GUIDE · SURVIVAL & MANAGEMENT
Frozen Ship Cooking & Food
Food security is survival security. With 20 mouths eating three times a day, the kitchen is as critical as the boiler — starve the crew and illness and despair follow fast.
The Math You Can't Ignore
20 crew × 3 meals = 60 meals every single day. The kitchen cooks at a fixed rate, so you must (a) staff it and (b) keep ingredients flowing. Miss either side and the shortage cascades: hunger → fatigue → illness → fear → a colony death spiral. Food is not a "later" problem; it's a "from hour one" problem.
Staffing the Kitchen
| Colony state | Kitchen staffing |
|---|---|
| Opening (Days 1–3) | 2 cooks minimum; protect this slot |
| Stable | 2–3; add if meals fall behind demand |
| Crisis (cold snap / low food) | Prioritize kitchen over non-essential roles |
Sourcing Ingredients
- Scavenge food from homes and shops during daylight runs (see Resource Gathering).
- Keep a buffer — never let stored food drop below one day's meals (60).
- Trade for food only from surplus; never liquidate your heating reserve to buy it.
Avoiding the Starvation Cascade
Frequently Asked Questions
How many meals do I need per day?
60 — 20 crew times 3 meals each. The kitchen's fixed cooking rate means you must keep both staff and ingredients supplied to hit that number.
What happens if I fall behind on meals?
Hunger drives fatigue and illness, which drags morale (fear/faith) down across the whole crew. A shortfall is recoverable; a multi-day one can unravel the colony.
Can I buy food from traders?
Yes, but treat it as a top-up from surplus, not a primary strategy. Never sell your wood reserve to afford it — warmth comes first.