If you need access to the Idea Tree then there is only one building that will help you unlock it, the Research Institute. You will have to start working toward building it in the first chapter of Frostpunk 2.
The good news is that you can not only start building it in chapter 1 but the process of building it works in Utopia Builder game mode as well.
How to Place a Research Institute
The first problem you will face while building the Research Center is its placement. You won’t find any good placement until you expand the Housing Districts. Unlike other districts on the game, you won’t be able to place buildings anywhere until you expand the Housing Districts.
Each expansion grants one additional building slot.
Click on the Housing District to open up the information pane. Click on the arrow icon at the bottom of the information pane. You need to select three tiles next to the Housing District, but you might need Frostbreak around the district if three tiles aren’t available for expansion.
You need the following resources to expand the Housing District:
- 50x Heatmaps
- 50x Prefabs
You will get 5x Shelter after expanding the Housing District. You can expand twice to get more out of the Housing District.
After expanding, navigate to the building menu and select the Research Institute from the available options.
Research Institute Building Costs
The following are the resources needed to build a Research Institute in Frostpunk 2.
- 400 Workforce: This is the number of workers needed to construct the building.
- 100 Heatstamps: These are a specific resource required for building.
- 50 Prefabs: These materials are also necessary for construction.
