Graveyard Keeper 2 Tech Points: Where Red, Green and Blue Points (and Science) Come From
In Graveyard Keeper 2, every technology costs red, green or blue tech points. This page covers where each colour comes from, how to keep the Study Table fed with Science, and how to fix a blue-point shortage without grinding for hours.
TL;DR — Tech points in one table
| Colour | What it stands for | Best source |
|---|---|---|
| Red | Hand-crafting and materials | Breaking stones and ore, chopping, digging graves, finished crafts |
| Green | Knowledge of nature | Studying items, picking bushes, harvesting garden beds |
| Blue | Spiritual knowledge | Studying items, cremation, grave and writing crafts |
| Science | Not a point colour; the fuel for studying | Clean Paper, Science Kit I, Science Kit II |
Short version: keep the Study Table busy for green and blue, and let normal work pay your red.
Part of the Systems hub — More Graveyard Keeper 2 systems guides
How much the tree costs
Wikily totals the whole tree at 11,157 red, 5,129 green and 4,132 blue. A full once-per-item study run returns 4,760 red, 6,100 green and 5,135 blue. That split explains the whole system:
- Green and blue: studying alone covers more than the tree needs.
- Red: studying covers less than half. The rest comes from gathering and crafting.
| Branch | Technologies | Red | Green | Blue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | 52 | 4,470 | 257 | 670 |
| Metallurgy | 45 | 3,680 | 330 | 340 |
| Farming | 34 | 5 | 2,575 | 360 |
| Theology | 28 | 930 | 795 | 1,120 |
| Anatomy and Alchemy | 47 | 2,072 | 1,172 | 1,642 |
The Cooking tab costs no points. Its dishes are granted by events such as quests, harvests, catches and repairs.
Source 1: the Study Table (green and blue)
The Study Table in the Abandoned Tower lab is the biggest point source in the game. You unlock the lab through the Plague Doctor chain on the Dream Dust guide.
- Each item pays once. Bronze, silver and gold versions count separately.
- You keep the item. The table only looks at it.
- Each study costs Science, 1 to 50 depending on the item. Some items also cost Faith.
- Studies cost energy, 6 to 32 per study, or 2 to 14 with the Researcher perk.
- Studying also reveals alchemy runes. See how to study items for runes & points.
Cheap studies worth doing first
| Item | Red | Green | Blue | Science |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goldfish | 50 | 50 | 50 | 3 |
| Cheese | 0 | 50 | 50 | 3 |
| Red Mushroom | 0 | 30 | 50 | 2 |
| Pumpkin | 0 | 50 | 30 | 3 |
| Beeswax | 30 | 40 | 10 | 3 |
| Golden nugget | 50 | 10 | 20 | 3 |
| Blood | 5 | 0 | 10 | 1 |
| Reanimation Liquid | 30 | 50 | 25 | 20 |
The single biggest study is the Necronomicon: 300 blue for 50 Science, from Comrade Donkey's quest (The Ingenious Gentleman Don Keyote).
Workflow that saves Science: bring a chest's worth of new items and hover each one to see what it pays. Skip anything that needs Faith you can't spare, and study the rest. New tool, metal and potion tiers usually pay the most, so check the table every time you unlock one.
Patch 1.007 fixed the Study Table not paying out and some items being unstudiable. If a study seems to do nothing, update first.
Science: keep the table fed
Science is spent at the Study Table; it is not a point colour. You load it by breaking down paper or kits at the table:
| Item | Science each | How to make it |
|---|---|---|
| Clean Paper | 1 | Paper Press: 1 Paper glop → 20 (30 with Paper maker). Writing Desk: 1 Leather Scroll → 6 |
| Science Kit I | 30 | Writing Desk: 1 Alchemy Flasks I + 5 Clean Paper + 1 Ink → 3 kits (Writing Supplies) |
| Science Kit II | 60 | Writing Desk: 1 Alchemy Flasks II + 1 Blank Softcover Notebook + 2 Ink → 3 kits (Writing Tools I) |
Always turn paper into kits. Five Clean Paper loaded raw give 5 Science. The same five paper, with one flask and one ink, make three Science Kit I worth 90 Science.
The paper chain, step by step:
- Skin → Leather Scroll. 1 Skin from the autopsy table → 4 Leather Scroll at the Writing Desk. This recipe adds a little insanity.
- Leather Scroll → Clean Paper. 1 Leather Scroll → 6 Clean Paper. One skin gives you 24 paper.
- Or Flax → Paper glop → Clean Paper. 1 Water + 12 Flax (or 12 Wheat) → 3 Paper glop at the Formulation Bench, then 1 glop → 20 Clean Paper at the Paper Press.
- Ink. 1 Ash + 1 Water + 1 Melted Fat → 4 Ink at the Writing Desk. Ash comes from the Crematorium; Melted Fat from the Distillation Cube.
- Flasks. 2 Glass + 10 Fuel → 2 Alchemy Flasks I at the furnace.
The Alchemy Lab's starting chest already holds a Science Kit I and a Clean Paper, which is enough for your first studies.
Spare Clean Paper also sells: the Alchemist pays about 15 bronze a sheet at normal stock, but his purse is small. For bigger earners, see how to make money fast.
Source 2: work and gathering (red and green)
Points land the moment an object breaks or a job finishes:
| Action | Red | Green | Blue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breaking stones and ore | 1–3 | 0 | 0 |
| Chopping trees | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0 |
| Uprooting stumps | 0–1 | 1 | 0 |
| Picking berry and flower bushes | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Clearing bushes | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Harvesting garden beds | 0 | 2–12 | 0 |
| Digging and burying graves | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Most finished crafts pay points too, usually 1–4 per craft early on. Late stone and steel crafts pay much more. Marble Fence I and II pay +15 red, Marble Cross II and Marble Fence II pay +15 blue, and Master Armor and Master Sword pay +12 red.
Zombie fighters now earn red points for winning fights; patch 1.007 made this work reliably.
Fixing a blue-point shortage
Blue is the colour most players run out of first. In order:
- Study anything new that pays blue. Body parts, potions, ink and paper goods tend to pay blue.
- Autopsy before burial. Every body you open supplies blood, skin and organs you can study. Each organ removed gives +1 red and +1–3 blue. See autopsy before burial for blue points.
- Cremate bodies you won't bury. Each Crematorium I burn pays 1 red + 2 blue plus the burial certificate.
- Craft blue-paying items you need anyway. Gravestone II pays +7 blue and Hypno Prayer +6 blue.
- Use blue food and books. Kraken steak gives +50 blue and a Blue Techbook +25. Patch 1.007 rebalanced the self-study books, so check the tooltip.
Food and books that grant points
| Item | Points when used |
|---|---|
| Elder's meal | 90 red + 90 green + 90 blue (the tooltip says 30 each) |
| Fisherman's pie | 30 red + 30 green + 30 blue (the tooltip says 10 each) |
| Kraken steak | 50 blue |
| Fried golden carp | 50 green |
| Heavenly salmon | 50 red |
| Techbook / Techbook II | 25 / 100 of its colour |
Techbooks are printed at the Printing Press (1 Blank Softcover Notebook + 1 Ink + 1 Story) once you have Self-Help Books. Davy the Dagger's looter orders also pay them.
A weekly points routine
- Every day: break stones and chop on your way between jobs. Harvest beds on time; each harvest pays green.
- Every body: autopsy first. Put new parts aside for the Study Table, then bury or cremate.
- Twice a week: craft a round of Science Kit I and study everything new from your chests.
- Before a big unlock: check which colour is short, then study or craft for that colour only.
- After any new tier (tools, metals, potions): study one of each straight away.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Loading Clean Paper straight into the table | Make Science Kit I first: 18× the Science |
| Spending Faith on studies you don't need yet | Pick Science-only studies when you need Faith for Inspirations |
| Waiting for the tree to "give" red | Break stones and chop between jobs |
| Burying bodies unopened | Autopsy first: parts to study, better graves |
| Buying late nodes before your blockers | Spend points in the order on the tech tree guide |
Where to spend the points
Points are only useful if they unlock the right thing. Clear the nodes that unblock Science, zombies and the church first; see spend points in the right order.
FAQ
Q: How do I get tech points in Graveyard Keeper 2?
A: Three ways: study items at the Study Table (the biggest source of green and blue), do physical work such as breaking stones, chopping, digging graves and harvesting (mostly red and green), and finish crafts. A few foods and Techbooks also grant points when used.
Q: How do I get blue tech points fast?
A: Study new items at the Study Table, starting with cheap ones that pay blue, such as Cheese, Red Mushroom and body parts from the autopsy table. Burning a body in the Crematorium pays 2 blue, and some crafts pay blue, like Gravestone II (+7).
Q: How do I get Science for the Study Table?
A: Load Clean Paper (1 Science each), Science Kit I (30) or Science Kit II (60) into the table. Turn paper into kits: 5 Clean Paper, 1 Alchemy Flasks I and 1 Ink make 3 Science Kit I at the Writing Desk, which is 90 Science instead of 5.
Q: Can I study the same item twice?
A: No. Each item pays once. Bronze, silver and gold versions of an item count as separate entries, so each quality can be studied once.
Q: Where do red tech points come from?
A: Mostly from work: breaking stones and ore, chopping trees, digging and burying graves, and most finished crafts. Studying every item in the game covers less than half of the tree's red cost, so red is earned with your hands. Zombies also earn red points for winning fights.
Q: Are tech points the same as Inspirations?
A: No. Tech points unlock technologies in the tech tree. Inspirations are the perk track you claim with Faith, and they are separate.
Also read
- Tech Tree Priority — what to unlock first
- Alchemy & runes — the Study Table's other job
- Autopsy & Skulls — bodies as a study supply
- Dream Dust — how you reach the Study Table
- Faith & sermons — Faith for studies that need it
- How to make money — what spare paper and Paint are worth
- Systems hub — more Graveyard Keeper 2 systems guides