The Carcass Alien Species Tier List
Thirty species inside the carcass—ranked for alliance value without spoiling every plot twist.
Thirty alien species share the rotting god with your colony. Each brings culture, trade goods, military styles, and grudges. This tier list ranks species by mechanical alliance value on Normal difficulty, not lore quality—every species can star in memorable stories (factions guide).
We avoid naming every species to reduce spoilers; categories reflect archetypes seen in demo and marketing.
S-tier archetypes
Reliable traders — Stable biomass/calcium import, low betrayal risk if honored. Priority in demo economies.
Sanctuary seekers — Accept refugees for high-skill citizens with manageable morale cost.
A-tier archetypes
Warrior clans — Military pacts for combat phases; food expensive.
Neuron mystics — Research boosts for Awakening/Transcendence paths.
Engineer guilds — Production bonuses stacking with buildings.
B-tier archetypes
Isolated xenophobes — Strong if befriended early, useless if contacted late.
Double-deal brokers — Trade spikes with hidden betrayal timers—document choices.
C-tier archetypes (high risk)
Blood feud species — War chains if you ally rivals.
Parasite symbiotes — Powerful mutations, morale penalties.
Extinction cultists — Forbidden arts gates with colony stability hits.
Diplomacy checklist per contact
- Read event for betrayal keywords.
- Check trade resource type vs your bottleneck (resources).
- Compare with existing treaties—multi-war risk.
- Note ending alignment (endings).
Betrayal memory
Marketing: betray one faction, others remember. C-tier risk species become F-tier if you already broke treaties elsewhere.
Demo vs full roster
Demo includes representative archetypes, not all thirty fully voiced. Full release expands event depth—revisit tiers after patch notes.
Species + research synergy
Diplomacy branch amplifies S-tier traders; combat branch amplifies warrior clans. See research tier list.
Allies inside a corpse are still allies—until the carcass whispers otherwise.
Species event log
Write species name + Pulse when treaties sign. Betrayal memory spans dozens of Pulses—you will forget otherwise.
Deep dive: ranking species
Tiers measure alliance ROI, not lore quality. Traders stabilize demo food. Warrior clans cost biomass. Mystics boost Awakening. Betrayal-prone brokers spike short-term gains.
Species tiers shift with patches and player choices—revisit after patch notes. Document treaty Pulse numbers in run journals.
Closing tips for envoys
Tier letters shift with your treaties. Log species names with Pulse numbers.
Player notes on Alien Species Tier List
Veterans recommend revisiting this topic after the 2.0 patch because Pulse labels and harvest menus changed beginner muscle memory. Pair this page with the guides hub when planning multi-run completion. Ironman players should read related controls pages before committing single-save attempts. Document event choices with Pulse numbers when chasing secret endings or NG+ memory flags. Trade reliance fails after betrayal—internal Nutrient Vats remain the reliable backbone on Normal and Hard. Extinction difficulty punishes sloppy turn reports; scan biomass every Pulse without exception. Large populations above five hundred citizens require recommended PC specs listed on release info.
Continued study of Alien Species Tier List inside The Carcass: cross-link tier list hub, colony hub, and updates hub so patch changes never invalidate your plan mid-run.
Continued study of Alien Species Tier List inside The Carcass: cross-link tier list hub, colony hub, and updates hub so patch changes never invalidate your plan mid-run.
Continued study of Alien Species Tier List inside The Carcass: cross-link tier list hub, colony hub, and updates hub so patch changes never invalidate your plan mid-run.
Continued study of Alien Species Tier List inside The Carcass: cross-link tier list hub, colony hub, and updates hub so patch changes never invalidate your plan mid-run.
Closing tips for envoys
log treaties with Pulse numbers. Betrayal tiers shift when you break pacts. Demo subset differs from full thirty species roster.
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
Are all thirty in the demo?
No—full game expands roster and events.
Can I ally everyone?
Mutually exclusive pacts exist—plan branches.
Species affect endings?
Yes—Symbiosis and Dominion especially.