Ribbon Gaming › SCUM wiki › Getting started
Getting started
You land on the island with nothing. This page is the first hour, the money and
the ways back from dying, all read from the game's own files.
Your first hour
The kit SCUM's own Codex tells a new prisoner to craft, out of rocks, sticks and
rags off the ground:
- Improvised Courier Backpack: An improvised Courier Backpack made out of basic materials. It makes gathering supplies much easier for each new prisoner.
- Big Stone Axe: A stone axe made from basic materials. Quality and durability are not the best, but it handles normal tasks like cutting wood and is useful in dangerous situations.
- Stone Axe: A stone axe made from basic materials. Quality and durability are not the best, but it handles normal tasks like cutting wood and is useful in dangerous situations.
- Improvised Bow 20#: Most primal version of a bow. 20# draw weight.
- Wooden Arrow: A wooden arrow crafted from a stick. It can be used with any bow.
- Improvised Quiver: Improvised quiver made of basic materials, don't expect it to last more than a few days.
- Torch: Improvised torch. Useful for navigating at night, but also easier to spot.
- Tinder: Pile of small pieces of wood used for starting a fire.
The four gauges
Health at 0% is death. Stamina spends as you move and refills as you rest. Food
and water keep the body performing; the emptier they run, the worse everything
works.
What the metabolism screen says, in the game's words
Basic Info
- Age
- Age is the length of time that you have lived.
- Lifetime
- Lifetime represents how long you have stayed alive since the last time you (re)spawned on The Island.
- Weight
- Weight is a measure of a person’s heaviness without any attached objects like clothes, for example.
- Health
- Health is a measure of a person’s life force measured from 100% to 0%. You die upon reaching 0%.
- Teeth
- Tooth count represents how many teeth you have left. Teeth can be lost by facing physical trauma, but they can also grow back over time.
- Blood Type
- Each person has one of four different blood types, and those four are O, A, B and AB. Each of them can be positive or negative, meaning there are eight blood types in total.
- Blood Volume
- Blood volume indicates how much blood you have in your body at any point in time. If it falls below certain levels, you may face a range of medical issues including coma and death.
- Temperature
- Temperature indicates your body temperature. The normal temperature of the human body is around 37 degrees Celsius. Having a temperature that is too low or too high could cause certain medical issues of varying seriousness.
Body Mass Distribution
- Bones
- Indication of how many kilograms of bones are in your body at this particular moment.
- Blood
- Indication of how many kilograms of blood there is in your body at this particular moment. Blood can be lost by bleeding out and it can also be recovered.
- Intestines
- Indication of how many kilograms of intestines are in your body at this particular moment.
- Skin
- Indication of how many kilograms of skin are on your body at this particular moment.
- Organs
- Indication of how many kilograms of organs are in your body at this particular moment.
- Fat
- Indication of how many kilograms of Fat is there in your body at this particular moment.
Fat in your body can be increased or decreased depending on the diet and difficulty of the physical actions you do. If the body fat reserves fall below a critical level, consequences even include death.
- Muscle
- Indication of how many kilograms of muscles are in your body at this particular moment. Muscles can be increased and decreased depending on the diet and difficulty of the physical actions you do.
Nutrient Absorption Speed
- Protein
- Indication of how quickly proteins get absorbed in your body. Can be influenced by various conditions, injuries and illnesses.
- Carbs
- Indication of how quickly carbs get absorbed in your body. Can be influenced by various conditions, injuries and illnesses.
- Minerals
- Indication of how quickly minerals get absorbed in your body. Can be influenced by various conditions, injuries and illnesses.
- Vitamins
- Indication of how quickly vitamins get absorbed in your body. Can be influenced by various conditions, injuries and illnesses.
- Water
- Indication of how quickly water gets absorbed in your body. Can be influenced by various conditions, injuries and illnesses.
- Alcohol
- Indication of how quickly alcohol gets absorbed in your body. Can be influenced by various conditions, injuries and illnesses.
Dying, and what it costs
Every respawn is paid for in cash. A bank account can fall to -$2,500, so a broke
prisoner can still afford the way back - but dying while at -$2,500 is permadeath.
Respawn prices are set per server. Three uses of the PT-29 Rapid Recovery Serum bring
a dead prisoner back, even after permadeath.
Money and bank cards
| Card | Costs | Daily limit | Protection |
| Starter Bank Card | issued on arrival | $500 | no protection |
| Classic Bank Card | $100 | $1,000 | 1-digit PIN |
| Gold Bank Card | $5,000 | $5,000 | 2-digit PIN |
Gold survives server wipes where cash does not, and moving money into gold takes
the Gold Bank Card. ATMs cap daily movement and the cap refills over time.
Squads and quests
A squad holds 2 players per point of the leader's INT attribute by default, with
ranks Member, Enforcer, Underboss and Boss. Quests come in 3 tiers: 6 Tier 1 quests
unlock Tier 2, 12 Tier 2 quests unlock Tier 3, and traders open their quest lines
in order - General Goods, Armorer, Mechanic, Doctor.
Every survival tip the game gives, in its own words
The hints SCUM flashes up in play and the ones its tutorial shows the first time you pick something up, with what Deena says as they appear.
Movement
- Use Increase Crouch Stage and Decrease Crouch Stage to finely adjust crouch height.
- If you're too heavy to reach the surface, drop some gear.
- Press Prone to go prone or use the SIT or LAY DOWN actions to recover stamina faster.
- Constant sprinting drains stamina faster and raises the Exhaustion levels.
- Hold Dive Down to dive down.
- Hold Dive Up to swim upward.
- Use Move Forward Move Left Move Backward Move Right to navigate.
- Use Move Forward Move Left Move Backward Move Right to navigate.
- Change pose with Increase Pace and Decrease Pace.
- Change pace with Increase Pace and Decrease Pace.
- Press Open Parachute to open the Parachute.
- Automatic parachute opening can be disabled in Game Settings.
- Use Increment Throttle and Decrement Throttle to adjust the speed of motor-powered water vehicles.
- Increase your pace and jump farther with Increase Pace.
Slow your pace with Decrease Pace.
- Use Move Forward Move Left Move Backward Move Right to navigate.
Use Lean Left Lean Right to lean and change camera shoulder.
Crafting and Repairing
- Hold Interact With Modifier when adding ingredients to a blueprint to add them all at once.
- Use Craft Last Crafted Item to craft the last item again (if you have the required materials)
or select the last placed blueprint.
- Improve a baseball bat or wooden club by combining it with nails or wire.
- A toolbox can be used to adjust the draw weight of a compound bow.
- Hold Interact on a blueprint and choose the “Destroy” interaction to destroy it.
- Bring the required components close to the blueprint and press Interact to add them one by one.
- Chests can be buried with a shovel.
- Crafted items drop on the floor. Don't forget to pick them up!
- If you have a Sewing Kit, use Interaction Context Menu on an item you want to repair in the Inventory,
then select Repair to restore its durability.
- Many objects support multiple actions.
Look at the object and hold Interact to open the Action Menu.
- Small wooden sticks and rag strips can be crafted into ropes.
Cut rags to get rag strips. Deena: “Ropes can be made from sticks. You can also make ropes from rags. You can make ropes from lots of things, basically. But right now, sticks is all you have.”
- Hold Interact while looking at a Long Wooden Stick to cut it in half. Deena: “Cutting bushes can make short sticks and long sticks. Long sticks can be cut into two short ones.”
- Broken clothing items can be repaired or maintained with a Sewing Kit.
General
- You CANNOT eat with a mask on.
- Use Exit With Engine On to exit the vehicle while keeping the engine running.
- You can fire handguns from the driver's seat.
- Mechs can't see you while you're in bushes.
- Run through bushes to disorient puppets chasing you.
- Single rounds can be chambered into a weapon without the need for a magazine.
- Target the head on a Razor's back for more effective attacks.
- Press Toggle Map to open the Map.
- Rainwater can be collected in rain collectors.
- Puppets can be buried with a shovel.
- If the “No items found” message appears frequently, someone may have searched the area before you.
- Hold Focus to enter Focus Mode.
- Hold Focus to view owned buried chests in Focus Mode.
- Use Toggle Weapon Aiming Mode to switch between scope and iron sights.
- Use Toggle Weapon Firing Mode to switch firing modes.
- Use Check Weapon Firing Mode to check the current firing mode.
- Use Check Ammo to check your ammo.
- Use Hold Breath to activate the rangefinder and gather environmental data.
- Use Increment Weapon Scope Windage and Decrement Weapon Scope Windage to adjust windage.
- Use Increment Weapon Zero Range and Decrement Weapon Zero Range to adjust the zeroing range.
- Hold Interaction Mode to access the toilet functions.
- Hold Throw to throw an item. Press Cancel Throw to cancel the throw.
- Attach a battery to an electrical device to power it.
- For a quicker start, open the Codex in the Manual Tab by pressing Open Tab Manual.
- Open chat with Chat.
- Not all mushrooms are safe to eat. Check the item's description first!
- Use Toggle Night Vision to turn on Night Vision.
- Hold Focus to locate animal tracks more easily in Focus Mode.
- Hold Focus to view owned mines and traps in Focus Mode.
- Use Set Gear Hi and Set Gear Lo to switch between high and low gears while driving a tractor.
Low gears help when driving uphill; high gears help you reach top speed.
- Check out the Tutorial panel to see available tutorials. Also, hunting tutorials are now available! Check out all the new hunting features!
- Press Change Camera to change view mode.
When a ranged weapon is equipped, press Bash to melee. Deena: “It helps to change perspective when aiming with long range weapons. Why not give it a try?”
- Press Jump to mantle onto ledges.
- Press Jump to vault over obstacles or mantle up to ledges.
- Increase your pace with Increase Pace to jump farther.
- Press Prone to go prone and move under obstacles.
- Press Crouch to crouch.
Use Increase Crouch Stage and Decrease Crouch Stage to adjust your crouch height precisely.
- Hold Interact on an item for more interaction options.
- Press Interaction Mode to open the Inventory and see nearby items shown in the Vicinity. Deena: “Look! Rags! Bandages of the working man.”
- All items will degrade over time. Always keep an eye on their condition. Deena: “I think your knife is about to break. You should probably look for something else to murder with.”
- Double-Click or Drag items shown in the Vicinity to put them in your inventory. Deena: “Crafted items need to be held or stored for use. You can hold them in your hands, put them in a bag. But you should always start by picking them up.”
Survival
- Use Phoenix Tears to revive dead prisoners if the head is still attached to the body.
- Wearing gloves and footwear prevents hand and foot abrasions.
- Refill empty bottles and containers at clean water sources such as rivers and lakes.
- Items below 20% durability can only be repaired up to 50%.
- Removing extra clothes can help you cool down!
- Putting on extra clothes can help you stay warm!
- Hold Focus to view the compass at the top of your screen.
Compass detail depends on your Survival Skill and any compass items in your possession.
- Hold, then release Fire to fire an arrow. At any point, press Block to cancel.
- Use Interaction Context Menu on eligible equipment, such as clothing, to cut it into rags.
- Press Interaction Mode, then click the METABOLISM tab to see the effects of food. Deena: “Don't forget to eat and drink. You are only human and without food and water, you will die.”
- With a cutting tool in your inventory, Interact on a tin of food and choose OPEN to open it.
If the tin is in your inventory, you can Interaction Context Menu it and choose OPEN. Deena: “Baked beans. A can opener. Truly, a marriage made in heaven.”
- After firing an arrow, you can usually recover it from the environment and use it again. Deena: “The great thing about arrows is - you can collect them and use them again. You cannot do that with bullets.”
- With an item in hand, hold Throw to aim, then release to throw. Deena: “Did you know that 'shuriken' literally means 'hidden hand blade'. You can throw them to blind and maim the other contestants. But they can also clutter up your inventory.”
Minigames
- Adding optional ingredients increases the quality of your cooked meal.
- Gloves LOWER damage from lock protection zappers but INCREASE lockpicking difficulty.
- Higher-quality lockpicks take longer to break when they get stuck during lockpicking.
- Fishing at different times of day, in different types of water, and with different bait yields different results.
- Hold Fast Reeling while scrolling to increase reeling speed.
- A mine placed outside a flag's range can be triggered by anyone—even you.
Inventory
- Quickly add items shown in the Vicinity to your inventory by DOUBLE-CLICKING them.
- Some items can't be stored if they exceed the equipment's weight limit.
- Hold Inventory Favor Rotation Over Scroll and use MouseScrollUp or MouseScrollDown to rotate items in your inventory.
- Check the Traders Depot tab for item rewards.
- Press Reload to reload.
Aim Down The Sights to toggle aim down sights.
Press Bash to melee. Deena: “Don't forget that guns need magazines and magazines need bullets. You also might want to try aiming with that thing first, before heading into combat.”
- Some magazines already contain bullets. Deena: “This magazine is pre-loaded. Pre-loaded magazines make for better TV.”
- Drag bullets onto a magazine to load it. Deena: “This magazine is empty. You can load it with the bullets from the box.”
- Quick Access1 and Quick Access2 to quickly access items in your HOLSTER slots.
Place items in your HOLSTER slots in the Inventory tab. Deena: “You're becoming a regular one-man army.”
- Interaction Context Menu on an ammo box to unpack it.
Then drag bullets onto a magazine to load it. Deena: “You have to unpack that box to get to the bullets.”
- To aim down sights, click Aim Down The Sights once.
- Some apparel can expand inventory space.
Interaction Mode to access the Inventory. Deena: “Oh. Look. An improvised courier backpack. You can craft one from basic materials out in the wilderness.”
- Clothing items can take damage and degrade over time.
Red squares indicate broken inventory slots that cannot store anything.
- If you drop a bag or clothing item, any items inside will also be dropped.
- Drag a small weapon to a Quick Access Slot for fast swapping in combat.
Metabolism
- View Skill details in the top-left section of the Metabolism Tab by pressing Open Tab Metabolism.
- A skill can't be leveled if the relevant Attribute is too low.
Check the Codex for details.
- Press Interact to drink from a water source.
Economy
- Gold persists through partial server wipes.
- Bank accounts can go as low as -$2,500.
Squads
- Squad size depends on the leader's INT attribute.
Base Building
- Press Interact to pick a starting point,
move the mouse to expand the wall, and press Interact again to pick the ending point.
- Upgrade elements by holding Interact on them and choosing the "Upgrade" interaction.
- Interact with a flag by pressing Interact to show or hide the flag area.
Health
- Rags can be disinfected with strong alcohol.
- See a medical condition's details in the Health Tab by pressing Open Tab Health.
- Emergency bandages heal and disinfect your wounds. Deena: “Ooooo. Proper bandages. Those production guys must really love you.”
The game's own manual
SCUM ships a manual, the Codex. Every page of it, in the game's own words.
Welcome to the island: Introduction
The essentials for surviving your first day on The Island
You arrive on The Island with minimal equipment. Collect stones, sticks, and cloth to craft basic gear, then secure food, water, and shelter.
Survival 101
The lower-left HUD displays your Health, Stamina, Energy Reserves, and Water Reserves:
Injuries, falls, and disease reduce Health. Treat active conditions in the Health Tab. At 0%, you die.
Movement and physical actions consume Stamina. Rest to recover it. At 0%, your character must stop and catch their breath.
Eat regularly to maintain Energy Reserves. Loot houses and fields, hunt animals, cook ingredients, or take food from corpses. Low reserves reduce physical performance.
Drink regularly to maintain Water Reserves. Physical activity increases water use. Refill at freshwater sources and pumps, or carry bottled water.
Starter Gear
Craft an Improvised Courier Backpack early to increase your carrying capacity while looting.
For close-range combat, craft a Big Stone Axe or Small Stone Axe.
For ranged combat, craft an Improvised Bow #20, Wooden Arrows, and an Improvised Quiver for storing the arrows.
If you arrive at night, craft a Torch and Tinder to light your surroundings.
Gather the materials shown in each recipe to craft this starter equipment.
Survival: Respawning
Respawn costs, locations, cooldowns, and permadeath
When you die, spend Cash or Gold to respawn at an available location. Your account balance and selected option determine the cost and risk.
Respawning Options
Choose and pay for one of these Respawn options:
- Random: respawn at a random map location. Default cost: $250.
- Sector: respawn at a random location in the selected Sector. Default cost: $1,000.
- At Shelter: respawn at your Shelter or Improvised Bed. Default cost: 1 Gold.
Each option has a reuse cooldown. Private servers can use different Respawn prices.
Respawn costs can reduce your Bank balance to -$2,500, allowing a paid Respawn even without enough deposited Cash.
WARNING: Dying while your balance is -$2,500 causes permadeath.
Dead characters can be revived with a single use of Phoenix Tears.
Three uses are necessary if the character is in permadeath instead.
Without Phoenix Tears, the only way to rejoin a server after permadeath is to create a new character.
Survival: Gear Maintenance
Repairing, cleaning, and drying equipment
Maintain equipment to preserve its storage capacity, protection, reliability, and repair potential.
Item Condition
Durability ranges from 0% to 100% and falls as an item is used or damaged. Repairing restores Durability.
WARNING: An item below 20% Durability can be repaired only to 50%, instead of 100%.
Rain and submersion make items wet. Hover over equipped gear in Inventory to view its exact Wetness.
Wet items absorb water and become heavier, increasing your carried Gear Weight.
Dry wet equipment in either of these ways:
- Keep the item out of water and rain to let it dry over time.
- Place the item near a fire to dry it faster, but keep enough distance to avoid fire damage.
Clothes
Most clothing provides Inventory space. As clothing loses durability, storage cells become unavailable. Items left in disabled cells lose durability, and no new items can be placed there.
WARNING: Low-durability footwear and gloves increase the risk of Foot Abrasions and Hand Abrasions.
A clothing item's Warmth value affects protection from cold. Hover over equipped clothing in Inventory to view its details.
Wear fewer warm layers in hot regions and add warm clothing in cold regions to regulate Body Temperature.
Repair most clothing with a Sewing Kit or craftable Improvised Sewing Kit. An item's description lists any additional repair method it supports.
Clothing can become dirty. Dirt is visible on worn clothing, while its exact condition can be checked in Inventory. Dirty clothing worn over an open wound increases contamination risk. Wash clothing with Soap while standing in water.
Melee Weapons
Melee Weapons use two repair categories:
- Blunt Melee Weapons
- Sharp Melee Weapons
Repair Blunt Melee Weapons with a Toolbox or Improvised Toolbox. Repair Sharp Melee Weapons with a Grinding Stone. Sharp weapons can also function as combat weapons and Crafting tools.
Ranged Weapons
Repair Bows and Weapon Attachments with a Toolbox. Repair Firearms in either of these ways:
- Use a Weapon Cleaning Kit.
- Use matching Weapon Parts.
Use a Weapon Cleaning Kit directly on the Firearm.
Use a Toolbox to disassemble another Firearm of the same type into Weapon Parts, then use those Parts for repair.
Low-durability Firearms, Magazines, and Ammunition increase the chance of a Weapon Malfunction. If the weapon does not fire, press [Reload] to open the Malfunction menu.
Common Malfunctions include:
1. Stovepipe: affected by Firearm Durability.
2. Bad Round: affected by Ammunition Durability.
3. Double Feed: affected by Firearm Durability.
4. Round Not Loaded: affected by Magazine Durability.
Additionally, the M1 Garand can suffer a Partially Ejected Clip (influenced by the durability of the weapon), and Pistols can suffer a Stuck Bullet (influenced by the durability of the bullet).
If available, the Bad Round recovery option clears every Malfunction. Clearing one Malfunction can occasionally cause another.
Survival: Electricity
Generating and supplying power to electrical equipment
Generators and Batteries power Base Building defenses, appliances, lights, tools, and portable electronics.
Generating Electricity
Small Electricity Generators and Electricity Generators supply power within their range. Add Gasoline through the "Add Fuel" interaction, then use "Show Range" to view the powered area.
A Small Electricity Generator supplies up to 250 W; an Electricity Generator supplies up to 500 W. Active equipment consumes part of that capacity. Where generator ranges overlap, powered equipment divides its load equally between the available Generators.
Batteries power compatible portable equipment. Recharge Smartphone and Car Batteries with a Small, Medium, or Large Battery Charger; single-use Batteries cannot be recharged.
Using Electricity
Generators power Turrets, Refrigerators, Portable Electric Stoves, and Battery Chargers.
Batteries power smaller equipment, including Flashlights, Radios, Night Vision Goggles, Metal Detectors, Portable Work Lights, BCU Locks, Lock Protections, and Remote Door Sensors.
Drag a Battery onto compatible equipment and select "Insert".
Movement: Basic Movement
Movement controls, pace, stance, and camera control
Change your pace and stance to cross terrain, avoid obstacles, and stay concealed.
Movement Control
Use [Move Forward], [Move Backward], [Move Left], and [Move Right] to move.
Press [Auto Walk] to keep moving forward without holding the movement input.
Press [Jump] to jump or vault over obstacles.
Hold [Lean Left] or [Lean Right] to lean.
Press [Crouch] to crouch. Use [Increase Crouch Stage] and [Decrease Crouch Stage] to adjust crouch height.
Press [Prone] to go prone.
Movement Speed
You can move at three paces: walking, jogging, and running. Use [Increase Pace] and [Decrease Pace] to change pace.
Camera Movement
Press [Change Camera] to switch between first-person and third-person cameras. Move the mouse to look around.
Hold [Free Look] and move the mouse to look around without changing your facing direction.
Movement: Swimming and Diving
Swimming, diving, and managing your breath
Swim or dive to cross water when no bridge or boat is available.
Swimming
Use [Move Forward], [Move Backward], [Move Left], and [Move Right] to swim. Use [Increase Pace] and [Decrease Pace] to adjust your swimming pace.
Diving
Hold [Dive Down] to dive. While submerged, your breath decreases; when it is depleted, you begin to drown and lose Health. Hold [Dive Up] to ascend.
WARNING: Heavy gear can make you sink. Drop gear from Inventory if you cannot reach the surface.
Movement: Parachuting
Finding, equipping, and using a parachute
Parachute respawns begin with a descent onto The Island. Parachutes found later can also be equipped and used during normal gameplay.
Using the Parachute
Find parachutes near airports or buy them at an Outpost, then equip one as a backpack. While airborne, use [Move Forward], [Move Backward], [Move Left], and [Move Right] to steer.
Use [Increase Pace] and [Decrease Pace] to adjust your body position and airspeed.
Press [Open Parachute] to deploy the parachute.
WARNING: Deploying too close to the ground can cause severe or fatal injuries.
Inventory: Equipment
Managing carried equipment and storage capacity
The Inventory uses a grid. Items occupy different amounts of space, while clothing and equipment provide containers with different grid sizes and weight limits.
Item Rotation
Rotate items to fit them into the Inventory grid. While moving an item, hold [Inventory Favor Rotation Over Scroll] and use [Rotate Placing Actor Clockwise] or [Rotate Placing Actor Counter Clockwise] to rotate it.
Maximum Contained Weight
Each container has a maximum contained weight. Reaching that limit prevents you from adding items even when free grid space remains.
Inventory: Vicinity
Items and accessible containers near your character
The Vicinity lists items and accessible containers near your character.
Vicinity and Filters
Crafted, dropped, and looted items appear in the Vicinity. Chests, vehicle inventories, and other containers appear at the bottom. Double-click an item to move it quickly into your Inventory.
Use the category filters above the Vicinity to narrow the item list.
Inventory: Holster and Quick Access
Equipping weapons and items for quick access
Holsters and Quick Access Slots let you equip frequently used items without opening Inventory.
Holsters
Weapons, tools, and some other items can be placed in Holsters. Drag an item from the Vicinity or Inventory into a compatible Holster slot.
Press [Quick Access1] or [Quick Access2] to move the corresponding item into your hands. Press the same input again to return it to its Holster.
Quick Access
Drag an item from the Inventory or Vicinity into a free Quick Access Slot. To remove it, right-click the slot and select "Remove from Quick Access", or double-click the occupied slot.
A hand icon enables Throwing Mode. When enabled, activating the slot throws a throwable item instead of placing it in your hands.
In the Quick-Access HUD, the rightmost slot displays the toggled item or the item currently in your Hands.
Health: Body Status
Monitoring Health, Blood, conditions, symptoms, and vital signs
The Health Tab tracks your overall Health, active conditions, and symptoms.
BCU ICU Monitor
The BCU ICU Monitor displays these vital signs:
- Heart Rate
- Blood Pressure
- Oxygen Levels
- Breathing Rate
- Body Temperature
Interactive Body Panel
Select a body part in the Interactive Body Panel to isolate its conditions and symptoms.
The panel tracks your current Health and Blood levels.
Use the panel to identify which body parts are affected by a condition.
Selecting a body part filters the condition and symptom lists to that area.
Health: Treating Injuries
Diagnosing and treating medical conditions
Some conditions recover without treatment, while others worsen quickly. Check severity and symptoms before deciding how to respond.
Conditions
Conditions usually range from C1 to C4, with C1 as the lowest severity and C4 as the highest. Not every condition reaches C4. Some conditions begin at C1, while severe trauma can begin at C4. Higher severity introduces new symptoms and worsens existing ones.
WARNING: Treat any condition marked with a skull quickly; it can be fatal.
Treatment Stages
Treatment has three phases: Untreated, Stabilization, and Recovery.
Untreated conditions cause ongoing symptoms and can increase in severity over time. The red progression bar shows how close the condition is to increasing in severity, and the Health Tab flashes red while an untreated condition is active.
During the Stabilization Phase, symptoms stop worsening while the condition moves toward Recovery. Strenuous activity can return it to the Untreated Phase. Stabilized bleeding injuries no longer reduce Blood.
During the Recovery Phase, symptoms recede over time. Strenuous activity does not return recovering conditions to an earlier phase.
Treating Injuries
Select the condition you want to treat.
Select compatible medical items from the Inventory or Vicinity until the treatment meter is full. Compatible items are highlighted when selecting treatment materials.
When the treatment meter is full, select Treat. The condition enters the Stabilization Phase. A higher Medical Skill reduces the number of items required.
Phoenix Tears treats any condition in a single use, but the item is rare.
Infections
Untreated wounds can become contaminated through dirty clothing or attacks by Puppets. A contamination icon marks the wound.
At 100% contamination, a wound becomes infected. Infection begins at C1 severity and can progress to C4, then develop into the more dangerous Sepsis condition.
Treat wound contamination and infection by:
- Use Antibiotics to strengthen your immune response. Garlic also helps.
- Disinfect Rags with strong alcohol before treating the wound, or use sterile medical items.
- Remove dirty clothing covering the wound.
- Apply strong alcohol directly to the wound.
Select a disinfectant, right-click the Rags, and select "Disinfect".
Health: Radiation
Avoiding, detecting, and treating radiation exposure
Irradiated fog surrounds the Krško Nuclear Power Plant and the abandoned city. Prolonged exposure or carrying irradiated items increases Radiation Presence. Continued exposure causes Acute Radiation Syndrome, which damages cells in the body.
Checking for Radiation
Hold a Geiger Counter to identify irradiated clothing and items. A nuclear symbol marks contaminated objects.
Preventing Radiation Exposure
Wear a Hazmat Suit before entering an irradiated area. Lower Suit durability provides less protection.
Treating Radiation
Use Potassium Iodide Pills to reduce the effects of radiation while the substance remains in your body. Wash yourself in water and wash irradiated items with Soap to remove contamination. Sweating and urinating reduce radiation over time.
Metabolism: Player Stats
Attributes, Skills, body composition, and performance data
Player Stats show how your Attributes, Skills, body composition, equipment load, and conditions affect performance.
Attributes and Skills
Hover over an Attribute or Skill to view its progression and current modifiers.
WARNING: An Attribute caps the level of its related Skills. If the Attribute drops below the level required by a Skill, the Skill keeps its level but stops gaining XP until the Attribute recovers.
- Level 1 - Basic Skill
- Level 2 - Medium Skill
- Level 3 - Advanced Skill
Basic Info
Basic Info lists your Age, Lifetime, Weight, Health, and other character data. Hover over an entry for additional details.
Performance Data
Performance Data explains your stamina, action difficulty, carrying capacity, movement speed, and overload penalties.
Stamina Units determine how much activity you can perform before fatigue. Higher Constitution increases maximum Stamina. Stamina can fall below zero by the same amount as its positive maximum; reaching the negative limit causes Energy Crash.
Action Difficulty changes consumption and recovery rates.
Action Difficulty shows the physical demand of your current action and affects Stamina consumption and recovery.
Gear Weight is the load you can carry without penalties. Higher Strength increases the limit; pushing a loaded vehicle such as a wheelbarrow also counts toward it. Exceeding the limit increases Energy and Water use, hunches your character, applies Overburdened, and reduces maximum pace.
Walk Speed is determined by your Performance Score.
Jog Speed is determined by your Performance Score and Running Skill.
Run Speed is determined by your Performance Score and Running Skill.
Energy Penalty shows the additional kilocalories used per hour while overloaded.
Water Penalty shows the additional millilitres of water used per hour while overloaded.
Performance Indicators
Healing Speed determines how quickly conditions and injuries stabilize. It depends on Constitution and Action Difficulty.
Blood Recovery Rate shows how quickly your body restores Blood. If Blood loss exceeds this rate, you can bleed out and die.
The Immune System affects infection risk and recovery speed. It depends largely on Constitution and can be strengthened with Antibiotics.
Performance Score affects the speed of actions such as running, walking, paddling, and chopping. Muscle Mass, Body Fat, and carried Weight determine the score.
Stealth Factor represents your ability to remain unseen and unheard. A lower value makes detection more likely.
Melee Damage compares your current damage with your maximum. Strength penalties, including Weakness, reduce it until the penalty is removed.
Body Stats
Body Stats show nutrient absorption and body-mass distribution. Critical imbalances can cause severe conditions or death.
Diet and physical activity change Body Fat Reserves. Critically low reserves can be fatal.
Metabolism: Nutrition and Digestion
Managing nutrition, digestion, and body reserves
Food and water maintain Energy, hydration, Muscle, Fat, vitamins, and minerals. Diet and activity determine whether these reserves rise or fall.
Nutrition
The Nutrition panel tracks:
Energy Reserves increase when calorie intake exceeds expenditure Resting reduces calorie use Higher Constitution reduces the calories your body needs
Energy can exceed 100%, but the excess depletes faster and fills the Intestines more quickly At 0%, you develop Energy Deficiency
Water Reserves increase when intake exceeds use Resting reduces water use Higher Constitution reduces the water your body needs
Water can exceed 100%, but the excess depletes faster and fills the Bladder more quickly At 0%, you develop Water Deficiency
Macronutrient Reserves
Macronutrient Reserves compare the nutrients stored in your body with their optimal levels.
Hover over a nutrient to view its main food sources.
Body Reserves
Body Reserves show your current Muscle and Fat stores. Diet and physical activity change both values.
Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamin and Mineral Reserves compare the nutrients stored in your body with their optimal levels.
Hover over a vitamin or mineral to view its main food sources.
Digestion
The Digestion panel tracks how full these four organs are:
The Stomach stores consumed food and water before passing them to the Intestines You can vomit when it reaches 50% At 120%, the Stomach can rupture and kill you
The Intestines receive food and water from the Stomach They absorb nutrients into the bloodstream and send liquid and solid waste to the Bladder and Colon
The Colon stores solid waste You can defecate when it reaches 50% At 120%, defecation occurs automatically and soils lower-body clothing
The Bladder stores liquid waste You can urinate when it reaches 50% At 120%, urination occurs automatically and wets lower-body clothing
Attributes and skills: Strength
Physical power and carrying capacity
Strength is the physical power of a person, typically measured by how much you can push, pull or lift a physical object.
Is raised by: proper protein intake and executing actions under a load.
Is lowered by: protein deficiency and loss of muscle mass.
It influences: carry weight, melee damage and calorie burning.
Ranges from 1 to 5, but it can be raised to 8 with proper diet and physical activities.
Brawling Skill
Brawling is the skill of fighting with fists, feet and other body parts.
Is raised by: doing hand-to-hand damage to players and NPCs.
It influences: hand-to-hand attack speed, available combo attacks, blocking efficiency.
Melee Weapons Skill
Melee Weapons is a skill that enables you to use knives, axes, clubs and other hand-held weapons.
Is raised by: doing damage with melee weapons to players, NPCs and base-building elements.
It influences: melee weapon attack speed, available combo attacks, melee weapon damage.
Archery Skill
Archery is a skill that enables you to shoot with bows and arrows.
Is raised by: doing damage with bow and arrow to players and NPCs.
It influences: ability to use bows of different poundages, faster reload time, faster draw time, hold time at full draw, faster bow tuning.
Rifles Skill
Rifles is a skill which indicates how familiar you are with rifles of any type, both firing them and maintaining or fixing them.
Is raised by: shooting players and NPCs with rifles and crossbow, as well as reloading the said weapons.
It influences: faster reload time, faster change from position to position (readying/aiming), recoil, shooting accuracy with rifles.
Handgun Skill
Handgun skill indicates how familiar you are with handguns of any type; whether firing, maintaining or fixing them.
Is raised by: shooting players and NPCs with handguns, as well as reloading handguns.
It influences: faster reload time, faster change from position to position (readying/aiming), recoil, shooting accuracy with handguns.
Attributes and skills: Constitution
Physical endurance and resilience
Constitution or body type defines everything connected with physical endurance and stamina.
Is raised by: moving in general, walking, running, swimming, etc.
Is lowered by: not moving, staying still for longer periods of time.
It influences: health points, stamina, damage and status (shock, poison, etc.) resistances, immune system, calorie and water consumption efficiency.
Ranges from 1 to 5.
Running Skill
Running is a skill that shows how athletic you are and how proficient you are at running.
Is raised by: jogging or running.
It influences: jogging and running speed.
Endurance Skill
Endurance is a skill that enables you to withstand pain by conserving strength and energy.
Is raised by: moving under a weight load.
It influences: stamina recovery rate, energy and water consumption rates.
Attributes and skills: Dexterity
Coordination and fine motor control
Dexterity determines how skillful you are in performing everyday and/or complicated actions.
Is raised by: calorie deficiency (losing weight).
Is lowered by: calorie sufficiency (gaining weight).
It influences: movement speed and action speed including crafting, eating and reloading.
Ranges from 1 to 5.
Thievery Skill
Thievery is a skill that determines how well you can pick locks.
Is raised by: lockpicking in general, both successfully and unsuccessfully.
It influences: time available per lockpicking attempt, level of pressure applied before lockpicks break.
Demolition Skill
Demolition is a skill that indicates how knowledgeable you are about the use of explosives.
Is raised by: arming and disarming explosives / practice traps.
It influences: number of materials needed for crafting explosives,explosive defuse time, defuse attempts, quality of armed explosives, explosive damage, trigger radius and unlocks crafting recipes.
Stealth Skill
Stealth is the skill of moving cautiously, silently and slowly to prevent others from hearing you.
Is raised by: moving while in crouch or prone position
It influences: sound produced while moving
Driving Skill
Driving is a skill that enables you to drive ground vehicles with four or more wheels as well as those with tracks and hovercraft.
Is raised by: driving for an extended amount of time.
It influences: vehicle stalling frequency, maximum attainable speed, acceleration, steering.
Motorcycling Skill
Motorcycling is a skill that enables you to drive ground vehicles with two or three wheels.
Is raised by: driving for an extended amount of time.
It influences: vehicle stalling frequency, maximum attainable speed, acceleration, steering.
Aviation Skill
Aviation determines how safely and effectively you operate aircraft.
Increase it by piloting aircraft.
It improves aircraft handling, stability, responsiveness, and control in demanding conditions.
Attributes and skills: Intelligence
Knowledge and problem-solving
Intelligence is the capability of perception and successfully performing tasks.
Is raised by: upgrading BCU with BCU Memory Modules.
Is temporarily increased by: consuming Intelligence Enhancement Ampules
Is lowered by: committing suicide.
Is temporarily lowered by: smoking weed AND eating hallucinogenic mushrooms.
It influences: global experience gain for skills of all attributes, squad size limit (if you are the leader).
Ranges from 1 to 5, but can be temporarily buffed to 8.
Awareness Skill
Awareness is a skill that enables you to notice or be aware of clues, items, camouflaged enemies and other things.
Is raised by: exploring The Island.
Camouflage Skill
Camouflage is the skill of self-disguise and making yourself invisible to others.
Is raised by: hiding in foliage.
It influences: visibility to other players and NPCs.
Cooking Skill
Cooking is a skill that enables you to create delicious and nutritious meals.
Is raised by: Cooking meals.
It influences: Meal cooking times.
Medical Skill
Medical skill indicates how proficient you are at treating injuries.
Is raised by: treating conditions and injuries.
It influences: stabilization time, number of required items for successful treatment, chance to successfully upgrade BCU chip.
Sniping Skill
Sniping is a skill that indicates how well you aim through scopes and how knowledgeable you are about wind speeds and determining range.
Is raised by: shooting from weapons that have scopes attached to them.
It influences: range check speed, ability to hold breath.
Survival Skill
Survival is a skill that indicates how well you are able to survive in the wild.
Is raised by: crafting related items.
It influences: number of materials needed for crafting items, compass complexity and unlocks crafting recipes.
Engineering Skill
Engineering is a skill that enables you to build various constructions and craft various items.
Is raised by: crafting and upgrading base building elements, repairing base building elements and other items and fixing vehicle tires.
It influences: number of materials needed for base building elements, repairing quality, charging and fueling speed.
Farming Skill
Farming is a skill that defines how good someone is at growing plants.
Is raised by: crafting a garden, planting, fertilizing, watering, weeding, and taking care of pests.
It influences: amount of harvestable produce, speed of each farming interaction like planting, weeding or watering.
Crafting and repairing: Crafting Items
Crafting tools, weapons, equipment, and other items
Craft improvised tools, weapons, equipment, and explosives from collected components.
How to Craft
Craftable items in Crafting use three backgrounds to show component availability:
Red stripes: all required components are missing.
Yellow stripes: some required components are missing.
No stripes: all required components are available.
Select an item with no striped background, then select NEXT. The recipe screen shows the required components, their quantities, and the available items that can fulfil each requirement. Available components are selected automatically; adjust the selection if you want to use different items.
When the required components are selected, choose CRAFT. Press [Craft Last Crafted Item] to repeat the recipe outside Crafting. Choose AUTO-CRAFT to craft the maximum available quantity.
Crafting and repairing: Blueprints
Placing and completing buildable structures
A blueprint reserves a location for a buildable item or structure. Add its required components to complete it. Most completed structures cannot be moved.
Placing a Blueprint
Select a building blueprint in Crafting. Use DETAILS to view its description and required components, or select PLACE to begin placement. Position the blueprint and press [Interact] to confirm.
The placement preview uses three colours:
Red: the blueprint cannot be placed at that location. Attempt placement to view the reason.
Green: the blueprint can be placed inside a friendly Flag area.
Blue: the blueprint can be placed outside a friendly Flag area.
To destroy a placed blueprint, hold [Interact] and choose the "Destroy" interaction.
Completing a Blueprint
Hover over a placed blueprint to view its required components.
Press [Interact] to add components from the Vicinity or Inventory one at a time.
To fill all available components at once, press [Interact With Modifier].
Base building: Flags
Claiming land for a player-built base
A Flag claims the area where you and your Squad can place and own Base Building elements.
Placing a Flag
Place and complete a Flag blueprint to establish your building area.
Press [Interact] on the completed Flag to view the range within which you may build.
WARNING: By default, each player can place only one Flag. A Flag cannot be moved after placement.
Base Element Limit
Each Flag area has a base-element limit. Buy Expansion Kits from General Goods traders to increase it.
Some elements have separate per-Flag limits. Only one Well and one Garden can be placed in a Flag area.
Base building: Modular and General Base Building Elements
Building with modular and freely placed base elements
General Base Elements can be placed freely within a Flag area. Modular Base Elements snap to Foundations and other modular structures.
Modular Base Elements
Modular Base Elements snap to existing modular structures. Start with Foundations, then attach Walls, Door Frames, Stairs, and other elements.
General Base Elements
General Base Elements can be placed freely within a Flag's range and do not need to snap to foundations.
Wooden Walls can be resized and can snap to other Wooden Walls. Press [Interact] to set the starting point, move the mouse to set the wall length, then press [Interact] again to confirm the endpoint.
Base building: Upgrading Base Elements
Increasing the durability of Base Building elements
Upgrade Base Building elements to increase their durability against damage and demolition.
Upgrading an Element
Modular Base Elements begin as Twig and can be upgraded through Wood, Metal, Brick, and Cement. Modular Doors can be upgraded to Reinforced. Some General Base Elements can be upgraded from Wood to Metal.
Each tier has more durability than the previous tier. Hold [Interact] on an element and choose "Upgrade". A higher Engineering Skill reduces the materials required to build and upgrade elements.
Base building: Traps/Bombs
Defending an area with traps and explosives
Traps and bombs can kill, incapacitate, or reveal intruders near your base.
Lethal vs Non-Lethal
Non-lethal traps incapacitate targets or reveal intruders: Cartridge Trap, Fireworks Trap, Flare Trap, and Silent Trap.
Lethal traps and explosives include Mines, PROM Trap, Pressure Cooker Bomb, Pipe Bomb, Claymores, Stake Pit Trap, and Barbed Spike Trap.
Traps, Bombs, and Flags
All traps and bombs except the Barbed Spike Trap can be placed outside a Flag's range. Outside the range, anyone—including the person who armed it—can trigger it. Inside a Flag's range, the owner and their squadmates do not trigger it.
Base building: Turrets
Automated defenses for a claimed base
Turrets automatically attack Puppets, vehicles, Sentries, and other prisoners. They can damage their owner and other Turrets, so position them carefully.
Turrets can be placed only inside a Flag's range, with a default limit of three. Drag supported ammunition onto the Turret in the Vicinity, or use "Fill Ammo" from its context menu.
Turret Types
Five Turret types are available: Basic, .50 Cal, Minigun, Flamethrower, and Rocket.
To view a Turret's aiming and detection angles, hold [Interact] and select "Show Range".
Range: 25 m
Rate of fire: 25 rounds per minute
Electricity consumption: 150 W
Ammo capacity: 100
Ammo types: 12 Gauge, .30-06, .308, .338, 5.45x39mm, 5.56x45mm, 7.62x39mm, 7.62x54mm, 7.92x57mm, and 9x39mm
Range: 50 m
Rate of fire: 50 rounds per minute
Electricity consumption: 200 W
Ammo capacity: 250
Ammo type: .50 BMG
Range: 50 m
Rate of fire: 1,200 rounds per minute
Electricity consumption: 200 W
Ammo capacity: 500
Ammo types: 7.62x54mmR and 7.62x39mm
Range: 20 m
Rate of fire: Flame bursts
Electricity consumption: 150 W
Ammo capacity: 30 seconds of flame per full canister
Ammo type: Gasoline
Range: 100 m
Rate of fire: 20 rockets per minute
Electricity consumption: 200 W
Ammo capacity: 20
Ammo type: Any RPG rocket
Activating a Turret
Load the Turret with its supported ammunition and provide enough generator power. Hold [Interact] on it and select "Turn On".
Base building: Farming
Growing and maintaining crops
Grow fruit, vegetables, and other crops in a Garden Plot for a renewable supply of harvested resources.
Planting and Cultivating
A garden needs a Garden Plot, Seeds, sunlight, and water. Find Seeds in barns and houses, extract them from fruit and vegetables, or buy them from a trader.
Hold a Seed, target a garden tile, and press [Interact] to plant it. Water crops regularly with a Watering Can, another water container, or by urinating on the plant. Use Fertilizer to increase growth speed and crop yield.
Hold [Focus] while looking at a planted tile to view its status in Focus Mode.
Plant Stages
Plants pass through several growth stages before they can be harvested:
- Seeding
- Vegetating
- Flowering
- Ripe
Plants need enough sunlight and water to advance to the next stage.
Weeds, Pests, and Diseases
Weeds spread between garden tiles and stop affected plants from growing. Remove them by hand, with a Hoe, or with Weed Repellent; repellent prevents regrowth temporarily.
Pests and Diseases reduce growth speed by 50%. Treat them with Pesticide or Fungicide before the plant withers after 10 days.
Economy: Cash and Gold
Earning, storing, and spending Cash and Gold
Trade loot for Cash, deposit funds with a Credit Card, and buy Gold for Shelter respawns.
Cash
Use Cash to buy items and services and to pay for most respawn options. Loot Cash or earn it by selling items to traders. Carry it as banknotes or deposit it into your account through a Credit Card.
Your account can fall below zero. If it reaches -$2,500, dying causes permadeath.
Gold
Use Gold to respawn at your Shelter. Buy Gold at an Outpost Bank with a Gold Credit Card; the price changes with the Outpost's available Gold. Gold remains in your account after partial server wipes.
Credit Cards and ATMs
The three Credit Card tiers are Standard, Classic, and Gold. Every new prisoner receives a Standard Credit Card.
Deposit and withdraw Cash at Outpost Banks and ATMs. Each ATM has a transaction limit that replenishes over time.
Buy upgraded Credit Cards at an Outpost Bank. Card tiers differ in cost, PIN protection, transaction limits, renewal count, and Gold access:
- Standard Credit Card
- Cannot be renewed if lost.
- Deposit and withdrawal limit: $500.
- No PIN protection.
- Classic Credit Card
- Costs $100.
- Can be renewed once if lost.
- Deposit and withdrawal limit: $1,000.
- Protected by a one-digit PIN.
- Gold Credit Card
- Costs $5,000.
- Can be renewed five times if lost.
- Deposit and withdrawal limit: $5,000.
- Protected by a two-digit PIN.
- Can purchase Gold.
Economy: Outposts
Trading, banking, vehicle services, and character services
Four Outposts are located across The Island. They provide protected trading areas with shops, banking, vehicle services, and social spaces.
Outpost Shops
Each Outpost contains these shops and services:
- General Goods
- Mechanic
- Armory
- Saloon
- Medic
- Hair Salon
- Bank
Buy and sell items, repair or modify vehicles, use banking services, and change your character's appearance. By default, prisoners cannot damage each other inside Outposts.
WARNING: A vehicle left inside an Outpost for more than two hours is destroyed when the server restarts.
WARNING: A Chest left inside an Outpost for more than two hours is destroyed when the server restarts.
Item Prices
Item prices fluctuate and are affected by the number of players online. Traders sell a limited selection but buy almost every item.
Outpost Economy Status
Each Outpost has an Outpost Economy Status (OES). Trading raises it; inactivity lowers it over time.
Traders use limited funds to buy your items. If a trader cannot afford the full price, they pay only their remaining balance. Higher-OES Outposts replenish trader funds faster.
Minigames: Hunting
Finding, tracking, and hunting wildlife across the Island
Different types of wildlife can be found across the Island, with different animals appearing in different environments. Most animals will flee when they detect you, but some may attack.
Tracking and Hunting Wildlife
Listen for nearby animals and watch for Tracks as you move through the Island. Animals leave Tracks behind as they travel, allowing you to follow their path and locate them.
Your Awareness affects how visible animal Tracks are. Hold [Focus] to enter Focus Mode and make Tracks easier to spot while searching for wildlife. You can also use a Bait Feeder with suitable food to attract animals to an area.
How you kill an animal affects the condition of the loot you obtain from it. Damage to different body parts can reduce the condition of related loot, so choose your weapon and aim carefully when preserving valuable materials. After the kill, Skin and Chop the carcass to obtain meat and other resources.
Minigames: Fishing
Assembling fishing gear, casting, and landing fish
Freshwater and saltwater contain different fish species. Location, time, and bait determine which fish you can catch.
Assembling Fishing Gear
Equip a Fishing Rod with the following attachments:
- Reel
- Fishing Line
- Hook
- Floater
- Bait
Casting the Line
Stand near water with a Fishing Rod equipped. Press [Cast Bait] to begin fishing, then hold [Cast Bait] to set the casting distance.
Use [Reeling In] to reel in and [Reeling Out] to let out line.
Reeling in a Fish
When the Bobber sinks, press [Pull Rod] to hook the fish and begin reeling.
Line tension rises while the fish struggles. If the meter fills, the line breaks. Reel in when the fish tires and let out line when tension becomes too high.
After landing the fish, press [Keep Fish] to keep it or [Release Fish] to release it.
Minigames: Lockpicking
Opening locks with picks, screwdrivers, and precise control
Locks secure doors and containers. Rusty Locks commonly protect police-station and Bunker Armoury loot. Iron, Silver, and Gold Locks protect higher-value areas such as Killboxes and Abandoned Bunkers, and can also be used on player-owned storage and doors.
Lockpicking Resources
Lockpicking consumes Fame Points and requires a Screwdriver and Lockpick. At zero Fame Points, you cannot make another attempt.
The three tools are Improvised Lockpick, Lockpick, and Advanced Lockpick; higher tiers are more durable. Screwdrivers come in two sizes with different uses.
Lockpicking Process
Move the mouse to set the Lockpick angle, then press [Lockpicking Minigame_Push Tool] to turn the lock. If the lock stops, release the tool and adjust the angle. Forcing a stuck lock breaks the Lockpick. The Lock is picked once it can be turned through 90 degrees.
Lock Protections
Lock Protections shock you after each failed attempt. Insulating Gloves reduce or prevent the damage but make Lockpicking more difficult.
Special Locks
Two special locks are available: the Dial Lock and BCU Lock.
Set a Dial Lock's three-digit combination with [Dial Lock Minigame_Turn Wheel Up] and [Dial Lock Minigame_Turn Wheel Down], then confirm with [Dial Lock Minigame_Set Combination]. Other players spend Fame Points on each attempt to guess the combination.
A BCU Lock uses a battery and links to every Squad member's BCU Chip. A player needs one of those Chips in their Inventory to open the door. Hold [Interact] on the door and select "Remove" to unlock it with a valid Chip.
WARNING: Opening a BCU Lock does not bypass other Locks on the door. Each Squad can place only one BCU Lock.
Minigames: Defusing
Arming traps and cutting the correct wires to disarm threats
Traps and explosives can be hidden in the open or buried. Suicide Puppets and Killbox doors also use wire-cutting challenges. Disarm them to remove the threat without triggering it.
Arming an Explosive
Most traps and explosives must be armed after placement. Rearm a triggered Stake Pit Trap with a Car Battery. A Barbed Spike Trap is active as soon as it is completed.
Claymores and Pressure Cooker Bombs require a Laser Detonator or Motion Sensor Detonator. Lasers trigger when crossed; motion sensors trigger when they detect nearby movement.
WARNING: Burying a trap or explosive arms it automatically.
Arm it inside your Flag's range to register ownership. Outside the range, anyone—including you—can trigger it.
Hold [Focus] to enter Focus Mode and reveal owned traps.
Disarming an Explosive
Equip Wire Cutters, hold [Interact] on the trap or explosive, and choose "Disarm Trap".
Match the green light on the right with its wire on the left, then cut that wire with [Wire Cutters Cut]. Cutting a wire connected to a red light or running out of time detonates the explosive.
Minigames: Cooking
Preparing meals with recipes, ingredients, cookware, and appliances
Use cookware and a compatible heat source to turn scavenged or hunted ingredients into meals.
Cooking with Heat or Electricity
Cook over a Fireplace or Fire Ring fitted with a Grill Grid, or use an Oven or Stove. Residential buildings often contain appliances; portable Gas and Electric Stoves can be used elsewhere.
Connect a Gas Tank to a Stove or Portable Gas Stove. Power an Oven or Portable Electric Stove with a generator.
Cooking a Meal
Basic recipes are available immediately. Loot Cookbooks to unlock additional food and drink recipes.
After collecting the required ingredients and cookware, approach a compatible appliance:
- Use [Interact] on the required appliance.
- Select an available cooking slot on the appliance.
- Select a recipe that matches your available appliance, cookware, and ingredients.
- Drag the required ingredients from the Inventory or Vicinity into their recipe slots.
- Start cooking after assigning the recipe, slot, ingredients, and cookware.
Finish cooking as the timer approaches zero and the quality bar reaches the right side. Optional ingredients increase meal quality.
Squads: Squads
Creating, managing, and leaving a Squad
Squad members can share a Flag area, build together, assign ranks, and control access to locked Base Building elements.
Creating a Squad
Select "Create Squad" in the Squad Tab. The Squad Leader's Intelligence Attribute determines the maximum Squad size, with two members allowed per Attribute level by default.
The Squad Leader can customize the following:
- Squad Name
- Squad Description
- Squad Logo
The Squad Leader can promote or demote members through these ranks: Member, Enforcer, Underboss, and Boss.
To invite a player, hold [Interact] on them and select "Invite to Squad".
The Squad Tab also shows other Squads on the server and their Fame Points.
Squads and Base Building
Squad members can build within the same Flag area. The Squad Leader owns the completed Base Building elements.
Locked Chests can restrict access by Squad rank or be set to Private, allowing only the player who placed the Lock to open them. Locked Doors can also restrict access by rank, but only the Squad Leader can change their permissions.
Leaving a Squad
Leaving or being removed from a Squad starts a cooldown based on Squad size. By default, the penalty applies to Squads with at least three members.
- During the cooldown, you cannot create a Squad. Joining another Squad activates Probation; until the cooldown ends, you cannot open that Squad's locked doors or containers within its Flag range.
- A member on Probation does not increase the Squad's Base Building element limit.
- A member on Probation does not trigger Squad-owned Mines inside the Flag range.
- Leaving the new Squad does not end or reset the cooldown.
Quests: Quests
Completing objectives for rewards and trader progression
Traders offer Quests that award Money, Fame Points, items, discounts, and Base Building elements. Complete lower-Tier Quests to earn access to harder, more rewarding work.
Accepting a Quest
Accept Quests in three ways:
- Use a Noticeboard found in a town.
- Use a working Mobile Phone with a charged battery.
- Use the Quest Book at an Outpost trader.
Quest Progression
Each Quest belongs to a numbered Tier. Higher Tiers usually have harder objectives and better rewards. Complete three Quests in a Tier to unlock the next Tier.
You can have one active Quest per trader and complete up to three Quests per trader during each 24-hour Quest cycle.
Quest Types
Quests use three objective types:
- Fetch: find the requested item and deliver it.
- Kill: find and eliminate the specified targets.
- Interact: use the specified objects on The Island.
A Quest can combine multiple objective types. Complete every objective before the time limit expires or the Quest fails.
Quest Rewards
Completing a Quest grants one or more rewards:
- Money
- Fame Points
- An item discount, reduced Fame Point requirement, or guaranteed stock
- An item collected from the trader's Depot
- A Base Building element
Vehicles: Vehicles
Finding, repairing, and operating land, sea, and air vehicles
Vehicles reduce travel time and increase carrying capacity, but many require fuel, power, or replacement parts before use.
Land, Sea, and Air
Travel by Bicycle, Motorcycle, Car, Boat, Raft, or Aircraft. Vehicles found on The Island include:
- Four-wheeled: Rager, Laika, WolfsWagen, Tractor, and RIS
- Two-wheeled: Dirtbike, City Bike, Mountain Bike, and Cruiser
- Sea: Motorboat, Big Raft, Small Raft, and SUP
- Air: Kinglet Duster and Kinglet Mariner
Getting a Vehicle Running
A four-wheeled Vehicle needs an Engine, a charged Battery, at least three Tires, a Driver's Seat, and Fuel.
Install a missing Engine through a Mechanic trader's Service Lift. Mechanic traders also sell complete Vehicles while stock is available:
- Dirtbikes require both Tires and the Body.
- Bicycles require both Tires.
- A SUP or Small Raft requires a Paddle. Paddles can be crafted.
Vehicle Attachments
Install or remove most Doors, Storage Racks, and Headlights without tools. Use a Car Jack or Mechanic Service Lift to replace Tires or work in the engine bay.
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