Outbound's Free Say Cheese! Update Adds 34 Animals and a Camera System

Outbound has received its free Say Cheese! Wildlife Update, substantially expanding the animals players can encounter while travelling through its off-grid world. Released on September 22, 2026, the update introduces 34 distinct wildlife species across the game's four biomes, alongside a dedicated photography feature designed to turn sightings into a new collection activity.

The update is now available on Steam, the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 versions are expected to receive the Wildlife Update soon, although a specific rollout date for those platforms has not been announced.

Rather than treating wildlife as simple background scenery, Say Cheese! gives players a set of tools for finding, observing, photographing, and cataloguing animals during their journeys. It also includes several smaller changes that should make daily play more comfortable, from a new building piece to a more restrained fishing prompt. For a game built around shaping a mobile home and setting one's own pace, the update's main theme is fittingly about slowing down to look at the landscape.

A larger animal population across every biome

The headline addition is the arrival of 34 unique animal species. These creatures are spread throughout Outbound's four biomes, giving players more reason to pay attention to their surroundings while driving, gathering resources, constructing a base, or simply exploring away from the usual route.

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Wildlife is central to the update's new progression loop, but the animals are not presented as targets to defeat or resources to farm. The focus is instead on discovery. Players are encouraged to locate species in the environment, get a good view of them, and document what they find. That approach complements Outbound's wider emphasis on self-directed road trips and building a sustainable life on the move.

Because the animals inhabit multiple biomes, completing the collection will require more than staying near the starting area. Players who want a full Wildlife Journal will need to continue travelling and remain alert to creatures that may be easy to overlook amid the game's broader environments.

Craft a camera and start filling the Wildlife Journal

The centrepiece of Say Cheese! is a new camera system. To begin using it, players can visit the newly added Wildlife Outpost in the first biome. There they can acquire the blueprint needed to craft a camera, placing the feature early enough in a playthrough for wildlife photography to become part of the regular exploration routine.

For another perspective on this story, read Outbound's Say Cheese! Update Adds 34 Animals and a Photography System.

Once made, the camera offers much more control than a basic screenshot tool. It includes adjustable professional-style settings for exposure or brightness, depth-of-field focus points, saturation, contrast, and zoom. Those options give players room to make practical adjustments when a subject is far away, partially obscured, or viewed under difficult lighting, while also allowing more creative compositions for players who want to capture the look of their journey.

Each image taken with the camera is saved directly to the player's library. That means photographs can act both as personal travel mementos and as evidence of wildlife discoveries. The system is built to reward a clean shot rather than merely pointing the camera in an animal's general direction.

The camera automatically recognizes animals that are currently in view. If a player frames the creature effectively and captures a clear photograph, that species is registered as collected in the new Wildlife Journal section. This creates a straightforward but potentially satisfying challenge: spot the animal, position the camera, make sure the view is unobstructed, and take the picture before moving on.

Journal previews help identify missing species

The in-game journal has also been expanded to support the new collecting activity. It now shows previews intended to help players recognize animals they have not yet documented. That should make the system more approachable than a completely blind checklist, especially as players try to determine whether a distant silhouette or movement in the environment belongs to a species still missing from their records.

For completion-minded players, the Wildlife Journal provides a clear reason to return to earlier regions and explore more deliberately. For everyone else, it can remain a low-pressure activity that develops naturally over the course of an ordinary trip. Either way, the collection mechanic turns the game's fauna into an ongoing part of progression without requiring players to abandon the relaxed tone of the wider experience.

Binoculars and small usability changes

Say Cheese! also supplies a useful observation tool beyond the craftable camera. Static binoculars placed around the world can now be used to look over long distances. These should help players scan terrain from a fixed viewpoint, potentially making it easier to notice wildlife or simply appreciate a vista before setting out in that direction.

The binocular addition makes sense alongside the photo system because it separates scouting from taking the final picture. A player can use a long-range viewpoint to investigate activity in the distance, then head closer with the camera once they have an idea of where to look. It is a small addition, but one that reinforces the update's interest in deliberate exploration.

There is also a welcome adjustment to fishing. The interaction prompt for fishing now appears only when the player is standing still. This should reduce unnecessary on-screen prompts while moving around near water and make the fishing interaction feel less intrusive during general exploration or construction.

A new building foundation for mobile sanctuaries

Builders receive a practical new option as part of the update: a solid wooden foundation with a closed wooden floor. It has been added directly to the building menu and does not require a blueprint. As a result, players can access it immediately when planning new layouts or revising an existing mobile sanctuary.

The closed-floor design offers another visual and structural choice for those assembling compact homes, utility spaces, or larger decorative setups. Outbound's construction systems encourage players to personalize how they live on the road, and a readily available foundation piece can be especially useful for people looking to create a more enclosed, finished look without first needing to hunt down another unlock.

Although it is a less flashy feature than the new animals and camera, the building addition is important because it acknowledges the game's other major audience: players who spend as much time arranging their living space as they do travelling through the world. The update therefore broadens both sides of the Outbound experience, offering a new reason to roam and another tool for settling in.

New charms and animal-shaped plant pots

Decorating also gets some extra attention through new collectibles. Say Cheese! adds charms designed by Kickstarter backers, bringing community-created touches into the game. Animal-shaped plant pots are included as well, giving players another way to bring the update's wildlife theme back to their own space.

These items are primarily about expression rather than progression, but that is appropriate for a game where the player's vehicle and living area are meant to feel personal. A small charm or unusual plant pot can help distinguish one traveler's setup from another, especially for players who enjoy making a compact base feel lived in.

The inclusion of backer-designed charms also ties the release to the people who supported the game during its crowdfunding period. Their designs now become part of the collection of objects players can use to customize their travelling home.

Platform availability and current Steam promotion

Players on PC can download the Say Cheese! Wildlife Update through Steam and the Epic Games Store. The update is likewise available now for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2 releases are still pending, with the update described as coming soon on both Nintendo platforms.

Outbound is also currently discounted by 20% on Steam. No end date for that promotion has been provided, so interested PC players may want to check the store listing for the live offer and regional details.

With its new wildlife roster, adjustable camera tools, collection-driven journal, and several useful quality-of-life refinements, Say Cheese! is a sizable free expansion for Outbound's existing players. The update does not alter the game's core identity as an off-grid adventure focused on freedom and self-made comfort. Instead, it gives every journey a little more life, and gives players a reason to stop, aim the lens, and remember where they have been.