If you’re looking for a city-building survival game with a punishing level of difficulty, Endzone: A World Apart delivers a dynamic experience where resource management and survival mechanics are key. Inspired by Banished but with a darker, post-apocalyptic twist, this game introduces additional challenges such as radiation, dynamic weather changes, and water scarcity. This guide will help you establish a strong foundation for your settlement and ensure its long-term survival.

Step 1: Understanding Resources and Priorities

Before unpausing the game, take a moment to assess your surroundings and determine your strategy:

• Scrap and Wood: Two of the most vital resources. Ensure steady collection early on.
• Water and Food: Essential for survival. Prioritize water production and set up a stable food supply.
• Radiation Exposure: Use the radiation overlay to identify contaminated zones and clean them up before expanding.

Step 2: Initial Setup and Essential Buildings

Gathering Resources

1. Open the Tasks menu and assign settlers to collect Scrap and Wood.
2. Use the Remove Radiation task to clear paths for expansion.
3. Build a Scrapyard near large deposits of scrap.

Establishing a Water Supply

1. Build a Cistern as your central water storage facility.
2. Set up Boardwalks and Wells to ensure water access for settlers.
3. Construct a Water Tower when possible, requiring Plastic, which must be processed in a Recycler.

Food Production

1. Build a Fishing Hut for a consistent food source.
2. Set up a Gatherer’s Hut near a forested area to collect wild edibles.
3. Plan for future food stability by designating farmland (16×16 is an optimal size for fields).

Step 3: Early Industrial Development

Processing Scrap into Useful Materials

Scrap is an essential raw material that needs to be broken down:

1. Build Recyclers next to your Scrapyard.
2. Assign each Recycler to process a specific resource (Plastic, Cloth, or Metal) based on immediate needs.
3. Prioritize Plastic early for constructing water infrastructure.

Forestry and Sustainable Growth

1. Establish a Forester’s Lodge to manage wood production.
2. Set it to both cut and regrow to maintain a steady supply.
3. Keep it separate from the Scrapyard to avoid conflicting land use.

Step 4: Expanding Housing and Settlement Needs

1. Construct Cabins: Place them near workplaces to reduce travel time.
2. Avoid Overpopulation Too Soon: Building too many houses can lead to rapid population growth, straining resources.
3. Monitor Happiness: Decorations improve Attractiveness, reducing settler discontent.

Step 5: Addressing Radiation and Protective Gear

Radiation is a constant threat that will deteriorate your settlers’ health:

1. Use the Remove Radiation task to clean key areas.
2. Construct Tailor’s Shops to produce Protective Clothing.
3. Upgrade to Activated Carbon Masks once a Charcoal Kiln is available.

Step 6: Preparing for Future Challenges

Surviving Droughts

Droughts will halt water collection and dry up lakes:

1. Stockpile at least 2,000 Water and 1,000 Food before the first drought.
2. Max out Fishermen before droughts to store excess food.
3. Hunter’s Lodges provide food even during dry periods.

Scaling Up Production

As your settlement grows:

1. Increase Recycler and Workshop production to keep up with tool and protective gear needs.
2. Expand Scrapyards and Forester’s Lodges to maintain resource supplies.
3. Invest in Irrigation Plants to counteract soil dryness during droughts.

Step 7: Final Steps and Long-Term Growth

1. Build a School to slow down tool and clothing deterioration by educating settlers.
2. Expand storage with Temporary Storerooms to keep resources accessible.
3. Plan for Expeditions to discover additional seeds and technologies for future growth.
4. Monitor Settler Needs in the UI Panel to address shortages before they become crises.

Conclusion

By following these strategies, you will establish a solid foundation in Endzone: A World Apart. Managing your resources wisely, planning for future challenges, and keeping an eye on settler happiness are crucial for survival. As you continue playing, adapt to changing conditions and refine your settlement to withstand the harsh post-apocalyptic world.