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11 Overview
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33 Camping is a core gameplay feature in Outbound, unlocked as the second stretch goal during the Kickstarter campaign. Players park their camper van at scenic locations throughout the game world, set up campfires, and create temporary outdoor living spaces. Camping ties together the game's exploration, survival, and social mechanics into a satisfying loop of traveling, stopping, and making the most of each location.
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55 Campfire Mechanics
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77 Campfires are the central element of any camp. Players place them in the world and use them for warmth, light, and outdoor cooking. At night, the campfire becomes a gathering point; players can sit around it and watch the sunset or stars while waiting for daylight.
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1010 Rain extinguishes open campfires. To protect a fire during bad weather, players can shelter it using the van's horizontal side doors, or build proper cover with floors and roofs from the building system. This shelter mechanic was directly inspired by a streamer who tried to cover a campfire with the side door during a rainstorm, and the developers implemented it as a real feature. Fire extinguishing during rain was confirmed working in beta v0.7.8.
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1212 Setting up Camp
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1414 The typical camping workflow follows a pattern:
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1616 Drive the van to a promising area with good resources or scenic views.Park the van and activate camper mode, which unfolds the pop-up second floor.Place a campfire and any outdoor decorations (bonfire items were a Kickstarter stretch goal addition).Set up any portable workstations or outdoor cooking equipment.Venture out on foot to explore, forage, and gather while the camp is a home base.
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1818 Camping Decorations
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2020 The Kickstarter campaign specifically mentioned "camping-related outdoor decorations like a bonfire" as part of the camping stretch goal. Additional decorative items include hanging lights, curtains, and candles that were added during alpha development (v0.5.8). These let players personalize their campsite and create a cozy atmosphere at each stop.
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2222 Camping and the Gameplay Loop
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2424 Camping connects to nearly every other system in the game. While camped, players can tend their gardens, cook meals, manage energy generation, work on van upgrades, go fishing at nearby water, and spend time with their dog companion. The campsite becomes a hub of activity between driving segments. Some players may choose to stay at a single scenic spot for extended periods, while others pack up and move frequently.
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2626 Nighttime Camping
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2828 Nighttime driving was added in beta v0.7.6, but camping overnight remains appealing. Solar panels stop generating power after dark, making nighttime a natural break point to rest, cook, and plan the next day's route. The day/night cycle creates different atmospheres at the same location depending on timing.
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3030 Multiplayer Camping
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3232 In multiplayer sessions, camping becomes a group activity. Up to four players can share a campsite, with each person adding to setup and taking on different roles: one player tends the fire, another cooks, a third explores, and a fourth manages the van's systems. The multiplayer camping experience transforms what could be a solo downtime mechanic into a social hub.