At A Glance
- Core mechanics of Monkey Knowledge and how you earn points
- Top Monkey Knowledge upgrades to aim for early and mid game
- Tips for respec, toggling, and optimizing across different game modes
What Is Monkey Knowledge and How Do You Earn It
Monkey Knowledge is a progression system in Bloons TD 6 that grants you passive enhancements for towers, heroes, and other gameplay mechanics. It is split into six categories: Primary, Military, Magic, Support, Heroes, and Powers.
Starting at account Level 30, almost every level-up gives you one Monkey Knowledge point to allocate. Some upgrades in deeper rows also require Monkey Money to unlock. A total of 138 points (134 base + some from achievements) can be earned. You also have the option to “respec” your Monkey Knowledge (reallocate all points) for a cost of 2,000 in-game currency.
You can toggle Monkey Knowledge on or off for that run, which is useful for trying modes like C.H.I.M.P.S. without its benefits.
Which Monkey Knowledge Upgrades to Prioritize
Since you can’t unlock everything at once, selecting upgrades that give high impact early is crucial. Community consensus and guides suggest the following priorities:
1. “More Cash” (Primary Tree)
Adds extra starting money or increases cash gained from bloons. It improves flexibility in opening rounds and helps you establish defense faster.
2. “Bonus Monkey” (Primary Tree)
Grants a free Dart Monkey at the start. Since Dart Monkeys are cheap and useful early, this gives you a head start.
3. “Mana Shield” (Magic Tree)
Gives you 25 shield lives that regenerate if you don’t leak that round. This buffers against small leaks and lets you take risks during transitions.
4. Road Spikes / Pre-Game Preparation
Some upgrades place road spikes for you or improve placement. These can help you tank early rounds or “greed” earlier.
5. Tree buffs in Support, Heroes, and Powers
Later, invest in cooldown reductions, attack speed, tower buffs, or hero enhancements to push your late game power.
Strategy by Game Mode
Standard / Easy / Medium Modes
You can lean heavier into income and utility upgrades. “More Cash,” “Bonus Monkey,” and early buff lines in Support or Magic help you steamroll early to mid rounds.
Hard / Expert Modes
You need a balance. Investing solely in offense might leave you vulnerable. Use shield, defensive upgrades, or hero buffs to stay safe through difficult rounds.
C.H.I.M.P.S. Mode
Because C.H.I.M.P.S. disables extra lives, using too many selfish monkey knowledge upgrades could backfire. Consider toggling MK off or only enabling strictly supportive paths. The respec option is useful when switching a loadout.
Freeplay / Endless
You’ll want full MK utilization for pushing rounds. Cap trees that aid your late-game towers, cooldowns, and economy synergies.
How to Respec, Toggle & Optimize
- Respec often: As you unlock more points, revisit your build. The 2,000 cost is minor later in the game.
- Toggle MK off: When doing C.H.I.M.P.S. or proving you can beat content without MK buffs.
- Hybrid builds: Don’t dump all points into one tree. Even a few supportive or hero buffs can synergize powerfully with towers you use.
Final Thoughts
Monkey Knowledge is a powerful tool that shapes how freeplay, hard mode, or C.H.I.M.P.S. runs feel. Prioritize cost-effective upgrades like “More Cash,” “Bonus Monkey,” and shields early. As you gain more points, expand into buffs and utility upgrades that suit your tower and hero choices. Constantly reassess your setup via respecs and adjust per mode. Use MK wisely, not just as passive “extra,” and it will elevate your Bloons TD 6 performance significantly.