Game Jargon Definition: “Technology Tree”
Technology Tree (noun) - tech · nol · o · gy tree /tekˈnäləjē trē/
A hierarchical visual representation of the possible sequences of technological upgrades a player can acquire. The specific acquisition and application of technologies in games that use them vary considerably from game to game. Commonly, acquiring one or more technologies involves some sort of in-game research or resource payment mechanic that will increase a player’s abilities in one or more areas as well as allow them to research more advanced technologies on the tree. Typically, the further a player progresses on a technology tree, the more technology they have access to and the greater their technological strength becomes within the game.
A technology tree is usually designed to show the relative advancements of each player through a tier system, as well as to visually display what (if any) prerequisite technologies or other achievements a player may need to have in order to be eligible to research or acquire additional technologies at a given tier level. A player who is engaged in research in order to gain technology on a tree is referred to be “teching up,” “going up the tech tree,” or “moving up in the tech tree.”
In many games that utilize technology trees, the technology progression runs parallel to other aspects of the game, such as creating militarized units to wage war, engaging in political negotiations with other players, exploring a map where the main interactions of the game take place, or building up a resource economy that may be spent on additional technology.
The mechanisms and rules for players engaging in researching technology vary widely from game to game, but typically involve spending some sort of resource(s) in order to guarantee the acquisition of technology, or to qualify for engaging in a gamble (such as rolling dice or drawing cards) to determine if one successfully researches a given technology.
The representation of ownership of technologies also varies widely. Some games use a deck of technology cards that are taken into the players’ play area to represent that they have successfully researched a given technology. Other games track technological achievements on individual player boards. Still others may simply use a tracker board to indicate each player’s current number of technological points and that they are authorized to use any technology at or below that level of technological sophistication within the game.
Some examples of board games that prominently feature technology trees in one form or another are: Space Empires 4X (2011) by GMT Games; Twilight Imperium: Fourth Edition (2017) by Fantasy Flight Games; Beyond The Sun (2020) by Rio Grande Games; and Clash of Cultures: Monumental Edition (2021) by WizKids.
