Recreation

Colonists may do joy activities when their timetable allows. Some activities require nothing more than an allotted time while certain activities require the relevant building or item. Certain items can only be purchased from traders. Some activities have an added benefit of improving skill experience points. Colonists develop an increasing tolerance, or resistance, to a kind of activity the more it is done. Tolerances are shown in the Joy tooltip (hover the mouse over the joy meter) and are listed by kind and percentage. A variety of kinds of activities should be made available to avoid tolerance buildup.

The joy meter has thresholds that trigger mood-altering thoughts. No thoughts are triggered from 30% to 69%.

Joy thresholds

Threshold	Label	Mood Effect	Thought
85	Tons 'o' joy	10	I've been enjoying myself so much, I love it!
70	Joy-filled	5	I've been having a great time here recently.
30	Joy-deprived	-5	I could really use a break for something enjoyable.
15	Very joy-deprived	-10	I never get to relax and enjoy myself around here.
0	Totally joy-deprived	-20	It's been so long since I did anything I truly enjoyed.

Buildings

The following can be built from the Architect - Joy menu.

Horseshoes Pin

In-game description: A simple ancient game played with a few horseshoes and a large pin in the ground. Players toss horseshoes from a distance and attempt to get them to land close to or around the pin. It's relaxing, and even trains hand-eye coordination.

To be usable a horseshoe pin must have a standable spot five spaces away. It also needs line of sight to it in a straight line (many structures like chairs, lamps, and tables, do not block line of sight). Playing horseshoes increases the player's shooting skill at a meager rate. Because of its low cost and ability to slowly raise colonist shooting skill, it is often advisable to build a horseshoe pin early after starting a colony.

Size: 1 x 1
Beauty: 0

Horseshoe pins can made from:
Standard volume material (i.e. Steel): 15
Low volume material (): 300

Chess Table

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In-game description: The ancient game of kings. Fun for a few hours here and there, even playing alone.

Sometimes a colonist will play chess alone to 'practice'. Chess improves the player's research skill at a meager rate.

Size: 1 x 1
Beauty: varies by material, see below.

A chess table can be made from any material:

Material	Cost	Beauty
Steel	70	10
Plasteel	70	10
Wood	70	10
Uranium	1400	5
Silver	1400	32
Gold	1400	120
Granite	70	10
Limestone	70	10
Marble	70	15
Sandstone	70	11
Slate	70	11

Billiards Table

In-game description: A soft-topped bounded table for playing a variety of billiards-type games.

Playing billiards increases the player's shooting skill at a meager rate.

Size: 2 x 3 ~ Needs a space of 4 x 5 to accommodate the playing area.
Beauty: varies by material, see below.

A billiards table costs 80 cloth, 30 wood and one of these materials:

Material	Cost	Beauty
Steel	70	10
Plasteel	70	10
Wood	70	10
Uranium	1400	5
Silver	1400	32
Gold	1400	120
Granite	70	10
Limestone	70	10
Marble	70	15
Sandstone	70	11
Slate	70	11

Telescope

In-game description: A telescope for doing amateur astronomy. It's a relaxing and fun hobby for a certain kind of person.

Entertainment strength factor: 100%

Tube Television

In-game description: A cathode ray tube display for showing moving pictures with sound. Even on the rimworlds, there is often an old transmitter running something at least marginally interesting.

A tube television (TV) must be either bought from an exotic trader or researched and built. They are placed like sculptures, and require a place to sit, facing the right way (towards the TV). Unlike a chessboard, the seats must be placed between with a 1-tile gap from the TV.

Televisions can also be viewed for enjoyment by people residing in medical-designated beds of all types.

Size: 1 x 1
Viewing area: 3 x 5
Offset: 1 tile away
Market value: 700 silver
Entertainment strength factor: 100%

Flatscreen Television

In-game description: A high-tech flat-screen television with crystal-clear image and rich color. More entertaining than a grainy tube TV.

The Flatscreen Television must be bought from an exotic trader. They are placed like sculptures, and require a place to sit, facing the right way (towards the TV). Seating must be placed with a 1-tile gap from the TV.

Size: 1 x 2
Viewing area: 6 x 5
Offset: 1 tile away
Market value: 1500 silver
Entertainment strength factor: 120%

Megascreen Television

In-game description: A huge, high-tech television. Gigantic, hyper-vibrant images almost leap out of the screen. Very entertaining.

The Megascreen Television was added in Alpha 13 and must be bought from an exotic trader. They are placed like sculptures, and require a place to sit, facing the right way (towards the TV). Seating must be placed with a 1-tile gap from the TV.

Size: 1 x 3
Viewing area: 7 x 6
Offset: 1 tile away
Market value: 2000 silver
Entertainment strength factor: 135%

Activities table

Activity	Duration	Gain Rate	Kind	Interaction	Improves Skill	+XP Per Tick
Skygazing	4000	1	Meditative	Solitary	-	-
Meditating	4000	1	Meditative	Solitary	-	-
Praying	3000	1	Meditative	Solitary	-	-
Going for a walk	8000	1	Meditative	Solitary	-	-
Building snowman	8000	1	Meditative	Solitary	-	-
Relaxing socially	4000	1	Social	Social	-	-
Playing horseshoes	4000	1	Gaming Dexterity	Building	Shooting	0.003
Playing chess	4000	1	Gaming Cerebral	Building	Research	0.002
Playing billiards	4000	1.3	Gaming Dexterity	Building	Shooting	0.004
Using telescope * **	4000	1.2	Study	Building	Research	0.004
Watching television **	4000	1.2	Passive	Building	-	-

* Only acquired from traders.
** Must be installed before use.

Consumables table

Item	+Joy (%)	Kind
Beer	17	Chemical
Berries	0.4	Gluttonous
Chocolate *	7	Gluttonous
Fine meal	4.5	Gluttonous
Lavish meal	6.5	Gluttonous
Nutrient paste meal	-4	Gluttonous
Packaged Survival Meal	2	Gluttonous
Simple meal	2	Gluttonous

* Only acquired from traders and cargo pods.

Activities

Building snowman

In cold biomes after some snow has accumulated a colonist may build a snowman.

Skygazing

Skygazing is the act of your colonists simply laying on the ground in an outdoor (area without a roof) area and facing upwards. The game has a few flavor text names such as "Cloudwatching". This activity is the same length of time that most others are and the same tolerance gain rate.

Meditating

Meditating is the act of your colonists going into their private room and sitting in a corner for a while while in solitary. Like most other activities, this has a length of 4000 ticks and an average tolerance gain rate.

Going for a walk

When a colonist goes for a walk, this means that they path around the area they started at for a while with no reason (Verification?) to this pathing. They take twice as long as most other activities to finish and yet still have the same tolerance gain rate.

Relaxing socially

If a campfire or table is enabled as a Gather Spot, colonists will stand in the vicinity of the campfire, or sit at a chair or stool beside a table. If beer is available, a colonist may carry a bottle while relaxing, without actually consuming the item. This action has been shown to occur among colonists with the Chemical Interest trait, the Teetotaler trait, and no trait in regards to alcohol.

Playing horseshoes

One or more (max 3? one direction only?) colonists throw/take turns throwing horseshoes at the post from approximately 5 (Verification?) blocks away. Playing Horseshoes raises the shooting skill.

Playing chess

A chess table requires adjacent chairs to be used.

Playing billiards

One or more colonists will wander around the billiards table, taking shots. Raises the shooting skill in a similar way to the horseshoes.

Using telescope

At night, a colonist will stand behind the telescope's viewfinder for some time.

Joywire

"This little brain implant will make you feel happy and relaxed." Gives permanent +30 to mood, but also causes the implantee to suffer a permanent penalty to Consciousness, which affects virtually all of their jobs and activities. Thus, it is recommended for chronically depressive colonists, but not for your best soldiers.

Architect

Recreation: Horseshoes pin ^(Colony) • Hoopstone ring ^(Tribal) • Game-of-Ur board ^(Tribal)
Complex Furniture: Billiards table • Chess table ^(Colony) • Poker table
(research): Tube television • Flatscreen television • Harp • Harpsichord • Piano
(trade): Megascreen television • Telescope
Related: Books (Novel • Schematic • Textbook • Tome) • Snowman