Step 1: Understanding the Smoldering City and Deeds

Once you finish (or skip) the tutorial, head to the Smoldering City to unlock your first upgrade. This grants access to Deeds, in-game achievements that contribute to leveling up the Smoldering City as you complete settlements.

Step 2: Choosing a Settlement Location

• Start your new settlement next to a tile with a special effect to maximize resource benefits.
• Choose a settlement name and set the difficulty level.

Step 3: Selecting Embark Bonuses and Caravans

• Prioritize food and stone for embark bonuses; food shortages are common, and stone is essential for roads.
• Select the best caravan based on map biome and modifiers.
  • Example: Royal Woodland features more fertile soil, so starting with humans (best farmers) is ideal.

Step 4: Biome and Seasonal Effects

• Drizzle Season Bonuses
  • Wild Growth: Glade resources improve if discovered during drizzle.
  • Lightweight Wood: Woodcutters carry more wood.
• Storm Season Penalties
  • Looming Darkness: Reduces global resolve per hostility level.
  • Greater Threat: Additional resolve penalties for opening dangerous glades.
  • Melancholy & Eerie Song: Affect settlers unless needs are met.

Step 5: Managing Hostility

Hostility increases through woodcutting, opening glades, population growth, and settlement age. Reduce hostility by:

• Building additional hearths.
• Increasing the Queen’s impatience (specific cornerstones can help).
• Utilizing cornerstone and trader bonuses.

---

Step 6: Early Settlement Priorities

1. Resource Gathering

• Build two Woodcutters’ Camps immediately (wood is essential for construction and fuel).
• Place camps strategically near small glades (non-dangerous ones) to expand early.

2. Food and Construction Materials

• Start with a small forager’s camp to gather starting resources (clay, roots, flax).
• Construct a Crude Workstation for planks, fabric, and bricks (inefficient, but necessary early on).

3. Housing and Roads

• Shelters house three settlers each—build enough to avoid homelessness.
• Build roads between the ancient hearth and main storage for faster movement.

4. Managing Woodcutters

• Set work priority for woodcutters’ camps.
• Use options:
  • “Cut only marked trees” to control expansion.
  • “Avoid opening glades” to hold off on triggering dangerous events too early.
• Assign Beavers to woodcutting (they have production bonuses).

5. Managing the Ancient Hearth

• Disable all fuel types except wood early on to conserve rarer resources like coal.
• Always have a settler in the hearth:
  • Beavers reduce fuel consumption.
  • Humans slow Queen’s impatience growth.

---

Step 7: Choosing Cornerstones and Queen’s Orders

• Select cornerstones that align with your available resources and future goals.
• Prioritize Queen’s Orders that are easiest to complete and provide the best rewards.
• Example: If aiming for farms, select orders that provide farming perks.

---

Step 8: Expanding and Unlocking New Buildings

1. Unlocking Glades

• Open small glades first to find more resources and safe expansion options.
• Dangerous and Forbidden glades should only be opened when you have tools and workers ready to handle events.

2. Prioritizing New Buildings

• Unlock food production buildings (e.g., Smokehouse, Cookhouse) to create complex food.
• Prioritize Lumber Mills for efficient plank production.
• Avoid picking blueprints too early—wait to see what’s available in glades.

3. Expanding the Path Network

• Faster settler movement = more efficiency.
• Move woodcutters’ camps freely to clear new areas.

---

Step 9: Managing Settlers’ Resolve and Happiness

• Resolve (Happiness) Indicator:
  • Green = Stable
  • Red = Risk of leaving
  • Blue = Gaining reputation (winning condition)
• Assign settlers to workplaces they specialize in (e.g., Humans for farming, Beavers for woodcutting).
• Provide complex foods and services to boost happiness.

---

Step 10: Long-Term Growth & Progression

1. Queen’s Reputation and Impressions

• The blue bar at the bottom fills as settlers gain high resolve.
• The red impatience bar increases over time and if settlers are unhappy.
• The game ends successfully when reputation reaches full or fails if impatience maxes out.

2. Orders and Rewards

• Completing orders earns reputation and unlocks additional blueprints.
• Some orders provide production buffs and efficiency perks.

3. Expanding Production Chains

• Unlock farms and crop-based industries (e.g., mills, bakeries).
• Use service buildings to meet settlers’ needs for further happiness boosts.

4. Planning for Future Cycles

• Each successful settlement grants resources for upgrading the Smoldering City.
• Focus on unlocking better embark bonuses and cornerstone selection for future settlements.

---

Final Tips

✔ Balance expansion and stability—open new areas cautiously. ✔ Keep settlers’ resolve high with food, housing, and services. ✔ Optimize resource production early (wood, food, construction materials). ✔ Use roads to improve efficiency and reduce travel time. ✔ Manage hostility levels by controlling woodcutting and glade openings. ✔ Leverage trade, Queen’s orders, and cornerstones for maximum benefits.