This gameplay video of Timberborn follows the player's attempt to expand their beaver colony within the confined, underground "Ants Farm" map. The primary objective is to unlock explosives and tunnels to create more space. The player successfully re-routes water flow and pathways to build a dedicated "science cave" with numerous inventor huts, accelerating research. After navigating an 8-day drought, they achieve major milestones by unlocking the explosives factory, centrifuge, and finally, the much-needed tunnels. However, this success is immediately followed by a catastrophic collapse. An unmanaged population boom leads to a severe food and water shortage. This crisis is compounded by an approaching "bad tide," during which a critical oversight leads to beavers being contaminated via a swimming pool. The colony enters a death spiral of mass starvation, ultimately ending the game and the season.
Surviving the Underground: A Tale of Expansion and Collapse in Timberborn
00:00:06 - The Primary Goal: The player sets the objective to mine and expand their underground beaver colony, which requires unlocking explosives and tunnels through scientific research.
02:02 - The Science Strategy: To accelerate research, the player plans to build a new "science cave" full of inventor huts but must first solve a complex pathing and water flow problem to access the required area.
06:06 - Engineering Challenges: After rerouting a dam to create a new path, the player must quickly react to and fix unexpected flooding by building a levee, showcasing reactive problem-solving.
08:38 - Managing a Drought: The colony successfully prepares for and survives an 8-day drought by carefully managing water reserves and pausing non-essential water-consuming activities.
12:18 - Technological Advancement: Key industrial buildings are unlocked and placed, including the explosives factory and the centrifuge, which is essential for creating the extract needed for advanced construction.
17:14 - Resource Bottlenecks: The colony faces a critical log shortage caused by a poorly placed district center blocking access to trees, forcing the player to redesign the area.
20:40 - Mission Accomplished: Tunnels Unlocked: After a significant push for science, the player successfully accumulates 2,000 science points and unlocks tunnels, achieving the main goal of the episode.
21:26 - The Beginning of the End: Immediately after this success, the colony collapses into a sudden food crisis, triggered by an unmanaged population explosion that overwhelmed food production.
22:42 - A Critical Oversight: While preparing for an imminent "bad tide," the player realizes a path to the science cave runs through a swimming pool, leading to beavers becoming contaminated by the toxic water.
29:03 - The Death Spiral: With food supplies depleted and crops destroyed by the bad tide, the colony succumbs to mass starvation. The beaver population plummets from 37 to single digits in a matter of days.
30:05 - Game Over and a New Season: The colony is wiped out, leaving only one beaver. The player declares the game lost and announces that the next season will feature a new, modded faction called the "Ember Pelts."