---
title: What the Buck Skill Tree: Unlock Order, What to Buy First
description: How the skill tree works, what each branch unlocks, and a buying order that keeps the table busy.
url: https://whatthebuck.wiki/upgrades/skill-tree/
---

Upgrades

# What the Buck skill tree

_[Image: The skill tree, a dark green board of hexagonal nodes joined by gold lines, branching out with bill, coin, diamond and gun icons]_

_The skill tree branches by bill denomination. Each node shows its icon; the path you have bought is outlined in white. Official Steam screenshot, © kohlgames / Loerting Games._

The What the Buck skill tree is the big money tree you rebuild every shift. It opens for $0 after your first few minutes, its first node adds +$3 to every $1 bill, and from there it branches by denomination, from $1 up to $100. confirmed Every special bill, the flamethrower, diamonds and Investment Papers are unlocked here. confirmed

## How the skill tree works

- Mr. Buck calls to tell you the skill tree is open; the first node costs nothing. confirmed

- Nodes cost money, not Prestige Points. A node only becomes buyable after the one before it is complete (“complete previous”). confirmed

- Ending a shift resets the tree, unless you buy the prestige node that keeps every skill tree upgrade (40 PP on release day). confirmed

- Maxing every node in a single shift earns **Nothing Left to Buy**. confirmed

Over 240 upgrades are spread across the panels, the skill tree and the prestige tree, and the skill tree holds most of them. confirmed

## What the Buck skill tree branches

Each money branch carries income nodes for its bill, a chance node for the next bill, prestige-progress nodes and one big unlock: confirmed

| Branch | Big unlock | Also in the branch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| $1 | Electric Bills | +$3 income, +40% income, prestige coins (2% chance) |
| $2 | Golden Bills, gold spreading on touch | $2 chance, $2 income, “ATM no longer withdraws $1 bills” (needs Bill Value 5) |
| $5 | Explosive Bills | $5 income, blast damage and radius |
| $10 | Collector Bills | $10 chance (about $11M on release day), collector capacity and payout |
| $20 | Flamethrower and Fuel Bills | fuel, fire damage, burn spread |
| $50 | Diamonds | diamond value, spawn chance, shards |
| $100 | Paper Trail (Investment Papers) | share value, paper payout |

In a Japanese release-day clear, the player had unlocked “up to the $50 one” by the end of the third shift and bought Paper Trail in the next. confirmed

## Skill tree guide: the buying order

- **$1 income nodes and prestige coins.** Coins fill the prestige bar fastest early on.

- **Electric Bills** as soon as they appear; lightning clears bills you never touch.

- **Prestige-progress nodes** before you end your first and second shifts, so each shift pays more PP.

- **$2 chance, then Golden Bills** and the gold-on-touch node.

- **$5 and Explosive Bills.** Chains of explosions clear a crowded table.

- **$10 chance, then Collector Bills.** The collector became the top earner in release-day runs. confirmed

- **Remove $1 bills** only once $2 and $5 pay more.

- From there, one branch per shift: flamethrower, diamonds, papers.

## When to stop buying and end the shift

The tree gets steep: nodes jump from hundreds of thousands to tens of millions within a branch. confirmed When every affordable node would take minutes of income, end the shift and spend your Prestige Points. The release-day 100% player completed the whole tree within one shift about 91 minutes into his run, after keeping panel upgrades between shifts. confirmed

## Skill tree unlock achievements

Seven achievements come from skill-tree unlocks: Electric Bills, Explosive Bills, Golden Bills, Collector Bills, Flamethrower, Diamonds and Paper Trail. confirmed The eighth, Nothing Left to Buy, needs the whole tree in one shift.

## Common skill tree mistakes

- Spending everything on income and nothing on prestige progress before ending a shift.

- Removing small bills before the next branch pays more.

- Forgetting that a node needs the previous one complete; look for the “complete previous” note.

## Sources
Last checked: 10 November 2026. Marks: confirmed = official notes, the store page, the game itself or a recording of it; reported = two or more players; unverified = one source.

- [Release-day 100% run](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XtjuwrgHzQU&t=146s) · at 02:26, 45:02, 90:56, 36:19, 36:59

- [Japanese release-day clear](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G_58s9JvCR8&t=1500s) · at 25:00

- [Pre-release key run](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VL1DyJptysQ&t=460s) · at 07:40

- [Store screenshot](https://store.steampowered.com/app/4832970/What_the_Buck/)

- [Steam achievements](https://steamcommunity.com/stats/4832970/achievements/)

- [French early-key run](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iXJEOtxHec&t=2273s) · at 37:53

## More in Upgrades

- [Panel upgrades All nine panel upgrades, their maximum levels, what each one does and which to buy first.](https://whatthebuck.wiki/upgrades/breaker-and-withdrawal-upgrades/)

- [Prestige tree Every prestige-tree unlock, which nodes to buy first, and what Market Maker does to the shift price.](https://whatthebuck.wiki/upgrades/prestige-tree/)

- [Shifts and Prestige Points What ending a shift costs, how Prestige Points are earned, when to end a shift, and the 1.0.1 price cap.](https://whatthebuck.wiki/upgrades/shifts-and-prestige-points/)

- [Idle and automation Can the game play itself? Auto Swiper, Idle Hands, the second ATM, Money Printer and Overcharge explained.](https://whatthebuck.wiki/upgrades/idle-and-automation/)