The Survival System in Undawn Explained

The survival system in Undawn is pretty intricate. Over the course of the game, through this system you will be able to experience just how fragile human life is in a world full of hazards. Neglect your character's survival stats, and your character will suffer in all sorts of ways. They may, for example, become weak or possibly even die. How does one keep these stats up then? Let's take a look today at how you can best take care of your character in a world where danger abounds.

**Survival Indicators**

  Your character will receive a survival gauge once they complete the newcomer mission.       Generally speaking, the gauge indicators are shown in the lower left corner of the game screen (as shown in the illustration below). Tap the icon, and the survival system pane will pop up on the right-hand side of the screen. The pane is comprised of two parts. The various stat indicators are shown in the upper part, while the actions affecting the stats are shown beneath. This display allows the player to master this rather complex system more quickly.

**Stats, Their Impact, and What You Can Do About Them**

In the game, including the more typical stats like HP, there are 12 stats in total that you will have to manage. Let's take a closer look at each type.

**Body: Body Type and Fitness**

**Body Type**

There are five body types for characters in the game: Slim, Lean, Average, Hefty, and Bulky. The optimal body type here would be Average.

Currently in the game, you can slim down your Hefty or Bulky character by having them exercise or switch to lower-calorie foods. If your character is more on the slender side, then they will have to consume more calories. Do note that your character will have to consume lots and lots of food to go from lanky to chunky. The change in body type is visible as your character eats. Also note that characters with the leaner body types will not become even leaner with exercise. Therefore, do make sure that your character exercises, no matter their body type.

**Fitness**

In contrast, the Fitness stat is more straightforward, with only three possible states for your character: Good, Appropriate, and Weak. Your character's Fitness stat affects their energy level. These three stats raise your character's max energy by 10%, raise it by 5%, and lower it by 35% respectively. In other words, a character with poor physical fitness will also take a significant hit in the energy department.

Improving your character's Fitness is simple. Locate the Exercise icon towards the bottom of the screen and tap on it to start a workout. Your character's Fitness will improve each time they exercise. Do note, however, that your character will be fatigued for an hour after each workout session. Any further exercise during this period will not yield any more Fitness gains.

**Mentality: Vigor and Reason**

**Vigor**

The Vigor stat is another pretty straightforward stat with these four possible states listed from the lowest to the highest: Exhausted, Tired, Normal, and Alert. These four states have a -10% to +5% effect on your character's gathering speed. Exhaustion can also stupefy your character and make combat more difficult. Improving your character's Vigor is also quite easy—just tap on the Rest icon towards the bottom of the screen. However, your character will not be able to rest where the ground is uneven, or where there is water present. Also, make sure that there aren't any monsters around before you have your character rest.

**Reason**

Your character's Reason can quickly drain in complete darkness or when they have gone for long periods without sleep. However, this problem only occurs in the later stages of the game. According to the game description, a low Reason level can cause your character to hallucinate and become less adept in combat. The Reason mechanic sure sounds like a very interesting one! In the rare and thrilling event that your character's Reason falls to zero, the resulting hallucinations will also affect their vision. At this stage, you can send your character into a deep sleep to try and gradually recall their lost memories..

**Hygiene: Skin and Clothes**

**Skin**

There are three possible states for a character's Skin stat: Foul, Dirty, and Clean. The filthier your character's skin is, the more they will stink. Bad odors can draw the attention of zombies in the vicinity. Note that while keeping your skin clean can help your character escape the attention of the zombies out in the wilderness, there are also times when you can also use their funk to your advantage, such as when you want to draw zombies out to hunt them. It is also quite simple to improve this stat—just have your character wash their face at a spot with shallow water.

**Clothes**

How clean your clothes are affects the way your character looks. Sometimes, the cleanliness of your clothes can even trigger certain effects, such as a conversation with an NPC. I won't say too much about these effects here, though. I'll leave it to you to find out more for yourself. You can have your character wash their clothes in shallow water.

**Conclusion**

Today, I've only managed to touch on some of the more complicated indicators in the game's survival system. In particular, your character's body type has a pretty significant effect in the game, and having a body type that's too lean or too chunky yields negative effects either way. So, do make sure that you pay close attention to this indicator! Next time 'round, we'll take a closer look at the other survival indicators in the game. I'll also provide a quick summary of the system as a whole to help you get an even better understanding of how it works.