Ultimate Guide to Outbound

In Outbound, I’ve flipped over my van, lost power in the middle of the night, and had to crawl back to camp because my backpack was too heavy. I’m doing all the mistakes so that you don’t have to.

Outbound seems very comfortable, but trust me, it will absolutely ruin you if you don’t know how to play it. After hours spent playing the game, here’s everything you’ll need to get by. First, the settings. Next, the survival aspect. Finally, the fun part – construction, cultivation, and fortifying your van.

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Quick Reference: What You Absolutely Need to Know

Category	Pro Tip	Why It Matters
Camera	Behind vehicle + 75 FOV	You can actually see what you’re doing
Day Length	Maximum	Nights are useless—skip ’em
Sprint	Tap to toggle + sprint constantly	Walking is painfully slow
Inventory	Never exceed 20 items on you	You lose sprint speed FAST
Van	Your mobile storage unit	Unlimited space vs. your tiny backpack
Nights	Sleep through them	You can’t see, can’t sprint, don’t bother
Homing Boots	Get them ASAP	Teleport to your van when lost
Scrap Metal	Hoard it like gold	You will NEVER have enough

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Part 1: Change the game settings

Before you even press the gas pedal button, head into settings and do these things:

• Driving Camera → Behind the Vehicle – The default view on the dash screen is useless. You don’t see anything. Being behind the van shows the ground better and allows full visibility of materials.
• Day Length → Maximum – Days at night are just lost productivity. The more day, the better. In night, there’s no way to sprint from your van, everything takes forever, and you can’t even see what you’re doing.
• Mini-Games → OFF – They are just a nuisance. I recommend turning them off.
• Field of View → 75 – You can hardly see anything with the default field of view setting. Increase it so that you can actually recognize good materials.
• Sprint Mode → Tap to Toggle – Sprint mode requires one single tap, then you’ll just keep sprinting, making it easier.
• Bonus tip: Sprint always. Sprinting is dramatically faster than walking.

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Part 2: The Van

The van isn’t just a vehicle. It’s literally the second most important thing in the game (after you). Here’s why:

Feature	What It Does
Storage	Unlimited space (multiple pages of inventory)
Workbench	Craft tools, recyclers, build hammers
Power Unit	Burns wood/fiber to charge batteries
Bed	Ends the day, skips night
Deposit Spot	Auto-stores everything from your backpack

Your personal inventory has 20 slots. That’s it. Here’s what happens when you exceed it:

Items Carried	Effect
0–20	Normal speed, can sprint
21+	Slowed down
Way too much	Completely lose ability to sprint

The Strategy:

1. Park your van nearby
2. Run around collecting everything in sight
3. Sprint back to the van
4. Dump everything into storage
5. Repeat

Locking Items in Your Backpack

If you do not want an item automatically stored into your backpack when you press “deposit,” you should left-click the item and use the lock icon. IMPORTANT for the vouchers (tokens): keep those in your backpack always so that you could instantly unlock towers without going back to the van.

Charging and Driving

Your van uses the battery to work. Charging your van:

• Power unit usage
• Start of the game: burn logs (only renewable energy, not gasoline)
• Charge your van when it is stationary, not moving – charging and driving simultaneously is impossible

Important: Before driving again, you MUST unset the camper (unlock the parking brake basically). Otherwise you’re just sitting there.

Stuck? Use Unstuck

If your van ends up on its roof or wedged somewhere stupid:

• Press Escape → Unstuck
• You’ll reset to a drivable spot

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Part 3: Day & Night

Time	What You Can Do
Day	Everything. Full vision. Sprint freely.
Night	Almost nothing. Can’t sprint far from van. Vision is garbage.

The Owl sound = night is coming. Wrap it up.

The Homing Boots Trick (Get These Early)

Homing boots let you:

• Turn toward your van
• Press the hotkey (default: Print)
• Teleport directly to your van

Once you reach the van:

• Go inside
• Click the bed
• End the day → skip to next morning

Zero wasted night time.

The Compass (Top of Screen)

Use it to find:

• Your van (always visible)
• Quest objectives
• Landmarks you’ve tracked

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Part 4: Multiplayer

To play co-op (up to 4 players total):

Step	Host	Friends
1	Create new save	Launch Outbound
2	Finish the short tutorial	Finish the tutorial (required!)
3	Escape → Multiplayer → Show Code	Join Friend → Enter code
4	Share the code	—

EVERYONE must finish the tutorial first. No exceptions.

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Part 5: Beginner Tools – What to Craft First

You’ll unlock blueprints from signal towers. Here’s the priority:

Tool	Materials	Why You Need It
Wrench	3 Scrap Metal	Opens gates, unlocks multiplayer
Build Hammer	Wood + Scrap	Place workstations, expand van
Axe	Voucher + materials	Chop big logs → get 5 wood each
Pickaxe	Voucher + materials	Break rocks, reach hidden areas
Sickle	Voucher + materials	Harvest fiber bushes, grain

First voucher choice: The game recommends Axe. Listen to it. Big logs give you FIVE wood instead of picking up one at a time.

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Part 6: Materials – What to Collect and Where

Material	Where to Find	Used For
Everwood	Ground logs (small)	Early energy, building, planks
Big Logs	Forest floor	Needs axe → 5 wood each
Fiber	Bushes (brown things)	Furniture, wind turbines
Scrap Metal	Near towers, boxes	Solar panels, tools, EVERYTHING
Litter/Trash	Everywhere	Recycler → Vouchers
Roadberries	Bushes	Food (10 nutrition each)
Ginger	Ground pickups	Healing
Rocks	Hills, tower areas	Decorations
Reeds	Near rivers/lakes	Furniture
Water	Lakes, wells	Farming
Mushrooms	Wood forest	Food

Resource Respawn Timer

All materials respawn every 3 days. Revisit good spots to farm more.

Early Game Priority List

1. Logs – You need wood for everything
2. Litter – Turns into vouchers → more blueprints
3. Scrap Metal – You will never have enough. EVER.

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Part 7: Food & Health

Mechanic	How It Works
Hunger	Drains over time. Hits zero → take damage
Health	Drops from falling or zero hunger
Fall Damage	Pretty low. Don’t worry unless you’re jumping off cliffs repeatedly
Death Penalty	Basically nothing. Skip to next day. Keep all materials.

Hot take for early game: Ignore food. There’s almost no downside to being hungry. You won’t die easily.

Food Values (Early Game)

Food	Nutrition
Roadberries	10
Jam (from processor)	22
Ginger	Healing, not hunger

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Part 8: Vehicle Selection

Van	Building Space	Carry Weight	Handling	Best For
Classic	Medium	Medium	Decent	Balanced start
Path Maker	Very Limited	Good	Great	Solo explorers who don’t build much
Big One	Lots	Lots	Poor	Builders and hoarders (my pick)
School Bus (DLC)	Ridiculous	Ridiculous	Poor	Maximalists

My take: I love the big one. Handling doesn’t matter much in this game. You’re not racing. You’re stopping constantly to collect stuff anyway. More building space and carry weight = better.

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Part 9: The First 30 Minutes – Step by Step

1. Name your van, pick colors, customize character
2. Hold W to start engine
3. Follow the tutorial – drive to the first campfire
4. Light campfire (needs 1 Everwood) – opens nearby box
5. Go to signal tower – first one is free, no voucher needed
6. Download: Build Hammer, Homing Boots, Wrench
7. Collect scrap metal (3 pieces minimum)
8. Craft Wrench at workbench (play mini game or skip if disabled)
9. Repair the gate with wrench – opens to the rest of the world
10. Multiplayer unlocks automatically

You’re now free.

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Part 11: Advanced Tips (For When You’ve Got Hours In)

1. Use Your Dog’s Backpack

The dog isn’t just cute. He has a functional backpack. Double your collection capacity on long expeditions. Fill it with heavy items before leaving the van.

2. Passive Energy > Bio Burner

Stop burning wood. Research solar panels + wind turbines ASAP.

• Solar works during day
• Wind works at night
• Combined = constant charging
• No more getting stranded

3. Build Up, Not Just Inside

You can build:

• Second floors
• External side platforms
• Roof extensions

Weight rule: Heavy items at the bottom (machines, metal). Light items on roof (solar panels, plants). This improves handling dramatically.

4. Upgrade Engine + Suspension Together

Problem	Cause	Fix
Sloppy handling	Heavy van + weak engine	Engine upgrade
Swaying on turns	Heavy van + weak suspension	Suspension upgrade
Battery drains fast on hills	Heavy van	Both upgrades

Bonus: Weight affects energy consumption. Heavier van = less range.

5. Farm Scrap Metal at Signal Towers

Scrap respawns around towers every 1-2 in-game days. Create a route:

1. Mark discovered towers on map
2. Visit them in a loop
3. Collect respawned scrap
4. Sleep
5. Repeat

6. Organize Chests by Category

Don’t use one chest for everything.

• Raw resources → one container
• Processed components → another
• Consumables → separate
• Recycler items → dedicated spot

7. Use the Recycler for Trash

Litter + recycler = vouchers. Vouchers = blueprints. Don’t throw anything away.

8. Explore Landmarks First

Lighthouses, windmills, fire lookouts = new blueprints. Activate before exploring. The large windmill gives a massive energy boost but requires solving a lever puzzle.

9. Adapt to Each Biome

Every biome has different:

• Terrain (change tires)
• Energy needs (adjust power systems)
• Crops (plant what belongs there)

Mushrooms grow better in damp forests. Coastal fruits produce more near shore. Don’t fight the biome.

10. Automate Farming

Don’t manually collect food forever. Set up:

• Garden plots
• Processing chain (harvest → process → cook)
• Diversified crops (single point of failure = bad)

Cooked meals give stamina and energy buffs. Raw food is for emergencies.

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Part 12: Biomes & What You’ll Find

Biome	Unique Resources	Notes
Wood Forest	Roadberries, mushrooms, Everwood, fiber	Starting area
Wheat Fields	Grain, roadberries	Need sickle
Dry Hilly Area	Rocks, scrap metal, mining nodes	Pickaxe required
Coastal	Coast berries, sturdy fiber, bananas	Paws & Whiskers Lodge (get your dog)
Canyon	Clay (rare!), overheats vehicle	Stock up on clay, it’s limited
Redwood Area	Redwood logs	Second map, new wood type

Between Biomes

• Charging stations – Free full battery
• Paint stations – Change van colors (need paint from flower petals)
• Cap & Snap machines – Trade bottle caps for decorative blueprints

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And that’s all. Got all the configurations, strategies, farm loop cycles, and enough tips on scrap metals to make sure you can play this game three times over. Just head off now and give your van a name, call your dog, and get started. There will be mistakes made for sure, we all make some from time to time, but at least you’ll know how to correct them now.