Hello! We’re only one week away from Odyssey’s release! The new expansion launches on July 11, 2025. Please wishlist so you’re notified when it’s out.
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3022790/RimWorld__Odyssey/
Today’s blog post looks at the creatures of Odyssey - over 40 new animals, additional ways to train pets, and quests built around legendary beasts. Plus, we’ll talk about fishing as a new way to feed your colony.
New animals
Odyssey adds over 40 new animals to the world - creatures you can tame, train to work, trade for silver, bring in caravans, or raise into a loyal pack of bodyguards.
Let’s look at a few favourites.
Crows, flamingos, herons, macaws, quails: Birds - that fly! Murders of manhunter crows may descend on your colony. Pink flamingos wade through warm waters. Colorful macaws flap through the jungle canopy. And chubby quails make a great snack for your colonists. (Fun fact: Our artist painstakingly drew 24 frames per flier - that’s nearly 400 unique frames of flying.)
Porcupines: Cute and prickly, but try fighting one and your colonist will end up with a face full of quills.
Bog hounds: These tough pups descend from domesticated dogs, but they’ve adapted to harsh, toxic conditions and are no longer accustomed to human company. They’re scavengers that travel in packs, so attacking one means you’re attacking them all.
Colossus toads, bullfrogs: The first frogs in RimWorld - chunky, swamp-dwelling amphibians.
Otters, walruses, sea turtles, sea lions, seals: These aquatic friends are found along ocean coastlines. They tend to stick close to the water and not bother anyone, but hunters target them often due to their gentle, unsuspecting nature.
Mastodons, scimitar cats, greatwolves: Prehistoric megafauna that roam the glacial plains. These massive beasts make excellent companions, but they also make excellent fur parkas…
Lava snails: One of the few creatures adapted to the extreme heat of the lava fields. They’re big, slimy, slow-moving, and often farmed for food.
Hippos: Enormous semi-aquatic mammals that you do not want to mess with. Their powerful jaws can crush through armor and bone, so keep your distance.
Hermit crabs, stone crabs: These little guys crawl across coastal beaches, like on islands and archipelagos. They walk sideways too.
Pursuing quests will lead you to rare creatures. Rumours speak of the legendary alpha thrumbo - bigger, faster, and stronger than any thrumbo. And you’ve received a tip: one has been spotted roaming the wilderness with its herd. If you’re quick, you might be able to catch it. Will you attempt to tame and claim it as a majestic ally? Or hunt it down and harvest its priceless horn?
Then there’s the hive queen. Deep underground, insect hives can merge, creating a single bloated matriarch. She spews sludge and lays egg sacs, which hatch into writhing, acid-spitting larvae. She’s defended by her spawn, including the flying locust. Those that dare to venture into her lair can put her down, or attempt to tame the beast.
New ways to train animals
Odyssey expands how animals can help around your colony. Many creatures can be trained to do new tasks around the base.
Your fluffy cat or panda can be trained to comfort colonists. They’ll nuzzle more often and give a bigger mood bonus - because really, that would make anyone feel better.
Pigs and raccoons can learn to forage, snuffling out treats like berries from the brush.
Creatures with claws like the megasloth and megavole can be taught to dig - they’ll slowly chip away at spots you’ve marked for mining.
Predators like wolves, bears, and big cats can be trained to attack specific targets. So you can sic your tigers on the raider that tried to kidnap your wife.
Train mastodons or elephants to use war trumpet, a bellowing roar ability that disorients your foes, making them slow and clumsy. The alpha thrumbo has a similar terror roar that causes enemies to break and flee in panic.
If you’re bold enough to tame the hive queen, she can be trained to use her egg spew on command - launching acidic sludge and birthing offensive larva. It’s disgusting and incredible.
Of course, not every creature is smart enough to be trained - for example, alligators’ reptile brains are too simple. But with the sentience catalyst, you can inject ultratech mechanites into any animal to increase its intelligence and trainability. Suddenly, your alligator can become a distinguished loyal bodyguard.
Fishing
Cast your line and catch your next meal from rivers, oceans, or gaps in frozen lakes. Fishing is a reliable way to feed your colony - available year-round, even when your crops are frozen and wildlife is scarce. It’s safer than hunting… as long as the fish don’t nip your colonists’ fingers.
Different waters have different fish. Reel in big marlin and tuna from the ocean, freshwater salmon and bass from lakes, and piranhas from tropical rivers. Lucky fishermen may pull up unusual catches like treasure, drugs, bionic limbs, and other surprises.
Skilled fishermen are faster and catch more, but fish responsibly - overfishing could empty your only lake. And if gill rot, a parasitic fungus, hits the waters, your food supply could vanish overnight. Smart colonies have other food options as backup, like crops or pemmican or wild game.
Build a sleepy lakeside village with a shanty dock over the water, and feed your colonists and pets fresh catches. Trade fish for supplies with passing caravans. Use it as a protein source to cook higher-quality meals. You’ll also occasionally see animals like penguins, otters, and grizzlies fishing for themselves when they get hungry.
But fish aren’t the only ones in the water! Colonists now swim for fun - they’ll wade into jungle pools, marshy ponds, and hot springs to relax. Some Odyssey animals swim too - each with unique visuals as they paddle around.
Coming soon
Thanks for reading. It’s only one more week until Odyssey releases on July 11, 2025. Wishlist so you’re notified when it’s out!
https://store.steampowered.com/app/3022790 Chat with us about the new animals over on Reddit, X, and BlueSky.
In next week’s final preview, we’ll go over the new quests, the mechhive endgame, and other miscellaneous bits in Odyssey.