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Relying solely on the tutorial in Scum can lead to a tough experience. While DEENA covers the basics, there’s much more to uncover. The quicker you identify the essential craftable items, the smoother your gameplay will be.
If you’re new to the island and feeling lost, focus on these key objectives. With some scavenging and a bit of luck—assuming the Puppets and other players don’t get to you first—you can achieve them.
DEENA teaches you to create a wooden spear, the easiest weapon in the game. It’s a start, but with a little more effort, you can craft a more effective means of defense.
If you gather some rope (from Small Sticks or Rag Strips), you can create a proper spearhead, which allows your weapon to deal significantly greater damage. Rocks work well for a stone spear, but if you’re near a town, you can strip a car for Metal Scrap and make a metal-tipped spear instead.
Axes and hammers can serve as solid melee weapons, but using a spear means you won’t have to repair or replace it as often, preserving its durability.
Stone Axe
If you want to build a base, an axe is essential. To make one, you’ll first need an axe head made from stones, which you then combine with sticks and rope.
A standard axe head results in a one-handed hatchet, while a larger axe head made from bigger stones, requiring rags, creates a heavier two-handed version.
Axes can perform all the tasks a knife can, plus cut down trees or chop logs into planks. Planks are crucial for nearly every construction project you’ll start with, so the sooner you begin making them, the better.
Hammer
Once you’ve created some planks, your next task is to make a hammer, as you’ll need it for most construction recipes. A basic hammer can easily be put together using sticks, rope, and a large stone. You might have to search for a suitable rock, aiming to find Stones rather than Small Stones, which appear only about half the time.
Besides being useful for construction (and, if necessary, in combat), hammers can also break rocks into Stone Tips, allowing you to craft Stone Arrows instead of basic wooden ones, increasing your chances of taking down foes without resorting to melee.
Storage Chest
Scum has strict inventory management; you can only carry what fits in your pockets. Unless you find a backpack or decent clothing, you’ll need to be selective about what you hold. A storage chest allows you to store valuable items all in one spot.
If you’re concerned about other players stealing your items, you can bury chests using a shovel.
A basic chest is likely all you require, though finding the necessary nails and bolts can be tricky. If you manage to find two bolts (which is easiest by searching junk cars), consider grabbing some Metal Scrap and aiming for a more advanced version of the chest.
Once your storage issues are resolved, your next aim should be making a toolbox. This requires additional bolts and nails, but with a hammer, some planks, and further scrap, you can put one together fairly easily.
The toolbox is essential for more advanced constructions like the well and specialized storage solutions like the log shed.
Sewing Kit
Creating a sewing kit can depend on luck since you need to find thread, which cannot be crafted. However, being able to repair your clothes, especially backpacks, is highly beneficial.
Once you have thread, you’ll also need a needle. You can sometimes find one by searching haystacks (a funny little nod from Gamepires), but the easiest way to obtain a needle is by taking down a Puppet and using its bones, which you can carve into needles with a knife.
Fishing Gear
If you’re near the coast or one of the rivers on the map, you can significantly lower your chances of starving by learning to fish. However, gathering all the pieces needed for a working fishing rod takes quite a bit of scavenging.
Simply crafting a fishing rod and line won’t suffice; you’ll need a hook, floater, reel, and some bait. You can easily find bait by searching through rotten logs for bugs, but the other components require specific items. The floater and reel necessitate corks, needles, and nails, while the hook can be made from a soda can.
These items can be quite scarce, so if you find any, guard them closely. Once you’ve set up your fishing gear, build a campfire and cook your catch.
Well
A poor starting location can leave you far from any freshwater, which quickly becomes an issue. While eating fruits and vegetables can temporarily stave off dehydration, establishing a water source is crucial.
Be strategic about where you place your well, as it requires full-sized logs. You can only carry one at a time, and moving while holding them is slow. Once constructed, you can drink directly from the well or use it to refill water bottles.