Overview
Describing the different types of rooms in Rimworld.
Room types
A room that contains a Research bench (either type) is a Laboratory.
A room that contains a table (either type) is a Dining room.
A room that contains non-medical beds is a Bedroom (single bed) or Barracks (multiple beds).
A room that contains animal beds or animal sleeping spots is a Barn.
A room that contains medical beds or hospital beds is a Hospital.
A room that contains televisions, horseshoe pins, billiards tables, or telescopes is a Recreation room.
A room that contains prisoner beds is a Prison cell (single bed) or Prison barracks (multiple beds).
A room that contains stoves or breweries is a Kitchen.
A room that contains other kinds of workbenches and production tables or spots is a Workshop.
A room that contains graves and/or sarcofagi is a Tomb.
Rooms that fit multiple categories are defined by their majority type. If they fit none of these categories, they are simply Rooms.
Importance of room types
Colonists judge rooms as units. The following rooms have a special purpose:
The cleanness of a room that is recognized as a Hospital affects how easily infections set and spread. Any part of the floor that is inside the bounds of the Hospital will count towards this measure. (Remember this when you disassemble hospital room walls or lose them to raids/infestations/fires.)
When your colonists eat inside a room that is classified a Dining room, they gain mood bonuses/penalties depending on how impressive that room is. This mood effect lasts several hours.
When your colonists spend joy-time inside a room that is classified a Recreation room, they gain mood bonuses/penalties depending on how impressive that room is. This mood effect lasts several hours.
When colonists have a bed in a Bedroom, they gain mood bonuses/penalties depending on how impressive that room is. Some personality traits such as Ashetic, Jealous or Greedy will assign special importance to this factor. This mood effect lasts several hours.
The impressiveness of any other room is irrelevant, but whichever room they are currently in (even outside), the beauty of that room will affect their mood.
I.e. there is no “Spend time cooking in a really impressive kitchen” mood buff or “Repulsive workshop” debuff, but there is a generic “Ugly/pleasant/etc environment” mood effect that varies in realtime depending where they are at the moment.
In other words, it is a waste of resources to place sculptures or flower pots in a Workshop room.
Additionally, whenever your colonists spend time eating or working on a table or a workbench, or laying on a bed, the quality of the bed/chair will affect their comfortable/uncomfortable mood effect. It is worthwhile making sure all your chairs and beds are good quality or better, and that there indeed is a chair next to every workshop table.