---
title: "SCUM: Survival Guide"
game: "SCUM"
game_url: "https://qna.gg/games/scum"
author: "Qloud"
author_url: "https://qna.gg/players/Qloud"
topics: ["Builds", "Quests"]
summary: "A practical survival guide to SCUM in 2026: your first hour on the island, metabolism and the BCU, attributes and skills, fame points and traders, base building, puppets and mutants, and the new TEC1 Research Facilities."
url: "https://qna.gg/g/scum-survival-guide-920435d1"
published: "2026-09-27T16:29:07.605Z"
updated: "2026-09-27T16:29:07.605Z"
source: "QnA.GG"
---

# SCUM: Survival Guide

A practical survival guide to SCUM in 2026: your first hour on the island, metabolism and the BCU, attributes and skills, fame points and traders, base building, puppets and mutants, and the new TEC1 Research Facilities.

*Researched September 2026 — current as of the "Into the Wild" August Update (1.3.3.0) and hotfix 1.3.3.4.149664 (September 11, 2026). Live games change; check the linked sources if something differs.*

> SCUM left Early Access with its **1.0 release on June 17, 2025**. Gamepires keeps shipping monthly "Into the Wild" updates.

## Quick Start

1. **Character creation matters.** You spread points across **Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, and Intelligence**, then pick skills under each. For a first character, go balanced with a slight lean toward Constitution (stamina and health) and useful skills such as Running, Stealth, Awareness, Survival, Melee Weapons, and Rifles.
2. **You spawn with almost nothing.** Craft a **Stone Knife** from a rock right away. Then use it to make a **Wooden Spear**, and cut rags from your starting clothes for bandages.
3. **Tear clothes into rags** and craft **improvised bags/backpacks** so you have space. Inventory space is everything early on.
4. **Puppets (zombies) are everywhere** in towns. Crouch-walk, avoid sprinting near them, and fight one at a time. Hit them in the head.
5. **Drink and eat regularly, and check the BCU.** SCUM's metabolism tracks calories, macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat), vitamins, minerals, and water. Fruit, vegetables, and cooked meat keep you balanced.
6. **Don't eat rotten or raw meat, or drink unclean water early.** Cook the meat and boil the water (or find sealed bottles).
7. **Fame points (FP)** go up as you survive and take part in events. Higher fame unlocks better trader access and respawn options. Dying sets you back, and dying repeatedly now gives you **Cloning Sickness** (added in the August 2026 update).
8. **Find an Outpost (safe zone) early.** Traders there sell weapons, tools, vehicles, and food. You can do trader quests for money and fame, and PvP is disabled inside.
9. **Lockpicking** opens locked doors, containers, and vehicles. Practice it early, and don't get discouraged if the lockpicks break.
10. **Stash valuables in a base or a hidden container.** Anything on your body can be lost when you die.

## Core Systems

### The BCU and Metabolism

Your wrist-mounted BCU (the implant readout) and the inventory screen's body panels show your body state. The game tracks:

- **Calories and stomach/intestine content:** eating too much at once can make you vomit.
- **Macronutrients (proteins, carbs, fats), vitamins, and minerals:** long-term deficiencies weaken you.
- **Hydration:** you dehydrate faster when active or in heat.
- **Body weight, fat, and muscle:** these change slowly over time based on your diet and activity.
- **Stamina and fatigue:** heavy loads and sprinting drain them.
- **Illness, wounds, and fractures:** treat them with bandages, splints, and medicine.

**August 2026 changes:** the "Into the Wild" August Update overhauled **Food Effects** (cooked meals now give meaningful buffs) and added **Heatless Cooking** recipes like salads you can make without fire. Hotfix 1.3.3.2 (September 8, 2026) also **increased nutrient absorption rates across all food** while Gamepires reviews feedback. Metabolism is a bit more forgiving than before as of that patch.

### Attributes and Skills

| Attribute | Affects | Skills it governs |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Tasks that need physical strength (melee, carrying, recoil) | Brawling, Melee Weapons, Archery, Rifles, Handguns |
| Constitution | Endurance and stamina | Running, Endurance |
| Dexterity | Movement speed and reactions | Thievery (lockpicking), Demolition, Motorcycling, Driving, Throwing, Stealth |
| Intelligence | Perception and task success rates | Awareness, Camouflage, Engineering, Sniping, Survival, Medical |

This grouping follows the SCUM wiki's skills page. Updates since then have added or reshuffled some skills (for example, Cooking), so check the character-creation screen for the current list. Skills level up as you use them (practice). Start the skills you'll use most on day one at a higher level.

### Fame Points and Economy

- **Fame points** track your "fame" in SCUM's reality-TV premise. They go up as you survive, kill, complete quests, and join events, and they go down when you die or do certain actions.
- **Money** (cash) comes from selling loot to traders and from quests. The in-game **bank** (with cards) handles deposits and transfers on most servers.
- **Traders at Outposts:** general goods, armory, mechanic (vehicles and parts), doctor, and specialist traders such as the Hunter and Master Hunter traders.

### Quests

Traders offer **quests**: fetch items, hunt specific animals, kill targets, or explore areas. The Hunter questline was expanded in July/August 2026:

- **Master Hunter quests** no longer require finishing a regular Hunter trader quest first (July 30, 2026 hotfix).
- **Mutant bears** now spawn in specific places. Hunting them advances Master Hunter quests and rewards a **Research Facility Keycard**.

## TEC1 Research Facilities (August 2026)

This is the headline feature of the latest update:

- There are **three underground bunker entrances** on the island, and **each Facility has the same layout and challenge**.
- To open one you need a **Research Facility Keycard**. You get one from certain Master Hunter quests or, rarely, as loot elsewhere. **One keycard opens it for your whole group.** It works at any of the three sites, expires after a limited time, and is consumed when used.
- Once your group starts a run, the entrance locks behind you, and a **timed purge sequence** starts. Other prisoners can still be in there with you.
- At the heart of the Facility is the **Apex Mutant Bear**, a tough fight. Come prepared with a strong rifle, lots of ammo, medical supplies, and a group if you can.
- The Facility has good loot, including weapon lockers. The early bug where lockers spawned empty was fixed in hotfix 1.3.3.2.

## Threats

| Threat | Notes |
|---|---|
| Puppets | Common zombies in towns. They respond to noise. Hit them in the head and avoid groups. |
| Mutants | Twisted experiments that are tougher than puppets. Handle with care. |
| Wildlife | Wolves, bears, boars. Bears are deadly early. The new **mutant bears** are much tougher. |
| Military sentries (mechs) | Guard high-value military areas. They are extremely lethal early on. Avoid them or use cover. |
| Players | On PvP servers, the biggest threat. Travel smart and avoid main roads. |
| Environment | Cold (in the north and mountains), rain, and injury. Dress for the weather. |

## Base Building

- **Flag.** Placing a flag claims your territory. Only flag-holders can build around it. Server settings limit how many flags each player or squad can have.
- **Building materials** go up in tiers: twig/wood → metal → brick, then further upgrades. As of the August 2026 hotfix, Level 3 (metal) triangle foundations upgrade correctly to Level 4 (brick).
- **Locks** protect doors and chests. Higher-tier locks are harder to pick.
- **Placement:** stay away from main roads and major loot sites. Don't put a flag right next to a Research Facility. That used to stop its loot respawning, and although it's fixed now, it's still a bad spot.
- **Base raids** follow server rules (raid windows, protection times). Read your server's rules before building anywhere.

## Vehicles

- **Starter vehicles:** bicycles are cheap and quiet. Old cars, trucks, quads, and boats (the Kinglet Mariner, Barba, and Dinghy) are also options.
- Many vehicles need **batteries, fuel, and repairs**. Buy parts from the mechanic trader.
- **Put a lock on your vehicle** so no one else can take it.

## First-Hour Plan

1. Craft a stone knife and a spear, and make rags and bandages.
2. Head to the nearest small town. Crouch, loot the houses, and grab clothing with pockets and a backpack.
3. Find water and food (vending machines, houses, orchards, fishing).
4. Collect wood and rope. Craft a bow and arrows.
5. Head toward an Outpost. Sell junk, buy a better knife, food, and water.
6. Pick up an easy trader quest.
7. Find a quiet spot for a small shelter or cache before night.

## Common Mistakes to Avoid

- Sprinting everywhere. It drains stamina and makes noise that draws puppets.
- Carrying too much weight, which slows you down and drains stamina.
- Eating only one type of food, which leads to nutrient deficiencies.
- Picking fights with a bear or a military mech early.
- Dying over and over. Cloning Sickness makes it worse each time.
- Building next to high-traffic loot areas on PvP servers.
- Ignoring the server's rules on raiding, flags, and mines/traps.

## Advanced Tips

- **Cooking for buffs:** thanks to the August 2026 Food Effects overhaul, a real meal (like a fruit salad or a cooked stew) is worth making before big fights.
- **Use your skill specialization.** A high Thievery character opens locked loot faster. Engineering helps with vehicles and gear, and Awareness helps you spot threats.
- **Squad roles:** split medic, driver, sniper, and builder roles so your group isn't competing for skill points.
- **Bunkers and military zones** have the best gear. Bring a keycard (where required), plenty of ammo, and a plan to get out.
- **Server settings matter.** Private and community servers change loot rates, puppet counts, and PvP rules. Read the server description before you commit.

## FAQ

**Is SCUM out of Early Access?**
Yes. Version 1.0 launched on June 17, 2025, and monthly updates continue.

**How do I get into the TEC1 Research Facility?**
With a Research Facility Keycard. You get one from Master Hunter quests (mutant bear hunts) or as rare loot, and one keycard lets your whole group in.

**What is Cloning Sickness?**
A temporary debuff from dying repeatedly, added in August 2026. It gets worse if you die again before you've recovered.

**Can I play SCUM solo?**
Yes. There's a single-player mode, and you can also join low-population or PvE servers.

**What's the best starting attribute build?**
There's no single "best" build. A balanced spread with a bit more Constitution, plus Running, Stealth, Awareness, and one weapon skill, is safe for new players.

**Why am I vomiting after eating?**
You ate too much or too fast, or the food was spoiled. Eat smaller portions and cook your meat.

## Sources

- [SCUM on Steam](https://store.steampowered.com/app/513710/SCUM/)
- [SCUM Steam news — "Into the Wild" August Update 1.3.3.0 and hotfixes 1.3.3.1–1.3.3.4](https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/513710)
- [SCUM — Wikipedia (release timeline, core mechanics)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scum_(video_game))
- [SCUM Wiki (wiki.gg) — Skills](https://scum.wiki.gg/wiki/Skills)