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Overview
The Outdoors is the first biome players explore in Outbound and the setting for the game's opening hours. Its terrain mixes lush forests, open plains, wide wheat fields, and rolling mountains. The biome has been playable since the alpha build launched for Kickstarter backers in April 2025 and is the entire setting of the free Steam demo released in February 2026.
Geography
The landscape alternates between dense forested areas, flat farmland with swaying wheat, and elevated mountain terrain. Paths wind through the environment, though the van can also go off-road across open ground. Some areas, particularly hilltops and dense tree clusters, are only reachable on foot.
Landmarks
The Outdoors contains several landmarks that reward exploration:
Fire Lookout A hilltop fire lookout with a spiral staircase, a living cabin, a balcony, and panoramic views of the surrounding area. Contains items from a previous ranger.
Tree Hut A large tree with a built-in platform, rocking chair, tool shed, mushroom farms, herb plants, and ladders for climbing.
Sunbeam Acres Farm A farm with a locked farmhouse, a work shed, a wheat field, and a carrot plot. One of the larger landmarks in the biome.
Lilly's Windmill A windmill with a locked room containing paint, a greenhouse with petals, a mechanical ladder, and a balcony overlook.
Woods Cabin A smaller landmark with a kitchen, dining table, fireplace, sofa, and survival tools.
Mountain Outpost A ranger hut with storage crates and a checkpoint.
Signal Towers
The biome contains 23 Signal Towers, the structures used to download blueprints. Players need Download Coupons (crafted by recycling litter at the Recycler) to activate each tower. Towers offer a selection of blueprints to choose from, and their signals refresh over time, allowing return visits for additional unlocks.
Resources
The Outdoors provides a balanced selection of early-game resources: Lumber and Fibre from trees, Rocks from ground deposits, Berries and Herbs from bushes, Carrots and Grain from farm areas, mushrooms (Amber Morel and Indigo Cap) from shaded forest floors, Water from streams, and Litter scattered throughout the environment for recycling into Download Coupons.
Collectibles
Hidden gnomes are scattered across the biome as collectibles. Bunnies roam the landscape but cannot be harmed, consistent with the game's non-violent design. The world map marks campfires, landmarks, utilities, Signal Towers, bridges, and cairns as navigational aids.