Revision 1

Overview

Animals are a core part of life in Solarpunk. Players can raise chickens, sheep, and pigs, each providing different resources and behaviors. The animal system received a significant overhaul during the September 2025 alpha, with new care stations, improved AI, and a breeding mechanic.

Animal types

Chickens

Chickens produce eggs and live in a chicken coop. They have an automatic behavior where they return to the coop during rain and at nighttime. Players need to provide food and water through care stations to keep chickens healthy and productive.

Sheep

Sheep produce wool, which can be processed for use in crafting recipes. They graze in open areas and need access to feeding and water stations.

Pigs

Pigs have a unique truffle mechanic. When pigs explore the island, they dig up truffles from the ground. Truffles are a valuable resource that cannot be obtained through other means, making pigs the only source for this item.

Breeding

Solarpunk includes an animal breeding system. Players can breed their animals to produce offspring. Baby sheep, baby pigs, and baby chickens have all been shown in official social media posts. Baby animals grow over time into adult versions that produce resources normally.

Animal care overhaul

The September 2025 alpha introduced a major overhaul to how animal care works:

• New round feeding stations: Redesigned feeding stations with a round shape, replacing the earlier models.

• New water stations: Dedicated water stations placed near animal areas.

• Improved creature AI: Animals can now find and use feeding and water stations correctly. Earlier builds had issues where animals would ignore nearby stations or fail to path to them.

Pathfinding

Animal pathfinding was a known issue during early playtests. Creatures would sometimes get stuck on terrain features, fail to navigate around obstacles, or wander away from their designated areas. The developers have been actively fixing these pathfinding bugs as part of the alpha feedback cycle. The improved creature AI in the alpha build specifically targeted these problems, making animals more reliable at finding food, water, and shelter.

Tips for animal management

• Place feeding and water stations close together so animals do not need to travel far between them

• Build sheltered areas or use the chicken coop to protect animals during storms

• Keep pigs in areas with open ground where they can dig for truffles

• Breed animals early to build up a stable supply of eggs, wool, and truffles

• Check that animal pathfinding is working correctly; if an animal seems stuck, try clearing nearby obstacles