Outbound Starting Area
The first biome — meadow, forest and river. Every Tier 1 material clusters within 250m of the van. Use this page to plan your first 60 minutes.
Quick facts
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Tier range | T1–T2 |
| Resource nodes | ~20 distinct types |
| Signal towers | 1 (ridge north-east of van) |
| Hostile fauna | Boars only (21:00–23:00) |
| Average temp (night) | −8 °C |
| Travel restriction | None — drivable from minute one |
Resources in the Starting Area
| Resource | Tier | Tool | Where it spawns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lumber | T1 | Axe | Forest groves east + south of van |
| Fibre | T1 | Bare hands | Tall Grass on the riverbank meadow |
| Reed Cluster | T1 | Bare hands | River shallows |
| Scrap Metal | T1 | Pickaxe | Surface piles near the crash site |
| Common Minerals | T1 | Pickaxe | Boulder field 200m north |
| Coal | T1 | Pickaxe | Hillside cuts north-west |
| Berries | T1 | Bare hands | Forest edges |
| Mushrooms | T1 | Bare hands | Shaded forest |
| Water (clean) | T1 | Bottle | River — fillable any time |
| Biofuel pods | T2 | Bare hands (after 20:00) | Glowing pods on the meadow |
Recommended first-base spot
Park the van on the gravel pad between the river and the ridge, ~120m east of the crash site. You get free Water from the river, an east-facing solar window for the dawn bonus, and the boulder field is one short walk north. This pad is also flat, which matters once you start placing solar and wind modules.
The 60-minute checklist
- Chop 12 Lumber, mine 8 Scrap Metal + 4 Common Minerals (~14 min).
- Plank up at the Saw Bench (2 Lumber → 1 Plank).
- Build Workshop T1 → Solar Panel Mk1 + Storage Crate.
- Walk to the ridge, power the signal tower (costs 1 Plank + 2 Scrap Metal).
- Sleep at 19:00 — skip the Boars, wake to a fully-charged battery.
Signal tower
A single tower sits on the ridge to the north-east. It needs 1 Plank + 2 Scrap Metal to power. Once active, it unlocks the first fast-travel beacon and drops a blueprint page (random selection from Workshop T1 pool). See Signal Towers for the full tower list.
Common questions
What biome do you start in Outbound?
The Starting Area — a forgiving meadow / forest / river biome with mild weather and no hostile fauna for the first 24 in-game hours. It contains every Tier 1 material you need to set up a working van.
How long should I spend in the Starting Area?
Plan on the full first 60–90 in-game minutes. Build Workshop T1, install Solar Mk1, hit a Storage Crate and clear the first signal tower before you push to Canyons.
Are there hostile creatures in the Starting Area?
Only Boars at night (21:00–23:00). They two-shot a T1 character — sleep at 19:00 on night one to skip them entirely.
Where is the Starting Area signal tower?
On the ridge north-east of the van spawn, ~250m from the crash site. Powering it unlocks the first fast-travel beacon and a blueprint page.