Resources

Overview

Resources are the raw materials that drive every system in Outbound. From the moment players step out of their camper van, they begin collecting items from the natural environment: chopping trees for lumber, pulling fibre from bushes, picking up rocks, scavenging scrap metal from abandoned structures, and foraging berries and mushrooms for food. These raw materials feed into crafting, building, cooking, and the energy system that keeps the van running.

The resource loop in Outbound follows a clear progression. Early on, players gather basic materials by hand and burn them in the Bio Burner for fuel. As they unlock blueprints from Signal Towers, they gain access to processing workstations that turn raw materials into refined goods. Higher-tier workstations require resources from further-flung biomes, which motivates continued exploration and travel. Different biomes offer different resource mixes, so there is always a practical reason to pack up and drive somewhere new.

Raw Resources

Raw resources are items gathered directly from the open world. They serve as ingredients for crafting recipes, fuel for the Bio Burner, and inputs for processing workstations. The table below lists every confirmed raw resource in the game.

Food Resources

Food resources replenish the player's hunger meter. They can be eaten raw for a small benefit or used as ingredients in cooking recipes for larger hunger restoration. Many food items can also be grown in crop plots once the farming blueprints are unlocked.

Cooked meals like Bread, Pizza, Mushroom Soup, and Herbal Tea provide more hunger or health restoration than raw ingredients. As players unlock additional cooking recipes, food becomes a reliable way to stay healthy on long road trips between biomes.

Refined Materials

Refined materials are created by processing raw resources at workstations. They are used in advanced crafting recipes and the building system. Higher-tier refined materials require blueprints unlocked at Signal Towers before the corresponding workstation or recipe becomes available.

Gathering Methods and Tools

Players start with only their bare hands and can immediately pick up small items: small logs, small rocks, berries, mushrooms, herbs, litter, and scrap metal. As they progress, unlocking tool blueprints from Signal Towers grants access to resources that are impossible to collect without the right equipment.

A common early-game challenge is the fibre bottleneck. Small bushes yield small amounts of fibre without any tool, but the Scythe blueprint requires fibre to craft. Players need to gather enough from small bushes before they can build the Scythe, which then makes large bush harvesting possible. Patience during this early phase pays off quickly once the Scythe is available.

Processing Workstations

Workstations are crafted items that can be placed inside or on top of the camper van. Each one converts specific raw resources into refined materials. Workstation blueprints are unlocked by spending Download Coupons at Signal Towers, so advancing through the technology tree is essential for accessing higher-tier processing.

Resources as Fuel

The Bio Burner is the van's initial power source, mounted at the rear of the vehicle. It converts biodegradable raw resources into energy for the electric motor. In the early game, keeping the Bio Burner fed is the primary reason to gather resources constantly. The fuel loop works like this: gather combustible materials, load them into the Bio Burner, drive until the gauge drops, then stop and gather more.

As players advance through the energy system, they can supplement or replace the Bio Burner with renewable sources: solar panels, wind turbines, and water generators. Once a renewable setup is fully operational, the constant need to gather fuel biomass drops significantly, freeing players to focus on other goals.

Biome Distribution

Different biomes offer different resource mixes. Traveling to new regions is not just for sightseeing; it is often the only way to access certain materials.

• The Outdoors (starting biome): Provides a balanced selection of Lumber, Fibre, Rocks, Berries, Mushrooms, and Litter. This is where players learn the gathering loop and craft their first tools.

• The Coast: Features redwood timber, coastal resources, rocky shores with larger rock deposits, and the Quarry where Coarse Ore can be mined with a Pickaxe Lv. 2. Palm trees and lush forests provide visual variety alongside new material sources.

• Additional biomes are planned for the full release and will expand the resource catalog further, likely introducing materials tied to new workstations and recipes.

Storage and Resource Management

Managing resources means juggling limited carrying capacity with the constant demand for materials. Outbound offers several storage options, each with its own trade-offs.

• Backpack: The player's personal inventory while exploring on foot. It has a limited number of grid slots, so deciding which items to carry matters. Crafting Thread at the Spinning Wheel unlocks the upgraded backpack with additional capacity.

• Van Trunk: Located at the rear of the camper van, the trunk provides more storage than the backpack. Players return to the van frequently to offload gathered materials.

• Storage Module: A buildable interior furniture piece that expands the van's total storage capacity. Multiple modules can be placed inside the van for bulk resource hoarding.

• Dog Companion: The player's canine friend can fetch nearby items and carry supplies, effectively acting as a mobile storage extension while exploring on foot.

Download Coupons and Bottle Caps occupy normal backpack slots just like any other resource, so players should spend coupons at Signal Towers regularly to free up space.

Connections to Other Systems

Resources feed into nearly every mechanic in Outbound. Below is a summary of how the resource loop connects to the game's other major systems.

• Crafting System: Raw and refined materials are consumed to build tools, workstations, furniture, and structural components for the van.

• Building System: Planks, Metal, Bolts, and Thread are the backbone of the modular construction system. Players add walls, floors, furniture, and even additional stories on top of the vehicle.

• Energy System: Lumber, Light Lumber, and Fibre power the Bio Burner. Later, solar panels, wind turbines, and water generators reduce or eliminate the need for biomass fuel.

• Farming and Cooking: Berries, Carrots, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, and Grain can be grown in crop plots. Water and farmed ingredients combine at the Food Mixer to create meals with better hunger and health restoration.

• Technology Tree: Litter is recycled into Download Coupons, which unlock blueprints at Signal Towers. Every new tool, workstation, and recipe depends on this progression chain.

• Exploration: New biomes grant access to new resources, which in turn unlock new crafting options. Resource needs are one of the primary motivations for traveling to distant regions.

• Vehicle Researcher: Bolts produced at the Bolt Press are spent at the Vehicle Researcher to upgrade the van's motor and unlock advanced building options.

Tips

• Gather fibre from small bushes early and often. The Scythe requires fibre to craft, so running short before you can build one creates a frustrating bottleneck.

• Keep the Recycler running in the van while you explore. Litter is common near structures, and a steady stream of Download Coupons speeds up blueprint progression.

• Light Lumber provides double the Bio Burner energy of regular Lumber (+2 vs. +1). Once the Axe Lv. 2 is unlocked, prioritize Light Lumber for long-distance drives.

• Build a Storage Module inside the van as soon as the blueprint becomes available. Extra storage makes resource trips far more productive.

• In co-op, the van's inventory is shared between all players. Coordinate who gathers what to avoid duplicating effort.

• Scrap Metal drops 3 units per harvestable node, making it one of the most inventory-efficient resources to collect. Prioritize it when you see Signal Towers or ruins.

• Plant Berries and Mushrooms in crop plots as soon as farming is unlocked. Homegrown food removes the need to forage while traveling and keeps the hunger meter steady.

• Spend Download Coupons at Signal Towers promptly. Coupons take up backpack space, and hoarding them provides no benefit since the coupons have no other use.