Duplicant Crew

Lore & Background

The Company's records describe the Duplicant Crew as a standard-issue colony package: twelve genetically identical humans, each a clone of a different donor, shipped in cryo-pods to a planet whose surface is hostile to unprotected life. The dropship crashes or lands in a shallow pocket of breathable air, and the crew's first priority is to dig downward, seal the hull, and build a closed-loop life-support system before the oxygen runs out. From that desperate first hour, the colony's entire history is a story of trade-offs—how much room to dedicate to growing food versus extracting metal, how many Duplicants to keep warm versus letting them sleep in the cold to save energy.

Over the course of a playthrough, the crew's moods swing wildly. A Duplicant who has just finished a long shift mining coal will grumble about the grime; one who has been assigned to cook a meal of reconstituted protein bars will sulk in the corner. Yet the same crew that bickers over thermostat settings will rally together when a methane pocket threatens to ignite, or when a new Duplicant arrives in a supply crate and the whole colony feels the quiet pride of growth. The Company never appears again after the initial briefing, leaving the crew to define their own purpose far from any office tower.

In the broader narrative of the game's DLCs and updates, the Duplicant Crew serves as the template against which every other species is compared. Kromox, Troglobite, and Vostok each carry one elemental immunity and one dietary limitation, but the baseline Human Duplicant carries neither—only the universal needs of air, food, water, warmth, and dignity. That simplicity is precisely what makes them the player's first and most trusted companions.

In Their Own Story

The dropship groaned as it settled into the regolith, and for three seconds the only sound was the hiss of pressure equalizing. Then the hatch cycled open and twelve people—no, twelve *duplicates*—stumbled out into a sky the color of rust. The air tasted of iron and something faintly sweet. One of them, a small woman with a clipboard already in her hand, looked up at the pale sun and said, "Oxygen reserves at ninety-four percent. We have maybe six hours before we need a second source." Nobody laughed. Nobody needed to. They were already digging.

Reader's Guide

Species: Human (Baseline Duplicant)

Stat Bonuses: None. Human Duplicants operate at 100% efficiency in every category—mining, science, cooking, engineering, and general labor. They have no elemental resistances and no dietary restrictions, meaning they can consume any food item the colony produces, from reconstituted protein to cooked meat.

Stat Penalties: None inherent. However, because they lack the cold, radiation, or poison immunity of other species, they are the most vulnerable to environmental hazards. A Human in a -20°C room will suffer cold stress; a Human in a radiation zone will accumulate damage; a Human breathing toxic gas will suffocate.

Mood Triggers & Needs: Humans require a comfortable temperature range (roughly 15–35°C for optimal mood), breathable oxygen, regular meals, and hydration. Positive mood triggers include a clean environment, a view of the sky or a garden, socializing with other Duplicants, and completing a task they are good at. Negative triggers include being in a dirty room, eating bland food repeatedly, being assigned to a task below their skill level, and spending too long in a cramped or poorly lit space.

Abilities & Restrictions: No unique abilities. Humans can be assigned to any role—Scientist, Miner, Cook, Engineer, or general worker—and will perform all tasks at baseline speed. They can be trained to improve their proficiency in a specific role. They have no species-specific restrictions beyond the universal need for oxygen, food, water, and a survivable temperature.

Did You Know?

• The twelve starting Duplicants are all clones of different human donors, meaning no two share identical genetics despite belonging to the same species.
• A Duplicant's mood directly multiplies their work speed: a Duplicant at 100% mood works at full rate, while one at 0% mood is significantly slower and more likely to make mistakes.
• The Company that funds the colony is never shown in-game beyond text-based briefings, leaving the crew's relationship with their corporate sponsor entirely to the player's imagination.
• Human Duplicants are the only species that can be present from the very first moment of a new game; all other species must be recruited via supply crates or research unlocks.