How to Survive: Events Explained

There aren't any guides for this game yet (in English anyway), and in going through the challenges, I've seen quite a few events and their repercussions. (If you know something I don't, comment it, and I'll credit you and so forth.)

Animals

Sometimes the trash overflows. If you don't use the bug spray or the Kubz Scout book, they invade (use the book if you can; the spray gets used up). The same is true for randomly having a large roach.

The family may feel overwhelmed and want to deal with the roaches--use the spray for a clean kill. If you do nothing, someone will get sick.

If you have roaches, Timmy may dissect them. If you don't discipline him, he and Dolores will rest.

Originally posted by Divided_Raccoon:

If you punish Timmy for dissecting roaches, he may attempt to run away and get sick; if he accepts the punishment, he'll find a random item.

If you have the harmonica, you may get an event to "be like Snow White"; this will summon roaches. This would generally be bad, except that there's a following event if you retain the harmonica that allows you to Pied Piper them into +1 food & +1 water (and the Disco Roach achievement).

A zoo stampede

Originally posted by sniper king:

/herd of dinosaurs as indicated by animal sounds on lawn

can result in +3 food, nothing, or simultaneously kill the person who goes up and destroy your rifle.

The ventilation has a hornet's nest or something in it; the bug spray can take care of it.

Originally posted by SPAM!, Dean Domino:

When using the boy scout book. [O]ne of your bunker dwellers is sure to get ill,

and

Originally posted by Waldbär:

doing nothing has a lower chance of sickness.

If "rodents" show up, use the axe. The rifle tends to break.

The spiders can be dealt with in one of three ways: the medkit makes them go away at no expense, the bug spray is used up in exchange for +1 water

Originally posted by Cloud:

or food,

or

Originally posted by SPAM!:

using the Kubz Scout Book on can give you 1 soup.

Sometimes a rad-raccoon will break in, and if you have the Kubz Scout book and the suitcase, you can try to trap it for +1 food.

Challenges/Easter Eggs

Shelter Alone

Improvised weaponry (you can only go without a trap once):

• Gun
  
• Flashlight/bug spray
  
• Map/Checkers
  
• Cards/2 water
  

  Originally posted by Brainless Robot:

  Suitcase/Gas Mask

Packages:

• "Brave Little Scout" may contain the Kubz Scout book.
  
• "Don't die" may contain the padlock or radio.
  
• "Man of the Shelter" may contain the Kubz Scout book.

Less relevant events:

• Fixing the ventilation unless you have the Kubz Scout book. It's not worth the item.
  
• Impending roaches are the same.

The ending is the one circumstance in which Sharikov and Pancake can coexist.

Final Countdown

The radio consistently respawns in the Final Countdown challenge, therefore it can be used to trade. However, it can't be used to scavenge as the scavenger "forgets" it.

A Woman And Her Dog

Originally posted by Divided_Raccoon:

Compared to other modes, Dolores's Sanity is much more fragile, so avoid Sanity losses if you can (insomnia, raiding others, etc). If she is crazy, the family photo, refusing to raid others and giving the refugees supplies(100% sanity) can help.

• At Day 25, Dolores thinks she can sneak out with Pancake to scav if one still has the padlock.
  
• Keep track of Pancake's food to ensure he's only fed every other time.
  
• As a corollary, having a can to feed him is more important than feeding Dolores.
  
• Let him out at every opportunity.
  
• The gameplay mechanic of preparing to Scavenge to block events is itself blocked.
  
• Raiders already know where the shelter is. Use the Padlock last.

Survival of the Fittest

• Don't let Ted turn over his car. It may down his sanity, but it counts as "scavenging" without actually going toward the needed 7 expeditions.
  
• Ditto Timmy asking for a walk and Dolores' safe quest part 2.
  
• In the interest of full disclosure, I pulled it off with AzzaMods; the only applicable thing was the free water which allowed me to water everyone every day and thus not have to worry about that. I still had to clench my teeth and pray to God (whom I'd also like to thank right now) with a Suitcase/Padlock/Gun/Ammo run with no mutant friends in the middle of bandit raids near daily on the last expedition.

Scout's Honor

• Starve out the girls, because Timmy must survive but you must also have an adult (can send one to scav first).
  
• Do not banish Timmy for his comics.
  
• Give water to the doctors, because the Medkit is disabled.

Konrad Style (achievement for 111 days)

• Apocalypse mode, Little Boy difficulty
  
• Be Ted
  
• Pick up Dolores and as much food/water as you can get.
  
• Leave everything else, including the children.
  
• Prepare to scav every time

Here's my thought process; Ted's weightier than Dolores. Food and water are the main limiters. The difficulty allows you to have a few more items by default, and you can acquire stuff over time later. Preparing to scavenge blocks events for a day. Ted and Dolores gives you two people without the child-based events nor the child-vs-parent events. I made it to Day 175 on 8/31/2020 following these principles (Ted went nuts because I didn't open the door for fear of sickness).

Naysayer

• Don't heal Pancake. You can't let him out for scavenging.

Eggs

Ted can sometimes die as a Robot Gentleman (cosmetic-only anthro-metallic skeleton).
The parents' skeletons can still wear hats.

Children

Timmy will sometimes break something if you let him do charades, and he'll sometimes find the suitcase, gas mask, bug spray or mask/open the door

Originally posted by SPAM!:

and possibly make someone sick

if you don't.

Originally posted by Divided_Raccoon:

If Timmy doesn't play Charades with Ted and Mary Jane is present, she will agree to play with him[.]

If Timmy can't sleep, have him sleep in the suitcase. Everything else is likely to break, and it

Originally posted by Divided_Raccoon:

has a small chance to give you an item (Timmy slept with it inside). My play-through had him sleep with a GUN of all things[.]

Originally posted by (porgchop)/Divided_Raccoon:

When MJ steps on [T]ed, he may get injured, along with getting the soup. Rarely, the Medkit isn't consumed when he's healed.

Shelterschooling results in one of the children becoming tired in exchange for the map, medkit, rifle, or gas mask.

Birthdays don't seem to do anything to the gifts; that is, you still have them and the children didn't break them.

The children playing tag will tear down the map/break the harmonica in exchange for their sanity/energy, and sometimes produce +1 food.

Originally posted by SPAM!:

If you side with Dolores on Timmy's ant farm, Timmy might get sick trying to get rid of them. or Timmy's ants will escape and eat -1 food [if he's chosen].

If Timmy's reading comes up, the Kubz Scout book is fine. The checkers tucker him out. The bug spray might make him sick, but my Timmy was already sick, so nothing happened.

Don't side with Ted about Godzilla. He breaks an item such as the suitcase.

Originally posted by Rodnoc:

Also happens with Dwarves v Bandits.

Don't let MJ contact her bandit boyfriend. She'll go crazy.

Letting Timmy stargaze just seems to reference Astro-Citizen, but it won't result in his kidnapping under bandit conditions.

Reading MJ's diary causes random injury.

Originally posted by SPAM!:

Timmy and Dolores may have a contest to see who can read the Kubz Scout Book the fastest. Letting them broke the book for me, not letting them resulted in making Timmy crazy or nothing.

The children can get in an argument; siding with Timmy makes MJ go axe-crazy, thereby summoning an axe.

Originally posted by SPAM!:

Siding with MJ when the kids fight gives you 1 soup.

Mutant MJ is entirely random. I used the Kubz Scout book on the spiders on a Madhouse run and she mutated.

Cleanliness/Medical

If people need showers, use the gas mask. The spray/ammo will do the trick in a pinch, but also get used up.

Originally posted by SPAM!:

If you use one of the items, everyone is cured of sickness.

Ted vs Dolores on bucket-emptying: Choosing neither makes someone sick, Ted sometimes injures himself but it has

Originally posted by Divided_Raccoon:

a chance for Dolores to confess she was supposed to do it, but felt sick (improves sanity)

, and picking Dolores breaks the radio

Originally posted by BoxFox:

or the map

and loses sanity or

Originally posted by SPAM!/ambruh:

finds checkers or the radio.

The pipe can be fixed with the Kubz Scout book or the gas mask; otherwise people become sick.

Originally posted by Yeetzzkka:

For the leaking pipe event, using the suitcase is also a safe option. No downsides except losing the suitcase.

Originally posted by Old Hunter/Divided_Raccoon:

The Doctor event does have a reward, as later on they will return and cure all sickness/injuries as a one time benefit.

The bug spray can be converted into the medkit without the Kubz Scout book.

Axe-shaving results in injury

Originally posted by SPAM!:

on a fail. Success trims Ted's beard

and top-of-head-hair(got it on day 140 of a Ted-only Konrad-style run).

Originally posted by SPAM!:

The green goo event has a chance to turn MJ into a mutant if you do nothing, and same with the spiders event.

The axe can be used to clean an injury at the expense of, well, the axe; however, it can also make things worse (Thanks to Scientist_999 for the reminder).

The medkit gets used up in the event of group insomnia.

Originally posted by Waldbär:

There is a high chance to heal somebody, who is sick or injured by feeding (only soup, no water) them 3-5 days in a row.

Originally posted by Divided_Raccoon:

Avoid injures as much as possible. Compared to sickness, they will kill the family quicker and are not delayed nor curable with food. Only the Medkit and the doctors event can cure it.

Curiosity/Sanity

When strange noises are afoot, the cards and checkers can keep you sane.

The secret door, if shot at, will do nothing or give +2 water;

Originally posted by SPAM!:

if you use the flashlight and don't have a Rifle, you may gain a Rifle.

The manhole has a rad-gator, but not going into it at all makes people go crazy; the flashlight sometimes shows the gator or a medkit and the axe finds the map, medkit, or gas mask.

Originally posted by Yeetzzkka:

Finding the alligator in the manhole always gets one person injured.

Movie props generally don't get damaged, with the exception of

Originally posted by BoxFox:

the suitcase.

If X is crazy:

Originally posted by Yeetzzkka/SPAM!:

Ted: Map (used as toilet paper), Gas mask (scary stranger), -1 water (tending to radroach)
Dolores: Cards, Radio, -1 food
Timmy: Boy Scout Handbook (make paper planes out of the pages), Medkit (dress up as a mummy using the bandages), -1 food
Mary Jane: Axe, Flashlight, -1 food

Additionally, they may hurt someone if talked two in the second phase of insanity.

If you have the ammo, an event may trigger in which you lose it. Using the flashlight will sometimes recover the ammo or provide cards.

Dolores makes people sick when she plays the harmonica, but she still prevents insanity.
MJ tuckers herself out.

Originally posted by rodnoC:

Everyone likes Ted's Harmonica.

Originally posted by SPAM!:

Not letting Dolores crack the code on the note makes her tired.

In the event that someone has been quiet for too long, and you have an insane person in your bunker, they may spread the insanity to that person.

Skipped MJ in Apocalypse mode (little boy), and there was a knocking on the door on day 6. A crazy MJ was added to my shelter.

Opening a suitcase can net +1 food/water, the gas mask, or cards, but also make people require the medkit.

Investigating the smelly brick reveals either a dead rat with a can of soup or a live rat who breaks your radio.

The safe behind the map contains checkers, bug spray, ammo, gas mask or

Originally posted by rodnoC:

+1 food,

but it can also -1 food.

Not opening the shelter (not a doorknock) risks driving people crazy.

The army tank event can result in death. Not injury, death. But if you really want that +1 food & water, go right ahead.

Ted can find car keys in his back pocket and request to turn the car over; he'll run into a picnic for +2 food.

Originally posted by Divided_Raccoon:

In the Claustrophobia event, opening the latch causes sickness. Not doing so has a chance to drive someone nuts (especially Ted).

Dolores will get angry if the latch was opened later on, talking it over will tire everyone out. Not doing so lowers sanity.

Food/Water

Feed and water everyone every five days.

Pancake will only stay for one failed food event (in which he may eat the harmonica). He leaves after two.

Ted has a female friend named Jenny. If you don't go out to give her the -1 food, she'll come in and get it, but

Originally posted by Yeetzzkka:

Ted might get injured by bandits if he goes outside to give Jenny the soup can.

Suitcase-fishing can melt the suitcase, but it can net a harmonica,

Originally posted by Yeetzzkka/SPAM!/bobinator133:

a soup can, the checkers, Kubz Scout book, radio or ammo.

Eating the mushrooms either feeds people or makes them sick.

Originally posted by Yeetzzkka:

Mutant Mary Jane will eat a family member if you keep her hungry for too long.

Giving the spider hunter ammo results in her coming back with food (feeds people, not +food).

Originally posted by Waldbär:

Dolores sometimes wants to eat the last soup now. If she doesn't, she may get ill.

Originally posted by Divided_Raccoon:

With low food or water, the family will consider kicking someone out. Choosing anyone will yield predictable results, not choosing anyone improves their sanity (it cured Insane Mary Jane).

The family may suspect each other for eating soup, don't choose anyone or you may lose a soup and lower their sanity

Kubz Scout Book Tips

If you move the journal back, you can click on things and get them to make noise. The Scout Handbook, aka the Kubz Scout Handbook, has radiant tips (you can also click the map to place a completely cosmetic X). A lot of it seems self-explanatory, but here you go regardless (it's also rife with typos). If you want me to discuss one or more of these points, comment down below with which ones or just say all.

• "A can of bugspray [sic] is useful against insects ... and other creatures."
  
• "A dehydrated person won't live more than one day. Don't test your luck."
  
• "A first aid kit can help with sickness, injury, and even insomnia."
  
• "A flashlight can be a source of light or a signalling device."
  
• "A human can survive just four days without water."
  
• "A tired person needs to regain strength before going out again."
  
• "A well fed person has a chance of recovering from a sickness without any medication."
  
• "Afraid of someone trashing your safehouse? Use a padlock!"
  
• "After an expedition, a scavenger should be fed and given time to regain strength."
  
• "All items in your shelter might prove useful during an expedition."
  
• "Although a rifle may have some bullets in it, ammunition alone can also prove useful."
  
• "An axe can be both a multipurpose tool and a weapon. Watch your fingers."
  
• "Beware of bandits roaming the wasteland, looking for easy and defenseless prey."
  
• "Although a rifle may have some bullets in it, ammunition alone can also prove useful."
  
• "Exploring [the] radioactive wasteland without any protection, such as a gas mask, is a bad idea."
  
• "If in doubt, don't take risks."
  
• "In times of crisis communication is key to survival. Get a radio."
  
• "Hunger leads to starvation. Starvation leads to death. Death leads to... well, nowhere really."
  
• "Injuries can only be treated with the first aid kit."
  
• "Leaving your shelter abandoned is risky.
  
• "Malnutrition will weaken one's immune system and may lead to a sickness."
  
• "Many animals inhabit the wasteland. Some of them can be tamed."
  
• "Mental health is as important as physical health."
  
• "Not all mutants are dangerous. Looks can be deceiving."
  
• "Not all strangers are out to hurt you. With a bit of trust, friendships can be made."
  
• "Poor diet, bad health or injuries decrease chances of survival."
  
• "Sickness can be an effect of malnutrition, radiation, and other factors."
  
• "The harsh atomic world will cause people to get visibly fatigued after a while."
  
• "Think ahead."
  
• "Try to help those in need. What goes around, comes around."
  
• "Violence usually seems like the best possible option, but it rarely is."

Merry Men/Robin Hood

Running theory: it's based off of your item amount excluding food/water, with 6+ triggering the bad result, but it could also be counting broken items.
Second theory: It counts broken items if you have +3 working items.

If you get a good result, it'll churn out either a radio, medkit, or +3 water; the bad result is losing an item.

Attempt #1:
Working:
Map
Gun
Ammo
Broken/depleted:
Flashlight
Radio
Medkit
Result: -rifle

Attempt #2
Working:
Axe
Broken/depleted:
Flashlight
Radio
Map
Medkit
Result: +radio

Attempt #3
Working:
Axe
Medkit
Padlock
Map
Radio
Cards
Broken/depleted:
Gas Mask
Result: -cards, axe

Plot Arcs

* = repeats if you fail.
** = I'm not sure where this goes in the sequence

Dog:

Requires flashlight, 1 food, map, medkit, but can go fetch a random item (book, gas mask, rifle, suitcase, ammo) or +1 food/water as an event and also blocks raiders once.
Use flashlight on the growling eyes in the dark.
Feed the dog a soup (sometimes if you don't, you go insane).
Follow Pancake with a map or the axe.

Originally posted by Yeetzzka/SPAM!:

The axe can get you 4 bottles of water, or the map can get you 3-4 soup cans.

Patch up his wounds, which

Originally posted by Yeetzzka:

will restore everyone's sanity to 100%.

Originally posted by glacierstar:

I can confirm that if you have Pancake and get Sharikov, then you lose Pancake.

There's also occasional -1 food upkeep for both pets.

Cat:

Requires 1 food for trade unless he randomly scratches at the door, but can find ammo or bug spray without prompting or overriding the day's event. Unfortunately, he can also bring around a dead animal or trigger allergies, thereby making people sick, break the checkers if you let him play with them, or injure someone if you try to pet him. However, acquiring him unlocks 4 endings and also raises sanity.

Agent Ending:

Sometimes a padlock, 4 food/water.
Say yes to tracking Dr. Sharikov's collar.
Say yes to examining the wire he finds.
Say yes to hearing out the agents.
Send someone on an expedition for them (counts as an actual scavenging event, so you need a padlock if you're down to one survivor).
Give them 4 food or water.
Accept the next doorknock. THE END

Scientist Ending:

Say no to tracking his collar.
Follow him when he sneaks out of the shelter (Yeetzzkka said this was optional, but in a Cats Ending research run, the scientist never came).
Say no to investigating the wire.
Give the Doc 4 water

Originally posted by SPAM!:

or food.

Send someone to help build the rocket (presumably requires padlock if solo); they'll be injured and

Originally posted by SPAM!:

if you don't give them water, they run away/die.

Accept the next doorknock. YOUR FATE REMAINS UNKNOWN.

Cats Endings (Feline Domination/Cat Lady)

Scientist Ending up until the experiment (rocket build).
Randomly find a "fridge", triggering a series of cats that each subtract 1 food when they arrive.
Vera (dark mackerel tabby, in front of box)
The next cat is "Beren" (calico on the shelf).
Deerme (otherwise pure black cat with a pink nose according to the art style under the table).
Mat (ditto, but grey and on the bookcase).
Mith (seal point Siamese or Balinese hunting the cabinet).
Pawka (ginger mackerel tabby in the right front corner) reveals that the "fridge" is a cloning device.
Rad (bicolor cat in front of the radio).
Azya (another mackerel tabby, facing you in front left corner) is the last cat

Originally posted by MrViking2:

before Solid in the lower right-hand corner.

If you run out of food at any point before finishing the collection, the cats kick you out. THE END

Twin Ending:

Requires 1 food, axe, medkit/cards/checkers/harmonica, and

Originally posted by Divided_Raccoon:

never raiding people such that you get the bloody handprint

(usually it's the elderly or the neighbors). Also, if both Military and Twins ending conditions are satisfied, either the first one established or the Twins takes precedence.
Answer the random phone call.
Send a rep to the meeting OR bring 1 food to friends OR help one of the twins save the other.
Medicate the twins' group* OR lend the axe to build a better fort OR lend the map OR

Originally posted by SPAM!:

either Bug Spray, the Rifle, or the Axe to clear a cockroach infestation out (lending the axe doesn't break it).

Give them toys (cards, checkers, or the harmonica)/

Originally posted by SPAM!:

the Kubz Scout book

for the children.
Accept the next doorknock. THE END

Military Ending:

Requires radio to begin & continue, then cards/flashlight/map, axe.
Do radio events until the military comes up.
Use cards* OR a flashlight* OR a map to indicate your location (distinct, identical events) OR

Originally posted by SPAM!:

The Military might ask for you to throw away your Rifle.

Originally posted by Yeetzzka:

"Since we didn't have a gun to begin with, soldiers shouldn't have any issues with us." (only occurs when no rifle present/rifle is broken)

(basically, if it comes up and you don't have a working rifle, you're fine)
Chop trees with the axe OR signal with the harmonica OR lug gas around in the gas mask.
Send a rep to the meeting.
Accept the next doorknock. THE END

Tank Ending:

Requires constant expeditions to continue the plot between playthroughs. HOWEVER, once it's used, it resets. Additionally, for some people, its base can either be a tank or an ice cream truck.
Send someone to check out the "unique" vehicle.
The next event is flashlight/gas mask/axe to add spikes.
The map or padlock can help add weapons.
The rifle, suitcase, or bug spray can decorate it.
The harmonica or Kubz Scout book can attach wheels.
Five soup for fuel. THE END

Mary Jane has a semi-storyline in which she takes a walk.
The second walk exhausts her in exchange for +1 food/+1 water or a harmonica.

Originally posted by SPAM!:

I stumbled on a Boy Scout plot arc with Timmy.
There were some flashing lights which Timmy wants to use the Kubz Scout Book to decode.
After decoding, he wants to reply with the Radio, the Harmonica, or the Flashlight.
They gave me the Padlock in return.

MJ has a plant seed event. not letting her start the project can make her crazy, but I can't remember the full outcomes of the plant, just that one of them makes the plant violent.
You can kill the violent plant with Bug Spray or the Axe, giving you 2 food; not killing the plant lets it steal -1 food or possibly injure someone.

Alternatively, it

Originally posted by Shibe, Wielder Of Truth:

can grow into a berry bush giving you +4 food when harvested.

Originally posted by Dean Domino:

You cannot harvest the plant's fruit multiple times; the plant will shrivel up and die.

Ted has a subplot wherein he wants to turn over his car. He's unusable for a little while, but the second event provides +2 food.

Dolores has an event wherein she finds a cipher and cracks it if allowed (fatigue), then goes into the wilderness (safe, but unusable during that time), and finally comes back with food. This is tied to an achievement -- "Enigma".

Radio/Social

When the family wonders about "Aunt Aida" or "Uncle Brian", the Kubz Scouts book raises morale.

The Monty Python reference involving your map (two men, one with coconuts, looking for an "ancient cup") will give ammo, checkers, the flashlight, the rifle, the axe, the bug spray, or the padlock.

The one man band always gives a radio if you give him things.

The refugees who want supplies sometimes give you a map, but either way they'll up sanity because you're nice.

Originally posted by SPAM!:

If you give them nothing, they clear your shelter COMPLETELY.

The "Freedom!" warriors give the rifle, axe, or +2 water.

There's a reference to the Fallout series in the form of a blue jumpsuit-clad water chip quester, who will

Originally posted by Rookie:

give a gas mask if was broken/gone. However, this happened two times in ten attempts

(basically a 1/5 chance to get a gas mask, so weigh it carefully against your water stock).

The man referencing 60 Parsecs! ("Astro-Citizen") doesn't actually give you anything in exchange for food or water.

Originally posted by Yeetzzkka:

If you listen to the radio, you might get an event where someone in the radio says they lost a lunchbox on the road, that event always gets you food and water.

If someone just generically knocks on your door, there's a chance of +2H2O or food, but you'll also possibly get sick.

Talking to Dolores is fine.

Tinkering with a silent radio either does nothing or breaks it, but not tinkering with it decreases sanity.

"Soviets over the radio" turn out to be Canadians.

Originally posted by Jager-5652:

The picnic in the park can cure the parents from being crazy if they are.

DeeDee from 60 Parsecs! rattles off her name and address, giving an achievement (the first time) and +2 food.

The radio can provide a rifle fix.

The radio event about the surface around day 9 (if on Little Boy) or 14-16 will say the surface is fine.

Raiding

Raiding the elderly nets you

Originally posted by Direct Hit:

ammo,

+4 food or water.

Raiding a school grants you +4 food or a medkit, but

Originally posted by Yeetzzka:

the teachers might get you injured instead with rulers (yes, rulers).

Raiding your neighbor's shelter provides +4 food/water, the axe, or the bug spray.

Defending yourself from a raid with an axe when you don't have a (working) rifle sometimes grants you a rifle, and vice versa.

Pancake is used as a defense when you have nothing else (esp. important to remember on certain challenges), whereas Sharikov is neither stolen nor defends you (I'm surprised you can't throw him at the raiders).

The harmonica can be used twice before it breaks, and if the rifle doesn't break, it'll use the ammo without being used up itself.

Originally posted by SPAM!:

Each subsequent harmonica has the same defense counter; ex: if Pancake eats your once-used harmonica and you trade for another, the second one will break upon the second defense because the raiders don't care which harmonica it is.

If you have no defenses, Dolores will be taken before Ted.

The neighbor's safe can provide a suitcase, harmonica, cards, checkers, flashlight, or

Originally posted by (porgchop)/SPAM!:

I've gotten a medkit before,

but will also sometimes make whoever goes sick.

"Fighting" the nearby bandit camp with the gun breaks it and provides the bug spray.

Defending yourself with the bug spray allows firefighters to -2 food.

Scavenging/Supply Drop

Items

All at risk upon use in escapade.
• Ammo: Gas mask, flashlight, medkit, or the bug spray.
  
• Cards: +2 water or Map.
  
• Checkers: +3 food or ammo.
  
• Harmonica: Cards, Kubz Scouts book, map, or checkers.
  
• Padlock: Rifle or +2 water.
  
• Radio: +3 water or Rifle.

Preparing to scavenge puts off events. If you're relatively well stocked-up and don't want bad things to happen, prepare to scavenge anyway.

Using the padlock with one person left does a run but skips the days until they're back; apparently it needs to be the first item used (second with suitcase) or people break in. It can also trigger if your people at home die when you didn't actively use it.

The supply drop always turns out +2 water & food, but can break the gas mask.

Following the abnormal map markings yields checkers or +2 food, or it can break the map.

The map drawn on a wall can lead to a radio, medkit, or bug spray.

Mutant protection for -1 food or water is so good it acts like the padlock if you're down to one person (it can be for either scavenging or anti-raiding as indicated within the last few lines of the event text).

Originally posted by SPAM!:

If you send someone to scavenge on the same day they need food/water, you do not have to give them those.

Bringing the gas mask on an expedition in the first few days will usually break it; I just used it on Little Boy and Timmy came back with it intact.
Update: MJ set out on Day 8 came back with it, and Timmy sent out Day 15 came back with it. Broke after the next expedition.

Most of Mutant MJ's expeditions bring back 1 soup and 2 water.

A general guideline I've figured out is having one person do the scavenging and using their fatigue cycle to as a way to delay bandits following you home. Of course, if you're running out of something, go for it. I managed to delay bandits until day ~70.

Originally posted by Divided_Raccoon:

Sending Dolores outside to scavenge grants an opportunity for the family to turn the shelter into a concert hall. You can use the Harmonica or the Radio and they start dancing, singing and blasting music. I chose harmonica and it broke.

Trading

The item-for-item swaps (ie - not for food/water) are alphabetized possibilities that come in random combinations.

"Buying" a rock results in a free sample that's sometimes followed up with a thirst negation event (not free H2O, but people becoming unthirsty).

Ammo Trader:
Don't give him checkers; he's not an idiot. Ammo = radio/1 food.

Originally posted by Waldbär:

If you do not trade your ammo to the stupid ammo trader, there is a lower chance, that he comes in and get it and you will get nothing for it.

Camel Woman:

• Checkers/ammo = 1 water
  
• Medkit = 2 water.
  
• Radio = 4 water.

Girl Scouts:

• Ammo = flashlight.
  
• Cards = ammo.
  
• Flashlight = rifle.
  
• Harmonica = medkit.
  
• Kubz Scout book = bug spray.
  
• Medkit = ammo.
  
• Padlock = gas mask.
  
• Rifle = gas mask.
  
• Radio = medkit.
  
• Suitcase = gas mask.

Low Prices Man:

• Ammo = suitcase.
  
• Flashlight = padlock.
  
• Kubz Scout book = checkers/radio.
  
• Map = medkit/rifle.
  
• Medkit = radio.
  
• Padlock = map.
  
• Radio = harmonica.
  
• Suitcase = radio.

Redhead

• Cards = medkit.
  
• Harmonica = axe.

Wheelbarrow Man:

• Flashlight/spray/cards = 1 water.
  
• Kubz Scout book = 2 water.

Willy:

• Cards = 1 food.
  
• Checkers = 1 water.
  
• Gas Mask = 2 food.
  
• Rifle = 4 water.

Credits

My roommate quickly proofread the basic original guide for me before publishing.

Jay from the Kubz Scouts on YouTube got me into the game, and demonstrated that the ammo trader doesn't take checkers.

OneDrive helped with the screenshotting process, and I cropped things with Paint to make things simple.

Several YouTubers kept me entertained by playing in the background during loading screens.

Most of the images are pulled from the wiki[60seconds.fandom.com], with a few exceptions:

• I sceenshotted the bloody handprint and Ted's skull from the research run in which I got the military ending after 73 days with Sharikov and a sick Delores
  
• I copy/pasted my "A Gift" achievement for the Trading section from the Steam Achievements.
  
• I screenshotted the Yes/No from the next run after the aforementioned military run. I removed the Y/N section.

The wiki also informed me about the harmonica breaking upon the second use when I was scanning the bandits/raiders page for a section image, but I also ran into the phenomenon for confirmation. That's the only thing I got directly from the wiki, though there's obviously some overlap. That said, anything I learned from the wiki will only help my research, and not be added until I personally run into it (or a helpful person brings it up in the comments).

glacierstar helped with the Plot Arcs section.
(porgchop) helped with the Booby Traps and Children sections, as well as pointed out an unclear part of the Y/N section (which has since had its information moved into other sections and been decomissioned).
Old Hunter clarified that the doctor event is actually useful, which I didn't know!
Yeetzzkka and SPAM! have been useful all over the place.
sniper king informed me that the zoo stampede event has two flavor text variations, one with dinosaurs.
Scientist_999 reminded me that the axe has a chance to fail at dealing with minor medical issues, thereby letting it roll over into a properly indicated injury.
Rookie pointed out that the Fallout reference is occasionally useful.
Rhys108 highlighted the difference between sickness and injury as regards random suitcases.
Brainless Ghost knows how to get rid of the Stick Bandits.
MrViking2 found another kitty!
Jager-5652 is an excellent fictional-marriage counselor.
Direct Hit ran some ballistics.
Divided_Raccoon checked in on Timmy.

Community-Generated Challenges

Pandemic by Kubz Scouts

• Grab 4+ each of food/water
  
• Medkit & Bug Spray (TP & hand san)
  
• Bring entire family for quarantine purposes
  
• No scavenging until day 15 as ordered by President That Dude
  
• Only scavenge with Gas Mask
  
• Tsar Bomba
  
• If anyone gets sick, heal them or keep them away from your water.
  
• Socially distance yourself from people-related events

He said only military/twins ending, but quite frankly that's untenable. I would argue military/tank for the least amount of contact with people. Additionally, the bug spray doesn't really make sense as hand sanitizer.

For some added accuracy, don't take in Sharikov, since cats can get covid.

[JustJulian]

Today i tried to get the "Konrad style" achievment and on day 4 there was banging on the door and i opened the door, and MARY JANE cam inside, she said she survived by sitting in the refrigirator.
So, apperantly, people can not be taken in the shelter and survive. (She was sick and crazy tho.) Unrelated, i got to day 82.

[JustJulian]

I couldn't find it in your quide, but.. there is a (slim) chance of an earthquake. It has the same effect as an flood. Choose one of three items you want to save.

Tho, i don't know if there is a slim chance of happening, it's just that this is my first time in, like, 10 hours of playtime.

[JustJulian]

Few extra things on the "Shelter Alone" challenge

Gifts: Mary Jane's gift - Checkers
Dolores' gift - Map
Ted's gift - Gas Mask and Map

Also i found +2 water from the Dark manhole with the flashlight

and i was lucky to find a package from "a friendly soul" with +2 water, + 1 food + Handbook + medkit + ammo! (i only had: gas mask, radio, map, bug spray, checkers and padlock)
That's what i found, for now at least.

[JustJulian]

With the "Shelter Alone" challenge, i got a gas mask out of a gift from Dolores. I thought this might be useful to know :)

[Terreliv]

It's random.

[T.Phong]

Will they be consumed per expedition? I alway lost suitcase...

[Terreliv]

Ah, yeah, okay, so you can bring the items with you with the possibility of losing them. The axe and rifle can defend you if bandits are around, the gas mask defends from like radiation, and bringing the following items can randomly give you items.

Ammo: Gas mask, flashlight, medkit, or the bug spray.
Cards: +2 water or Map.
Checkers: +3 food or ammo.
Harmonica: Cards, Kubz Scouts book, map, or checkers.
Padlock: Rifle or +2 water.
Radio: +3 water or Rifle.

If you have the suitcase and use it in the most left slot, you can bring three other things. If you're the only survivor, then you can "bring" the padlock and it'll lock the door for you so nobody will break in so long as you come back okay.

[T.Phong]

@Terreliv when go expedition , what does these item do? I mean padlock, gas mask , axe/gun etc , there nothing explained about them ....

[Terreliv]

@T.Phong it's essentially text-based with some pictures outside of the Scavenging section, so yeah, simple design.

[T.Phong]

despite the boring look game sure is complicated