Trade

In RimWorld, colonists can trade with passing trade vessels to buy and sell resources, gear, and slaves/prisoners.

Trading vessels will often pass within comms range during a limited time. A blue notification will appear right of screen to announce the trader vessel and its type (which determines its range of available goods), and a simple notice at the top of the screen will declare when the trading vessel has left comms range and can no longer be traded with.

To enable trading, a colony must have a powered Comms console and an Orbital trade beacon. Any goods the player wishes to trade (excluding prisoners) must be within the orbital trade beacon's area of influence, which can be displayed by selecting the beacon. Any colonist can be selected and ordered to trade with available vessels by right-clicking on the Comms console, however the higher the social skills of the selected colonist, the better the trade prices will be. After selecting the trading vessel, the trade interface opens.

The trade interface shows what commodities are available to trade, the colony's stocks, trader's stocks, and the prices to buy/sell. To trade, simply click and hold the number listed under "Drag to trade" next to the appropriate item, and drag it either to the left to buy, or to the right to sell.

Note that prices listed in green are cheap, and prices listed in red are expensive.

In RimWorld, silver is used as currency, so 1 silver = $1.00 on the trade interface.

Trade tips

• Each trade vessel type has a different range of available commodities, people and/or weapons.
• Colonists with a higher Social skill using the Comms console will negotiate lower buying prices for everything but the Commodities (0.5% per Social skill point).
• Likewise, colonists with a higher Social skill will negotiate for higher selling prices for everything but the Commodities (0.5% per Social skill point).
• Selling a prisoner is profitable, but has a negative impact on the happiness of all colonists (excludes psychopaths).
• Food and textiles can be quickly grown on Hydroponics tables, which makes farming a viable income source, provided there's enough manpower to tend to the ever-growing crops.
• Its recommended to put your Comms console in the bedroom of the colonist with the highest social skill for convenient trading.