Crafting handbook · Materials, recipes & consumables

When a recipe is missing, pause before farming. Check the station, the relevant survivor, the shelter requirement, and the recipe unlock. Once you know which link is missing, gather only what that step asks for.

How station unlocks fit together

  • Workbench and personal crafting: early tools, building basics, and recipes learned from picking up key materials.
  • Blacksmith: metalworking and weapon/armor progression; place the required workshop stations to extend his recipe list.
  • Hunter: ranged and travel gear, hides, textiles, and utility upgrades.
  • Alchemist: potions, magical equipment, and advanced research stations.
  • Farmer: seedbeds, agriculture, cooking equipment, food production, and upgrades to the kitchen chain.
  • Carpenter: furniture, storage, advanced construction stations, and Sparkworks equipment after its quest is complete.

Stations do not all behave the same way: some craft items directly; others unlock new recipes for their associated survivor after being placed. The 1.0 station database linked here separates “makes” from “adds” so you can identify whether a missing recipe needs a station or a different production step. Always confirm the current in-game recipe before gathering a full batch.

Track a material back to its source

  1. Open the recipe and copy the exact item name, including whether it asks for a raw resource or a processed bar, sheet, plank, or ingredient.
  2. Inspect the item detail for an acquisition hint; 1.0 added hints for several resources.
  3. Check which tool or station produces the item and whether the recipe is learned by picking up a source material.
  4. Use a 1.0 map/database for regional nodes if the hint is broad, then set an in-game marker.
  5. Gather enough for the recipe plus a small buffer, return, and craft immediately to verify the chain.

Food and medicines: match the buff to the trip

Food gives temporary stat bonuses, so choose a small set that complements your current job: health and stamina for a dangerous melee route, mana and magic support for a caster, or stamina and ranged support for a bow user. Food groups and active-buff slots matter: inspect the character’s active effects and avoid carrying several meals that overwrite the same category. Cooked meals are an expedition investment; eat them shortly before leaving so the useful duration is spent in the field.

For healing, distinguish gradual recovery from an instant potion. Bandages are useful when you can create a safe window; potions are the emergency option when the fight cannot wait. Carry a Shroud Survival Potion when the route requires extra time in the fog. Antidotes, resistance items, and specialist potions belong in the bar only when the destination or enemy makes them relevant. The linked food reference lists 1.0 recipes, effects, durations, and stations; use the game menu as final confirmation because balance patches can change values.

Simple kit: one meal for your main stat, one emergency heal, bandages for safe recovery, and a Shroud-time extension only when your planned route needs it. Keep the action bar readable instead of filling it with every consumable you own.

Sources: 1.0 crafting stations and unlock database · 1.0 food, potion, and buff database · Official food and survival tips