Once Human Survival Guide: Essential Tips on Finding Food, Water

In the post-apocalyptic world of Once Human, players must navigate a harsh, open-world environment. This survival horror game, playable solo or in teams, requires completing missions and exploring various regions to uncover the secrets of the wasteland. Essential to surviving these challenges is ensuring a steady supply of food and water.

Staying Hydrated

From the beginning of Once Human, players will notice their energy and hydration levels dropping. If these levels get too low, the character becomes weaker and less able to handle threats. Finding safe water is crucial to maintaining health and sanity.

The easiest way to collect water is by finding a lake or river. Players can collect dirty water by wading into shallow areas and using the prompt to gather it. This method allows players to collect an infinite amount of dirty water in units of 15. However, drinking dirty water reduces sanity, making it less than ideal for survival.

A better option is to use a Meme Point to unlock the first upgrade in the Logistics tree, which allows players to build a stove. With a stove, players can boil water using the following recipe:

3 units of Dirty Water
3 Logs

Boiled water restores 20 hydration points and has no negative effects, making it a reliable water source throughout the game.

Cooking for Survival

Food sources in Once Human include plants and animals. Players can find fruit plants in forested areas and pick the fruit to eat, but this reduces sanity. Alternatively, animals can be hunted with ranged weapons and skinned for raw meat, which also reduces sanity if eaten uncooked.

Cooking food at a stove, unlocked with the first Logistics tree upgrade, makes it safe to consume. The recipe for cooking food is:

1 unit of raw meat or fruit
3 Logs

Cooked food restores energy without affecting sanity and can provide various timed boosts depending on the type of food. However, players must eat cooked food within 24 hours, as it spoils afterward.

Maintaining Sanity and Health

To survive in Once Human, players need to monitor their hunger, thirst, and sanity. Sanity decreases in harsh conditions, lowering maximum health. Players should carry sanity pills and avoid sanity-decreasing environments to maintain health.

Exploration is easier when players are well-fed and hydrated, so keeping a refrigerator stocked with consumables is essential. Ensuring a steady supply of food and water, along with sanity pills, will help players thrive in the wasteland of Once Human.