Build and Crush Garage Research Guide

Garage Research is the progression backbone of Build and Crush on Roblox. Unsquared uses this station to gate physics parts — wheels, drills, blades, explosives, structural blocks, and advanced tools — behind a leveled tech tree. Without research, you are stuck with starter components that cannot crack higher-value map targets or compete on populated eight-player servers.

Research unlocks categories; it does not always grant free parts. After unlocking a tier, you still obtain pieces from crate plants, map drops, shops, or Blueprints purchases. That pairing is intentional: research sets your ceiling, farming fills your inventory.

New players should read Getting Started first, then use this page to plan spending. Pair it with Crate Plants for drop rates and Best Builds to see which unlocks matter for real vehicles.

How Garage Research works

Stand at the Garage Research terminal in your hub (icon usually resembles a lab flask or blueprint scroll). The UI shows:

• Current research level — global rank that may gate entire branches.
• Part branches — mobility, demolition, utility, structure, and event-limited lines in some updates.
• Upgrade cost — soft currency, materials, or both; costs rise per tier.
• Preview — stat hints for the next unlock (damage, HP, mass).

Purchasing a node adds it to your unlocked catalog. Newly unlocked parts can appear in crate rolls, vendor rotations, or blueprint requirements depending on the patch.

Early access note: Unsquared may add nodes or rebalance costs between updates. After major patches, reopen the tree and confirm your planned path still exists.

Early-game research priorities

The best order depends on your goal, but this sequence works for most accounts in the first few hours:

Priority 1 — Reliable mobility (T1–T2 wheels)

You cannot crush what you cannot reach. Unlock stable wheels or tracks before exotic weapons. A mediocre drill on a fast car beats a top-tier missile platform that flips every turn. Compare mobility options on the Tier List when unsure.

Priority 2 — Consistent demolition tool

Pick one primary damage type early:

• Drill / grinder — sustained contact damage; great for beginners.
• Ram / plow — low skill, scales with mass and speed.
• Basic launcher — higher skill, better for map landmarks.

Match this choice to Best Builds templates so you do not spread currency across three branches at once.

Priority 3 — Structure upgrades

Unlock stronger beams, plates, and connectors before mounting heavy tools. Weak joints waste research — your T2 drill is useless if it rips off on first impact. See Controls for build mode tips that reduce self-destruction.

Priority 4 — Crate and economy nodes

Some trees include luck, plant size, or currency bonus nodes. Take these once your crush build clears basic map zones. Details overlap with Crate Plants.

Priority 5 — Advanced weapons (T3–T4)

Missile racks, auto sweepers, and multi-drill arrays belong mid-progression. Rushing T4 while still using T1 wheels feels powerful in the garage and embarrassing on the map.

Mid-game branching strategy

After your first competent vehicle, specialize:

Path	Unlock focus	Play style
Crusher	Mass, plows, explosives	Destroy the Map landmarks
Farmer	Plant luck, harvest speed	Crate Plants AFK cycles
Builder	Cosmetics, rare connectors, blueprint slots	Publishing on Blueprints
Hybrid	Balanced T3 mobility + one T4 weapon	General progression

Respec tokens may not exist in early access — treat each purchase as permanent unless patch notes announce refunds.

Currency: how to fund research

Research costs scale quickly. Income sources:

1. Map destruction — primary active income; see Destroy the Map.
2. Crate harvests — sell duplicates or use materials for nodes that require items.
3. Codes — redeem active keys on our Codes page.
4. Blueprint sales — if you publish popular designs (Blueprints guide).

Avoid spending every coin on cosmetic blocks before unlocking T2 mobility — progression stalls hard.

Common mistakes

• Unlocking weapons before wheels — you install a T3 launcher on a chassis that cannot move under load.
• Ignoring structure tier — joints break, players blame “bad physics” instead of weak connectors.
• Skipping crate plants — research unlocks parts you never drop because luck is zero.
• Chasing creator meta — a viral blueprint may need unlocks you do not have; read requirements before purchase.

Patch and early access expectations

Build and Crush launched September 2025 and remains early access. Research tables are live content — expect new T4 variants, limited-time branches, and cost tweaks. Screenshot your tree before big updates if you theorycraft paths offline.

Related guides

• Getting Started — when to first visit research
• How to Play — loop overview
• Crate Plants — supply unlocked parts
• Best Builds — tier targets for your unlocks
• Tier List — part strength rankings