Quickstart Guides

Choosing a site: To get into the game quickly, you're going to want to pick a relatively temperate climate with which to start. You want a plot with a growing season starting in March or April and an Average Temperature around X°. The other specifics aren't as important, so pick something that sounds fun to you. Generally speaking, more mountainous terrain gives you better defensive options but requires more digging. Flatter terrain is easier to start building but presents security issues later.

Choosing your characters: You want a good mix of skills. Remember, your colonists can only do one thing at a time and they need time to eat and sleep. Also, stay away from characters with lots of prohibited activities. Otherwise you can hamstring yourself from the start.

Landing: PAUSE THE GAME! Take a look around and get a feel for the terrain. Where are the steam geysers for geothermal power? Where are natural choke points to create kill zones? Where are there veins of steel and gold?

After you've had your look around. Go into your "Work" tab at the very bottom of the screen. Anyone with double flames should get a 1 priority. Anyone with a single flame should get a 2 priority

Firefight, Patient, and Flick should be set to a 1 priority. Everything else should be set to a 4 priority.

Your first day: You're going to want to create a stockpile right away. Set it to 'Critical' and prioritize hauling Packaged Survival Meals, Wood, Steel, Medicine.

You should utilize any open free standing structures that require little resources to make a room.

While you have your constructor building your room. You're going to need to start a growing zone. A 7x7 growing zone for potatoes is a nice start.

You should remove the default sleeping spots. And put new ones inside the room you've where you want to build your base.

Your first night:

Safety and security: Your colonists should have picked up the different weapons that crash landed when you did. While they're not the best weapons in the world they'll do for now.

Your first summer: Growing outside in a temperate climate ends about September or October on average. Before then you're going to want an indoor freezer that's at least 2 walls thick. You should also consider making a hydroponics room inside. This room should be at least 2+ doors from the outside. You're going to want a Cotton growing zone. You can craft

Your first winter:

Other tips moving forward: Wild and Tamed animals will get into your growing zones. Kill the wild animals and rezone your animals to a Hay growing zone.

Visitors will get into your freezer and drink your beer regardless if you forbid doors.

Beware of manhunting packs showing up with no notice.