Beginner's Guide: Getting Started, Water & Drought Prep

Timberborn is a city‑builder about beaver civilizations that survives by managing water, wood, food and power through seasons that alternate between abundant Temperate and harsh Drought (and occasional Badtide/Badwater hazards). This beginner guide covers the essential early decisions and actions you need to survive the opening days and prepare for your first drought.

First decisions: faction, map and difficulty

Choose a faction based on playstyle:
- Folktails — recommended for beginners. They get Windmills (fuel‑free power), natural housing‑based breeding, Irrigation Tower for easy early farming, and other nature‑oriented conveniences.
- Iron Teeth — industrial and efficient: Engines for stable power (consume logs), Breeding Pods for on‑demand population, denser housing options and faster industry; better after you understand basics.
Pick a map that matches your goals. Beginner players benefit from flatter, water‑rich maps (e.g., Eagle Gap). Vertical maps favor Folktails’ Zipline mobility; wide flat maps favor Iron Teeth industry.
Select a game mode (Easy / Normal / Hard) or make a custom game. Easier modes give gentler droughts and are better for learning.

Pause and plan: the first minutes

Pause immediately on a new game and survey the map: locate the main water source (river/lake), possible dam chokepoints (narrow sections in valleys), fertile green land near water for farms, and nearby metal or Badwater sources for later.
Note the District Center placement. Place your first district center within a few tiles of water if you can — pumps must be adjacent to water and early beavers need drinking water.

Opening build order (proven beginner sequence)

District Center (already placed in a new game) — keep expansion room near water.
Builders' Hut — without it you cannot construct.
Hauling Post — prevents builders stalling by providing dedicated haulers.
Lumberjack Flag + Forester Flag — start cutting and replanting wood immediately; aim to maintain a steady log supply and replanting to avoid midgame shortages.
Farmhouse + crop fields (near water or inside irrigation range) — begin food production quickly; carrots or potatoes are reliable early crops.
Water Pump (on the river) — ensures clean drinking water for the district.
Small Pile / Warehouse — storage is essential; without it resources pile on the ground and slow production.
Lodges / Housing — provide room for current population and, for Folktails, extra lodge space to allow natural breeding.
Dam (build before the first drought) — create a reservoir to store flowing water.

A Japanese playbook of early steps condenses these same priorities and emphasizes building a dam before the first drought.

Early resource priorities

Wood first. Logs are required for nearly every building and many advanced systems. Keep at least a small buffer of logs (aim for dozens early on) and build a Lumber Mill as soon as you can to produce Planks.
Food second. Wild gatherers provide early food but are finite; transition to irrigated farms by day 5–8. Plan for roughly 20–30 farm tiles per 10 beavers as a guideline.
Water storage third. While temperate seasons provide flowing water, droughts remove flowing water entirely — tanks and reservoirs are the only reliable sources during drought.

Science and unlocks

Build an Inventor (available at start) and staff it early — even one staffed Inventor yields steady Science Points (SP). Build your first Inventor by day 3–5.
Spend the first ~500–750 SP on survival essentials:
- Large Water Tank (high priority) — significantly more storage than the Small Water Tank.
- Floodgate — essential to control reservoirs and seal off contaminated flows.
- Lumber Mill — enables high consumption of Planks for midgame structures.
Faction tech diverges after basics: Folktails often prioritize Windmills and Irrigation; Iron Teeth prioritize Engines and Mines.

Water management and drought preparation

Dams are the single most important early structure: build them at natural chokepoints to create deep reservoirs. Taller dams store far more water; aim to raise dam heights as your colony grows.
Floodgates let you control flow from reservoirs: close them to protect against Badtide/Badwater or to hold water through drought; open them selectively to power Water Wheels during drought if needed.
Tanks vs natural reservoirs:
- Tanks store drinkable water inside your district and do not evaporate; they’re convenient and safe.
- Reservoirs formed by dams can store far larger volumes but are exposed to evaporation during drought unless sealed.
Understand evaporation and drought: once a drought begins, flowing water generation ceases and surface water will eventually dry up. Only tanks and pumpable reservoir water remain usable.

Power basics and drought resilience

Folktails: Windmills provide free power but are intermittent (wind dependent). Pair Windmills with Batteries for storage.
Iron Teeth: Engines provide reliable power but consume logs, competing with construction needs.
Batteries are vital — store enough power to keep essential systems (notably Water Pumps and food processing) running for at least several days of drought; aim for enough to cover 12 days of essential power where possible.
Power Wheels provide emergency backup by assigning beavers to generate small amounts of power at the cost of their productive time; useful in crises.

Housing and population growth

Folktails breed naturally: when two adults share a dwelling and conditions are favourable, kits are produced. Provide extra lodge capacity to enable steady population growth.
Iron Teeth use Breeding Pods for on‑demand population increases — rely on Pods if you need controlled expansion later.
Well‑being matters: each beaver has a well‑being score made up of needs. Higher well‑being increases Work Speed, Movement Speed, Life Expectancy, and Kit Growth Speed. Campfires and leisure buildings early improve growth and productivity.

Production layout tips

Cluster production buildings that share a supply chain to minimize hauler travel:
- Place Lumber Mill near Log storage and Gear Workshop.
- Place Gear Workshop near Smelter so Planks and Metal Blocks converge with short distances.
Build Hauling Posts near major production hubs; a well‑organized cluster with hauling nearby can be substantially more efficient than scattered buildings.
Stack housing and build vertically where space is limited: many buildings can be built on top of flat roofs to reach high density (the game supports very tall multi‑layer builds).

Early faction openings (quick notes)

Folktails opening: rush a Lumber Mill (by day ~8–10), attach Windmill for power, build extra Lodges to allow natural breeding, place a Campfire for leisure/well‑being boost, and prioritize Irrigation or pumps for farms.
Iron Teeth opening: target Engines and Mines after basics, use Breeding Pods for population control, and plan for denser housing types.

Practical gameplay tips

Always keep Builders’ Hut and Hauling Post early — construction halts without builders and haulers.
Before the drought warning ends, finalize dam/tank work and stockpile food and water.
Place your District Center and first district close enough to water (within a few tiles) so pumps and beavers can access drinking water early.
Use the pause button frequently in the first minutes to plan building locations, dam placement, and farm layout.

What to expect from seasons and threats

Temperate is abundant and the game starts in this season — use it to stockpile everything and expand.
Drought is relentlessly dry; flowing water stops and evaporation removes surface water. Tanks and reservoir water remain the only sources once rivers stop.
Badtide/Badwater events introduce toxic water hazards; Floodgates and barriers are needed to protect your reservoirs and districts.

This guide gives the essentials to survive the opening and build a platform for midgame technology. Focus first on wood, secure food and water storage, build a dam before the first drought, set up basic power plus batteries, and choose the faction whose strengths match how you want to play.