Punch Card

Punch Card is a research good used in Timberborn's technology progression as part of the science system. It appears as a discrete consumable/commodity that is required by certain research nodes and by mid-to-late game advanced robotics and automation technology. Punch Cards are tied into the game's SP (science points) economy: they are produced and consumed within research and production chains that unlock buildings, upgrades, and faction-specific structures.

Punch Cards serve as a crafted input for higher-tier research and automation equipment. They are typically produced by a processing building unlocked in midgame research pathways related to “paper, knowledge, and bots” and are consumed by facilities that support robot assembly, advanced control towers, or upgrade modules for bot infrastructure. Punch Cards act as a bridge between raw resource processing (paper/pulp and basic manufactured goods) and advanced mechanical or electronic systems that require discrete data/media components.

• Production and sourcing: Punch Cards are manufactured in industrial processing buildings unlocked from the research branch dealing with “papers and knowledge” or “bot research.” This research branch is commonly reached after basic food, water, and power stability are achieved; examples of prerequisite research include basic storage, food processing, and early power upgrades. Producing Punch Cards requires steady inputs of processed paper or pulp, and often benefits from a staffed paper mill and library chain that increases throughput.
• Research and consumption: Punch Cards are required by mid-to-late tech nodes that advance bot capabilities and automation—nodes often labeled as bot research I/II, control tower upgrades, or assembly line improvements. They are also consumed by faction-specific upgrades where a data media component is logical (for example upgrades to observatories or number-crunching machines when those require physical media).
• Timing and strategy: Build a steady paper production chain (paper mill + library where applicable) before committing heavy SP into bot research that will consume Punch Cards. Prioritize securing reliable food, water, and power so factories producing Punch Cards run continuously. In campaigns with environmental hazards (e.g., Badtide), take Punch Card–consuming technologies only after establishing defenses and pollution mitigation if those technologies require maintenance or power.
• Logistics: Punch Cards are lightweight but valuable inputs; store a buffer to avoid stalling automation research or bot assembly lines. When planning research routes, account for the SP cost of the bot and paper/knowledge branches—these branches frequently contain nodes of 90–250+ SP, so Punch Card demand can spike as you unlock successive bot upgrades.
• Faction interactions: Some factions provide alternative SP sources or building synergies that change Punch Card production efficiency. For example, observatory or number-cruncher faction buildings increase SP generation and can make Punch Card–consuming research more feasible earlier; use those faction benefits to smooth the transition into automation.

Punch Cards therefore function as a midgame production good that enables the transition from manual to automated industry. Maintaining continuous paper production, sufficient power, and a stockpile of Punch Cards will keep robot and advanced infrastructure research progressing smoothly.