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The Barren World is the surrounding area that the player may explore by embarking from The Dusty Path.

The World is represented by an overhead map with the player's village placed at the center. The player is represented by an "@", and can navigate the map with either the WASD or Arrow keys.

The overhead map is populated by ASCII characters, each of which represent a different type of terrain.

Terrain Tiles

Tile Designation Description
A VILLAGE Your home. Visit this tile to return to your own village.
I IRON MINE Clear the Iron Mine to use Iron Miners, who create +1 Iron for -1 Cured Meat.
C COAL MINE Clear the Coal Mine to use Coal Miners, who produce +1 Coal for -1 Cured Meat. The player will encounter a few men and a chief (who has slightly higher HP than the men).
S SULPHUR MINE Clear the Sulphur Mine to use Sulphur Miners, who create +1 Sulphur for -1 Cured Meat. The player will encounter tough military enemies here, including a boss with high HP and damage - although you may receive a rare Bayonet for killing him.
; FOREST Empty tile.
, FIELD Empty tile.
. BARRENS Empty tile.
# ROAD A pathway that allows you to travel without the threat of battle. Clearing dangerous areas such as Towns (O) or Mines automatically creates Roads back to the nearest Outpost or liberated Mine.
H HOUSE Often contains a few useful items and low level enemies.
V CAVE Caves contain a few low HP creatures and, very often, a useful store of items such as Iron and Coal at the end. Once clear, the cave will turn into an Outpost (P).
O TOWN A Deserted Town. The player can encounter a Street Thug, a Hiding Scavenger, a Park Beast, a Shadow Thug, a Classroom Beast, a Hidden Beast, a Panicked Scavenger, and/or Vigilante, as well as receive a random assortment of loot or rewards. Once conquered, the Deserted Town will turn into an Outpost (P).
Y CITY A Ruined City. Similar to the Deserted Town, but with more inhabitants and loot.
P OUTPOST An Outpost. A safe clearing that refills the avatar's water supply, and provides the avatar with Cured Meats. Outposts can only be utilized once for each journey out into the Barren World, but are replenished once the avatar returns back to their village. Clearing dangerous areas creates Outposts and makes Roads back to the Village.
W SHIP An alien ship. Reach the ship and salvage it to unlock An Old Starship, another menu option.
B BOREHOLE

Find Alien Alloy here. It's described as a large hole, "evidence of the past harvest".

Note that the amount of Alloy is random. When finding a low number, the player can run out of meat/water and "reset" the borehole, thus allowing another chance to find more.

F BATTLEFIELD Find weapons and ammo here, such as Bullets and the Laser Rifle.
M SWAMP

Meet the Lone Wanderer here. If you give him a Charm you'll receive the Gastronome perk, which gives you more health when you consume food.

U ABANDONED VILLAGE Find a supply cache here, items seem randomly selected from your last game's storeroom. Only appears on the map after you complete the game once.
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