# Balancing Resource Depletion

**Don't micromanage.** Track water, food, and energy loosely. Use scarcity as narrative flavor, not tedious accounting.

**Make resources matter during complications.** "You find shelter, but there's no water source. How do you ration what you have?"

**Reward clever thinking.** Players improvise water reclamation? Reduce stress or avoid complication.

**Use abundance sparingly.** Finding a hidden cache feels meaningful when resources are usually tight.