Survival needs

Your HUD shows health, armour, stamina, hunger, thirst and infection. By default a healthy survivor sees almost nothing on screen, bars only show up when they matter (you can change that in Settings).

Hunger and thirst

• They drain a little every 30 seconds. Thirst goes faster than hunger.
• Sprinting drains them faster, standing still drains them a lot slower, and being AFK barely at all.
• Under 20 you start losing health every tick until you eat or drink.
• Food and water come from loot, traders (the camp trader sells water and canned food) and crafting.

Stamina

The server uses its own stamina bar. Sprinting burns it, it comes back after a short pause. When you run out you don’t stop, you just get slower. A walker still can’t catch you on flat ground, but anything else might.

Infection

• Every zombie hit adds infection. Once you have some it keeps creeping up on its own.
• From about 35 the screen starts going wrong.
• From 80 you lose health every tick.
• At 100 you are done.
• Infection is not cleared by dying. Cures are items (antiseptic and friends), find them, buy them or trade for them.

The other stuff

There’s also the needs wheel on N for the less glamorous needs. Ignore them long enough and people will smell you before they see you.