科技树从英文Technology tree直译得到，意思是通过选择发展不同的技术方向导致不同的研发结果，用图形表示则成树状图像。通常按照一条顺序，不过也有交融的或可更替的科技。以某些科技为基础，可以开发另一种科技。主要使用在策略游戏，角色扮演游戏有着功能类似的技能树。

A technology, tech, or research tree is a hierarchical visual representation of the possible sequences of upgrades a player can take (most often through the act of research) in strategy computer games. The diagram is tree-shaped in the sense that it branches between each 'level', allowing the player to choose one sequence or another. Each level is called a tier and is often used to describe the technological strength of a player. Typically, at the beginning of a session of a strategy game, a player will start at tier 1, and will only have a few options for technologies to research. Each technology that a player researches will open up one or more new options, but may or may not, depending on the computer game, close off the paths to other options. The tech tree is the representation of all possible paths of research a player can take, up to the culmination of said sequence.