Biomass is TerraBite's restoration resource — produced by Bio-Reclaimers, consumed by advanced recovery structures, and tied directly to contamination cleanup. You start with zero Biomass and no natural stockpile; every unit comes from cultivated recovery infrastructure. This guide explains production, costs, and how Biomass gates late-game healing in Phase 1 prototype.
Read the Water guide first — Bio-Reclaimers are Water-hungry. Then play TerraBite and place your first reclaimer on a contaminated sector.
Starting Biomass
New worlds begin with 0 Biomass. Unlike Energy, Water, and Materials, there is no starting buffer. Biomass appears only after you build and operate a Bio-Reclaimer — or discover biomass deposits on the map (rare secondary source for awareness; production buildings remain the primary path).
Do not plan Eco Seeder placement until Bio-Reclaimer output is stable.
Bio-Reclaimer — production and cleanup
The Bio-Reclaimer is the only standard building that produces Biomass:
- Build cost: 25 Materials, 20 Energy, 10 Water
- Production: 0.35 Biomass/s (21/min at level 1)
- Consumption: 0.25 Water/s, 0.3 Energy/s
- Valid terrain: Barren Wasteland, Wetland Basin, Reclaimed Forest, Toxic Sector
- Requires: no deposit (works on any valid revealed terrain)
- Contamination: reduces −0.5/s on tile
Bio-Reclaimers dual-purpose: they generate Biomass and lower contamination on their tile. This makes them essential on Toxic Sector and high-contamination Industrial Ruins — not just for the resource, but for local healing.
Research bonus
Biological Optimization (120 Data, Restoration branch) adds +20% Bio-Reclaimer biomass output. Unlock when you run two or more reclaimers — the compound return accelerates Eco Seeder funding.
Soil Recovery (220 Data, requires Biological Optimization) adds +25% contamination reduction from Bio-Reclaimers — faster tile cleanup, not more Biomass directly.
Where Biomass is spent
Eco Seeder build cost
Eco Seeder is the primary Biomass sink:
- Build cost: 40 Materials, 30 Energy, 15 Water, 10 Biomass
- Requires research: Ecological Seeding (400 Data, after Soil Recovery)
- Effect: reduces contamination on adjacent revealed sectors over time
- Consumption: minor Energy and Water while operational
Each Eco Seeder costs 10 Biomass upfront. At 0.35 Biomass/s from one level-1 Bio-Reclaimer, one Seeder needs ~29 seconds of dedicated production — longer if other projects compete.
Plan Biomass stockpiles before unlocking Ecological Seeding research, not after.
Biomass production checklist
Before scaling Bio-Reclaimers:
1. Water Extractor online — each reclaimer needs 0.25 Water/s; see Water guide. 2. Energy margin — 0.3 Energy/s consumption per reclaimer; see Energy guide. 3. Target tile chosen — high contamination sectors maximize cleanup value alongside production. 4. Net Biomass rate positive — check resource bar before saving for Eco Seeders.
Placement strategy
Prioritize contaminated tiles
Bio-Reclaimers on Toxic Sector (base contamination 80) or polluted ruins deliver the most visible restoration progress. Contamination displays 0–100 in the tile inspector — track drops after reclaimer goes operational.
Terrain flexibility
Bio-Reclaimers accept wasteland, wetland, forest, and contaminated terrain without deposits. This flexibility lets you heal sectors that cannot host Salvage Stations or Water Extractors.
Avoid placing reclaimers on tiles you plan to fill with heavy polluters (Salvage Stations at +2/s) unless you accept churn — polluters and reclaimers on the same tile fight each other.
Multiple reclaimers
Each additional Bio-Reclaimer adds 0.35 Biomass/s but multiplies Water and Energy demand. Two reclaimers need 0.5 Water/s — one Water Extractor at 0.6/s barely covers them. Scale water and power before scale reclaimers.
Biomass deposits on scan
Scanning can reveal biological matter deposits on some tiles. Deposit messages may read "BIOLOGICAL MATTER DETECTED." Deposits are informational in the current build — Bio-Reclaimers remain the reliable production source. Deposits may deplete when exploited by compatible buildings in simulation; prioritize reclaimer placement on high-value contaminated sectors regardless.
Biomass in the restoration loop
Biomass connects the mid-game economy to late-game map healing:
1. Solar Arrays fund Energy and scans. 2. Water Extractors feed Bio-Reclaimers. 3. Bio-Reclaimers produce Biomass and clean tiles. 4. Data Relays fund research toward Ecological Seeding. 5. Eco Seeders spend Biomass to spread adjacent cleanup.
This loop mirrors broader restoration design — see restoration game loop and ecological restoration games.
Biomass vs contamination cleanup
Bio-Reclaimers reduce contamination on their tile only at −0.5/s (boosted by Soil Recovery research). Eco Seeders reduce adjacent tiles — different geometry. Use reclaimers for focused hotspots; seeders for perimeter healing around cleaned cores.
Full contamination mechanics: Contamination guide.
Common mistakes
Building Bio-Reclaimer before Water Extractor — reclaimer drains starting 25 Water quickly and stalls.
Unlocking Eco Seeder research with 0 Biomass saved — you cannot place Seeders without 10 Biomass each.
Ignoring Energy consumption — reclaimers at 0.3 Energy/s each add up; net Energy can flip negative silently.
Placing on low-contamination rock — valid but wastes the cleanup half of the building's value.
Upgrading Bio-Reclaimers
Bio-Reclaimers support level upgrades to level 5, multiplying biomass output at each tier with Material and Energy upgrade costs paid from the tile inspector. Upgrade reclaimers on your best Water-supplied tiles before placing new ones — higher levels improve Biomass per Water consumed, which accelerates Eco Seeder stockpiling after Ecological Seeding unlocks. Track upgrade costs in the tile inspector before committing Materials.
Version notes
Biomass is a fully implemented resource in Phase 1 prototype — not a future or planned mechanic. No trading, multiplayer, or cloud features apply. Saves persist via localStorage autosave every 30 seconds.
See the Buildings guide for full Bio-Reclaimer stats alongside other structures. Return to the Guides hub or play TerraBite.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I get Biomass in TerraBite?
- Build Bio-Reclaimers on revealed wasteland, wetland, forest, or contaminated tiles. They produce 0.35 Biomass/s while consuming Water and Energy, and reduce contamination on their tile.
- What is Biomass used for?
- Biomass is required to build Eco Seeders — 10 Biomass per Seeder — after unlocking Ecological Seeding research.
- Do I start with any Biomass?
- No. New worlds start with 0 Biomass. You must operate Bio-Reclaimers to produce it.
- Does Bio-Reclaimer reduce contamination?
- Yes. Bio-Reclaimers reduce contamination by 0.5 per second on their tile. Soil Recovery research increases that reduction by 25%.
- Can Bio-Reclaimers build on Toxic Sectors?
- Yes. Toxic Sector is valid terrain for Bio-Reclaimers — often the best placement for combined cleanup and Biomass production.
- What research improves Bio-Reclaimers?
- Biological Optimization (+20% biomass output) and Soil Recovery (+25% contamination reduction) in the Restoration research branch.