The Carcass Tier Lists
Rank mutations, research branches, difficulties, and species so your colony picks winners early.
Tier lists in The Carcass are not about PvP rankings—they measure return on Pulse inside a permadeath colony sim. A mutation that shines on Merciful may bankrupt you on Extinction. A diplomatic species that accelerates trade in the demo can turn hostile after a betrayal flag you set twenty Pulses earlier.
This hub links every ranked list on thecarcass.wiki. Use them alongside guides for context and colony building pages for production math.
Available tier lists
Mutations tier list
Occult upgrades—bone armor, mind-link, parasite resistance, god-digestion—permanently alter your species. We rank by survival value, research cost, and synergy with ending routes. Essential reading before you commit to forbidden arts.
Research paths
Combat, production, diplomacy, and forbidden arts branch early. This list shows which trees stabilize food and morale versus which ones win wars but starve workshops.
Difficulty rankings
Merciful through Extinction, plus Ironman rules. Compare event pressure, parasite aggression, and resource margins before you click a save mode you cannot undo.
Alien species
Thirty species inhabit the carcass. We tier them by alliance value, trade perks, military aid, and betrayal risk—without spoiling every story beat.
How to use these lists
- Pick a difficulty tier that matches your experience (Getting Started assumes Merciful or Normal).
- Choose a research path that fixes your bottleneck (usually food or calcium early).
- Add mutations that reinforce that path—not shiny combat genes if you cannot feed warriors.
- Ally species that cover your weaknesses; read factions guide before breaking treaties.
Limits of tier lists
Procedural regions and hand-written events mean tiers shift. A parasite outbreak can move parasite resistance from “nice” to “S-tier” overnight. Treat these lists as decision frameworks, not gospel. When in doubt, simulate one Pulse: check turn reports after harvest before locking in a tech.
Related tools
- Resource guide — what you actually need to afford top-tier mutations
- Endings guide — some mutations gate specific finales
- Review — whether tier grinding fits your play style
Tier hub focus
Revisit rankings after patches; PiqFocus tuned Pulse clarity heavily in 2.0.
Hub navigation
Four tier lists—mutations, research, difficulty, species—pick two relevant to your run.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Are tier lists updated after patches?
Yes. We revise rankings when PiqFocus changes balance—see patch notes for the 2.0 economy and Pulse clarity updates.
What is S-tier in a single-player colony sim?
S-tier picks win runs consistently on Normal without requiring perfect event RNG or secret quest chains.
Do species tiers spoil story?
We avoid major plot spoilers but warn about betrayal triggers and alliance requirements.