Bring back Sluices
Sluices had inbuilt automation controls and a compact footprint. While its possible to "replicate" the functionality with a number of sensors this takes up a much larger footprint and isn't viable when sensors are taller than the tunnel and cave systems where sluices could easily be emplaced to perform water control.
Valves being subjected to the new automation systems while sluices retaining its classical inbuilt functionality would give each a relevant niche.
EDIT: Read the developer's update here: https://timberborn.featureupvote.com/suggestions/697644/comment/768949#comment768949
Comments: 53
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03 Mar
Jcheung SystemHighlighted comment
"Return of the simple sluice" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-03), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion. -
06 Mar
Mechanistry Admin PinnedLet's meet in the middle.
After reviewing everyone’s feedback we released a patch which we believe to be a good balance of ease of use and design coherence.
-Valve- is renamed to -Throttling Valve- to better reflect its role as a tool for limiting flow rate, which is something that was impossible pre-1.0 with any of the existing structures.
-Fill Valve- is a new structure which maintains downstream water level, using the same algorithm that was previously used by Sluice, without the need for a separate Depth Sensor. It is controlled with a single “Target height” slider, which makes it fit neatly into the same pattern as Floodgates and Throttling Valves. On its own, it does not react to contamination, but that behavior can be replicated by connecting it to a single Contamination Sensor, without the need for logic gates.
Finally, Flow Sensor, Depth Sensor, and Contamination Sensor have a redesigned shape and are now 1 tile tall, making them easier to place in tight places. -
02 Mar
Jcheungi'm of the opinion that there are plenty of places that sensors could be placed in 99% of cases, one example given was pressure map-here's an image of me handling it at the source the same way i used sluices with no problems
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02 Mar
AlexFor more casual players and the computer logic/logic statement illiterate, removal of the sluice makes the game less accessible. The automation path seems interesting but is definitely not for everyone. While the sluices had their own logic, it was far easier to understand and by removing them, the player is forced into the automation system. Why can't we have both?
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02 Mar
Timmysluices are a great, simple early game challenge to make water separators, and also they fit in spaces (eg the new pressure map tunnels) where the sensor won't. Without them, currently you have to unlock tunneling before sensors can be placed where needed in tight spots.
bring them back, they're great, and I think a really smart piece of tech for the beginning-mid game (I think sensors and automation should be a mid-late game unlock, but that's another post) -
03 Mar
Sarah MergedI just played with the new automations and I already miss my sluice gates... Sluices have been replaced by "valves" and valves have to be connected to a trigger, and triggers are another block of space and even more science and materials, delaying onset of use. I'm not very automated-minded. I think I failed the electrical section of my physics course because I couldn't wrap my head around and/nan/or/nor/whatever gates. Sluices, while sometimes limited, are simple and easy to understand, and I never had issues with planning or building with them. Would we be able to get a simple sluice back?
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03 Mar
Ken MergedI use the sluice at the bottom of the reservoir to maintain water levels, the valve does not allow you the set a open/close height. Please keep the sluice or allow the valve to adjust open/close per water depth.
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03 Mar
TheJosherI don't understand the thought process of removing sluices. Now to get the same effects I have to build 2-3 more buildings.?
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03 Mar
TTJThe main problem is that the sensors are too high! Please shrink them to 1x1x1 blocks with an option to build a small platform over them!
Current sluices can easily be used to create 3D structures with fresh water and badwater flowing on two different levels vertically stacked. The huge sensors make this very complicated now. -
03 Mar
Jcheung System"Please keep the Sluice" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-03), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.
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03 Mar
EdoPlease bring back sluices. If I want a relaxed timberborn play after a long day work, I don't want to wrap my head around #%2&*#!! logic. There's too many numbers on the valve, the sensor is on when I thought it needed to be off. I can understand it, but I want to play relaxed. I'm not a programmer nerd, I'm a "make my beavers happy" nerd.
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03 Mar
EloI've spent about 8 hours with the valves today, just to make sure that I'm not completely crazy. Sluices had the convenient aspect of having a "let water out, if the downstream is below X depth" ability. This worked flawlessly! Whenever there wasn't water enough, the sluice would open, and a little water would be let gentle through, delicately filling the downstream river and keeping my lush fields with happy beavers green and alive.
I tried to do the same with a valve and a depth sensor. I don't know if it's because of a delay, or me misunderstanding what "flow rate" is. But the split second the water came below the designated amount. Poseidon grabbed hold of the valves and let loose his fury as half of the reservoir was emptied to fill the 0.01 difference from 0.79 to 0.80. "But surely that filled the river, and the sensor stopped?" you say. Oh no! No it did not. Now in a frenzy, it created wave after wave until the reservoir was empty! sad times, beavers died. Bring back Sluice! -
04 Mar
BrandonKen (Merged) said it perfectly. The Sluice's ability to maintain water levels is the SINGLE thing that Sluices do that nothing in the Automation update can replicate... but it is non-negotiable, and without it so much is ugly or broken. Either turn the Sluice into a water-level only item and re-enable it, or add it's water-level function to the Valve.
I love Timberborn, and I earnestly know the devs listen as they implemented Tunneling damn near identically to how I suggested it several updates back. Please, listen to us again. Keep Sluices, if for nothing else than for the QoL water-leveling it is capable of. We can enclose [Valve>Sluice>Waterfall] if you trim everything but it's leveling mechanic, and still need Valves... but we NEED Sluices back.
I had a test world prior to the automation patch. (1.0 Experimental) reservoirs, T-junctions for badwater, whatever I needed to test. I've spent hours trying to get Valves/DepthSensors to achieve what the Sluice did, you CANNOT. -
04 Mar
Bruce SmithThe sluice as a small, standalone block that could be placed right up against a water source to control flow and contamination with a minimum of space was way better that the 3 or 4 blocks needed now to handle the magical wifi sensors required to get the same effect.
Also a lot of your current players are not coders or programmers who don't easily grasp the whole logic thing. -
04 Mar
Mechanistry AdminUPDATE: We’ve released a patch that addresses some of the concerns. See our latest message for details.
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This is unlikely to happen. Keeping two different systems for the same job would add complexity and make the overall design less elegant.
Having said that, we hear the concern. Automation, including Floodgates, Valves, and the roster of sensors, allows for a wide range of setups: some easier, some harder than the old Sluice. Some setups are only possible in the late game, while others are possible earlier than before.
We also know that automation still needs iteration. As we get more feedback, we’ll keep refining it so it fits the rest of the game as seamlessly as possible, as we have done with other systems in the past. -
04 Mar
ramaThe sluice was an elegant and useful tool. The new automation tools are fun but cumbersome. Not every player will even ever open the automation panel.
There is no reason to not have both present in the game when you've already created and had the sluice implemented. Ultimately, the only thing adding complexity is the existence of a complicated automation system (which is cool btw, don't get the wrong idea, I like all of the changes, including the new valve! I just oppose the sluice-removal). The sluice effectively allows people to have simple automation without needing to understand logic gates, etc. -
04 Mar
MichaelWhen I have a very tight area, say, right beside a badwater source it is impossible to get a sensor and a relay in there. The old sluice's functionality where it's open when it's water and closed when it's badwater (and vice-versa!) was a simple, elegant system.
Now I have to futz with a relay, a sensor, and a fair amount of logic to achieve something simple: keep the badwater in, let the water go out.
However, the new sensor is FANTASTIC for remote sensing, say, in controlling a waterfall: My vote is to keep the sluice, or re-integrate the sluice's functionality for simple on/off SELF-automation -
04 Mar
rd55 MergedI have heard that Sluice gates are being replaced by butterfly valves in the 1.0 version of the game.
After running through my first game on easy. I see how valves can be controlled and make it more versatile.
But for someone who wants the simpler game play for someone who is just starting out the sluice is a much better option in my honest opinion.
In the game you start with Folktales which you could keep Sluice Gates for and then if you want a more challenging game with different play dynamic you could advance to iron teeth with valves automation. You could grow with the game.
Just my two cents. I have been enjoying Sluices in Folktales and don't think they should be removed. -
04 Mar
Jcheung System"Keep Sluice Gates in Folktales" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-04), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.
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04 Mar
Monika MergedI find sluices much more useful than valves because to get the same functionality out of valves I must do a bulky sensor somewhere which is not simple. With sluices I could do underground redirections of badwater within pipes based on water quality, now I must find a way to fit a huge sensor in said pipe. Not practical.
I like valves in general, it's a cool idea but they are so much worse for what I had sluices before. -
04 Mar
Gin Fuyou System"Give valves contamination measure or restore sluices" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-04), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.
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05 Mar
FujJust add a "sluice" mode to the valves. I like all the new automation stuff (even if it feels out of place at times), but I also like sluices for their simplicity.
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05 Mar
rd55I never was able to get the handle of automation in factorio if I needed something that was complex and automated I usually search for a blueprint of it.
I got very simple automation to work. But it truly wasn't a strong suit of mine and not what I truly consider fun game play. I just found a piece that did the job installed it.
So I couldn't agree more with the three commentators below, there should be an easy way to operate sluices without having the get a diploma in Timberborn automation. Cuz truly that not want brought me to this game.
Alex
https://timberborn.featureupvote.com/suggestions/697644/comment/767581#comment767581
Sarah
https://timberborn.featureupvote.com/suggestions/697644/comment/767663#comment767663
and Edo
https://timberborn.featureupvote.com/suggestions/697644/comment/767777#comment767777 -
05 Mar
IntricateI think valves are fine and should be kept. BUT if we could get sensors to be 1 block tall would solve a lot of issues. I don’t really care horribly much that I have to build an additional object or two to get the functionality back of the sluice, my issue is that I can’t build tunnel drainage. Some maps are very shallow where you need an underground drainage pipe or to create pressure and valves to my knowledge can’t do this without obnoxious workarounds. Also the automation just constantly makes huge waves while the sluices gently let more water through. I’m genuinely baffled that sluice functionality were completely removed. At least add the sluice function of gently keeping water level to the valve, that would be better for simplicity for folks who don’t want to feel like they need a programming degree to do the same thing.
I’m glad automation is available for us to get really into the nitty gritty, but completely destroying sluice function is alienating for more casual players -
05 Mar
AntonioThe problem is that instead of setting up a row of sluices once, we now have to create 4X as many items just for control (valve, contamination sensor, water-level sensor, relay) and probably another 10X to support everything and then to wire it all up manually with no room for mistake, which is honestly close to a disaster. And that’s coming from me, someone who’s fluent with boolean logic, it’s probably even worse for people who aren’t.
I don’t really care whether sluices stay or not, but I’m not playing the game until it’s resolved one way or another. Doing this one week before release isn’t great timing, but I hope it gets sorted out eventually. -
05 Mar
Max MergedWhy do you deleted the classic sluice gate (Schütz)???
Please leave it for simple protect of fouling water. -
05 Mar
Gin Fuyou System"sluice gate (Schütz)" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-05), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.
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05 Mar
umop-apisdn"Automation, including Floodgates, Valves, and the roster of sensors, allows for a wide range of setups: some easier, some harder than the old Sluice."
Please explain how to more easily duplicate the sluice's functionality, when before we had a single 1-block tool that would elegantly handle both contamination and fluid level detection and modification, but now we need at least 4 separate buildings (individually researched, nonetheless) to achieve the same functionality.
Also, please explain how to keep the valve from causing a tidal wave that destroys the output of all downstream sensors until the upstream reservoirs are completely drained, where the sluice allowed a trickle of water through when it needed to handle a small lack in downstream level. -
05 Mar
AarorTo everyone saying "You can do with valves and automation what you can do with sluices."
Yes, with a lot more time, effort, and resources.
The removal of sluices made the game harder and more frustrating for no reason but to try to force people to use automation. This is as brilliant an idea as clippy the paperclip. -
06 Mar
PyroMancerHow about internal sensors then? As one of the primary issues with Valve vs Sluice is that you have to place sensors else where on the map and link them up. Then you have to add relays if you want them to do the same thing. Also since I'm not sure how Sluice handled flow I'm unsure as to how this relates but I have seen many comments regarding Valve quickly toggling off/on due to waves under the Depth Sensor.
And by internal sensors what I mean by that is before automation was put and before even Sluice I kept thinking how nice it would be if we could set on Loggers a simple Toggle of something like Log Storage > 95% then Disable building. So I didn't have to go around manually turning them off/on as warehouses got full. As thought of it as an on building type thing. When Sluice were later added it kinda seemed like the on building approach was the route the game would take if/when automation of that type was ever added. So you'd do it through the building.
err text limit. -
06 Mar
Alexunpopular opinion ... sluices made the game too easy and i'm not a hardcore gamer. i think sluices were a mistake in the first place. before sluices we begged for somehow to automate the floodgates. So sluices came into the game but that made everything way to easy in the aspect of what we the normal players used floodgates and honestly sluices gave more than we hoped and wanted at that point.
Before sluices we had mods to automate the floodgates. That was a little janky but it worked. So we always wanted the automation part. Ok automation now is not perfect and for me (a normal player) didn't figure most of it out but this is the way to go. I think automation needs a couple of iterations and tweaks here and there BUT now the game brought back a level of complexity and challenge that was missing .. for exmaple pressure got from very hard on hard to impossible on hard (for me). and that's a good thing.
so please no sluice!
please everybody don't put me on a stake and yell traitor :D -
06 Mar
FlorianI think the biggest advantage of the old sluices is to smoothly control the water level below.
So we would need some sort of hysteresis function built into some of the buildings (like valve).
Replicating this with memory, relay and maybe multiple sensors is probable to complex for the average timberborn player. -
06 Mar
OlegI suggest adding the Sluice along with the option to change its states.
It's easy to make waves. :( :( (cries)
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07 Mar
Elohttps://timberborn.featureupvote.com/suggestions/697644/comment/768949#comment768949
This is a great compromise! thank you very much! -
08 Mar
Fizzlebop SmithI feel meeting in the middle would allow us to keep the functionality of the Sluice Gate without a disproportionate of "new" mechanics to learn. I love these types of games, but grow frustrated with scaling complexity for a small group of players.
As it stands, I do not feel the newest changes with automation reflect my style of gameplay.
The best sandbox games of all time, have no prescribed way to play. They let you approach and tackle a situation from many directions without any of them being "wrong". By adding the sluice gate, you opened up a very simple way for those of us with less technical understanding to fully manage water.
Now you have taken that away and essentially said that is the "wrong" way to play. If we simple overcome the learning curve, take some tutorials on logic and troubleshoot with the community to achieve the same scope of control.
Just wanted to weigh in on frustrations. Thank you for allowing us a voice. -
13 Mar
JTI'm going to pass on the meet in the middle. I really liked playing this game but I can't figure out the new automation stuff, it's to complicated for me and trying to has killed my saved game as everything is now polluted with bad water.
Oh well, maybe someday I'll come back to this game and try to figure out how it all works. -
17 Mar
BeaverBrotherThere's a lot of over reacting going on here. Sluices were kind of a catch all solution to a lot of issues, that's not a good thing. If one building can solve all of your problems then why build any other buildings? The new automation works quite well. It's not perfect, but it's going to get better. Yes it takes more steps now to achieve what sluices previously did, but overall automation is going to be good for the game and will inspire more creative problem solving as well as increase the use case scenarios for other water management devices like floodgates.
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20 Mar
Trace AlChrom MergedI had some power issue when the game launched I am back and i was loving the logic stuff but then the bad tide came and whelp all the fun was gone. I went from loving badwater just hard core "boxing it in" and never seeing it. If i use it now i use the furthest source of it for some end game power generation and that is about it. I went from seeing the bad water as a thing to play with to just getting rid of it, was that the plan when you removed sluices?
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21 Mar
Jcheung System"Please bring back sluices" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-20), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.
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21 Mar
MárioI completely agree with that...i´m totally disapointed, you should add things in to the game to improve it, not take it...i spent huge ammount of hours playng this game, had a map allreaddy with sluices builted and others to buid, the project was allreaddy in my mind now i´ll have to change everything and just like me a lot of players as well. i love this game but i think i won´t play it anymore, im just afraid when in a midle of another project you dicide to change everything again...so, so, sorry...forgive my english, its not my native language
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22 Mar
Jcheung System"Please bring back the sluices!!!!!" (suggested by <Hidden> on 2026-03-22), including upvotes (1) and comments (0), was merged into this suggestion.
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22 Mar
Daniel CruzI have played and kinda like the new stuff. However, it is very frustrating that the sluice provided a simple functionality that we cannot reproduce with the new systems. This is because the new systems requires multiple points to function and the result varies because it has to be exact. Eg:
https://timberborn.featureupvote.com/suggestions/697644/comment/767800#comment767800
or https://timberborn.featureupvote.com/suggestions/697644/comment/768028#comment768028
AND https://timberborn.featureupvote.com/suggestions/697644/comment/767902#comment767902
I have 560 hrs in this game and I have a map with 700 cycles in it. It is not that I don't like the game or appreciate the improvements automation brings. Is just that you guys nailed it with the sluice. I believe this goes beyond a debate, we simply cannot reproduce what the sluice did. Maybe as he said: https://timberborn.featureupvote.com/suggestions/697644/comment/768074#comment768074 -
30 Mar
AngelaPlease bring back the sluice. I’ve spent several days managing water seep system in the middle of my colony to blocks contaminated water while allowing clean water to flow. Despite using bad water sensors, depth sensors, fill valves, and throttling valves, I have not been able to create a stable, self-sustaining solution. The core issue is that when a water seep is enclosed with blocks and controlled by fill valves, the system can successfully prevent badwater from exiting. but also prevents clean water from flowing out afterward. Once the seep reaches capacity with badwater, it stops producing, and the badwater is not naturally replaced when the bad tide ends. This creates a deadlock that requires manual intervention to resolve. For maps that only has water seep as water source like Spillage, this issue is detrimental. I have had several rounds of mass extinction already. I want a relaxing/fun game, not programing brain twister.
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30 Mar
AngelaThe solution https://timberborn.featureupvote.com/suggestions/697644/comment/768949#comment768949, does not provide a viable long-term approach for managing water seeps. While the Fill Valve//sensor can prevent bad water from leaving during bad tide, it does not turn and allow good water to reenter the system when bad tide ends. The Throttling Valve presents a similar limitation—there is no reliable way to automate its operation in sync with tide changes, especially given that seep output is constrained by water level rather than flow control. This creates a timing and control issue: when exactly should these systems re-enable flow, if the seep itself is already at capacity and and not actively cycling water? The removal of sluice and the introduction of automation has turned a fun and relaxing game into a frustrating programing brain twister. I am not interested in that.
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30 Mar
Mean EMTI have been playing this game since 2023 and a lot of good things have been done to improve it, so thank you for an awesome game and work! The Sluices had an awesome job & also simple to use & control. The Sluices detected independently even if they were synchronized and opened or closed accordingly, from below, sides or above. Now with the new Contamination sensor will open or close all (fill/Throttling valves). Example: if I had 3 valves connected side by side perpendicular (90 degree angle) to the path of fresh water the closest will detect and close all 3 valves when bad water hits it , but when the badtide ends it will open sensor fresh water first and it will open all the valves since the percentage will be different from the narrower angle vs the widest one. Also could be the chance of overflow (since it won't open each valve independently like the sluice did)
I had to reload an old save that still had sluices in the reservoir since the new valves failed. pls bring sluices back -
24 Apr
jamesyeah bring sluice back they did the job better than the logic thingy, bad water nark not required, it now takes two to three or four objects to do the same job as one. a lot of used to pause set gates than sluice, now we can let the worlds run and sort issues with water flow etc. with one object not six, i normally don't say this but if sluice aren't back by 2027 am going to uninstall and never play again. the only reason i haven't uninstall yet is the sluice i have, have not been changed they work as built. please put them back. this also annoys me
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