Endzone: A World Apart is a sims-like survival game available on Steam, where the player is expected to build a functioning settlement. Set in a post-apocalyptic world where the sun was blocked for several decades, the player will take the role of a settlement chief as they go about managing resources and expanding the community’s infrastructure in order to ensure survival.
Developed by Gentlymad Studios, the early access game already has a relatively extensive framework. There are several structures to be built, settler professions, weather variations, and more. But despite its sturdy foundation, its limited tutorial is a bit lackluster. So below is a starter’s guide on how to begin building a functioning settlement.
Collect Water in Endzone: A World Apart
Water is arguably the most important resource for the settlement, so it is imperative that the player starts building a water system by the nearest body of water. So once that body of water is located, build a cistern somewhere along the shore.
But keep in mind that the cistern itself is only water storage. It doesn’t actually collect water on its own. For that, the cistern must be connected to either a jetty, well, or a rainwater collector. But at the beginning of the game, the jetty is the only collecting structure the player can actually build. This structure must be predominantly placed over the water source itself, with only the end portion connecting onto dry land (ideally next to the cistern).
Note that while the player may start with one cistern, the player may want to build a couple more in case of a drought. These droughts, which will have the game system alert the player beforehand, basically dry out the map for a temporary amount of time. They drastically reduce the amount of water the settlement can collect and can easily end a playthrough for anyone not prepared for it.
Collect and Cultivate Food in Endzone: A World Apart
The second basic necessity for a settlement is food. This can be acquired through several means such as crops, orchards, gathering, hunting, etc. Each of these methods can be enabled by building their corresponding structure and assigning settlers to the corresponding profession. For example, building a hunting lodge will allow settlers to engage in the hunting profession. Similarly, building a plot of cultivated fields or orchards will allow settlers to engage in farming.
But just focusing on one source of food like crops or fish can only get the player so far. Ideally, the player will have settlers collecting a variety of food in order to keep the settlement’s confidence high, which enables higher productivity. It is also advised for the player to build a warehouse as soon as they are able, which will allow the settlement to start storing surplus material like crops and wood.
Start Chopping Wood and Making Charcoal in Endzone: A World Apart
With the settlement’s basic needs squared away, it is now time to start clearing space and harvesting material for expansion. Chopped wood is a must for most structures, so building a forester's lodge in the nearest wooded area is one of the first things a player wants to accomplish.
But one structure that pairs well with the forester’s lodge is the charcoal kiln. Capable of creating charcoal which can later be used in creating protective gear for the player’s settlers, the kiln requires chopped wood to function. So if the player wants to get a head start on charcoal production they can simply build the kiln right next to the forester’s lodge and assign one settler to the charcoal-burner position.
Build Houses in Endzone: A World Apart
Houses have a few crucial passive uses in Endzone. One of them is how they provide the basic shelter requirement for settlers, the fulfillment of which is required to keep their confidence up. But for structures like the cabin and sturdy house, it also permits settlers to start building a family unit and thus increase the settlement’s population. If players really want to ramp up the population, building houses is one quick way to do it. Just be sure that there are enough food and water to support the new arrivals since children are not allowed to be assigned a profession until adulthood.
Start Scrapping and Recycling in Endzone: A World Apart
Players will quickly realize scrap is a necessary component for several structures and items. And while settlers can scavenge scrap from certain piles scattered across the map, scrap from ruins needs to be within range of a scrapyard before it can be collected. Build this structure and then assign some settlers to be scrap collectors. These settlers will collect scrap which can be used not only to create certain buildings but can be fed into a recycler to produce certain materials.
These recyclers can transform scrap into certain materials like metal, plastic, and cloth—each of which are components for other structures and items. Take metal for instance, which is required to build a refinery. Or cloth which is a component for tailoring scarfs. However, the recycler can only have one product selected at a time. As such, it is recommended that players build several recyclers in order to allow the settlement to create a constant supply of material. Alternatively, the player can only build one recycler and manually change what that recycler produces manually.
Endzone – A World Apart as an early access title is only available on PC. It is currently available on Steam and GOG.