Sheltered

Sheltered is a single-player survival management simulation game. The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic world where a small family seeks refuge in an underground fallout shelter. The player oversees the daily lives of the survivors, managing their health, stress, and morale while contending with scarce resources and the constant threat of the outside wasteland. The family must venture out to scavenge supplies, encounter strangers, and make difficult choices that affect both their safety and long-term survival.

Core gameplay revolves around resource management and base maintenance. The shelter requires food, water, and oxygen, and the player must repair and upgrade its systems to keep them operational. Survivors have individual needs such as hunger, thirst, hygiene, and rest, which require careful balancing. Tasks like fixing equipment, cleaning, and crafting consume valuable time and energy, creating ongoing tension between priorities.

Scavenging is a central mechanic. Players can send survivors to explore nearby towns, farms, or ruins in search of supplies. Expeditions are planned in advance, with equipment and rations chosen before departure. Encounters with strangers are resolved through dialogue choices that may lead to trading, combat, or recruitment. Combat uses a turn-based system with attacks, defense, and item usage determining the outcome.

Progression is tied to crafting and shelter upgrades. Workbenches allow players to create new tools, weapons, and furnishings that improve survival odds. Upgrades include expanding water storage, adding sleeping quarters, or improving air filtration. Survivors also gain experience in skills such as strength, perception, and intelligence, which develop through repeated use and influence both daily tasks and combat efficiency.

Additional systems include family customization at the start of the game, where players choose the appearance and traits of their survivors. Pets can also be selected, each providing unique benefits such as companionship, scavenging aid, or protection. Random events introduce unpredictability, with equipment breakdowns, raids, and illness forcing players to adapt their plans.

The game features both a narrative-driven tutorial campaign and a sandbox survival mode with no predetermined ending. The player’s choices, from managing scarce medicine to deciding whether to trust strangers, determine the family’s fate.