A very specific topic!
After conducting a thorough search, I found a few papers and resources related to the "They Are Billions" game and its reset tech tree. Here are a few:
Unfortunately, I couldn't find any peer-reviewed academic papers specifically focused on the They Are Billions reset tech tree. The game's community-driven resources and guides seem to be the most comprehensive sources of information on this topic.
In the official campaign for They Are Billions, there is no native option to reset or respec your tech tree once you have successfully completed a mission.
The game locks in your choices immediately following any victory. Because this design can lead to permanent progression roadblocks, it remains one of the most heavily debated features among the game's community. 🚫 The Hard Lock Problem
The strategy game features a rigid progression system in its campaign. Players unlock technologies using research points gathered during missions.
The mechanic: You can freely undo and test tech purchases between missions. However, once you successfully beat a mission with those technologies equipped, they become permanently locked.
The consequence: Poor early-game choices—like neglecting core economic upgrades or passing on the Farm tech—can make later missions nearly impossible.
The developer's intent: The permanent lock was designed to force players to live with their tactical decisions and prevent them from constantly rebuilding perfect tech specs for every individual map. 🛠️ Community Workarounds
Because players can easily sink dozens of hours into a campaign only to find themselves completely "soft-locked," the community has developed several workarounds.
In the survival RTS game They Are Billions , there is no native, official feature to reset your campaign technology tree once you have successfully completed a mission. This design choice by the developers aims to enforce high stakes, strategic planning, and replayability. However, because picking inefficient technologies can effectively "soft-lock" a campaign on higher difficulties, players have discovered several workarounds and unofficial tools to reset their points.
Below is a detailed report covering how the tech tree functions, the official safety nets, community workarounds, and ideal tech paths to avoid needing a reset in the first place. 1. How the Tech Tree & Locking Works
To understand how to manipulate or reset the tree, it is important to understand when the game permanently saves your choices. Earning Points:
You earn Research Points by completing Colony missions and collecting hidden artifacts during tactical Hero missions. The "Soft" Lock: You can purchase technologies and freely undo them as long as you have not started and won a mission since spending those points. The "Hard" Lock:
The very moment you successfully finish any mission, all research points spent up to that point become permanently locked into that campaign save. 2. Official "Safety Nets" (No External Tools)
Because the community heavily requested a respec feature, the developers added a couple of built-in ways to prevent players from losing dozens of hours to a bad tech branch: Mission Failure Respec:
If you spend points on a technology, enter a mission, and fail that mission, the game allows you to go back to the tech tree and reallocate the points you spent just before that mission. Campaign Backups:
The game allows you to create manual backup saves from the campaign map. It is highly recommended to make a backup save before spending a large batch of research points. If you realize 3 missions later that your build is non-viable, you can revert to that backup. 3. Community Workarounds & Modded Resets
If you are already far into a campaign and locked into a bad tech tree without a backup, you must use unofficial methods to reset your points: Use a Save Editor / Decryption Tool TABRTreset (They Are Billions Research Tree Reset):
This is a popular open-source tool created by the community (available on platforms like
and the Steam Workshop). It cracks the save file's encryption specifically to let you reset the tech tree and hero points without corrupting your progress. Cheat Engine / Trainers Many players use third-party programs like Cheat Engine
to simply grant themselves a massive amount of extra Research Points. While this doesn't technically "reset" what you already bought, it allows you to buy the necessary technologies you missed to avoid having to restart the entire campaign. The "Pirate" Exploit (Legacy)
Due to the game's anti-tamper check triggers, starting the game executable directly from its folder without Steam running sometimes forces the game to treat the save as an unverified copy. On some older versions, doing this caused the tech tree to completely wipe and refund all points upon loading a mission. Technology Tree Progression Guide (Edited)
They Are Billions Reset Tech Tree: A Comprehensive Guide
They Are Billions is a popular real-time strategy game that challenges players to build and defend their colonies from hordes of zombies. One of the key features of the game is the tech tree, which allows players to research and upgrade various technologies to improve their colony's defenses, economy, and overall survivability. In this blog post, we'll take a closer look at the They Are Billions reset tech tree and provide a comprehensive guide on how to navigate it.
What is the Tech Tree in They Are Billions?
The tech tree in They Are Billions is a system that allows players to research and upgrade various technologies to improve their colony's defenses, economy, and overall survivability. The tech tree is divided into several branches, each with its own set of technologies that can be researched and upgraded. they are billions reset tech tree
How Does the Tech Tree Work?
The tech tree in They Are Billions works by allowing players to spend gold and other resources to research and upgrade various technologies. Each technology has a specific cost, and players must meet certain requirements, such as building specific structures or gathering certain resources, before they can research it.
The Reset Tech Tree
The reset tech tree in They Are Billions is a feature that allows players to reset their tech tree progress and start over. This can be useful for players who want to try a different strategy or who want to re-play the game with a fresh start.
Benefits of Resetting the Tech Tree
There are several benefits to resetting the tech tree in They Are Billions:
How to Reset the Tech Tree
To reset the tech tree in They Are Billions, players can follow these steps:
Tips for Navigating the Reset Tech Tree
Here are some tips for navigating the reset tech tree in They Are Billions:
Conclusion
The reset tech tree in They Are Billions is a powerful feature that allows players to reset their progress and start over. By understanding how the tech tree works and using the reset feature effectively, players can improve their gameplay experience and try new strategies. Whether you're a seasoned player or just starting out, the reset tech tree is a valuable tool that can help you succeed in the game.
Recommendations
Based on our analysis, we recommend the following:
By following these recommendations and tips, players can make the most of the reset tech tree in They Are Billions and improve their gameplay experience.
They Are Billions no official way to reset the tech tree once you have successfully completed a mission
. Research choices are permanent to encourage replayability through different builds.
However, you can use these workarounds to fix a "broken" build: Soft Resets & In-Game Mechanics Failed Mission Re-selection : If you spend research points but
the next mission (or do not beat it yet), the game allows you to undo those specific recent purchases and spend them elsewhere. Difficulty Adjustment
: If your tech choices have made the campaign too difficult to progress, you can lower the difficulty of the next mission to push through and earn more points for better upgrades. Hero Mission Completion
: Ensure you have found all hidden research point collectibles in Tactical (hero) missions, as these are often the primary source of extra points. External Tools (PC Only)
If you are stuck and do not want to restart the entire campaign, the community has developed unofficial tools to modify save files: TABRTreset Tool : A popular community-made utility designed specifically to reset research trees on Steam and other versions. Cheat Engine / Trainers : You can use external software like Cheat Engine
to manually add research points to your save, allowing you to unlock the rest of the tree. Backup Save Files
: For future playthroughs, manually back up your save files in Documents\My Games\They Are Billions\Saves before committing to major tech branches.
In a standard Survival Mode match, players earn Research Points by building Workshops and extracting gold. Players can undo their technology investments, effectively resetting specific branches of the tree during that specific game.
How to Reset (Undo) Tech:
T), located at the top or bottom toolbar depending on UI version.Strategic Implication: This "reset" allows for pivoting strategies mid-game. For example, a player might research "Sniper" tech for early defense, then sell their Snipers, undo the tech, and re-spend those points on "Lucifer" (flamethrowwer) tech for a final wave push.
It is a common misconception that the Tech Tree can be reset globally (i.e., wiping all progress to start a new campaign from scratch).
C:\Users\[Username]\Documents\My Games\TheyAreBillions\SavesThis resets all Survival Mode progress – tech points, best scores, unlocked maps.
Steps:
%USERPROFILE%\Documents\My Games\They Are Billions\Saves\TechTree.sav (Survival tech data).Highscore.sav if you want a full fresh start.Consequence: You lose all earned tech points and high scores. You start from 0 points again.
Concept:
Allows you to refund all research points spent in the campaign tech tree and reallocate them. Useful if you’ve made inefficient choices (e.g., skipping farms or soldier upgrades).
Pros:
Cons:
Verdict:
7/10 – Useful but clunky. It saves you from a bricked campaign, but the gold penalty discourages natural experimentation. Better design would allow free resets between missions. Use it if you’re stuck on a swarm mission or realize you forgot farms. Otherwise, plan your tree in advance.
Tip: Before resetting, check online for “essential campaign techs” – you’ll probably need fewer resets that way.
They Are Billions no official in-game button to reset your research tree once you have successfully completed a mission
. Choices are permanent for the duration of that campaign, meaning players who find themselves "stuck" due to poor tech choices often have to restart the entire campaign or lower the difficulty. Official Mechanics for Point Management Failed Missions: If you spend points on technology and then
or quit the mission you were attempting, the game allows you to re-spec those specific points before trying again. Permanent Locking:
Once you win a mission, all technology purchased up to that point is permanently locked into your save file. Total Points: Players can earn a maximum of 9,950 Research Points
during the campaign (plus 1,000 upon completion), but the full tech tree requires 14,220 points , making total completion impossible in a single run. Workarounds and Unofficial Resets
Because players frequently get trapped by early-game tech choices, several unofficial methods exist to bypass the permanent lock: Third-Party Tools: The most reliable way to reset is using the TABRTreset tool on GitHub Steam Workshop
. This external .exe can modify your save file to reset research and hero points. Save File Backups:
Savvy players often manually back up their save files (found in %USERPROFILE%/My Documents/My Games/They Are Billions/Saves ) before spending points or starting difficult missions. Trainers and Cheat Engine: Some players use Cheat Engine
to grant themselves the maximum amount of research points, effectively unlocking the entire tree and removing the need for a reset. Known Issues They Are Billions Cloud Saves - SteamDB
In the campaign mode of They Are Billions you cannot natively reset your technology tree
once a mission has been successfully completed. Tech choices are intended to be permanent to encourage replayability and strategic planning. Steam Community Native Mechanics & Workarounds Mission Locking : Tech choices only become permanent after you
a mission. If you fail a mission or realize your recent tech picks aren't working, you can "undo" them and re-spend those points before attempting the mission again. Manual Backups
: Players often create manual backups of their save files before entering a mission. If the tech path chosen proves ineffective, they revert to the old save state. Soft-Locking Protection
: While there is no official respec, most campaign levels remain beatable even with suboptimal tech, provided you have core economy buildings like Steam Community Third-Party Solutions
For players who do not wish to restart their entire campaign, community-developed tools can force a reset: Technology Tree Progression Guide (Edited)
Technical Report: Research & Technology Tree Reset Capability 1. Executive Summary Currently, in the campaign mode of They Are Billions A very specific topic
, there is no official in-game mechanic to reset or "respec" the Research Tree. Once Research Points (RP) are spent on a technology, the decision is permanent for that save file. This report outlines the implications of this design and the manual workarounds available to players. 2. Current Gameplay Constraints
Irreversibility: Technology choices are locked in immediately upon selection.
Resource Scarcity: Research Points are a finite resource earned through mission completion and finding hidden caches. Making "suboptimal" early-game choices (e.g., ignoring Soldiers or Farms) can make late-game missions mathematically impossible on higher difficulties.
Save File Integrity: The game utilizes a single-slot "Ironman" style saving system for campaigns, preventing players from reloading an earlier state to change a tech choice. 3. Alternative Solutions (Workarounds)
Since a native "Reset" button does not exist, players typically use the following methods to rectify build errors:
Campaign Restart: The only official way to change your tech path is to restart the campaign from the beginning.
Manual Save Backups: Players can manually navigate to the save folder (typically %Documents%\My Games\They Are Billions\Saves) and back up files before spending points.
Save Editing: Third-party tools or hex editors can be used to modify the Saves file to refund Research Points, though this carries a risk of file corruption.
Community Maps/Mods: Some custom scenarios in the Survival mode offer different progression styles, but these do not apply to the official "New Empire" campaign. 4. Strategic Recommendations
To avoid the need for a reset, the following "Core Tech" path is widely recommended by the community: Logistics: Increased gold and resource storage. Soldiers: Essential for clearing the map. Farms: Critical for sustaining population growth.
Shock Towers: Necessary for defending against mid-to-late game swarms. If you’d like, I can:
Recommend a specific build order based on your current difficulty level.
Provide a guide on how to find the hidden Research Point caches in tactical missions.
Explain the pros/cons of specific late-game units like Lucifers vs. Thanatos. How would you like to proceed with your campaign strategy?
They Are Billions , resetting the campaign technology tree is not a built-in feature, creating a system where strategic choices have permanent consequences. This design forces players to live with their research decisions, often leading to situations where a poorly optimized path makes later missions significantly more difficult or even impossible at higher difficulties. The Challenge of Tech Permanence
The tech tree is a "point of no return" system. Once you successfully complete a mission, any technology you purchased beforehand becomes locked into your save file permanently.
The "Tricked" Feeling: New players often spend early research points on "trap" technologies, such as minor unit bonuses like Mercenaries (+1 Ranger), which lose value rapidly as swarms grow from dozens to thousands.
Soft-Locks: Certain missions, like Cape Storm or The Lonely Forest, require specific splash-damage tools (e.g., Shocking Towers or Lucifers) or advanced food production (Farms). Without these, players may find themselves unable to progress, frequently forcing a total campaign restart. Legitimate "Reset" Methods
While there is no "Respec" button, players can use specific in-game behaviors to adjust their choices:
The "Loss" Loophole: Research choices only lock after a win. If you buy a technology and then lose or quit a mission, your research points are refunded, allowing you to try a different build for that specific challenge.
Strategic Backups: Experienced players often manually backup their save files before spending large amounts of Research Points, allowing them to "reset" to a previous state if a new technology underperforms.
No. The developers (Numantian Games) did not include a built-in “Reset Techs” or “Refund Tech Points” button.
Why?
The Tech Tree is meant to represent long-term player progression. Resetting would allow players to re-spec for each specific map (e.g., take farming heavily on Map 2, then reset for Map 3’s low food). The devs want permanent consequences for tech choices.
⚠️ Important: This applies to Survival Mode only. Campaign Mode has a completely different tech system (research via research points found in missions, also no respec without save editing).
In the weekly Community Challenges, the tech tree is pre-determined by the challenge creator. You cannot reset it. You play the hand you are dealt.
In "The Empire of the Storm" (the mini-campaign DLC), the rules are identical to the main campaign: No reset without file deletion. Official Wiki Post : The game's official wiki
However, there is a third mode: Custom Maps. Many custom maps (found on Steam Workshop) have their own internal tech trees scripted by the map maker. Often, these maps include a "Reset Tech" command in the map description. Look for signs or in-game text that says -resettech or similar.
Inside the Campaign menu, there is a "Restart Campaign" option. This does not reset your tech tree. It simply resets the mission order. You will keep all the tech you already researched. This is useless for a full reset.