In RimWorld, managing the dead is a constant struggle between efficiency, mood management, and resource gain. While the game offers a dedicated Electric Crematorium, it isn't always the "best" way to handle the problem.
Here is the deep dive on how to optimize corpse disposal based on your colony’s needs. 1. The "Industrial" Method: The Electric Crematorium
This is the standard mid-to-late game solution. It destroys corpses and tainted apparel permanently.
Pros: Clean, stays indoors, removes "Tainted" clothing clutter.
Cons: Requires research, significant power (200W), and pawn labor time.
Best Practice: Set the bill to "Do Forever" and use the "Drop on Floor" setting. Filter the bill to exclude "Fresh" animal carcasses if you plan on butchering them for food instead. 2. The "Efficiency" Method: The Molotov Cocktail Pit
Most veteran players prefer this over the actual crematorium because it requires zero power and handles bulk disposal instantly.
Setup: Build a small room (9x9 or smaller) out of stone (walls and floor). Place a dumping stockpile inside for "Humanlike" corpses.
Execution: Once the room is full, have a pawn with Molotov Cocktails or an Incendiary Launcher fire once at a corpse. Close the stone door.
Why it’s better: The room will reach extreme temperatures, vaporizing dozens of bodies in seconds without requiring a pawn to stand there working a bench for days. 3. The "Profit" Method: Pigs and Wargs
If you have the right livestock, corpses aren't trash—they’re free calories.
The Setup: Create a refrigerated "Corpse Freezer" (keep it at sub-zero temperatures to prevent rot).
The Strategy: Zone your Pigs, Wargs, or Dogs to have access to this freezer. They will eat the human remains, converting "Raid Waste" into valuable meat and leather (pigs) or keeping your guard animals fed for free.
Warning: Keep your colonists out of this room to avoid the "Observed Corpse" mood debuff. 4. The "Ethical" Method: Graves and Sarcophagi
Early on, you might use graves, but they are generally the worst long-term solution.
The Issue: They take up massive amounts of space and don't stop the "Beauty" penalty of a graveyard.
When to use: Use Sarcophagi in a dedicated, decorated "Tomb" only for your own colonists. This provides a "Meditation" spot and a mood boost for visiting survivors. 5. The "Forbidden" Method: Cannibalism & Kibble
If your Ideoligion (with the Ideology DLC) allows for it, or if you have "Cannibal" pawns: Butchering: Butcher humans at a butcher table.
Products: You get Human Meat and Human Leather. Human leather is one of the most valuable textiles in the game for crafting high-value dusters or armchairs.
Kibble: If your colony hates human meat, turn it into Kibble at a kitchen stove. Your animals won't mind, and it stretches your food supply significantly. Summary Recommendation For speed: Use the Molotov Stone Room. For resources: Use a Corpse Freezer for carnivorous pets.
For roleplay: Use the Electric Crematorium to keep your base tidy.
The "best" way to cremate corpses in depends on whether you value automation or sheer speed. While the Electric Crematorium
is the intended tool, many players prefer manual "burn rooms" for late-game efficiency. 1. The Automated Method: Electric Crematorium
This is the most straightforward, "set-and-forget" approach for mid-sized colonies. How it works
: Build an Electric Crematorium (requires 250W power) and set a bill to "Burn human corpse" to "Forever".
: Each cremation takes 3 seconds of work once the corpse is at the table.
: Haulers will automatically handle disposal without manual intervention; it also destroys tainted apparel worn by the corpse.
: It scales poorly. One pawn can only process one body at a time, which can take days after a massive raid. RimWorld Wiki 2. The Efficiency Method: The "Burn Room"
Experienced players often use a fireproof room to clear dozens of bodies at once. How it works Build a room with stone walls stone floor (non-flammable). Dumping Stockpile Zone inside for corpses only. Once full, draft a pawn with Molotov Cocktails Incendiary Launcher to fire one shot at the pile, then forbid the door.
: Destroys an unlimited number of corpses for the cost of a single "shot" and a few seconds of fire.
: Requires manual drafting; generates extreme heat that can kill pawns if they enter before it cools. 3. Special Disposal Methods
If you have specific DLCs or goals, these alternatives can be more "productive" than cremation:
Cremating corpses in is essential for maintaining colony hygiene and preventing massive mood penalties from rot stink or "observed corpse" debuffs . While the Electric Crematorium is the official method, many players prefer "manual" mass cremation for its superior speed and efficiency. 1. The Automated Method: Electric Crematorium Once you research Electricity
, you can build a crematorium using 150 stony materials, 20 steel, and 2 components. It is the most "set-and-forget" option. RimWorld Wiki
RimWorld forces you to deal with death constantly. Raiders attack your base, and diseases take your colonists. Managing these bodies is critical for survival. Rotting corpses destroy colony mood and spread deadly diseases.
Cremation is the most efficient way to handle this mess. It permanently deletes bodies and frees up valuable map space. This guide covers everything you need to master corpse disposal in RimWorld. Why Cremation Beats Graves rimworld how to cremate corpses best
Many new players default to digging graves. This is a mistake that will ruin your colony over time.
Space conservation: Graves take up massive amounts of land. Cremation requires just a single 3x3 structure.
Mood management: Seeing corpses gives colonists a negative mood debuff. Piles of graves also make your map look like a wasteland.
Time efficiency: Digging a grave takes time. Hauling a body to a furnace takes seconds.
Wealth control: Burying enemies in graves does nothing to reduce your colony wealth. Burning their clothes and bodies keeps your wealth manageable, which keeps raid sizes smaller. How to Unlock and Build the Electric Crematorium
You cannot build a cremator immediately. You must research it first. Step 1: Research Open your Research tab. Locate the Electricity node. Research Electricity (requires a basic research bench). Locate and research Cremation. Step 2: Construction
Once researched, open the Production architect menu. You will need the following resources to build the Electric Crematorium: Steel: 170 units. Components: 2 units.
The building requires a 3x3 footprint and must be connected to your power grid. It consumes 200 watts of power when active. Setting Up the Perfect Cremation Bills
Building the cremator is only half the battle. You must configure the "Bills" tab correctly, or your colonists will ignore it or burn things you want to keep. The Standard Corpse Bill
Click on your cremator, go to the Bills tab, and click Add Bill -> Cremate Corpse. Open the bill details and apply these settings:
Set to "Do Forever": This ensures your haulers automatically clean up bodies after every raid.
Disallow Colonists: Never burn your own dead colonists unless you are running a specific ideoligion that demands it. They deserve a proper sarcophagus or burial to avoid massive colony-wide mood penalties.
Disallow Rotten (Optional): If you have a separate dumping zone for rotten bodies, you can uncheck "Allow rotten" here to save electricity and worker time. The Apparel Bill
Raiders arrive wearing clothes. When you burn a corpse, the clothes they were wearing drop to the floor. This creates massive clutter. Add a second bill: Burn Apparel. Set it to Do Forever.
Filter by Hit Points: Set it to 0% - 50%. This automatically burns tattered clothing that your colonists refuse to wear.
Filter by Quality: You can set this to burn "Awful" and "Poor" clothing to keep your storage clear of junk. Optimal Cremator Placement and Workflow
Efficiency in RimWorld is all about minimizing walking distances. Where you place your crematorium matters. The Ideal Layout
Build near the killbox: Place your cremator close to where raids usually end. This minimizes the distance your haulers must walk to fetch bodies.
Create a corpse stockpile: Paint a specialized stockpile zone directly next to the cremator. Set the priority to "Critical" and allow only fresh humanoid corpses. Your haulers will stack bodies right next to the furnace, allowing the cremator operator to work rapidly without moving.
Use shelves for clothes: Place a shelf next to the cremator configured to hold tattered apparel. Zone Management Trick
To prevent your colonists from hauling rotting corpses into your clean base: Create a "Dumping Stockpile" far away from your base. Set it to allow only rotten corpses. Set your Cremator stockpile to allow only fresh corpses.
This ensures that fresh bodies get burned immediately, while bodies that rot before you can get to them are hauled away to rot safely in the wilderness. Alternative Ways to "Cremate" Without a Cremator
The Electric Crematorium requires power and components. If you are playing a tribal scenario or are low on resources, you can use these clever alternatives to achieve the same result. 1. The Molotov Cocktail Method (Highly Recommended)
This is the community favorite for early-game and extreme-scale corpse disposal.
Build a small room out of stone (never wood or steel, as steel burns in RimWorld).
Create a dumping stockpile inside this room and set it to hold corpses.
Once the room is full of bodies, draft a colonist equipped with Molotov Cocktails or an Incendiary Launcher. Force attack the ground inside the room to start a fire.
Close the stone door. The room will superheat and incinerate every corpse inside without using any electricity or colonist labor time. 2. The Frag Grenade Method
If you do not have fire weapons, you can use standard Frag Grenades. Pile corpses in a dumping zone. Draft a colonist with grenades and force attack the pile.
The explosions will destroy the corpses. This takes longer than fire but requires no tech. 3. Animal Disposal
While not strictly cremation, letting animals eat your corpses is incredibly efficient. Tame pigs, dogs, or wargs. Build a refrigerated room (corpse freezer). Zone your carnivores to have access to this freezer.
They will eat the raider corpses, saving you the trouble of burning them and saving you massive amounts of regular animal kibble.
To help me tailor the perfect base layout for your current run, could you tell me: What biome are you currently playing in? What is your current colony population? Do you have any carnivorous animals tamed?
RimWorld: How to Cremate Corpses Efficiently
In RimWorld, managing corpses is crucial to maintaining a healthy and happy colony. Cremating corpses is a great way to dispose of them, but it requires some planning and strategy. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to cremate corpses efficiently: In RimWorld , managing the dead is a
Why Cremate Corpses?
Cremating corpses has several benefits:
Requirements for Cremation
To cremate a corpse, you'll need:
Best Practices for Cremating Corpses
Reducing Risk and Increasing Efficiency
By following these steps and best practices, you'll be able to cremate corpses efficiently and effectively in RimWorld. Efficient crematory practices benefit both your colonists and your game.
The best way to cremate corpses in depends on whether you prioritize automation resource efficiency 1. The Automation Method: Electric Crematorium Electric Crematorium
is the intended mid-to-late game solution for a "set and forget" workflow. RimWorld Wiki How it Works : It requires 250W of power and a colonist assigned to the task to operate. The Best Setup Unlimited Radius
: Set the bill's ingredient radius to "unlimited" to ensure haulers pull bodies from across the map. Specific Bills
: Create separate bills for "Cremate humanlike" (Fresh/Rotten) and "Cremate animal" (Rotten only) to avoid accidentally burning food. : Place a small critical-priority stockpile
for corpses directly next to the crematorium to minimize worker travel time.
: Fully automated, cleans up tainted clothing instantly, and produces light so workers aren't slowed by darkness.
: Consumes power and significant colonist labor during large raids. 2. The Efficiency Method: "The Corpse Oven"
Many players prefer a "burn room" because it can clear hundreds of corpses at once with minimal labor. How To Burn Corpses In Rimworld
Cremate corpses in RimWorld by using an electric crematorium or by tossing Molotovs into a designated stone burn room.
While the game provides a dedicated building for this task, seasoned players often use alternative strategies to save labor and electricity. 🏗️ The Best Cremation Methods 1. The "Stone Burn Room" (Player Favorite)
This is widely considered the most efficient way to cremate mass amounts of corpses. It requires zero pawn labor once the fire starts.
The Setup: Build a small, enclosed room purely out of stone (walls and door).
The Zone: Create a dumping stockpile zone inside the room set exclusively to accept humanlike corpses.
The Action: Once your haulers fill the room with bodies, draft a colonist equipped with Molotov cocktails or an Incendiary Launcher.
The Result: Have them throw a Molotov inside, then forbid the door so nobody tries to go in and fight the fire. The extreme heat and fire will disintegrate the bodies and tainted clothes instantly. 2. The Electric Crematorium (Vanilla Standard)
The standard, developer-intended approach to burning the dead. Electric crematorium - RimWorld Wiki
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18;write_to_target_document19;_KGTuabbXAdPAkPIPi4_CKA_20;1542;0;40d; The Ultimate Guide to Corpse Disposal in RimWorld0;67;0;562; 0;49;: Cremation vs. The Burn Box 18;write_to_target_document7;default0;1dd;
18;write_to_target_document19;_KGTuabbXAdPAkPIPi4_CKA_20;526;0;86e; In the unforgiving world of
0;82;0;202;, death is a frequent visitor. After a massive raid, you're often left with dozens of bodies that threaten your colony’s morale and hygiene. While burying is a classic choice, it quickly consumes valuable building and growing space. For long-term sustainability, cremation is the gold standard for high-efficiency colony management. Why Cremation Beats Burial 0;381;0;423;
Space Efficiency: Unlike graves, which permanently occupy a tile, cremation completely deletes the body from the game, freeing up land for expansion.
Speed0;53e;: Building a grave takes about 13.33 seconds, while a single cremation at an electric crematorium takes only 3 seconds.
Mental Health: Leaving corpses to rot causes severe negative mood thoughts for any colonist who sees them. Automated cremation ensures bodies are cleared before your pawns suffer a mental break.
Preventing "Shamblers"0;bd;: Cremation prevents corpses from being resurrected during dangerous "Death Pall" events. 0;ea;0;7a;0;a5; Method 1: The Electric Crematorium (Set-and-Forget) 18;write_to_target_document7;default0;1dd;
18;write_to_target_document19;_KGTuabbXAdPAkPIPi4_CKA_20;145;0;906; The Electric Crematorium
0;6dc;0;dd; is a production building available after researching Electricity. Reduces the risk of disease transmission Eliminates the
Setup: Once built, add a bill for "Cremate corpse." Set this bill to "Do forever".
Filtering0;505;: Go into the bill's Details to filter exactly what gets burned.
Humanoid Corpses: Enable for raiders, but consider disabling for "Colonist corpses" to avoid accidentally burning your own fallen heroes.
Condition0;3c8;: You can set it to only burn "Rotten" or "Dessicated" corpses if you prefer to keep fresh ones for other uses.
Automation: Cremating is technically a hauling job. Ensure you have pawns assigned to high-priority hauling to keep the crematorium running. 0;7a;0;a5; Method 2: The "Burn Box" (High Efficiency)
Many veteran players prefer a manual "burn box" over an electric crematorium because it can destroy dozens of bodies simultaneously with a single spark.
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18;write_to_target_document7;default0;4bf;0;dc3;18;write_to_target_document1a;_KGTuabbXAdPAkPIPi4_CKA_100;292b;0;33d2; How To Move Dead Animal Corpses In Rimworld
Disposing of corpses in is a logistical necessity to prevent negative moodlets and from rot gas. While the Electric Crematorium
is the most straightforward automated tool, veteran players often prefer manual "burn rooms" for better efficiency. 1. The Automated Method: Electric Crematorium
This is the standard high-priority hauling task for late-game colonies with steady power. RimWorld Wiki
: Uses 250W when active and destroys a corpse in roughly 3 seconds of work (180 ticks). Best Setup
: Place a "Critical" priority dumping stockpile for humanlike corpses immediately adjacent to the crematorium to minimize pawn travel time.
: Set bills to "Cremate humanlike corpse" (fresh and rotten) but keep animal corpses off if you plan to butcher them for meat. : In current versions, this is classified as a
job, not crafting, meaning your dedicated haulers will handle it. 2. The Efficient Method: The "Burn Room" How To Burn Corpses In Rimworld
Efficient Corpse Cremation in RimWorld: A Step-by-Step Guide
In the unforgiving world of RimWorld, managing corpses is a crucial aspect of colony survival. Cremating corpses is an effective way to prevent the spread of diseases, reduce the risk of infestations, and maintain a clean and healthy environment for your colonists. In this post, we'll explore the best methods for cremating corpses in RimWorld, ensuring your colony stays thriving and disease-free.
Why Cremate Corpses?
Before we dive into the how-to, let's quickly cover the why:
The Best Way to Cremate Corpses in RimWorld
To cremate corpses efficiently, follow these steps:
Tips and Variations
Conclusion
Cremating corpses in RimWorld is a crucial aspect of maintaining a healthy and thriving colony. By following these simple steps and utilizing the Crematorium, you'll be able to efficiently and effectively manage corpses, keeping your colonists safe and your base clean. Happy RimWorld-ing!
| Method | Speed | Resource Cost | Mood Impact | Best For | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Electric Crematorium | Fast (per body) | High (Power + Components) | None | Daily small raids (5-10 bodies) | | Molotov Pit | Slow setup, Fast burn | Low (1 Molotov) | None | Massive tribal raids (50+ bodies) | | Butcher + Sell | Medium | Low | Negative (unless Cannibal) | Early game cash / Chemfuel | | Graves | Instant | None | Positive (Beautiful) | Early game (first 3 raids only) | | Dumping in River | Zero effort | None | Negative (Observed Corpse) | Never. Stop it. |
If you ask veteran players for the best way to cremate corpses, 9 out of 10 will say: Fire, cheap fire.
The Setup:
Why it’s best: It takes 2 seconds of labor. The fire reaches ~1000°C, incinerating everything instantly. No mood penalties for tainted apparel because the apparel ceases to exist.
The Only Downsides: You need to own a Molotov (buy from a pirate merchant or wait for a raider to drop one). Also, never do this in the rain or inside a wooden building.
Determine the fastest, most resource-efficient, and labor-saving method to dispose of human and animal corpses to prevent mood debuffs, disease, and wasted colonist time.
Before we get to the "how," let’s look at the competition. You have four options for bodies:
The Verdict: Cremation is the best because it is final, automated, and clean.
The disposal of corpses is a critical logistical challenge in RimWorld. Unattended corpses generate severe mood debuffs ("Observed Corpse") for colonists, increase the risk of disease outbreaks, and attract scavenging animals. While burying corpses is a viable early-game strategy, it is unsustainable in the late game due to space limitations and the labor cost of digging. Consequently, cremation emerges as the superior long-term solution. This paper aims to define the "best" cremation practices by categorizing methods based on efficiency and automation.
Technically, you asked for cremation, but the best way to "dispose" of a body is to turn it into profit.