Click the map to travel; time only passes while you move or rest. Danger (and loot) grows with distance from your shelter.
Enemy groups roam; if they spot you they chase. Click a group to attack it — catching it unaware gives you the first move. Night brings hordes.
Search places for supplies, visit settlements to trade, hire and take jobs. Every survivor eats and drinks daily.
Map (M): everywhere you have explored. Drag to pan, wheel to zoom; the buttons toggle layers and recentre.
Camping outside a base can be ambushed, more often at night. The game autosaves every day and after each battle.
Base: pick a structure, then click its top-left cell; click a building to dismantle it. Research needs a Research Desk and researchers; crafting is very slow without crafters.
Roster: click an equipment slot to compare items. Stats read total (base): the value with gear, then without.
Battle
Deployment: click a squad member, then a green tile to place them.
Timeline (top): everyone fills WAIT at their speed. When one of your units reaches COM, time stops and you give orders.
Orders: optionally click a blue tile to move, then pick one action. Actions have a windup (ACT); hits landing during a windup can delay or cancel it. Esc steps back.
Vision: you only see enemies inside your squad's vision; hidden movement shows as orange ? rings.
Downed allies bleed out unless revived; revived ones are evacuated. On a retreat or defeat they go missing — rescue them within 3 days.
Camera: W A S D / right-drag pan, wheel zoom, Q/E rotate, C recenter. Space pause. Battle: 1–4 speed (½× to 4×), Esc back, T auto battle, F3 debug.