Departments
E-Shop Tycoon Departments and Research — How to Choose the Next System
Map a visible business problem to the department or research screen that can actually address it.
A department is a job, not a tier
The official feature announcement describes four recognizable areas: Software, Marketing, Customer Service, and Shipping. Use that language to map the visible problem:
| Symptom | First screen to inspect | Evidence to record | | --- | --- | --- | | Demand is weak | Marketing | Campaign, timing, and order change | | Customers need support | Customer Service | Queue or complaint text | | Orders cannot leave | Shipping | Backlog, staffing, and warehouse state | | Product/business systems are missing | Software | Research name and unlock effect |
This table is a diagnostic starting point, not a hidden-stat claim.
Research notes that survive patches
Write down the exact research name, visible cost, prerequisite, and tooltip effect. Take a screenshot before buying and after buying. If the game changes the cost or prerequisite, the article can be updated without rewriting the whole strategy.
The roadmap matters
The official Steam news feed mentions planned advanced employee mechanics, a factory, warehouse automation, and more office customization. Treat roadmap items as planned features, not current mechanics. Do not tell readers to search for a button that has not shipped.
Live feature versus roadmap feature
The same announcement also lists a future Accounting Department, custom factories, dynamic bank loans, business contracts, sandbox mode, and story events. These are explicitly future plans. A high-quality guide must keep them in a separate roadmap box so a reader does not waste time looking for an unreleased department.
Research note format
For every live research item, capture the tooltip before purchase, the prerequisite, the cash cost, and the first measurable change after purchase. The 1.0.2 notes mention research tiers unlocking incorrectly on load in some saves, so a reload test is worth recording when a prerequisite appears stuck.
Sources
Quick answers
Which departments are confirmed in E-Shop Tycoon?
The public feature announcement describes Software, Marketing, Customer Service, and Shipping departments. Their exact unlock and staffing costs need an in-game check.
What research should I buy first?
Choose the research that addresses your measured bottleneck. A universal first purchase is not verified and may change with balance updates.