RimWorld: 10 Essential Tips to Keep Your Colony Alive in the First Year

RimWorld is a colony simulator where every decision can mean life or death for your unfortunate colonists. The first year is the most critical, as one wrong move can spiral into famine, madness, and a raid that wipes you out. Whether you crash-landed on a temperate forest or an arid shrubland, these 10 essential tips will help you establish a thriving colony that can weather the early storms.

1. Choose Your Starting Location Wisely

Temperate forests are the safest bet for beginners. They offer year-round growing seasons, plenty of wood, and manageable wildlife. Avoid extreme biomes like ice sheets or deserts until you understand game mechanics. Also, look for a map with a geothermal vent nearby – it's a free source of power later.

2. Build a Simple Base Immediately

On day one, construct a small wooden structure (like a 7x7 room) with a single door to keep out predators. Place sleeping spots, a campfire, and a stockpile zone inside. Don't bother with individual bedrooms yet; a communal barracks saves resources and construction time. As you expand, plan for separate workshops, storage, and freezer rooms.

3. Secure a Steady Food Supply

Food is your top priority. Plant rice first – it matures fastest. Hunt vulnerable wildlife like rabbits and squirrels, but avoid attackers like bears or cassowaries. Build a freezer room (insulated with a cooler set to 0°C) to store food and meat. A fueled stove is better than a campfire for cooking meals; research Complex Cooking early to unlock nutrient paste dispensers (they save labor and eliminate food poisoning risk).

4. Manage Mood and Recreation

Colonists need recreation or they break down mentally. Place a horseshoe pin or chess table in the barracks early on. Ensure they have comfortable sleeping spots (sleeping bags or beds) and decent dining tables – eating without a table is a major mood debuff. Avoid creating dark, cramped rooms; a beautiful environment (flowers on soil, clean floors) boosts morale.

5. Research the Right Technologies First

Your research bench should be built by day four. Prioritize Batteries (for storing power), Solar Panels (to switch from wood generators), and Microelectronics Basics (to unlock advanced tech like hydroponics later). Don't waste time on weapon tech early – your starting weapons suffice until raiders become dangerous.

6. Build a Simple Defense

Marauding raiders will arrive. Construct a killbox – a narrow corridor lined with sandbags and traps that forces enemies into a funnel. Put sandbags for your colonists to shoot behind. Also, build a perimeter wall around your base with only one opening (the killbox entrance). This delays raiders and prevents manhunter packs from entering.

7. Assign Work Priorities

Use the Work tab to set colonist priorities. One person should focus on growing and cooking, another on construction and mining, and a third on research and crafting. Make sure someone is designated as doctor (medical skill 5+) and another as warden if you plan to recruit prisoners. Disable unnecessary tasks like art and tailoring until you have surplus resources.

8. Accept New Colonists Cautiously

Wanderers will join, but not all are helpful. Look for pawns with no major health issues (like missing limbs or bad back) and skills that fill gaps in your colony. Avoid pyromaniacs, drug lovers, and Gourmands (they eat way too much). Use the Character Editor mod if you want to tweak starting colonists, but in vanilla, settle for what you get.

9. Tame and Train Animals

Animals provide wool, milk, eggs, and hauling labor. Tame muffalo or alpacas for wool (good for warm clothes), or chickens for eggs (reliable food). A single hauler dog or bear can save massive time by moving items to stockpiles. But beware: animals need food too, so don't over-tame if your food supply is tight.

10. Prepare for the First Winter

If you start in spring or summer, you have about 20 days until the first cold snap. Stockpile at least 2000 rice or potatoes in your freezer before winter. Also, craft parkas or tribalwear from leather/cloth to keep colonists warm. If you have hydroponics (from research), build a sunlamp room to grow food year-round. Otherwise, hunt migrating animals and preserve meat by pemmican or smoking.

Surviving the first year in RimWorld is about balance and preparation. Focus on food, shelter, and a simple defense, and you'll have a colony that can last for years. Remember: losing is fun! But with these tips, you'll lose less often.