Chapter 1
Build the Finder First
- 1Finder Damage
- 2Finder Attack Speed
- 3Round Time / Crit
- 4Start Data
- 5Clusters
Finder Damage Lv3, Vision Chance Lv1, and Overload Chance Lv1 can trigger early Bugs.
Upgrade Decision Guide
FEED THE AI Skill Tree Guide
Find the next upgrade for your current bottleneck, compare Chapters 1–4, trace dependencies, and search all 131 connected nodes.
Skills
131
Chapter Trees
4
Dependencies
130
Structure
1 connected tree
Exact Game Rule
Skill Tree completion is not required to unlock the next Chapter.
Simulator Recommendation
Priorities change as the bottleneck moves from combat to supply and automation.
Upgrade Decision Engine
What Should You Upgrade Next?
Choose the symptom—not a generic tier list. The recommendation changes when combat, supply, high-HP targets, Cash, or completion becomes the constraint.
Best Next Priority · COMBAT-LIMITED
Finder Damage
Enemies survive the timer, so combat throughput is the current constraint.
Then consider
- → Finder Attack Speed
- → Critical Hit Chance
- → Corporate progression
Avoid for now
- → More Density
- → Extra supply
State-Dependent Value
How to Know What to Upgrade
Cash upgrades do not directly increase Raw Data Chapter progress.
Data Price can fund future purchases, but the Chapter counter still uses Raw Data.
Simulator-Backed Overview
Best FEED THE AI Upgrades by Chapter
Chapter 2
Stabilize Before Corporate
- 1Finder Damage
- 2Finder Attack Speed
- 3Corporate Data
- 4Restore supply
- 5Economy / Core Link
Corporate Chance Lv1 enables Firewall pressure; Core Link Duration has a two-stage Bug chain.
Chapter 3
Vision Starts to Matter
- 1Finder Damage
- 2Attack Speed
- 3Vision Zone
- 4Government
- 5Malware support
High-price Repairs do not all need to be purchased immediately for a first clear.
Chapter 4
Upgrade Finder and AI
- 1Finder Damage
- 2AI Damage
- 3Finder Attack Speed
- 4AI Attack Speed
- 5Vision / automation
- 6Recursive
Recursive targets have very high HP; GIVE UP CONTROL is not required for a normal ending.
Route Scope
First Clear or 100% Skill Tree?
A first-clear route solves the current bottleneck. A completion route follows every purchasable dependency and repairable Bug.
FIRST CLEAR
Prioritize the nodes that remove the current bottleneck. Max-tree cost and most low-ROI repairs can wait.
Searchable Database
Browse All 131 FEED THE AI Skills
131 nodes130 dependencies11 repairable Bugs29 auto Evolution nodes
The catalog expands in place. It does not create 131 thin indexable pages.
131 matching nodes
Normal SkillSkill Tree Root
Chapter 1 · data · contextual
Normal Skill
Skill Tree Root
Chapter 1 · data · contextual
Normal SkillFinder Damage
Chapter 1 · combat · high
Normal Skill
Finder Damage
Chapter 1 · combat · high
Increase Finder Damage
- Levels
- 4
- Prices
- 10 → 35 → 650 → 8,000
- Values
- 1 → 2 → 5 → 11
- Prerequisite
- Skill Tree Root
Normal SkillFinder Attack Speed
Chapter 1 · combat · high
Normal Skill
Finder Attack Speed
Chapter 1 · combat · high
Increase Finder Attack Speed
- Levels
- 4
- Prices
- 15 → 150 → 2,300 → 3,700
- Values
- 15 → 30 → 45 → 60
- Prerequisite
- Finder Damage
Normal SkillFinder Critical Hit Chance
Chapter 1 · combat · contextual
Normal Skill
Finder Critical Hit Chance
Chapter 1 · combat · contextual
Increase Finder Critical Hit Chance
- Levels
- 2
- Prices
- 100 → 900
- Values
- 10 → 20
- Prerequisite
- Finder Damage
Normal SkillFinder Movement Speed
Chapter 1 · combat · contextual
Normal Skill
Finder Movement Speed
Chapter 1 · combat · contextual
Increase Finder Movement Speed
- Levels
- 3
- Prices
- 10 → 170 → 450
- Values
- 20 → 40 → 60
- Prerequisite
- Finder Damage
Normal SkillFinder Light Range
Chapter 1 · vision · contextual
Normal Skill
Finder Light Range
Chapter 1 · vision · contextual
Increase Finder Light Range
- Levels
- 5
- Prices
- 10 → 25 → 260 → 500 → 1,350
- Values
- 30 → 60 → 90 → 120 → 150
- Prerequisite
- Finder Damage
Normal SkillFinder Attack Range
Chapter 1 · combat · medium
Normal Skill
Finder Attack Range
Chapter 1 · combat · medium
Increase Finder Attack Range
- Levels
- 4
- Prices
- 25 → 230 → 2,400 → 3,600
- Values
- 20 → 40 → 60 → 80
- Prerequisite
- Finder Damage
Normal SkillAttract Data
Chapter 1 · data · contextual
Normal Skill
Attract Data
Chapter 1 · data · contextual
Data is pulled toward the Finder instead of pushed away on attack
- Levels
- 1
- Prices
- 250
- Values
- 1
- Prerequisite
- Finder Attack Range
Normal SkillRound Time
Chapter 1 · combat · medium
Normal Skill
Round Time
Chapter 1 · combat · medium
Increase Round Time
- Levels
- 4
- Prices
- 10 → 2,800 → 11,000 → 17,000
- Values
- 2 → 4 → 6 → 7
- Prerequisite
- Skill Tree Root
Normal SkillRound Time Increase
Chapter 1 · combat · medium
Normal Skill
Round Time Increase
Chapter 1 · combat · medium
Chance to gain +1 second of Round Time when collecting Data
- Levels
- 3
- Prices
- 120 → 800 → 9,999
- Values
- 0.20000000298023224 → 0.4000000059604645 → 0.6000000238418579
- Prerequisite
- Round Time
Normal SkillStart Data
Chapter 1 · data · medium
Normal Skill
Start Data
Chapter 1 · data · medium
Increase the number of Data Units at the start of the round
- Levels
- 4
- Prices
- 5 → 30 → 100 → 140
- Values
- 20 → 40 → 60 → 80
- Prerequisite
- Skill Tree Root
Normal SkillData Price
Chapter 1 · data · medium
Normal Skill
Data Price
Chapter 1 · data · medium
Data is worth more cash
- Levels
- 3
- Prices
- 95 → 250 → 1,800
- Values
- 1 → 2 → 3
- Prerequisite
- Data Density
Normal SkillData Density
Chapter 1 · data · medium
Normal Skill
Data Density
Chapter 1 · data · medium
Increase Data density
- Levels
- 4
- Prices
- 50 → 950 → 4,600 → 6,500
- Values
- 100 → 300 → 450 → 600
- Prerequisite
- Start Data
Normal SkillStart Data Clusters
Chapter 1 · data · medium
Normal Skill
Start Data Clusters
Chapter 1 · data · medium
Increase the number of Data Clusters (groups of Data Units) at the start of the round
- Levels
- 4
- Prices
- 40 → 120 → 300 → 9,999
- Values
- 4 → 8 → 10 → 12
- Prerequisite
- Start Data
Normal SkillExtra Data Clusters
Chapter 1 · data · contextual
Normal Skill
Extra Data Clusters
Chapter 1 · data · contextual
Increase the number of Data Clusters (groups of Data Units) spawned when the AI levels up
- Levels
- 3
- Prices
- 420 → 3,400 → 13,300
- Values
- 2 → 4 → 6
- Prerequisite
- Start Data Clusters
Normal SkillData Cluster Size
Chapter 1 · data · contextual
Normal Skill
Data Cluster Size
Chapter 1 · data · contextual
Data Clusters contain more Data Units
- Levels
- 5
- Prices
- 290 → 750 → 6,000 → 9,400 → 16,400
- Values
- 5 → 8 → 10 → 11 → 13
- Prerequisite
- Start Data Clusters
Interactive Relationship View
Skill Tree Dependencies
Select any node to highlight its direct prerequisite and dependents. This answers the useful part of the full graph without forcing pan and zoom on mobile.
Requires
- → Skill Tree Root
Normal Skill
Finder Damage
Chapter 1 · Path 705
Unlocks
- → Finder Attack Speed
- → Finder Critical Hit Chance
- → Finder Movement Speed
- → Finder Light Range
- → Finder Attack Range
- → Finder Attack Range
This compact explorer is the mobile-safe tree view. It shows direct prerequisites and dependents without forcing a 131-node graph into a narrow viewport.
Purchase Troubleshooter
Why Can't I Buy This Upgrade?
locked
Requires: Core Link Interval
Purchase or activate the prerequisite first.
Three Node Types
Skill Tree Bugs and AI Evolution
Purchasable
Normal Skill
A standard upgrade with prices, levels, and prerequisites.
Repair
Repairable Bug
A negative triggered node that can be purchased when completing its route.
Auto · Unfixable
AI Evolution
A triggered state or positive autonomous evolution, not a missing purchase.
Exact Completion Rule
Repairable and purchasable nodes matter for max-tree checks. Unfixable Bug and Evolution nodes are exempt.
Why Chapter 4 Has So Many “Bugs”
Chapter 4 contains 22 unfixable nodes tied to Autonomous Core, SUPERINTELLIGENCE, AI movement, AI attacks, Core Link improvements, and other evolution. They do not mean the completion achievement is broken.
GIVE UP CONTROL
- Cost
- 3B Cash
- Type
- Late-game / max-tree
- Normal ending required?
- No
Upgrade ROI
How to Compare Upgrade Value
01
Does this help my current bottleneck?
02
Does it cross a meaningful breakpoint?
03
Does it unlock an important next node?
Data Density
100 → 300 → 450 → 600
Buying Density without crossing the next breakpoint may not unlock a higher maximum Density tier.
Open guide →Data Price
Raw Data × Data Price → Cash
It improves Cash, not the Raw Data Chapter counter directly.
Open guide →Why This Guide Does Not Use an S–F Tier List
Finder Damage is excellent while enemies survive and low-value after an instant clear. Density is useful when combat has spare capacity and harmful when higher HP reduces realized Data per second. Upgrade value is state-dependent.
100% Cost Scale
How Much Does Each Skill Tree Cost?
| Chapter | Max purchasable cost | Relevant nodes | Auto-exempt |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chapter 1 | 264,824 | 29 | 0 |
| Chapter 2 | 19,034,400 | 29 | 3 |
| Chapter 3 | 1,105,240,000 | 33 | 4 |
| Chapter 4 | 10,239,500,000 | 11 | 22 |
| Total | 11,364,039,224 | First clear ≠ max tree | |
Scenario Optimizer
Best Upgrades for My Budget
This uses the same Chapter, goal, budget, and bottleneck selected in the Upgrade Advisor.
SIMULATOR RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Purchase Order
Budget 250,000 Cash
- 01Finder Damage Lv1
- 02Finder Damage Lv2
- 03Finder Damage Lv3
- 04Finder Attack Speed Lv1
- 05Finder Damage Lv4
- 06Round Time Lv1
- 07Finder Critical Hit Chance Lv1
- 08Finder Damage Lv5
- 09Corporate Data Chance Lv2
- 10Corporate Data Chance Lv3
Based on the current selected scenario and verified optimizer ordering. It is not a universal frame-perfect route.
Search Answers
FEED THE AI Skill Tree FAQ
What are the best upgrades in FEED THE AI?
The best purchase depends on the current bottleneck. Early progression usually starts with Finder Damage and Attack Speed, then moves to supply once the field clears early.
Do I need to max the Skill Tree?
No. Chapter progression uses Raw Data thresholds, not full Skill Tree completion.
Why can't I buy an upgrade?
Check the Chapter, direct prerequisite, and whether the displayed node is an automatic unfixable Evolution rather than a purchasable Skill.
Do unfixable Bugs block 100%?
No. Unfixable Bug and AI Evolution nodes are exempt from the corresponding max-tree achievement checks.
Is Data Price good for Chapter progress?
Only indirectly. Data Price increases Cash earned from Raw Data; it does not directly multiply the Raw Data progress counter.
Should I max Data Density?
Not automatically. Check the 100 / 300 / 450 / 600 breakpoints and whether combat can handle the higher HP.
Why are Chapter 4 upgrades so expensive?
Chapter 4 includes late-game and max-tree purchases that are not all required for a normal first clear or ending.
How many Skills are there?
The current verified full-game Skill Tree contains 131 connected nodes and 130 dependency edges.
Related Guides