Crafting and research drive progression in Westlanders. The planned tech tree is based on late 1800s technology and takes the player from bushcraft and improvised weapons to iron forged tools and firearms. The game is unreleased, so this page describes announced plans, not a finished system.
Technology range
The store text and the publisher's game page both describe the same arc: start with basic bushcraft and improvised weapons, then progress to iron forged tools and firearms. The publisher's page says crafting runs from basic tools to advanced structures. A March 2026 press release named wood, iron and gold as essential resources gathered to craft advanced gear.
Starting out
In December 2025, players on the game's Steam discussion board questioned the stone-tool look of early screenshots for a 19th-century setting. A developer replied that players will not start naked, but that even basic tools will have to be crafted. The reply added that tools and weapons have a "life bar", so they cannot be used forever, and that the crafting balance was still being worked out.
The tech tree
The publisher's game page, current as of October 2026, describes "a massive tech tree featuring over a hundred unlocks at launch", covering new tools, weapons and essential blueprints. It says buildings, tools and Wagon improvements all add up to improve the player's chances of survival; wagon upgrades are covered on The Wagon.
A March 2026 press release described upgrading the wagon and weaponry through a detailed, branching skill tree, and said the first Early Access release would introduce an array of skills to master and numerous recipes to unlock.
The store text also ties research to production: players optimize production lines through research and worker automation. That side is covered on Workers and Production.
March 2026 Early Access plan
On March 20, 2026, the team published a chart of what the first Early Access version would contain with and without funding from its planned Kickstarter Campaign. These numbers belong to that Kickstarter-era plan. They have not been restated since Team17 became publisher in June 2026, and they should not be combined with the publisher's later "over a hundred unlocks" figure.
Progression item (March 2026 plan) | Without Kickstarter | With Kickstarter |
|---|---|---|
Levels of progression | 10 | 15 |
Recipes and unlocks | 30 | 45 |
Decoration items | 10 | 34 |
Buildings to unlock | 12 | 20 |
Recipes in co-op
Replying in September 2026 to a June 2026 question on the Steam discussion board, a developer said each player has their own level, and that the main difference between players joining the same session will be the range of recipes each one knows how to craft. Other players can lend equipment and help a newer player level up. Details are on Multiplayer and Co-op.
Current state
The Early Access notes on the Steam store page say progression loops are among the core systems in place, but that "The current version offers a limited set of items, weapons, tools, and crafting recipes." The same notes say the full release will bring expanded crafting and building, with content rolling out progressively during Early Access.
Not Yet Confirmed
A list of craftable items, tools, weapons or recipes (not published as of October 2026).
Whether "at launch" in the publisher's tech tree figure means the Early Access launch or the 1.0 launch (not clarified as of October 2026).
How the tech tree, the skill tree and player levels relate to each other (not described in detail as of October 2026).
How tool and weapon durability is repaired, if at all (not described as of October 2026).
Whether the March 2026 progression numbers still apply (not restated as of October 2026).