Waterpark Simulator uses more than one progression surface, so “where is research?” has two different answers. The regular Research Table is placed inside the office and handles normal park unlocks. The Museum later introduces its own research table and three discovery branches. If a guide sends you to one table for every locked object, it is mixing separate systems.
This index records only unlock behavior supported by CayPlay’s public descriptions, update notes, achievements, or clearly labeled player reports. Exact costs and star requirements can change between patches. Read the value shown in your 1.0.50 build before spending a scarce resource.
Research surfaces at a glance
Office Research Table
- Type: core park research
- Source: unlocked during the early tutorial; a developer reply says it becomes available at 0 stars near the tutorial’s end
- Effect: opens normal build and facility research, with many sections gated by park stars
- Best for: floor tools, service objects, attractions, and normal expansion prerequisites
- Validation: developer-confirmed location and early gate; the complete 1.0.50 tree still needs a live export
- Next: Progression research route
Museum Research Table
- Type: Museum discovery research
- Source: inside the Museum after that feature is available
- Effect: spends Museum research progress across three branches that end in a major slide
- Best for: players pursuing Museum progression and the late discovery attraction
- Validation: three-branch structure is official; current node names, costs, and order need in-game verification
- Next: Museum guide
Park star gates
- Type: progression prerequisite
- Source: the star shown above a locked research section
- Effect: prevents research until the park reaches the displayed reputation tier
- Best for: diagnosing a visible table that still has unavailable categories
- Validation: developer-confirmed behavior; individual 1.0.50 gates are not published as a stable official list
- Next: Park stars
How to unlock and use the office table
Follow the opening objectives until the office and its research interaction are available. A CayPlay developer response in Steam discussions places this at 0 stars, near the end of the tutorial. If you have only just entered the park, continue the displayed objectives instead of assuming the save is broken.
Once the table is available, open it and inspect the category header. A star above a section is a requirement, not a currency price. Build reputation through a functioning park, then return when the park reaches that tier. This explains why two players with the same table can see different usable sections.
Community guides from the pre-1.0 period describe research resources earned through ordinary park work such as ticketing, cleaning, repairing, and science-related activity. Those descriptions are useful for recognizing the interface, but the current denominations, reward rates, and costs are not reproduced here because CayPlay has not published a stable 1.0.50 ledger. Use the live tooltip as the authority.
Known researched content
The 0.4 update officially added Racer Slides, Water Blobs, and the Inflatable Vending Machine to research. These are safe named examples, but they do not establish the current cost or exact star gate. The full release added far more content and rebalanced progression, so an Early Access chart should never be treated as a complete 1.0.50 tree.
Older player material also shows entries such as Floor Tool and Modern Trash Bins under ordinary park research. Treat those as orientation clues, then confirm the live category and price. If a label has moved or disappeared, record the game version before reporting it.
For attractions, use the Attractions Index to identify the object and the evidence behind it. For staffing unlocks, use the Staff Index. Neither page invents missing prices.
Museum branches and the final discovery
CayPlay’s 1.0 announcement confirms a Museum with three research branches, each ending in a massive slide. The public announcement does not publish the complete tree. Recent player discussions use names such as “The Grand Discovery,” “Ocean Landmark,” and “Flagship Attraction” for final objectives or nodes, but those labels are community-reported and may depend on localization or build.
When working in the Museum, inspect each branch separately. Complete the task shown by the current node, collect or spend the Museum-specific resource through its own table, and avoid confusing Museum tokens with ordinary office research. If the final discovery does not advance, capture the exact branch, node text, requirement, and current amount.
Why a research option can stay locked
Check these causes in order:
- Wrong table: regular park research and Museum research are separate.
- Tutorial not complete: the office table is an early unlock, not an immediate starting tool.
- Star requirement: read the star above the category and compare it with the current park rating.
- Prerequisite node: finish the preceding item in the same branch before expecting a later node.
- Insufficient research resource: compare the live amount and cost; do not rely on an old chart.
- Different save mode: Sandbox and difficulty settings can change progression or achievement eligibility.
- Version mismatch: verify that the guide and the running game refer to AppID 3293260 and the public 1.0.50 branch.
Change one condition at a time. A screenshot showing the full table, star gate, resource balance, and selected node is far more useful than a cropped “locked” icon.
Version-safe research checklist
Before committing to a long unlock route, write down the park star level, difficulty, selected table, branch, visible prerequisite, price, and semantic version. If a cost changes after an update, keep the recorded version with it. Steam BuildIDs alone are not meaningful player-facing research versions.
Do not spend a rare Museum resource merely to test a community claim on the only copy of a park. Back up first, especially before trying a final branch or moving between Demo and full game. The updated Demo can transfer a new Demo save into the full game once, but a full-game-opened save cannot return to the Demo.
Research answers
Where is the normal Research Table?
It is used inside the office and becomes available during the early tutorial. Continue the objectives if it is not yet present.
Why is the table unlocked but a section is not?
Look for the star requirement above that section. Most content requires at least one park star, according to a CayPlay developer reply.
Is Museum research the same currency and table?
No. Public descriptions and current player reports identify a separate Museum research surface. Read its own branch and resource display.
What are all 1.0.50 costs and unlock stars?
No reliable public full-tree export was found. Those values must be collected in-game from the current public branch before publishing a fixed table.
Sources checked 2026-08-11: official Steam news hub, official Steam store, and developer-marked answers in the Steam community. Community-reported labels are identified as such above.