Moodles are the main way to understand how your character is feeling moment-to-moment inProject Zomboid. Whether that be because your character drank three bottles of bourbon, fell out of their bedroom window, or is just feeling a bit cold in the Kentucky winter, moodles are the key way to manage your character’s mood, health, and other stats.
This guide covers each new moodle added in Project Zomboid Build 42, the latest unstable release for the game. The resolution has been upgraded since the previous update, and new moodles have been added as well.
How To Fix It
Boredom
Boredom usually occurswhen your character has spent too long inside doing nothing with their life. It has no distinct negative impact, but it can lead to Unhappiness if you don’t deal with it.
Boredom can be resolved byheading outside, or by using a number of consumables - likemagazines, books, alcohol, and more. You can check how much Boredom is reduced by items via the item menu.
Hunger
Hunger is one of the basic needs in Project Zomboid. Your character needs to eat to survive. There are different types of Hunger moodle, fromStarvingall the way up toFull To Bursting. These different levels impact key stats of your character, like Strength, advanced healing rate, but also negatives, like low heat generation or losing weight.
You can monitor your character’s Hunger level and keep them fed with snacks. Highly calorific foods likeButterandIce Creamcan be used for quick buffs to your weight.
Panic
Panic has many causes, such asseeing too much blood, seeing zombies, night terrors, and being caused by specific traits, likeAgoraphobicorFear Of Blood. It will negatively impact your combat abilities, such as restricted vision, weaker critical hit chance, and worse pushback mechanics for zombies you’re facing.
Panic can be reduced by usingBeta Blockers, drinkingAlcohol, or by sleeping. Over time, your character will slowly become more accustomed to zombies, therefore reducing how quickly they panic.
Thirst
Thirst determines how much water your character currently needs. No moodle will appear if your character is well-watered, butyou will need to have a water bottle on hand or a fresh water source to stop your character from dehydrating. Being thirsty reduces your character’s carrying weight, induces general weakness, and can lead to eventual death.
Thirst can be easily combatted by keeping a bottle of fresh water in your inventory. Your character will automatically sip from the bottle. The water must be fresh water, however. If it isTainted, i.e from a lake or well,then this can lead to illness and potentially death. Other consumables, like soda and beer, also reduce Thirst.
Drunk
Drink too much bourbon? Your character is drunk. Keep drinking, and you’ll get even drunker, to the point that your character falls asleep on the floor.
Drinking has nofixper se, but it does wear off over time. The drunk status effect can be used to your advantage:to help your character sleep if they’re stressed or panicked, or if they’re injured.
Sadness
Like the other moodles,there are increasing levels of sadness. It may be caused by stress, panic, and other factors - like being sick, or getting caught in bad weather. As your character becomes moreUnhappy, your character will become slower at moving items around their inventory. Not a massive hindrance, but best dealt with.
Unhappiness/Sadness can be fixed by using different consumables, primarily things likealcohol, cigarettes, and literature.Food items that have been prepared with lots of ingredients can also boost your happiness meter.
Stressed
The Stressed moodle appearswhen your character is in an intense situation- usually surrounded by zombies, or if you’ve recently been bitten or scratched by the undead.
You can reduce Stress bydrinking alcoholor byreading books and magazines. If you’re aSmoker, you may need to smoke a cig.
Encumbrance
Your character will becomeencumberedif you carry too much in your inventory. You can check this via your character’s inventory window - the weight is shown in the top right of the screen. Being encumbered severely reduces movement, combat speed, and will slowly reduce your health if you are extremely over-encumbered.
Encumbrance can be reduced withbiggerandbetter bags, as well as morestrength/carry weight. If you are carrying too much, you might just have to drop it and come back for it later.
Endurance/Fatigue
This moodle marks how exhausted your character is, and is caused by carrying heavy objects, fighting zombies for a long time, or by sprinting around. This is directly impacted by your character’sFitnesslevel. As this moodle becomes worse, your movement speed and combat ability are slowly decreased.
You can rest on the floor by simply sitting on the ground, or you can increase your Endurance gain by resting on something more comfortable - like a chair.
Bleeding
This moodle tells you that your character has suffered an open wound. This could be something minor, like ascratch from a tree, or something major -like a gash in the neck from a zombie.
Depending on the severity of the wound, you may need toimmediately bandage itto prevent your character from bleeding out.
Pain
Pain can be induced by a variety of status effects, such asgetting injured by a zombie, crashing your car, falling off a roof and so on. If the pain level gets too high,your character will be unable to sleep- sometimes causing a downwards spiral.
You can usealcohol and painkillersto reduce your overall Pain level. Pain inflicted by exercise fatigue will wear out over time.
Injured
This moodle represents an injury to your character, ranging fromminortomajor.At the higher levels of severity, your character will be able to carry fewer items.
Severe injuries will impact your character’s health bar. Fail to fix them withbandages, tweezers and disinfectant(if required), and your character may perish.
Your Character Has A Cold
Your character is susceptible to the elements, which means if you spend too long outdoors in the wet and cold temperatures,you may get a cold. This will cause your character to cough and sneeze.
you’re able to remedy a cold bystaying warm, well-hydrated, and eating plenty of food.
Sick And Nauseous
This moodle can be caused by gettinginfected by a zombie,eating bad food or poisonous items(like mushrooms), orspending too long around dead bodies.
Lemongrassis a great way to remedy sickness caused by ingesting bad food or water, but if you’re sick, stressed, and in pain, (and recently bitten by a zombie), your character’s time may be coming to an end. you may’t remedy a zombie infection.
Wet
Your character can become wetif they spend too long in the rain, or become sweaty from exercise and heat.
You can dry yourself by using atowelor by sitting close to a source of heat.
Windchill
If you manage to survive until the winter months, you may begin to experienceWindchill.This represents that it’s currently colder than it appears outside, with an increased chance of temperature-based illness.
Hypothermia and Hyperthermia
These moodles represent whether your character istoo hot, ortoo cold.
If your character is too hot, it may be because you’re doing too many physical activities in hot weather, usually with too many clothes on.Check the insulation rating of your clothes.
If your character is too cold, you likely need towear more clothesor find somewhere warm to sit.Hypothermia can be lethal.
Death
Ah. You’re dead.
This is Project Zomboid. It’s a story about how you die.
