Decor & Morale Guide: Decor Tips for High Morale

Decor is the in-game metric that affects Duplicant morale and stress; it is computed per tile as the sum of all positive and negative decor effects from nearby objects, plants, critters and lighting. Managing decor effectively prevents stress and unlocks room bonuses such as Great Hall and Mess Hall.

How Decor works

Each object (building, plant, critter, item, light, etc.) has a base Decor value and an effect radius in tiles. The Decor value of a tile is the sum of every object whose radius covers that tile.
Duplicants “perceive” decor from the tile at roughly their lower half (their interaction cell). Perceived Decor updates gradually: sudden changes do not immediately change the Perceived Decor used for morale calculations.
The morale benefit caps for Perceived Decor: Duplicants stop gaining further morale past a certain useful threshold (the overlay shows “Maximum Decor” at 120 for informational purposes), though tile decor can exceed that.
Some tiles and doors allow decor to pass through (Window Tile, Pneumatic Door). Some airlocks do not pass decor when closed (Mechanized/Manual Airlock), which can be used to block negative decor while still permitting access.

What raises decor (best sources)

Artifacts and Keepsakes: artifacts (from space / Spaced Out! DLC) and keepsakes (story rewards) provide large, wide-range decor bonuses (examples: Bioluminescent Rock, Model Nuclear Power Plant, Grubgrub Statue — high values and radii).
Sculptures & Blocks: Metal Block, Marble Block, Large Sculpting Block and Ice/Stone sculpture blocks provide strong static decor; building material modifies their value (see Materials below).
Paintings and canvases: Blank Canvas, Landscape and Portrait paintings produce decor; the art quality (Crude / Average / Masterpiece) increases their decor.
Decorative plants: Bluff Briar, Bristle Blossom, Dusk Cap, Sleet Wheat, Arbor Tree, Balm Lily, Pincha Pepperplant, Buddy Bud, Waterweed and similar give steady positive decor within their radius. They are cheap, sit in pots, and require little maintenance, but some have environmental requirements or negative states (stifled plants give negative decor).
Critters: some critters provide very high decor. Shine Bugs and their morphs are notable:
- Shine Bug (original): +30 decor, 5-tile radius and emits light.
- Sun / Royal / Coral variants: higher decor (Sun/Royal ≈ +50, 7-tile radius).
- Abyss Bug: huge +80 decor, 7-tile radius, but no light.
- Radiant Bug: extreme +200 decor, 8-tile radius and produces light. Critter ranches using shine bugs can be used to blanket areas with consistent decor.
Lighting: Any nonzero light on a tile grants a flat +15 decor to that lit tile, independent of brightness. Lighting also enables the Lit Workspace speed bonus (+15% speed for many operations) and interacts with some rec buildings (e.g., Beach Chair gains extra morale when very bright).
Floor tiles and furnishings:
- Carpeted Tile: very high decor (and special “Tickled Tootsies” effect that reduces stress while applying a movement penalty).
- Metal Tile: second-highest tile decor, applies over 3 tiles; refined metals (Gold, Niobium, etc.) give material multipliers.
- Metal Block and Marble Block: static decor objects suitable for corridors or small spaces.
Recreation buildings: certain recreation objects give morale buffs (not direct decor) for durations — e.g., Beach Chair, Arcade Cabinet, Soda Fountain, Juicer, Espresso Machine, Party Line Phone, Hot Tub, Jukebot, Sauna, Mechanical Surfboard. Choose buildings by their morale×duration value and duplicant preferences.

What lowers decor (common penalties)

Machinery, wires, ladders, storage bins, and dropped resources create negative decor. Ladders emit -5 decor in a 1-tile radius; Heavi-Watt Conductive Wire has a large negative decor penalty and can drastically reduce morale if routed through lived-in rooms.
Stifled plants, rotten food, debris and some critters/objects can apply negative decor.
Duplicant outfits produce a small negative decor (-5), with some clothing giving large positive (Snazzy Suit +30, Primo Garb +40) or negative values (Cool Vest / Warm Sweater -10).

Material modifiers

The material an object is built from modifies its base decor by a multiplier. Examples:
- Refined metals (certain types) can add large bonuses (some refined metals give +50%).
- Granite adds +20% to decor of items built with it; other materials give different bonuses (Transparent materials can give +100%).
Use material choice to boost high-decor items (e.g., Gold Metal Blocks, Gold Pixel Packs, Granite sculpting pieces), but balance with thermal and conductivity tradeoffs.

Placement tactics and practical tips

Use Window Tiles or Pneumatic Doors to let decor from a critter ranch or art penetrate into adjacent rooms without exposing them to the critter or environment.
Isolate negative-decor infrastructure (heavy wires, pumps) in maintenance tunnels so their penalties do not affect working or living spaces.
For compact high-decor: place high-value items (Metal Blocks, sculptures, paintings) near duplicant interaction points — between beds, mess tables, research stations or other places duplicants spend time.
Flower Pots are a cheap early-game option; a Sandstone Flower Pot with a Bluff Briar gives large decor early and counts as a “20+ decor item” for Great Hall requirements.
Carpeting stacks well with room bonuses: Carpeted Tile provides high decor and a short-duration stress reduction when duplicants are on it, making it excellent for barracks, Great Halls and recreational rooms.
Shine Bug ranching: sandwich a lighted Shine Bug stable (Window Tile ceiling/floor) between rooms that benefit from decor and light (mess halls, rec rooms) to deliver consistent decor and illumination. Use lamps on one side and feeders on the other to keep bugs moving and providing steady coverage.
Great Hall and Mess Hall: both require specific room sizes and at least one 20+ decor item. Great Hall requirements include no industrial machinery, a recreational building, at least one mess table, and a single item with 20+ decor; it gives a morale bonus when Duplicants eat there.

Art and sculpture creation

Sculpting Block, Large Sculpting Block, Blank/Portrait/Landscape Canvas and Ice/Metal/Marble blocks can be used to create artworks. Artwork quality (Crude / Average / Genius/Masterpiece) increases decor; higher artist skill produces higher-quality works.
Some materials used in art (Reed Fiber, Gold, Niobium, etc.) provide material decor multipliers — use these on valuable art to maximize return.

Special cases and mechanics

The Decor Overlay (F8) visualizes positive (green) and negative (red) areas and lists contributors for a tile. It shows “Maximum Decor” at 120 to indicate the useful cap for morale gain.
Some large-scale bugs exist (e.g., Great Monument can exhibit a bugged extra decor contribution until reload); be aware if overlay numbers seem inconsistent.
Certain items placed on the Pedestal (display stand) grant decor and can be used to show many things (eggs, food, artifacts); pedestals built from certain materials (Sandstone, Granite) add material bonuses.

By combining high-radius decor sources (artifacts, radiant critters, large sculptures) with local boosters (carpeted tiles, plants, lighting) and isolating negative infrastructure, you can keep Perceived Decor high where Duplicants live and work, minimizing stress and unlocking room morale bonuses.