In the simulation survival game _RimWorld_, players find a disturbing but highly efficient shortcut to get rich: instead of working hard to cultivate and mine, it is better to turn the enemies who attack you into reusable “resources”. This set of gameplay, nicknamed “organ farm” by players, has become the most famous and black cultural symbol in the game community.
Imagine this scene: there are several survivors with different personalities living in your colony, and outside is a wild world lurking in danger. When the enemy attacks, the first thought of the high players is not how to end the battle quickly, but how to catch these “treasures” delivered to the door. A captured enemy can contribute their kidneys, livers, hearts, and finally even skin can be made into leather. This set of smooth operation process is affectionately called “humane recycling” by players.
The most ironic thing is that this system is completely in line with the rules of the game. The players even summarized the optimal “industrial chain”: reduce the difficulty of capture with anesthesia guns, perform operations in professional medical beds to improve the success rate, and finally sell the processed products to the past caravans. The whole process is rigorous and efficient. The only shortcoming may be the uncooperative “donor” on the operating table.
The community has created a lot of black humor for this game. When new players ask “how to make money quickly” in the forum, old players always reply mysteriously: “Your colony needs to establish a complete ‘health care’ system”. In the screenshots of the game, next to the neatly arranged medical beds is a warehouse full of resources, and the supporting text is usually “We are committed to providing the best medical services for all” — if you ignore the prisoners who lack several organs.
This trend has even affected the update of the game itself. The developer later added the “moral memory” mechanism, which allowed the colonists to exert psychological pressure because of cruelty, as if saying to players, “We know what you are doing. Please stop in moderation.”: But the players soon found a new coping strategy — to set up a “slaughter department” for the cold-blooded colonists.
The “organ farm” phenomenon in _RimWorld_ reveals an interesting fact: when the game gives players enough freedom, they will always find unexpected ways to play. In this process, the tension between moral dilemma and the pursuit of efficiency has created a unique community culture. Have you ever made a choice of “conscience will hurt” in order to survive in the game? Welcome to share your colonial management in the comment section!
