Understanding Rationing in 60 Seconds! and Reatomized
In the quirky, post-apocalyptic world of 60 Seconds!, managing your limited resources is the difference between survival and a tragic ending. Your scavenged cans of soup and water bottles are precious commodities that must be rationed carefully among your family members. A single can of soup or a bottle of water can provide four servings, meaning one of each can feed a full family of four. However, the crucial question isn't how to feed them once, but how often.
The Standard "Feed Every 5 Days" Approach
Based on community wisdom, the most common and safest strategy for rationing is to feed every family member every five days. This interval is a balanced approach that prevents dehydration, minimizes the risk of characters becoming sick from hunger, and avoids over-rationing when supplies are scarce. Characters can survive for longer without food (up to 10 days) but are far more vulnerable to negative effects if pushed to the brink.
Best practices for the 5-day cycle:
- Establish a Schedule: On day 5, 10, 15, and so on, provide one unit of food and water to each family member. Sticking to this simple routine helps prevent mistakes, especially during long play sessions.
- Monitor Status: Always check a character's status by hovering over their portrait. Green status means they are healthy, while yellow indicates initial signs of hunger or thirst. While the 5-day rule is a good baseline, monitoring their status can help you decide when to push it slightly longer in a pinch.
- Adjust for Expeditions: If a character is sent on an expedition, their hunger clock accelerates. It is recommended to feed a character before they leave to maximize their chances of a safe return. Upon their return, they will likely be hungry sooner than the rest of the family.
The Risks of Pushing Your Luck
Some advanced players attempt to stretch their supplies further by delaying feeding until a character is showing the most severe signs of starvation. This is a high-risk, high-reward strategy that is not recommended for beginners. Waiting too long has significant consequences:
- Increased Sickness: Neglecting hunger for too long will eventually lead to a character becoming sick. Sickness can have fatal consequences if not treated with a Medkit or if the character becomes too weak.
- Insanity: Severe starvation or dehydration can also contribute to a character's insanity. An insane family member can destroy precious resources like food cans.
- Expedition Failure: Sending a character on an expedition while they are sick or starving dramatically increases the risk that they will not return.
Comparison of Feeding Strategies
| Strategy | Pros | Cons | Ideal For | Status Indicators | Expedition Safety |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feed Every 5 Days | Low risk of sickness or death. Easier to manage and track. | Uses supplies at a faster rate. Can be inefficient if resources are abundant. | Consistent, reliable long-term survival. | Healthy (green) most of the time. | Maximized safety and success. |
| Delay Feeding (Advanced) | Stretches supplies for a longer period. | Very high risk of sickness, insanity, and death. Requires constant monitoring. | Experienced players with low supplies and high risk tolerance. | Allowing characters to reach "Starving" or "Dehydrated" state. | Significant risk of expedition failure or death. |
| Selective Feeding | Prioritizes key characters (e.g., scavengers). | Other characters can become sick, insane, or die if neglected. | Runs focused on specific character goals (e.g., Mutant Mary Jane). | Focused monitoring on select characters. | Safety maximized for prioritized characters only. |
Special Cases and Events
Certain in-game events can influence your feeding strategy. For example, if a family member becomes sick, feeding them can help cure them, but it may require multiple food cans and can still be an unreliable method compared to using a Medkit. Similarly, the presence of certain pets or characters, like Pancake the dog, can provide additional resources but may also require their own food at times.
Managing Resources and Dealing with Events
To maintain a consistent feeding schedule, you need a steady influx of supplies. Expeditions are the primary method for this, so ensuring your scavenger is in peak condition is vital.
- Keep a gas mask and a map to maximize scavenging success.
- Send well-fed, non-sick family members on expeditions to reduce risk.
- Manage your inventory space carefully. If a trade event happens, consider trading unnecessary items for food or water.
For a deeper dive into the mechanics and lore of the game, including character events and specific item uses, consult the comprehensive 60 Seconds! Wiki.
Conclusion: Finding Your Optimal Strategy
There is no single correct answer to how often should you feed everyone in 60 seconds. The "feed every 5 days" strategy is the safest and most reliable for long-term survival and is recommended for most players. However, expert players might opt for a higher-risk strategy of delaying feedings to conserve supplies, a tactic that requires constant attention to character health and status. Ultimately, the best strategy depends on your resource availability and your comfort with risk. By understanding the game's mechanics and the effects of starvation, you can confidently ration your supplies and increase your chances of surviving the atomic threat.
