Your cozy camper road trip in Outbound comes to an abrupt halt when you encounter a raised drawbridge blocking your path, with the surrounding crossing bridges destroyed. To keep your journey moving, you must locate and repair these broken structures before you can lower the drawbridge and continue.
While swimming across the river isn't an option, the solution is straightforward. It requires a few minutes of exploration to gather resources and craft the necessary materials. This guide explains exactly how to repair the bridges in Outbound and get back on the road.
How to repair the broken bridges in Outbound
There are broken bridges located on both the north and south sides of the river. You need to repair at least one to cross, though fixing both will make navigating the first map significantly easier. Each bridge requires 10 Everwood Planks to fix.
Follow these steps to get your van across the river:
- Find a broken bridge: Drive north or south from your current location to locate a damaged bridge along the riverbank.
- Collect Everwood: Gather 20 Everwood logs from the surrounding wooded areas. You can chop down dead Everwood trees for five logs each, or collect fallen logs near the river.
- Unlock the Sawmill: Check nearby paths for Signal Towers to download new recipes. You need the Sawmill blueprint to process raw wood.
- Craft Planks: Use the Sawmill (which can be built inside your van) to convert the 20 Everwood logs into 10 Everwood Planks.
- Repair the bridge: Drive to the broken bridge and interact with it. Ensure the planks are in your immediate inventory, not the van's storage, for the repair prompt to appear.
Note: Other bridges in the area may require more wood later. It is wise to keep your Sawmill stockpiled with Everwood in the early hours of the game.
How to lower the drawbridge in Outbound
Once you have repaired at least one bridge, you can cross the river and head toward the drawbridge controls. It does not matter which bridge you choose; both lead to the correct path.
After driving to the other side, make a sharp turn and drive directly toward the drawbridge. You will find a small control center to the right of the structure.
- Enter the control center: Head inside the small building.
- Lower the bridge: Flip the switch on the console to lower the drawbridge.
- Collect rewards: There is a Bottle Cap on the counter inside. Pocket it for now and use it at a Cap 'n Snap machine later for a chance at rare items.
The bridge will remain lowered permanently, so you only need to perform this action once. However, remember to return later to fix the second bridge if you have enough resources, as having multiple paths across the river offers more flexibility.
Exploring the other side
The far side of the river introduces new challenges and resources. You will encounter a new type of wood and a tough ore that blocks the tunnel to the next map.
To harvest these resources, you must craft better tools and upgrade your van. Keep an eye out for Signal Towers and other prominent points of interest (POIs) to unlock the blueprints needed for these upgrades. Additionally, stop at campsites along the road to clean up litter in exchange for Download Coupons, which help you acquire new recipes.
