With the Odyssey expansion, RimWorld gives you a whole new way to play. Now, you start out on a small gravship—a few rooms that become your home as you travel the planet and land wherever you like. As you upgrade, your ship can even break through the atmosphere and head into space.
Every RimWorld Odyssey player dreams of building a gravship that feels like home and keeps the crew safe. We’re going to talk about how to design the ship the way you want it to be. I’ve covered everything you need to know in this guide, so let’s get started.
To design and upgrade your ship, you need to connect parts and expand the structure, thrusters, fuel tanks, solar panels, life support, food sources, storage, and other key systems. I will guide you through all these steps.
Step 1. The Grav Engine and Build Area
You get a grav engine by choosing a special gravship start or by finding one that crashes on your map. This grav engine is the heart of your ship. It sets the first build area and how many tiles you can use.
The grav engine lets you build inside a circle about 19 tiles wide. You can place up to 500 floor tiles called substructure. Anything built on this floor will move with your ship when you take off.
Note: You cannot build outside the circle around the grav engine. Every tile must connect to the substructure. Tiles that are not supported will be left behind when you launch.
Step 2. Extenders and Materials
To make your ship bigger, you need grav field extenders. Each extender adds about 17 tiles to your build area and lets you place 250 more tiles.
You can use up to six extenders, reaching a total of 2,000 tiles. Place extenders inside the build circle. You will need gravcores to craft extenders. You find these by exploring or by crafting them after unlocking new tech.
Step 3. Thrusters, Fuel Tanks, Pilot Consoles, and Hull Piece
Your gravship needs parts like the grav engine, thrusters (small and large), fuel tanks, pilot consoles, extenders, and hull pieces. Where you put these parts matters for how well your ship works and how much space you have.
Keep your power supplies, fuel tanks, and thrusters inside the ship to protect them from damage. And use vacuum barriers and hull pieces to keep air inside. Add oxygen pumps in every room and have backup power ready.
Step 4: Power and Fuel
Power is what keeps your gravship flying, so managing it well is really important. Solar panels are the best option, but they only work properly if they’re out in the open and getting direct sunlight—so make sure they’re not blocked by walls or roofs.
To avoid running out of power, it’s also a good idea to set up batteries, since they store extra energy in case something goes wrong. For your thrusters and some generators, you’ll need chemfuel. You can make more by refining wood or plants, so keep that production going.
Step 5: Life Support and Food
Your crew needs air, food, and a safe place to sleep. Place oxygen pumps in every room to keep the air fresh. Use vacuum barriers at exits to stop air from leaking out. Bring enough food for long trips.
Set up hydroponics to grow food and fuel on your ship. Even a few growing basins can help a lot. Make bedrooms close to work areas to keep your crew happy.
Step 6. Storage and Workshops
Every ship needs storage for supplies and gear. You can use one big storage room or spread shelves around the ship. Keep fuel tanks in safe spots, away from areas where the crew lives.
Workshops are best kept together to save space and make work faster. Plan your layout so your crew does not have to walk far to get things done.
That concludes my Rimworld Odyssey Gravship Design guide. Now that your gravship is ready, it’s time to take off and explore the vast reaches of space.
