In Devices Tycoon by Roastery Games, Research Labs serve as a dedicated expansion for advancing your company's technology. They allow you to hire specialized lab assistants who passively produce Research Points alongside your active development team. You can reinvest these points into higher-tier device features, directly boosting product appeal and sales volume.
How Research Labs Function
Official developer announcements confirm that Research Labs expand how your company unlocks new components and specifications. While regular office employees produce Research Points whenever they actively work on developing devices, the lab provides an automated, continuous stream of progress.
- Autonomous Generation: You can recruit lab assistants from around the world who continually generate Research Points on their own, even when your core design and engineering teams are occupied.
- Lab Expansion and Upgrades: Labs can be expanded to increase staff capacity. Upgrading your researchers and expanding your workspace requires in-game funds.
- Device Upgrades: The primary purpose of spending accumulated Research Points is upgrading devices. Releasing products with upgraded specifications directly improves their commercial reception and market sales.
Lab Setup and Player Observations
Player testing on the PC version highlights several practical details regarding how labs fit into overall studio management:
| Aspect | In-Game Behavior |
|---|---|
| Location | The research lab exists as a separate facility rather than being grouped inside the shared office space with designers and engineers. |
| Progression Gates | Research and staff limits progress across different in-game years, unlocking newer technologies and office scaling limits over time. |
| Component Depth | Unlocked research applies to processors, graphics chips, displays, cooling, and operating system capabilities. |
Player reviews also note that while the mobile release of Devices Tycoon displayed distinct visual upgrades when unlocking a higher resolution or newer screen technology, in the PC version you cannot actually see the difference.
Troubleshooting the Research Menu Bug
A confirmed issue discussed on the official Steam community forums involves the research menu suddenly hiding categories or interface buttons when players attempt to purchase new technology.
If you encounter a blank or partially hidden research interface:
- Toggle Unavailable Features: Check whether the "Hide unavailable features" checkbox is marked and test whether unticking it brings the categories back.
- Exit to the Office: Leave the research screen to return to your main office view, then open the research menu again.
- Restart the Game: If leaving the menu does not restore the category icons, players report that closing and restarting the game client currently resolves the display glitch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do lab assistants generate Research Points automatically?
Yes. Official developer updates confirm that hired lab assistants earn Research Points autonomously without requiring active input on a specific product batch.
What do Research Points unlock in Devices Tycoon?
Research Points are spent on upgrading your devices, and upgraded devices sell much better.
Why are my research categories missing?
This is a known menu bug reported on the Steam forums. Check if the "Hide unavailable features" box is enabled, or exit back to your office view. If categories remain invisible, restart the game client.
