Don't Let Your Second Colony Become a Death Trap: RimWorld Multi-Base Survival

• Multiple Colonies are Off by Default: By default, RimWorld limits you to 1 colony at a time for performance reasons. You can change this in the Options -> Gameplay menu by moving "Maximum number of colonies" up (max 5).
• Performance and Difficulty: Running two colonies is essentially running two maps simultaneously – it can tax your PC and your attention. Players report the game doesn't crash with 2-3 colonies, but it will run slower and requires a lot of pausing.
• Recent Patches: The 1.4 update (Biotech) added an option for mechanitors to bring their mechanoids when leaving a map. And 1.5 (Anomaly, Apr 2024) introduced a "Create new wanderers" feature if you lose all pawns.
• Community Consensus: Most players say only start a second colony if you have a specific goal (e.g. a mining outpost) or you're up for an extra challenge. Mods like Outposts and Set Up Camp are very popular alternatives.

1. Enable Multiple Colonies in Options

   Open the Options menu, go to Gameplay, and find "Maximum number of colonies". Increase this slider to 2 (or more, up to 5). You can do this from the main menu or in an active game.

   

   RimWorld multiple colonies interface concept - this is what managing multiple bases looks like!

   By default it's set to 1 – you must change it, because RimWorld will not let you settle a new base if you're at the limit.

2. Pick a Good Location

   Switch to the World Map and evaluate nearby tiles. Decide why you want a second colony:

   • If it's for mining resources, find a mountainous tile
   • For farming, maybe a year-round growing zone
   • For strategic positioning, perhaps a spot closer to friendly factions
   Avoid settling right next to your current base if you want both to get separate trader visits.

3. Form a Caravan with Colonists and Supplies

   At your original colony, click "Form caravan". Choose 2-5 colonists who will pioneer the new base. Send at least one good builder and someone who can fight.

   Recommended Supply Checklist:

   Item	Quantity	Purpose
   Survival Meals	10+ per colonist	Food while establishing farms
   Medicine	10-15	Emergency treatment
   Components	10-20	Power and workbenches
   Wood/Steel	100+ units	Initial construction

4. Caravan to the New Tile

   Select the world tile you want and choose "Settle" (it becomes clickable now that you raised the colony limit). Confirm, and the game will generate a new map for Colony #2.

   Congratulations – you now have two colonies! 🎉

5. Establish Basic Shelter & Security

   On the new map, quickly set up a shelter. You brought wood/steel – use it to build a small house or even a quick barracks. Get some beds or bedrolls down so your people don't sleep on the ground.

   For defense, even a couple of traps or a single turret can save you if a raid hits Colony B while you're busy elsewhere.

6. Monitor Both Colonies

   Now you'll notice on the top of your screen, you have two colony name tabs. You can click those or use keyboard shortcuts (<> keys by default) to swap between colonies.

   Important: Pause (spacebar) when switching your focus, especially if one base is mid-crisis.

7. Establish Supply Lines

   Eventually, you'll want your colonies to support each other. Set up a caravan route or drop pods to send goods. For example, if Colony B is a mining outpost, periodically caravan the mined steel/plasteel back to Colony A. For detailed caravan management tips, check our caravan trading guide.

   You can also use transport pods for one-way deliveries (later you can research pod launchers on both ends for round-trip).

Rule of Thumb:

Start a second colony only when your first colony is stable – you have surplus food, decent defenses, and can afford to send away a few colonists and supplies without jeopardizing Colony A. If Colony A is still struggling, fix that first; two struggling colonies will just be twice as hard. For tips on optimizing your main base layout and room quality, check our room impressiveness guide.

Divide and Conquer (Roles for Each Colony)

An example RimWorld colony layout with labeled zones - proper organization is crucial for multi-colony success!

One effective approach is to specialize your colonies. Give each colony a distinct role so that you mentally compartmentalize tasks and resources:

Time Management and Attention Splitting

• Alternate Focus in Chunks: Spend a game-day or two focused on one colony, then switch. Don't feel bad about playing slower.
• Leverage Alerts & Letters: The game will alert you if something major happens in either colony. Make it a habit to read the colony name on alerts.
• Synchronize Critical Moments: When one colony is in a full combat situation, consider pausing the other colony's activities by drafting everyone.
• Use Zones and Schedules: Restrict pawns to safe zones in the colony you're not actively watching to prevent accidents.

Colony Defense and Security Strategies

Summary: Each DLC adds complexity that multiplies with colonies. It's manageable, but you have to recreate certain facilities and roles or decide to centralize them. RimWorld doesn't impose a fixed way – it just gives you the problems and you figure out solutions.

Tip for Using Mods Carefully:

If you already started a game and built a second colony the vanilla way, switching to a mod mid-run (like enabling VOE) is possible but you shouldn't "convert" an existing colony into an outpost easily. Better to decide on mods at game start if possible.

• Enable colony slots – Increase Max Colonies in Options, or use mods like Set Up Camp if you prefer temporary sites.
• Plan the new colony's purpose – Define why you need it to guide its setup and justify the effort.
• Send the right team & gear – Pick colonists with complimentary skills and send ample supplies.
• Establish basics quickly – Set up shelter, food, power, and defenses appropriate to colony needs.
• Manage both colonies actively – Regularly pause and switch views. Use in-game alerts to respond fast.
• Use caravans/pods for synergy – Transfer resources to leverage each colony's strengths.
• Keep colonies lean – Minimize stored wealth at outposts to keep raid sizes down.
• Prepare for double trouble – Train extra fighters and build contingency plans.