in the patch notes.

Flipping

This is the end of an era! Starting today, buildings no longer have entrances available only on one side - you can flip them. We’ve added this feature to all buildings with asymmetrical door placement, plus some others where it made sense (such as most monuments).

Key bindings YES, it only took us two years since launch to add customizable key bindings to the game.

Seasons

With the game now switching between three vastly different seasons, we wanted to make it easier to notice when they change and to what. We’ve added fancy new splash screens and sounds that should be really difficult to miss.

Savegame preview

Gone are the days of guessing what that particular “asdasdad” save contains. Now, whenever you save the game, a screenshot is taken to be displayed on the load game screen. The load game screen has also been overhauled to improve its usability.

Map previews

Whenever you start a new game and pick the map, you will see a thumbnail and the map description set up by the map’s creator within the map editor.

Animations

The first recorded request for proper tree-cutting animations in Timberborn is from 1784. Update 5 adds many custom animations, so we didn’t want to miss out on updating something this crucial.

Map editor

With all the additions of Update 5, the editor also needed some love.

Other UI and QoL changes

As if the cool new stuff such as flippable buildings or customizable key bindings were not enough…

Misc.

Bug fixes

0.5.7.0-db02fc5-gm (2024-01-18)

Patch notes 2024-01-18: Update 5

Please note: Update 5 should be compatible with Update 4 saves and maps. However, the existing maps were not created with badwater in mind. There are no Badwater Sources there, obviously, and even though badtides do come, their effects can be unpredictable on an unmodified map. Please start the new game on one of the fancily reworked built-in maps.

Badwater and badtides

Toxic waste of hooman origin now flows across the maps. It taints water, contaminates beavers, disables irrigation, and kills plant life. Its addition is easily the biggest change to the game since its launch. To better understand why we’ve added it, check out the original announcement here.

Badwater engineering

To counter badwater’s harmful effects you may use the ol’ reliable hydroengineering tools. However, sometimes even the most clever use of dams, floodgates, pumps, and terraforming may not be enough. That’s why we added a selection of special new buildings. And since we now have two free-flowing liquids on the maps, we also tweaked the existing infrastructure.

Extract and new production chains

Badwater may be a deadly threat but the lumberpunk beavers are too resourceful not to benefit from it, mostly through a new good known as extract. (Mass-produced adult Iron Teeth beavers are a net positive, right?)

Attractions and decorations

Our efforts towards making factions more unique continue! After the all-new monuments in Update 4, today’s update brings significantly more variety to the attractions and decorations.

Terraforming

With bots granted a new trait in the form of badwater immunity, we can finally allow beavers to shine in the terraforming business. Speaking of which, cool beavers don’t look at explosions but with the new, badwater-powered dynamite in place, they may reconsider.

Other changes to buildings

Here are the many other additions and changes to the roster of in-game buildings, mostly rounding up our “make the factions more unique” initiative.

Irrigation rework

Adding badwater and the contamination shenanigans in Update 5 prompted us to look further at the irrigation system. The resulting rework finally eliminated the two long-standing issues with this core feature of Timbernborn.

Reworked maps

We have updated all built-in maps to accommodate the presence of badwater and badtides, as well as the irrigation tweaks. Changes range from slight to dramatic - Thousand Islands, Mountain Range, and Helix Mountain, for example, have been completely rebuilt.

Balance

In light of Update 5 changes, we’re tweaking the game’s balance across the board. Here is what we changed on top of the tweaks mentioned elsewhere in the patch notes.

Flipping

This is the end of an era! Starting today, buildings no longer have entrances available only on one side - you can flip them. We’ve added this feature to all buildings with asymmetrical door placement, plus some others where it made sense (such as most monuments).

Key bindings YES, it only took us two years since launch to add customizable key bindings to the game.

Seasons

With the game now switching between three vastly different seasons, we wanted to make it easier to notice when they change and to what. We’ve added fancy new splash screens and sounds that should be really difficult to miss.

Savegame preview

Gone are the days of guessing what that particular “asdasdad” save contains. Now, whenever you save the game, a screenshot is taken to be displayed on the load game screen. The load game screen has also been overhauled to improve its usability.

Map previews

Whenever you start a new game and pick the map, you will see a thumbnail and the map description set up by the map’s creator within the map editor.

Animations

The first recorded request for proper tree-cutting animations in Timberborn is from 1784. Update 5 adds many custom animations, so we didn’t want to miss out on updating something this crucial.

Map editor

With all the additions of Update 5, the editor also needed some love.

Other UI and QoL changes

As if the cool new stuff such as flippable buildings or customizable key bindings were not enough…

Misc.

Bug fixes

0.4.7.0-f7bd363-gw (2023-05-24)

Hi everyone!

The next major update for Timberborn is now live for everyone, and as you’re about to see, we’ve addressed some of the most popular player requests. Watch the feature trailer below!

UPDATE 4 FEATURE TRAILER

Here’s a summary: districts no longer have range limits, and the distribution is automated. The Iron Teeth now boast a whole new industrial food production chain complete with new crops and buildings. We made both factions more unique with new monuments and updates to decorations and other buildings. There’s also a new map (Craters) and a slew of tweaks and fixes. Oh, and we improved the framerates by up to 80% (according to some: even more)!

The update’s content evolved thanks to the ongoing feedback from our experimental branch players, so a big shout-out to you all!

Patch notes: 2023-05-24 (Update 4)

Note: Update 4 shouldn't break compatibility with Update 3 saves but especially on the Iron Teeth saves, things won’t be the same anymore - as detailed below. As all Iron Teeth know, progress sometimes requires sacrifice. Please consider starting a new game.

Food production changes

As part of our “making factions more unique” project, the Iron Teeth received an entirely new food production chain, and most of the older crops are now exclusive to Folktails. We designed the new Iron Teeth crops and buildings to reflect the faction’s industrial nature. For them, food is all but another cog in the great lumberpunk machine. They want their eatables produced efficiently and on a large scale, and they now have the tools for that. Let Folktails keep their tasty organic food nonsense!

New monuments and other changes

In addition to the above, we’re updating several other buildings to make Folktails and Iron Teeth playthroughs feel different, both in terms of gameplay and visuals. Notably, all six monuments were replaced and are now faction-specific. We have also updated and split some decorations.

Districts rework

The introduction of districts solved many problems Timberborn had in the past, including but not limited to, original performance woes. However, we heard a lot of feedback about this feature and specifically, district range limits. Over time, we’ve optimized the game’s code to make the range less of a performance hog, and in Update 4, we’re removing range limits entirely. If you want to cover the entire map with a single district, you can! Just remember that if a worker spends half their day commuting, their efficiency and well-being take a hit. You still may optimize and specialize your colonies with districts, but it’s now optional and way more straightforward.

Distribution rework

Here’s another reason to continue using districts - we’ve completely reworked the distribution mechanics to make it (truly) automatic. By default, your workers will distribute goods to districts with a warehouse for a particular good, or a factory that consumes it. Some basic goods such as water, food, and logs are always imported, even if the district does not have dedicated storage for them. While those default settings should work for most cases, you can customize the rules for import and export in the new Distribution tab added to the Settlement Panel.

Maps

It’s finally time for a new built-in map - Craters (192x192). Fire up this medium-difficulty map and find your way across three treacherous craters, starting next to the map’s border. We also made some tweaks to older maps (which will only apply when starting a new game).

Optimization

Making optimizations that help rather than break something is a lengthy process. We needed to thoroughly test different approaches and double-check the results on the experimental branch, but it seems we succeeded! We aimed to reduce lag spikes, cut loading times, and increase the framerates, especially on larger maps and settlements with hundreds of units. Your mileage may vary depending on a save and your configuration but based on our benchmarks, Update 4 increases the average FPS by up to 80%. Some players are reporting even higher gains.

Quality of Life and UI

Balance

Audio

Visual

Misc.

Bug fixes