Tier

A horizontal level in the Tree graph, defined by distance from the entry points. Tiers are computed from structure, not configured.

A tier is a horizontal level in the Tree graph, defined by distance from the entry points.

  • The available tier contains nodes whose prerequisites are all complete and that haven't started.
  • The in-progress tier contains nodes currently being worked on.
  • The locked tier contains nodes whose prerequisites haven't all resolved yet.

Computed, not configured

Tiers are computed, not configured. Tree evaluates each node's position relative to the graph's entry points and assigns it to the appropriate tier based on its current state. The team can't manually move a node from one tier to another. The graph's structure determines where each node lives.

Where the vocabulary comes from

The term comes from progression UI in strategy games, where future abilities are organized into tiers reflecting how deep into the tech tree they sit. Tree borrows the vocabulary because it captures the same idea: tiers represent how far away a piece of work is from being actionable.

How tiers help planning

Tiers are useful as a mental model for planning.

  • A team looking at their available tier knows what they can pick up immediately.
  • A team looking at the next locked tier knows what's coming next.
  • A team looking at deeper locked tiers knows what's far away, and roughly how many unlocks stand between now and then.

Fog of war controls visibility

Fog of war controls how many tiers are visible. The default configuration shows the available tier, the in-progress tier, and one locked tier ahead. Deeper tiers fade out unless the user lifts the fog.

LAST UPDATED · 2026-05-11