Guide Index / Biomes & Terrain 中文į‰ˆæœŦ
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🌍 Biomes & Terrain

🏔ī¸ Biome Difficulty Ranking Essential

Your starting biome directly determines your game experience. Here is a ranking from easiest to hardest, based on beginner-friendliness.

BiomeDifficultyCharacteristicsVerdict
Temperate Forest Trivial Year-round or long growing season, abundant wood and animals, moderate temperatures Best for beginners
Arid Shrubland Trivial Year-round growing, fewer trees but enough, hot but survivable Second pick for beginners
Tropical Rainforest Easy Year-round growing, extremely rich resources High disease rate (malaria/sleeping sickness), need a good doctor
Boreal Forest Medium Short growing season (20-30 days), cold winters Need heating + greenhouse, plenty of wildlife for hunting
Swamp Medium Fertile soil + year-round growing Difficult to build on, high disease rate, slow movement
Tundra Hard Extremely short growing season (10-20 days) Barely any farming, rely on hunting and trading
Desert Hard Hot year-round, but no wood, no animals, no fertile soil Every inch of arable land is precious
Extreme Desert Very Hard Almost no plants or animals Survive on cannibalism + trading
Ice Sheet Very Hard Perpetual winter, no growing season Survive on cannibalism + geothermal greenhouse
Sea Ice Hell Nothing at all, not even stone Pure masochism

📊 Biome Difficulty Spectrum

See at a glance each biome's survival difficulty, growing season, and temperature range.

← Beginner friendly ¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡ Masochist → đŸŒŗ Temperate Forest Year-round ¡ 10~30°C ¡ Bountiful đŸŒĩ Arid Shrubland Year-round ¡ 15~40°C ¡ Low wood 🌴 Tropical Rainforest Year-round ¡ High disease risk ¡ Tons of resources 🌲 Boreal Forest Grow 20~30d ¡ Cold winters ¡ Need greenhouse 🐊 Swamp Rich soil ¡ Hard to build ¡ High disease ❄ī¸ Tundra Grow 10~20d ¡ Barely farmable 🏜ī¸ Desert No wood, no animals ¡ Every inch counts 💀 Extreme Desert Barely any life ¡ Trade + cannibalism 🧊 Ice Sheet Eternal winter ¡ Geothermal greenhouse is your only hope Best for beginners Masochist
▲ Longer bar = more beginner-friendly. Temperate Forest and Arid Shrubland are the only two recommended for new players — every other biome has significant drawbacks.

đŸ—ēī¸ Terrain Type Selection Guide Essential

Besides the biome itself, the map's terrain elevation is just as important. Pay attention to these options when choosing your landing site.

Terrain TypeAdvantagesDisadvantagesBest For
Flat Easy to build, unlimited expansion No natural cover, exposed on all sides Great for beginners learning base layout
Small Hills Some hills to mine and take cover behind Not enough mountain for a fortress, low infestation risk Good balance
Large Hills Plenty of mountain for natural walls Moderate infestation risk Recommended for intermediate players
Mountainous Almost all mountain = strongest defense Frequent infestations + time-consuming mining Best for fortress builders
Coastal Ocean on one side = one less direction to defend No resources on water, takes up map space Great combined with mountains
💡 Starting Recommendation
Beginners: Large Hills + Temperate Forest = the safest start. Mountains, trees, fertile soil — offense and defense in one package.

🔍 Hidden Factors That Affect Your Choice

Many beginners don't realize these details are what truly determine whether you survive the early game.

  • đŸĒ¨ Stone Type: Granite > Limestone > Sandstone > Slate — wall durability varies by 3x. Granite walls have 1000 HP, Slate only 330 HP. Check what stone spawns on your map before settling.
  • 🌱 Soil Fertility: Regular soil 100% / Rich Soil 140% (dark green patches, prioritize these) / Gravel 70% (only good for haygrass). Scan the map for dark green soil before planning your fields.
  • đŸ—ŋ Marble vs. Sandstone: Marble has +1 beauty (great for sculptures and floors), Sandstone is the fastest to mine. Early game with limited labor, go with sandstone.
  • 🌊 Rivers: A river means a natural speed bump for enemies plus watermill generators (stable 1100W clean power). But rivers take up map space and can split your base — plan ahead with bridges or choke points.
  • ⚠ī¸ Ancient Dangers: Don't break into those ancient structures (pale gray walls) right away. They might contain dormant mech clusters that will wipe out an early colony. Wait until you have guns and armor.
  • 🛤ī¸ Roads: A road passing through your map means more frequent trade caravans. Settle near roads — trade routes determine whether you survive the winter.
  • 🌐 Latitude: Closer to the equator = hotter, year-round growing. Closer to the poles = colder, even permafrost. Check the latitude lines on the world map before choosing — don't blunder into an ice sheet unknowingly.

🌡ī¸ Seasons & Temperature Survival Guide Must Learn

RimWorld's weather and temperature mechanics are where beginners most often crash and burn. Understanding them in advance is key to surviving them.

Weather EventEffectThreatCountermeasure
Heat Wave Spikes temperature +20°C Pawns get heatstroke, can die indoors without AC Passive cooler (needs wood) + cowboy hat + restrict work hours
Cold Snap Drops temperature -20°C Crops freeze, pawns get frostbite Campfire + parka + indoor farming (hydroponics or greenhouse)
Volcanic Winter Global cooling -10~-20°C, lasts months Crops grow extremely slowly, solar panel efficiency drops Stockpile food early + geothermal power + supplement with hunting
Toxic Fallout Map-wide toxic fallout, outdoors = poisoning Can't go outside, animals die, plants wither Everyone stays indoors + rely on stockpiles + build roofed corridors between buildings
⚠ī¸ Extreme weather events can stack
Cold Snap + Volcanic Winter can reach -60°C. Stockpiling food and wood in advance is critical — don't wait until it hits to prepare.