The newest RimWorld expansion, Biotech, was released on Oct. 21 and includes child colonists. These colonists can have terrible things happen to them, especially if the player doesn’t prioritize their welfare.
Sometimes, people in my life do something they think is kind: They look at me, smile beatifically, and say, “You know, Cass, you’d be a wonderful mother.” To which I always reply, “Based on what?” I can’t even keep an Animal Crossing village free of weeds; I can’t imagine being tasked with keeping a tiny human being functional. The person always politely objects, but I know the truth. The new RimWorld expansion, Biotech, just confirms my suspicions. I absolutely cannot be trusted with the welfare of a child, especially not in the middle of a sci-fi colony on fire.
At a glance, RimWorld looks like a Stardew Valley-type colony simulator. My pawns plant crops, make statues, and create a humble little town after a crash landing on a mysterious planet. The twist comes from the relentless danger and threats that assail the colony: wild animals, raiders, infection, insect monsters, robot soldiers, and malevolent AI. And the Biotech expansion, which launched on Oct. 21, adds genetic manipulation, robot mind control, and children. It takes a long time to find the right colonists or research the right tech for two of those additions, but children show up right away.
You can play as a charitable colony leader, accepting people into your colony and building a strong community based on admirable values. Such players would welcome children into their colonies with the intent to purely nurture and protect them. There are no skulls on spikes around these guys’ colonies, just lovely carpets and carefully crafted monuments.
The way that I am playing the game is by cultivating a witch cult in the deep mines of a mountain.
