- Plan B: Terraform levels advance when you complete the current objective.
- Early progression focuses on Extractors, Steel Bars, Depots, and basic factories.
- Population milestones unlock later systems at 30,000 and 50,000 residents.
- Production planning matters because each new level can expand your resource chain.
- Official reference: Check the Level article for documented objectives and unlocks.
Plan B: Terraform Levels Explained
Plan B: Terraform levels are the main progression system in the colony-building simulation. Each level assigns an objective, and completing that objective advances the colony while unlocking new resources or buildings. The most reliable approach is to treat every level as a production-planning checkpoint rather than rushing population growth without infrastructure.
The documented level list includes early construction objectives, later population targets, and a major Space Elevator requirement. Some level numbers are not fully detailed in the available reference, so this guide separates confirmed objectives from practical planning advice.
Video Highlights:
- Choosing a strong first city location near useful resource zones
- Building early Iron, Steel Bar, Extractor, and Depot production
- Expanding with trucks, roads, rail systems, and Mark 2 Depots
- Organizing factories into scalable production districts
- Preparing forests, waste processing, and water-aware layouts
| Progression Element | What It Does | Planning Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Level objective | Defines the requirement for advancement | Highest |
| Unlock list | Adds resources or buildings after completion | Review immediately |
| Population target | Measures colony growth | Expand housing and supply |
| Production chain | Supplies construction and city demand | Keep inputs balanced |
| Planet development | Improves long-term habitability | Start early when available |
Objective First
Read the active requirement before placing extra infrastructure. The objective determines the most efficient next investment.
Production Ready
Maintain spare capacity for Extractors, Depots, factories, and Assembly Plants so new construction does not stall.
Plan Ahead
Leave room for roads, rail stations, waste systems, forests, and later factory redesigns.
Do not judge a level only by its unlocks. The objective tells you what must be completed now, while the unlocks show what your next production plan should support.
Early Levels: Extractors, Steel, and Factories
The first documented objectives establish the basic industrial loop. Level 1 requires building five Extractors and unlocks Steel Bars, Extractors, and Depots. Level 2 requires building five Factories and unlocks Mechanical Parts, Factories, and Assembly Plants.
These objectives reward a compact but expandable starting area. Begin by selecting a city with room to grow and access to several useful resource zones. A location near the ice caps can also be valuable later because water becomes an important planetary system.
| Level | Confirmed Objective | Documented Unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Build 5 Extractors | Steel Bar, Extractor, Depot |
| 2 | Build 5 Factories | Mechanical Parts, Factory, Assembly Plant |
| 16 | Reach 30,000 total population | No unlock listed |
| 17 | Reach 50,000 total population | Organic Waste |
| 18 | Give 2,000 Nano Composite to the Space Elevator Base | No unlock listed |
| 24 | Objective and unlock not listed | Not specified |
Use the following opening sequence to meet the first industrial goals without overbuilding:
Choose a Flexible City Site
Select a city with expansion room and nearby resource patches. Avoid placing the entire industrial district directly on top of a resource deposit when a small relocation can preserve future flexibility.
Build the Extractor Base
Work toward the five-Extractor requirement for Level 1. Use Depots to collect and move materials, then reserve enough space for additional extractors and factories.
Start Steel Bar Production
Feed Iron into a Steel Bar factory and provide an output Depot. Steel Bars support early construction and help produce additional industrial buildings.
Reach Five Factories
After Level 1, expand toward the Level 2 objective. Keep the factories close enough to your Depot network that drones can maintain a steady flow.
Add Assembly Capacity
Once Assembly Plants become available, use them to produce more Extractors, Depots, and other base buildings. This makes the next expansion cycle faster.
A useful early balance is six Extractors feeding a basic Steel Bar factory at the production rates described in the guide. This creates a practical foundation for producing more Extractors and Depots. Mechanical Parts can then extend the chain, although perfect ratios are not necessary while the colony is still changing quickly.
Do not spend too long perfecting a starter layout. Early production districts are temporary, and later Depot, truck, and rail upgrades make a full redesign more efficient.
Midgame Objectives and Population Milestones
The documented progression reaches a different phase at Level 16. Instead of asking for a building count, the objective is to reach a total population of 30,000. Level 17 raises that target to 50,000 and unlocks Organic Waste.
Population objectives require more than housing. Cities need consistent deliveries, usable roads or rail links, waste handling, and enough production to maintain growth. Supply Centers do not all need to receive identical materials if the city as a whole is supplied, which allows more flexible logistics planning.
| Milestone | Requirement | Main Planning Concern |
|---|---|---|
| Level 16 | 30,000 total population | Maintain city supply and production throughput |
| Level 17 | 50,000 total population | Prepare Organic Waste handling |
| Level 18 | 2,000 Nano Composite to Space Elevator Base | Reserve advanced production capacity |
| Level 24 | Not documented in the supplied list | Verify the current in-game objective |
For city logistics, trucks are useful for early and moderate-distance deliveries. Set an origin, destination, road connection, and suitable truck count. Increase the number of trucks when demand exceeds the route’s throughput, but avoid adding vehicles before confirming that production and road access are the actual bottlenecks.
Mark 2 Depots become a major quality-of-life improvement. They provide more drones and a larger operating range, allowing several extractors or factories to share a logistics point. They also reduce the need to place buildings directly over every resource location.
| Logistics Method | Best Use | Strength | Limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Depot | Early extractor networks | Simple to place | Shorter range and lower capacity |
| Mark 2 Depot | Dense industrial districts | More drones and longer reach | Requires upgraded production |
| Trucks | City deliveries and separated hubs | Flexible route control | Needs roads, stops, and vehicles |
| Trains | Large-scale transfers | High cargo capacity | Requires rails, stops, and turnaround space |
Treat Level 16 and Level 17 as infrastructure checks. If a city is growing faster than its supply and waste systems, expand logistics before pushing for the next population milestone.
Advanced Unlock Planning and Level 18
Level 18 requires delivering 2,000 Nano Composite to the Space Elevator Base. This is a delivery objective, not simply a population target, so the colony must have a dependable advanced-production chain and a logistics route capable of moving the required material.
Before working toward this milestone, review the entire chain from raw inputs to the Space Elevator Base. A missing Depot, overloaded train stop, insufficient factory input, or blocked output can interrupt production even when the final factory has enough theoretical capacity.
A district layout with inputs on one side and outputs on the other can make complex chains easier to inspect. Rows dedicated to products such as Concrete, Steel, Mechanical Parts, Reinforced Concrete, Aluminium, High-Tech Parts, Polymer Bars, Carbon, and Oxygen help reveal bottlenecks. The exact layout can vary, but consistent organization reduces the time needed to trace missing resources.
| Advanced Planning Check | Why It Matters | Recommended Action |
|---|---|---|
| Nano Composite input flow | Level 18 depends on delivery quantity | Trace every upstream material |
| Output storage | Full outputs can stop factories | Add destinations or expand demand |
| Train station capacity | Large deliveries can queue | Use enough Depots near the station |
| City and industry separation | Different zones may have different needs | Build specialized production hubs |
| Waste processing | Organic Waste appears at Level 17 | Keep processing close to demand |
Water also affects long-term city placement. It flows from higher terrain toward lower areas, and attempts to contain it with dams may not produce the expected result. A safer approach is to build around changing water routes and relocate vulnerable facilities when necessary. The planet contains substantial resource space, so losing a deposit to water does not automatically require a complete restart.
Forests should be planted as soon as they become available because growth takes time. Temperature affects which plants are suitable for different regions, so spread plantings across appropriate climate zones instead of concentrating every forest in one location.
Build the production capacity for the next objective before the current objective is complete. This keeps newly unlocked systems from becoming a sudden bottleneck.
Level Progression Checklist and Reference
Use this checklist when reviewing a colony before advancing through the known objectives. It combines confirmed level requirements with practical preparation for the production and logistics systems that support them.
Progression Review:
- Complete the five-Extractor objective for Level 1
- Build five Factories for Level 2
- Maintain Steel Bar, Mechanical Parts, Depot, and Assembly Plant production
- Prepare city logistics before reaching 30,000 and 50,000 population
- Plan Organic Waste processing after the Level 17 unlock
- Reserve Nano Composite capacity for the Level 18 Space Elevator objective
- Check the official Level article for updates to undocumented entries
The following table is useful as a quick pre-expansion audit:
| Check | Ready When | If Not Ready |
|---|---|---|
| Extractor capacity | Resource collection supports current factories | Add Extractors or improve Depot coverage |
| Factory capacity | Key products maintain steady output | Identify the first missing input |
| Depot network | Drones reach required buildings | Replace or supplement basic Depots |
| Truck routes | City deliveries meet demand | Add trucks or shorten the route |
| Rail network | Large transfers arrive without queues | Add station Depots and review loops |
| Waste system | Outputs have somewhere to go | Expand processing or create destinations |
| Water planning | Cities avoid vulnerable low terrain | Relocate exposed facilities if needed |
The official Plan B: Terraform Level reference currently documents the early building objectives, the population milestones, the Organic Waste unlock, and the Level 18 Nano Composite delivery requirement. Use it as the primary reference when the game adds or clarifies later entries.
When an objective is not listed, verify it in the current game before committing to a large redesign. Keep the colony modular so new requirements can be added without rebuilding every district.
Plan B: Terraform Levels FAQ
Q: How do Plan B: Terraform levels work?
Each level has an objective. Completing that objective advances progression and may unlock new resources or buildings. Early levels focus on construction, while later documented milestones use population and delivery requirements.
Q: What is the Level 1 objective?
The documented Level 1 objective is to build five Extractors. The listed unlocks are Steel Bar, Extractor, and Depot.
Q: What must be completed for Level 2?
Level 2 requires building five Factories. The documented unlocks are Mechanical Parts, Factory, and Assembly Plant.
Q: What happens at Levels 16 and 17?
Level 16 requires a total population of 30,000. Level 17 requires 50,000 total population and unlocks Organic Waste.
The strongest progression strategy is flexible: satisfy the active objective, maintain balanced inputs, and leave room for the next logistics upgrade.