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Research is a World 7 skill that allows you to unlock many more powerful mechanics throughout IdleOn.
You can start using Research as soon as you unlock World 7 by talking to Toobus Goobus at Shimmerfin Grove.
How Research Works
You can open up Research by clicking on the Desk NPC found in World 7 Shimmerfin Grove.
There are two aspects to Research: The Research Grid and Research Observations.
The Research Grid is where you spend your Research Points to unlock new mechanics, account upgrades and various other features. You get 1 Research Point per Research Level (shared across all IdleOn characters).
Research will automatically level-up over time. You can gain more Research EXP by unlocking Observations.
Observations appear on the right side of the Research UI. Each icon represents a new observation that you can unlock, with more becoming available as you increase your Research Level.
Each Observation is a location found in the IdleOn World. You'll need to find each one on specific maps and then "observe" it until you unlock the Observation permanently. Observing rolls a dice and if you score the required amount, the Observation unlocks and becomes permanent in your Research UI.
Once an Observation has been unlocked, you can place your magnifying glass icons on them. This will allow you to increase the amount of Research EXP you gain per hour, thus allowing you to gain more Research Points faster.
Once you unlock Research Grid M9 (Kaleidoscope), you can then place Kaleidoscope on your Observations. These boost the EXP rates of the Observations either side of it.
You can level up Observations (so they give more EXP) using Optical Monocle.
Research AFK Gains
Research AFK Gains are set to just 1% of your normal gains (as if you were active). You can increase your AFK Gains by various methods:
- Grid L9 (+2%)
- Grid L7 (+10%)
- Professional Papers (Gem Shop) (+20%)
- Rift Stalker (+20%)
Gaining Research EXP is really slow, so you might want to max out your Research EXP Grid Tiles first to try and get as many Research Points as possible.
Research Grid
The Research Grid is where you spend your Research Points. Many tiles can be upgraded multiple times for better boosts. You must first unlock a grid's adjacent tile before it becomes available.
| Upgrade | Bonus | Grid | Per Level | Max Level |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smart Eye | Raises the minimum possible Roll by +1 for each failed Roll, up to +$. This resets back to 0 upon a successful Roll. Also +5% Research EXP Gain. | L11 | +5% | 3 |
| Sticker-it To Em! | Unlocks a new TRUE Damage Multiplier as shown in the Sticker Depot, which goes up by +1% for every Sticker you find! | H10 | +1% | 2 |
| Materials Science | Reduces the Cycle Time for the Polymerization tab in the Refinery by 25% | I10 | +25% | 4 |
| Polymer Refinery | Unlocks a new tab in the Refinery, POLYMERIZATION! Also, +5% faster refinery cycles for ALL tabs! | J10 | +5% | 2 |
| Pts Every Ten | Get + extra Research PTS every 10 Research LVs! Also, +5% Research EXP Gain! | K10 | +5% | 1 |
| Sharp Eye | Increase the max possible Roll while searching for new observations by + , and +5% Research EXP gain! | L10 | +5% | 4 |
| Holding Onto You | Twists the Kaleidoscope behind both of your eyes, increasing their effect by +10% | M10 | +10% | 3 |
| Sticky Crowns | For every King Rat Crown you reclaim, your Megacrop growth chance goes up by 25%. Total Bonus:^x | H9 | +25% | 3 |
| Boony Crowns | For every King Rat Crown you reclaim, all your stickers gives 1% higher bonuses. Total Bonus:$% | I9 | +1% | 1 |
| Adequate Sized, Actually | All Tiny Cogs you get have a 50% chance be 1 Tier higher than they otherwise would've been! Huge, honestly! | J9 | +50% | 2 |
| Takin' Notes | Multiplies Research EXP gain by 1.12x, TRUE multiplier style! So this bonus will never be additive! | K9 | x1.12 | 4 |
| Powered Down Research | Further increases your Research AFK Gains rate by +1%, in your unending quest for 100% | L9 | +1% | 2 |
| Kaleidoscope | Gives + Kaleidoscopes to use for Observations! Also, +5% Kaleidoscope effect! | M9 | +5% | 4 |
| Equinox Nightmares | Unlocks new dreams to complete at the Equinox Valley in World 3! @ Also boosts Equinox Bar Fill Rate by 1.2x | G8 | x1.2 | 3 |
| Gaming Zuperbits | Unlocks the Zuperbits page of Superbits in Gaming! Yea, you ain't done with those just yet! Also gives 3x Gaming Bit Multi! | H8 | x3 | 2 |
| Sticker Depot | Unlocks the Sticker mechanic for Farming! Also, boosts Megacrop growth chance by 1.5x | I8 | x1.5 | 3 |
| Tiny Cogs | Unlocks the Tiny Cog board, and generates a single Tiny Cog per day! Also boosts Flaggy Rate by 3x | J8 | x3 | 4 |
| Observationalistic | Gives you + more Daily Rolls for getting new Observations! Also, +1% Research EXP gain! | K8 | +1% | 4 |
| Optical Monocle | Gives + Optical Monocles to use for Observations! Also +1% Insight EXP gain, to level up your Observations faster with! | L8 | +1% | 4 |
| Oracular Spectacular | Taking only what you need from it, your Optical Monocles generate +25% more Insight! | M8 | +25% | 2 |
| Game Design 101 | Psst... you forgot to give Observation LV a purpose while helping Lava research new content! How about you do... Observations give 1.04x more EXP per LV! | N8 | x1.04 | 3 |
| Game Design 102 | Design problem, why would players level up old Observations? How about... +1% Research EXP per TOTAL Observation LV! @ Total Bonus:$% | O8 | +1% | 4 |
| Revival of the Undead Battalion | Your Sailing Boats turn into the Undead Battalion at LV 400+ These boats find 3x more Treasure, are 3x faster, and have 3x higher Artifact Find Chance! | F7 | +1% | 1 |
| The Maw | Unlocks a new island in Sailing, THE MAW! @ Also, 1.25x Artifact Find Chance. You'll need it. | G7 | x1.25 | 4 |
| Palettable Crowns | +3% Palette Luck for every King Rat Crown you reclaim. @ Total Bonus:$% | H7 | +3% | 1 |
| Rat King of Olde | You can now buy the Rat King from the Import Shop in Gaming! Also, +25% King Tokens per hour! | I7 | +25% | 2 |
| Transcendent Artifacts | Unlocks Transcendent Sailing Artifacts tier, and boosts Artifact Find Chance by a smol +25% | J7 | +25% | 1 |
| All Night Studying | Boosts Research EXP gain by +50% @ You'll be filling out this Grid in no time at all! | K7 | +50% | 2 |
| Research AFK Gains | +5% Research AFK Gains. This affects OFFLINE gains for Research, Minehead, Insight... everything Research related! | L7 | +5% | 2 |
| See 'Em All | +5% Research EXP gain per Observation found! @ Total Bonus:+$% | M7 | +5% | 1 |
| Better Button | All button bonuses are +5% bigger, which is ballin' since all button upgrades sans Class EXP are multiplicative! | F6 | +5% | 3 |
| Insta Skips | Every week, you get + Insta uses for The Button on the Mantaray map, which let you skip the current demand. @ Also, +3% chance for +1 use every day | G6 | +3% | 2 |
| Eclectoplasmaticism | What kind of word is Eclectopl... whatever, this gives you +1% TRUE DMG Multi per Eclectic Sigil! | H6 | +1% | 1 |
| Eclectic Sigils | Sigils can be upgraded a 5th time to Eclectic! @ NOTE:You must defeat Lore Boss 7 in Spelunking first! | I6 | +10% | 1 |
| Mr Minehead Linguistics | You can now speak to Mr Minehead and play his Depth Charge game! Also, +10 base Minehead Currency/hr | J6 | +10% | 4 |
| Legendary Yellow Fever | Raises the Max LV of certain Yellow Legend Talents by + . Also, 1.05x Class EXP gain! | K6 | x1.05 | 3 |
| Legendary Red Fever | Raises the Max LV of certain Red Legend Talents by + . @ Also, 1.05x Class EXP gain! | L6 | x1.05 | 3 |
| Legendary Brown Fever | Raises the Max LV of certain Brown Legend Talents by + . Also, 1.05x Class EXP gain! | M6 | x1.05 | 3 |
| Risky Strategy | Your Minehead Damage is boosted by +10% for every tile revealed in a single turn. This resets at the start of every turn. | G5 | +10% | 2 |
| Depth Charge Rematch! | Gives you + more tries every day at Mr Minehead's Depth Charge! Also, +25% Minehead Currency/hr | H5 | +25% | 4 |
| More of that Minehead Money Pls | Multiplies Minehead Currency/hr by 1.25x | I5 | x1.25 | 4 |
| Glimbo Linguistics | You can now speak to Glimbo, and make trades with him! Also boosts coins dropped by monsters by 1.15x! | J5 | x1.15 | 1 |
| Masterclass Research | Reduces the cost of all OG Masterclass upgrades (DB, WW, AC) by 10% every day, FOREVER! Total Reduction:-&% | K5 | +10% | 2 |
| Spelunking Research | Boosts Spelunking POW by +25% every day, FOREVER! @ Total Boost:^x POW | L5 | +25% | 2 |
| Legendary Green Fever | Raises the Max LV of certain Green Legend Talents by + . Also, 1.05x Class EXP gain! | M5 | x1.05 | 3 |
| Minehead Copium | If your 1st click is on a depth charge, 50% chance it wiggles and doesn't count! Happens up to times per game. @ Also, +15% Minehead Currency gain! | G4 | +15% | 4 |
| Minehead Damagio | Multiplies all damage you deal in Mr Minehead's Depth Charge by 1.15x | H4 | x1.15 | 3 |
| Glimbo Insider Trading Secrets | +1% Drop Rate TRUE Multi per 100 Glimbo Trades! @ Total Bonus:^x DR | I4 | +1% | 1 |
| Glimbo BOGO Offer | Some of Glimbo's trades give + additional LVs! This works retroactively. Also, 1.1x Coin gain | J4 | x1.1 | 2 |
| All Quick All Done | Every day, the first 'All Quick' use at the MSA in World 3 gives 1.5x more Souls and EXP! | K4 | x1.5 | 3 |
| Day 'N' Nite | Increases the Max LV of all Day and Night Market upgrades by +50 | L4 | +50% | 4 |
| Well Dressed | The first MISC Bonus on your Attire Equipment (i.e. Clothing) gives 1.25x more bonus! | M4 | x1.25 | 2 |
| Divine Design | <. Also, +25% Drop Rate. | N4 | +25% | 1 |
| Cellular Warfare | Multiplies all damage dealt by your cells during operations by 1.05x @ A true operator must consider the indirect bloodcell gain... | F3 | x1.05 | 4 |
| Daily Operating Procedure | Gives you + more operations to start every day at the Jelly Operator game! | G3 | +2% | 4 |
| Jelly Operator Linguistics | You can now speak to the Jelly found in the Jellofish map to play the Jelly Operator game! @ Also, 1.1x more Bloodcells gained from operations! | H3 | x1.1 | 4 |
| Shakin' It | Every day, you get another + extra uses for ALL your shakers at the Sushi Station! @ And +1% chance for free use when using Shakers! | I3 | +1% | 2 |
| Sushi Station Linguistics | You can now speak to the knife found in the map past Glimbo to play the Sushi Station game! @ Also, 1.25x more Bucks gained from your Sushi! | J3 | x1.25 | 4 |
| Masterius Cookerius | Multiplies your EXP gain for Cooking Mastery, a feature unlocked at Rift 61, by a massive 1.75x @ Also gives + Yellow PTS to spend on Meals! | K3 | x1.75 | 4 |
| Royal Rewards | Regal Mobs now have a 10% chance to give +3 kills for your Royal Guardian's Orb of Virisimilitude instead of simply +2 kills | L3 | +10% | 4 |
Observations
Observations can be found throughout the IdleOn world. They appear on specific maps as shiny patches; clicking on them will allow you to roll a dice to obtain the Observation permanently in your Research Desk.
The following Research Grid tiles can affect Observation Rolls:
- Observationalistic (K8) - Gives you + more Daily Rolls for getting new Observations! Also, +1% Research EXP gain!
- Sharp Eye (L10) - Increase the max possible Roll while searching for new observations by + , and +5% Research EXP gain!
- Smart Eye (L11) - Raises the minimum possible Roll by +1 for each failed Roll, up to +$. This resets back to 0 upon a successful Roll. Also +5% Research EXP Gain.
| Name | Location | Level | Roll Required |
|---|---|---|---|
 Bored Tree |
Valley Of The Beans - (Found in World 1, where boredom meets bean) | 1 | 1 |
 Shopping Oyseter |
Shimmerfin Grove - (Found in World 7 town, inscribed with a four letter word) | 3 | 30 |
 Bridge Plank |
Jar Bridge - (Found in World 2, the only wood pieces east of the Town) | 5 | 50 |
 Carrot Patch |
Vegetable Patch - (Found in World 1, they grow long and orange with a tuft of green) | 6 | 60 |
 Salty Seawebs |
Refraction Bend - (Found in World 7, spun in a cave by a spider you'll never see) | 8 | 70 |
 Dogbone Tombstone |
Encroaching Forest Villas - (Found in World 1, the final resting place of a poor villager) | 10 | 75 |
 Ominous Signage |
Winding Willows - (Found in World 1, pointing you in the right direction to find Amarok) | 11 | 80 |
 Canyon Pointerino |
Pincer Plateau - (Found in World 2, one of many arrows leading you to a secret platform) | 13 | 82 |
 Corange Coral |
Doodle Reef - (Found in World 7, growing among the doodlefish) | 15 | 85 |
 Oasis Erosion |
The Oasis - (Found in World 2, these waters are home of the much beloved Poppy) | 17 | 90 |
 Barnacle Brothers |
Barnacle Curb - (Found in World 7, covered in a sludge of either snail or slug origin) | 20 | 92 |
 Green Shallowrock |
Seaweed Street - (Found in World 7, growing among the seaweed and stubble of the shallow waters) | 22 | 93 |
 Broken Spacerocks |
Outskirts of Fallstar Isle - (Found in World 4, the only broken platform among many walkable ones) | 24 | 93 |
 Meenie Cactus |
Mummy Memorial - (Found in World 2, next to the tomb of the late great King) | 27 | 94 |
 Coraltree Branch |
Balloon Bay - (Found in World 7, growing unbelieveably larger than any other coral) | 30 | 95 |
 Useless Anchor |
Deepwater Docks - (Found in World 2, sitting atop the board while yearning to be below the waves) | 31 | 95 |
 Oboe Coral Trio |
Puffpuff Overpass - (Found in World 7, half way up your climb to Pinpoint Summit) | 34 | 96 |
 Spadespire |
Heaty Hole - (Found in World 2, at the enterance of Snakenhotep's Crypt) | 37 | 96 |
 Seaswept Ruins |
Plastic Basin - (Found in World 7, sitting crumbled and defeated under the watchful gaze of Billroy) | 40 | 97 |
 Tetrino Stones |
Djonnuttown - (Found in World 2, gaming scholars still debate these which sit atop the pyramid) | 42 | 97 |
 Stalagtite |
Inside the Igloo - (Found in World 3, tucked away in an igloo where nobody goes no more) | 45 | 97 |
 OG Secret Rock |
Sands of Time - (Found in World 2, it's the only rock that just feels out of place) | 48 | 98 |
 Happy Piggy |
Jelly Cube Bridge - (Found in World 4, where the party never ends) | 50 | 98 |
 Treeception |
Hollowed Trunk - (Found in World 1, you'll find this tree within, well, another tree) | 52 | 99 |
 Keymaster |
Slip Slidy Ledges - (Found in World 1, they're the long forgotten character of a long forgotten game) | 55 | 100 |
 Space Drip |
Standstill Plains - (Found in World 4, flowing from one region into another) | 57 | 100 |
 Coralcave Coral |
Coralcave Outskirts - (Found in World 7, at the outskirts of a crustacean kingdom) | 60 | 100 |
 Unblinking Eye |
Enclave of Eyes - (Found in World 4, with a gaze that's unbreakable and unmistakable) | 63 | 100 |
 Monster Decoy |
Deep End of the Koipond - (Found in World 7, it looks like a monster but aint no monster of mine) | 66 | 101 |
 Standard Stump |
Jungle Perimeter - (Found in World 1, surrounded by sludge and slime) | 70 | 101 |
 Big Ol Reef |
Pinpoint Summit - (Found in World 7, sitting off to the left on your final steps to the Summit) | 72 | 101 |
 Oasis Palm |
Dessert Dunes - (Found in World 2, the oasis sitting just beyond it's palmy leaves) | 74 | 101 |
 Stalagmite |
Waterlogged Entrance - (Found in World 3, clear as glass and cold as ice) | 76 | 102 |
 Rope Lamp |
The Ring - (Found in World 2, lighting the way and holding the path further into the desert) | 78 | 102 |
 Unremarkable Rock |
Coralcave Perimeter - (Found in World 7, surrounded by what was once the most fearsome foe in the ocean) | 80 | 102 |
 Standard Mine |
Minefield - (Found in World 7, just one floating disaster waiting to happen) | 82 | 103 |
 Ancient Chainrope |
Echoing Egress - (Found in World 1, it leads down to a path that never existed) | 84 | 103 |
 Birchtree Bitty |
Birch Enclave - (Found in World 1, where houses walk) | 87 | 104 |
 Unreachable Grate |
Rats Nest - (Found in World 1, just a few dirty bars that'll never be broken) | 90 | 104 |
 Genuine Deadwood |
Forest Outskirts - (Found in World 1, it twists and turns looking for even a slimmer of sunlight) | 92 | 104 |
 Rifty Crystals |
The Rift - (Found in World 4, just waiting to change colour once again) | 94 | 105 |
 Pirate Flag |
Minefield - (Found in World 7, a sign to many that their sailing days are about to end) | 97 | 105 |
 Happy Tree |
Spore Meadows - (Found in World 1, where the adventure began all those years ago) | 100 | 105 |
 Name |
Pirate Upper Deck - (Found in World 7, ) | 200 | 0 |
Research Shapes
Research Shapes can be unlocked through a few ways and can be dragged onto your Research Grid to multiply the bonuses the grid slots give.
You cannot overlap shapes to give multiple bonuses though.
Below you can find all the Research Shapes currently available in the game. They are unlocked in order; if you get a Neonscale Pet (gives +1 Research Shape) it will give you the next available one in the list.
| Shape | Bonus |
|---|---|
 Purple Diamond |
Multiplies Grid Bonuses by 1.25x |
 Blue Circle |
Multiplies Grid Bonuses by 1.15x |
 Green Microsquare |
Multiplies Grid Bonuses by 1.50x |
 Cyan Hexagon |
Multiplies Grid Bonuses by 1.20x |
 Golden Rectangle |
Multiplies Grid Bonuses by 1.20x |
 Orange Star |
Multiplies Grid Bonuses by 1.35x |
 Maroon Triangle |
Multiplies Grid Bonuses by 1.25x |
 White Moon |
Multiplies Grid Bonuses by 1.30x |
 Pink Heart |
Multiplies Grid Bonuses by 1.35x |
 Bat Symbol |
Multiplies Grid Bonuses by 1.60x |
The following give a Research Shape:
- Reach Research Level 20
- Reach Research Level 30
- Reach Research Level 50
- Reach Research Level 80
- Reach Research Level 110
- Neonscale Pet
- Shape Obsession - Event Shop
Research Level Up Bonuses
Every 10 levels you gain in Research gives you a new bonus.
| Level | Bonus |
|---|---|
| Research Level 10 | Adds a new Magnifier for you to use! Drag it around just like you do with your other magnifier! |
| Research Level 20 | Adds a new shape to your Research Grid, which boosts the bonuses of all squares it touches! |
| Research Level 30 | Adds another shape to your Research Grid! Keep in mind, each grid upgrade can only be boosted by one shape at a time. No point in overlapping shapes! |
| Research Level 40 | You can now place TWO magnifiers on the same Observation! |
| Research Level 50 | Adds another shape to your Research Grid! |
| Research Level 60 | You now get an additional Grid Point every 10 Research Levels! |
| Research Level 70 | You can now place THREE magnifiers on the same Observation! |
| Research Level 80 | Adds another shape to your Research Grid! |
| Research Level 90 | You can now rotate your shapes! You'll find the rotation buttons after selecting a shape. |
| Research Level 100 | Adds yet another Magnifier to your Clipboard! Those Observations wont observe themselves! |
| Research Level 110 | Adds another shape to your Research Grid! |
| Research Level 120 | You can now place TWENTY magnif.... wait, wait no, I meant four... FOUR magnifiers on the same Observation! |
| Research Level 130 | Adds an additional Magnifier to your Clipboard! |
| Research Level 140 | +1 Magnifier! Bro why you even clicking on this one, you absolutely knew what this did from the picture... |
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