Floodgate

Floodgates are landscaping buildings used to manually control the flow of water in Timberborn. They are placed in the path of flowing fluids to block or allow water, making them a primary early-game tool for directing rivers, creating reservoirs, and defending against Badtides. Floodgates have an adjustable height that determines how much water they block; their settings range from completely closed (maximum blockage) to completely open (maximum flow), with a partially open state that blocks some water while letting some through.

Floodgates come in three sizes with different heights, adjustment ranges, and construction costs. The basic Floodgate is 2 tiles tall and offers a 1-tile range of adjustment. The Double Floodgate is 3 tiles tall and offers a 2-tile adjustment range. The Triple Floodgate is 4 tiles tall and offers a 3-tile adjustment range. Construction costs scale with size: a Floodgate costs 10 Logs and 5 Planks, a Double Floodgate costs 20 Logs and 10 Planks, and a Triple Floodgate costs 30 Logs and 15 Planks.

By default, floodgates have the Synchronize with adjacent floodgates option enabled. Adjusting one synchronized floodgate causes neighboring synchronized floodgates to copy that setting, allowing coordinated control over multi-tile water barriers. The in-game slider controls the floodgate height; at height 0 the floodgate is wide open for maximum flow. Heights can be finely tuned — since Update 6 the height can be adjusted in increments of 0.05 — enabling precise water level management.

Floodgates are commonly used early in a colony’s development to manage watercourses and protect against Badtide surges. When the colony obtains Metal block, Valves provide an automated alternative that can perform similar flow-control tasks without manual slider adjustments.

• Completely closed: floodgate is raised to its tallest height and blocks the most water possible.
• Partially open/closed: floodgate is set to an intermediate height, blocking some water while allowing some through.
• Completely open: floodgate is lowered to its shortest height and allows the most water through.
• Synchronize with adjacent floodgates: when on, adjusting one floodgate changes adjacent synchronized floodgates to the same height.
• Typical uses: diverting rivers, creating controlled reservoirs, defending waterways against Badtides; replaceable by Valves for automation once Metal Blocks are available.

Real-world flood-control structures have inspired the in-game floodgate concept; historic and modern examples include sluice gates, the Thames Barrier, and large storm-surge barriers like the Maeslantkering.