Colony: Survival AI Gear Guide

1. Build the Fabricator to Unlock Cosmetic Gear

Unlock the Fabricator as you progress through Colony. Run by Ivo Quell, it lets you turn a written description into custom cosmetic gear for your Colonist.

This guide focuses on a helmet. Fabricator gear changes your Colonist's appearance; it is separate from crafting usable weapons or tools with Skipjack to solve Colony problems. You are designing a look, not choosing an equipment stat bonus.

2. Get Fabricator Weave and Start an Item

You need Fabricator Weave to begin a new fabrication. Weave can be earned for free in chapters of the story or purchased in bundles from the Colony Store. The confirmation screen in this walkthrough shows a cost of one Weave to create a new item.

Check the cost before selecting OK. Weave is spent when you start the image preview, not only when you equip the finished helmet. Select Cancel if you are not ready to begin.

3. Describe the Helmet You Want to Create

Enter a description of your helmet in the Fabricator. A concrete prompt can name the item, its main color and a distinctive detail. The exact prompt used for the helmet in these screenshots was:

Helmet with a bird playing video games and helmet is yellow

The 2D image shows a yellow sci-fi helmet with a dark visor and a bird-and-controller detail on the side. Naming the helmet, the yellow color and the bird gives you specific things to check in the preview. Your own generated design may look different, even when you use the same words.

4. Review the 2D Preview, Then Generate the 3D Helmet

Start by checking the 2D result. Does it have the color and details you wanted? A new fabrication includes three additional preview attempts, so you can iterate on the idea before committing to the 3D version. Check your remaining rerolls and any additional Weave cost shown in the game before requesting more.

Once you are happy with the preview, start 3D generation. The 3D item is created from the selected 2D image; it is a separate step and is not available instantly. Wait for the Fabricator status to show 3D Ready before equipping it.

The screenshots below show the same completed fabrication in its 2D and 3D views. Both already show 3D Ready. Use the 2D or 3D toggle to compare the original image with the generated model. In this example, you can see how the yellow shell, dark visor and side details translate into a helmet with depth.

5. Equip the Helmet and Adjust Its Fit

Select Equip when the 3D helmet is ready. In Visual Appearance, the Avatar tab lets you adjust how the helmet sits on your Colonist. The screen below shows controls for size and position: Small/Large, Back/Front, Down/Up and Left/Right.

Use these controls to fit your design, then select Save. If you want to start the adjustment again, use Reset. The values in the screenshot belong to this particular helmet; they are not settings you need to copy for every design.

6. Show Off Your Custom Gear

With the helmet equipped, strike a pose and share your Colonist's new look. The final image below shows the yellow helmet on a Colonist in red armor, with the Colony branding and the player's helmet name. It is the finished cosmetic from the prompt above, now worn in the game.

Ready to try your own design? Explore Colony: Survival for the official iOS and Android download links. For base-building, Colonist conversations and Skipjack crafting, continue with the Colony gameplay guide.