To hire rats in Garbage Growth, you must first build the Rodent Resourcing Den for 150 Scrap and 50 Bottlecaps after researching "Basic Domestication" in the tech tree. Once built, you can interact with its Quartermaster, Pip, to hire different rat types using a special resource called Stale Cheese Curds. This is the only way to begin automating your trash collection and unlocking more advanced resource processing.
Your burgeoning trash empire can't be managed by you alone. Early on, you'll be overwhelmed by the sheer volume of incoming garbage. Rats are the solution. They are your first and most crucial workforce, turning a chaotic pile of junk into a semi-organized, resource-generating ecosystem. But getting them on your payroll isn't as simple as clicking a button.
Unlocking Your First Rat Workforce
Before you can command a furry army, you need to prove you're a worthy leader. This involves a few key early-game steps that lay the foundation for your entire rodent-based economy. Don't skip these, as they gatekeep one of the most powerful mechanics in the game.
Step 1: Research "Basic Domestication"
Your first stop is the Research Bench. You'll need to unlock the Tier 1 technology, "Basic Domestication." This research costs 75 Research Points and takes about three in-game cycles to complete. It signifies your first attempt to bring a semblance of order to the chaos of your heap. Completing this research unlocks the construction blueprint for the building you need.
Step 2: Construct the Rodent Resourcing Den
With the blueprint unlocked, you can now build the Rodent Resourcing Den. This structure is your headquarters for all things rat-related. It requires a relatively flat 3x3 plot of land on your garbage heap and has the following construction costs:
- 150 Scrap: Gathered from manually salvaging metallic trash items.
- 50 Bottlecaps: The main currency, earned from completing early-game objectives.
- 10 Organic Waste: A common early resource.
The den is a ramshackle structure cobbled together from old pipes, corrugated metal, and discarded crates. Once built, it generates a faint, cheesy aroma, which is how you attract your new business partner.
Step 3: Meet Pip, the Rat Quartermaster
Finishing construction of the Rodent Resourcing Den will trigger the arrival of a unique NPC: Pip, the Rat Quartermaster. Pip is a large, intelligent rat who handles all recruitment. Interacting with the Den brings up his interface, where you can see the types of rats available for hire, their costs, and your current inventory of the special hiring currency, Stale Cheese Curds.
The Cost of a Squeaky Army: Resources and Upkeep
Hiring rats isn't a one-time transaction. It requires an initial investment and an ongoing upkeep cost to keep them happy and productive. Neglecting their needs will cause them to abandon you or, worse, start sabotaging your operation.
The primary currency for hiring rats is Stale Cheese Curds. You find these occasionally in food-related garbage bags or can produce them later by building a Cheese Fermenter. The ongoing cost is Processed Food Pellets, a basic resource you can craft from Organic Waste.
Here’s a full breakdown of the different rat types and their associated costs:
| Rat Type | Hiring Cost (Stale Cheese Curds) | Upkeep (Food Pellets / Cycle) | Primary Function |
|---|---|---|---|
| Forager | 5 | 1 | Gathers Raw Refuse from basic garbage. |
| Tinker | 15 | 3 | Breaks down electronics into valuable Scrap Components. |
| Alchemist | 30 | 5 | Converts toxic waste into Mutagenic Sludge. High pollution. |
| Shaman | 50 (Requires special event) | 2 | Reduces local pollution and can pacify angry rat populations. |
Your top priority is to establish a stable production of Processed Food Pellets. A workforce of 10 Foragers and 2 Tinkers, a common early-game setup, will consume 16 Food Pellets per cycle. Failing to meet this demand for two cycles in a row will result in rats leaving, starting with the most recently hired.
Garbage Growth in-game screenshot
What Do Rats Actually Do? A Breakdown of Their Roles
Each rat type serves a distinct purpose in your ecosystem. Simply hiring dozens of Foragers will hit a wall quickly. A balanced and stratified workforce is the key to progressing through the mid-game and unlocking the more esoteric aspects of garbage growth.
Foragers: The Backbone of Your Trash Empire
Foragers are your workhorses. They are the first type you can hire, and they perform the essential task of automatically collecting Raw Refuse from unprocessed garbage piles. This frees you up from manual collection and creates a steady stream of the most basic resource in the game. They are dumb, numerous, and absolutely critical.
Tinkers: Turning Junk into Treasure
Once your Raw Refuse income is stable, you'll want to invest in Tinkers. These clever rodents seek out complex junk like discarded computers, televisions, and appliances. They dismantle these items in their own tiny workshops, converting them into Scrap Components. This resource is far more valuable than basic Scrap and is required for mid-to-late game buildings and research. Unlocking Tinkers is the first major step toward technological advancement.
Garbage Growth in-game screenshot
Alchemists: The High-Risk, High-Reward Sludge Producers
Available after researching "Industrial Fermentation," Alchemist rats are specialists who deal with the most hazardous materials in your heap. They seek out barrels of toxic waste and chemical containers, processing them into Mutagenic Sludge. This potent, glowing green goo is a powerful late-game crafting material, essential for the final stages of the game. However, Alchemists come with a massive drawback: they generate an enormous amount of Pollution.
Shamans: Mystical Pollution Control
Shamans are a rare, endgame unit. You can't hire them from Pip directly. Instead, you must complete the "Rat King's Riddle" event chain. A Shaman doesn't collect resources. Instead, it performs rituals that actively reduce Pollution in a wide radius. It can also pacify a population of rats on the verge of forming a plague, making it a vital management tool for large-scale, late-game operations that rely on hundreds of rats.
The Dark Side: Managing Pollution and Rat Plagues
Hiring rats is not without its dangers. Every rat you employ contributes a small amount to a global stat called Pollution. Foragers generate a tiny amount, Tinkers a bit more, and Alchemists produce a catastrophic volume. As Pollution rises, you'll experience negative effects: slower research, penalties to Bottlecap income from objectives, and eventually, the risk of a full-blown disaster.
If your Pollution level stays in the red zone (above 80%) for too long while you have over 50 rats, you risk triggering the "Rat Plague" world event. This turns your entire rat workforce hostile. They stop working, consume food at triple the rate, and will actively damage your buildings. It's a devastating event that can completely torpedo a playthrough if you're not prepared.
There are two primary ways to manage this:
- Sanitation Stations: A mid-game building that passively reduces Pollution in a local area, but requires power and clean water to function.
- Rat Shamans: As mentioned, their anti-pollution ritual is the most powerful tool for active management.
Balancing the productivity of your rat army with the pollution they generate is the central challenge of Garbage Growth's mid-game.
Garbage Growth in-game screenshot
Frequently Asked Questions About Hiring Rats
Here are quick answers to some of the most common questions players have about the rat mechanics in Garbage Growth.
Can you upgrade rats?
No, you cannot directly upgrade an individual rat (e.g., from a Forager to a Tinker). However, you can unlock global upgrades through the Research Bench, such as "Reinforced Carry Baskets" which increases Forager carry capacity by 50%, or "Master Tinkering Tools" which allows Tinkers to generate rare components.
What's the maximum number of rats you can have?
There is no hard cap on the number of rats you can hire. The soft cap is your ability to produce enough Processed Food Pellets to feed them all and manage the immense Pollution they generate. Most successful late-game heaps support between 200-300 rats.
How do I get more Stale Cheese Curds?
Your main source is the Cheese Fermenter, a building unlocked after researching "Basic Domestication." It converts 10 Organic Waste into 1 Stale Cheese Curd over one cycle. You can also get them as rare loot from scavenging restaurant waste or as rewards for completing objectives for Pip.
Do rats die?
Rats do not die of old age, but they can be killed. Industrial accidents near high-tier machinery, attacks from rival creatures spawned by high pollution, or starvation during a food shortage can all reduce your rat population.
The Heart of the Heap
Ultimately, your rat workforce is more than just a resource-gathering tool; it's the beating heart of your garbage pile. They are the mechanic that transforms the game from a manual click-fest into a complex and rewarding management simulation. Learning how to hire, manage, and scale your rodent army is the single most important skill for mastering Garbage Growth. They are your first employees, your biggest liability, and your most direct path to achieving true, glorious growth.