We use video microscopy to investigate transition kinetics among distinct topological states in four-particle colloidal clusters with short-range interactions. While steady-state distributions are captured solely by net free energy differences, observed transition rates are not. By introducing activation barriers proportional to topological changes between states, we construct a minimal thermodynamic framework that explains both transition rates and equilibrium distributions, with predictive capabilities across a range of interaction strengths. These findings have broad implications for evolutionary dynamics, protein folding, and self-assembly.

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• Depletion interactions
• Self-assembly
• Hard sphere colloids
• Data analysis
• Markovian processes
• Monte Carlo methods
• Stochastic analysis methods