Introduction
Your checkpoint in Quarantine Zone: The Last Check is more than just an inspection station - it’s a lifeline for hundreds of survivors. Poor resource management means riots, system failures, and mission failure. Excellent management means smooth operations and maximum survival rates.
This guide covers everything you need to know about managing your base effectively: resources, budgets, upgrades, and optimization strategies.
The Three Critical Resources
1. Food 🍞
Purpose: Feeds survivors in your evacuation zone
Consumption Rate:
- 1 unit of food per survivor per day
- Starts with 50-100 survivors
- Can grow to 300+ survivors by late game
Storage Capacity:
- Initial: 500 units
- Upgradeable to 1,000 units
- Maximum: 2,000 units (fully upgraded)
What Happens When Food Runs Out:
- Hour 1-6: Complaints and unrest
- Hour 6-12: Riots begin forming
- Hour 12-24: Full riot, checkpoint shutdown
- Hour 24+: Mission failure/Game Over
Ordering Food:
- Small batch: 100 units = $50
- Medium batch: 250 units = $110 (12% discount)
- Large batch: 500 units = $200 (20% discount)
- Recommendation: Order 250-unit batches for efficiency
2. Fuel ⛽
Purpose: Powers generator, equipment, lighting, and defense systems
Consumption Rate:
- Base consumption: 10 units per day
- With full operations: 15-20 units per day
- During horde attacks: 25-30 units per day
Storage Capacity:
- Initial: 300 units
- Upgradeable to 600 units
- Maximum: 1,000 units
What Happens When Fuel Runs Out:
- Immediate: Lights go out
- Within 1 hour: Equipment offline (no UV, thermometer, scanner)
- Within 2 hours: Defense systems offline
- Within 3 hours: Total checkpoint failure
Ordering Fuel:
- Small: 50 units = $75
- Medium: 100 units = $130 (13% discount)
- Large: 200 units = $240 (20% discount)
- Recommendation: Order 100-unit batches regularly
3. Medical Supplies 💊
Purpose: Treat injuries, provide quarantine care, general health
Consumption Rate:
- Passive: 2-3 units per day (general healthcare)
- Per injury treatment: 5-10 units
- Per quarantine patient: 3 units per day
Storage Capacity:
- Initial: 100 units
- Upgradeable to 200 units
- Maximum: 400 units
What Happens When Medical Supplies Run Out:
- Injured survivors deteriorate
- Quarantine patients may die
- Morale decreases
- Infection spread risk increases
Ordering Medical Supplies:
- Small: 25 units = $40
- Medium: 50 units = $70 (12.5% discount)
- Large: 100 units = $125 (18.75% discount)
- Recommendation: Keep 100+ units in stock
Budget Management
Starting Budget
You begin with $500 and earn money through:
- Successfully processing survivors: $5-10 per person
- Completing daily quotas: $50-100 bonus
- Perfect screening (no mistakes): +20% earnings
- Catching infected before passage: $15 bonus each
Income Optimization
Maximum Earnings Strategy:
- Screen Accurately - No false positives waste quarantine space
- Process Efficiently - More survivors = more income
- Meet Daily Quotas - Always hit target numbers
- Catch Infections Early - Bonus for each detection
- Minimize Mistakes - Letting infected through costs money
Daily Income Targets:
- Early game (Days 1-5): $150-250/day
- Mid game (Days 6-15): $300-500/day
- Late game (Days 16+): $500-800/day
Spending Priorities
Critical (Always Have Budget For):
- Food when below 200 units
- Fuel when below 100 units
- Medical supplies when below 50 units
Important (Next Priority): 4. Weapon upgrades after horde attacks 5. Tool upgrades for better detection 6. Storage capacity expansions
Optional (When Budget Allows): 7. Aesthetic improvements 8. Comfort upgrades for survivors 9. Advanced systems
Facility Overview
Main Facilities
1. Checkpoint Station (Your Workspace)
- Cannot be upgraded in demo
- Full version: Better tools, faster processing
- Focus: Your primary work area
2. Evacuation Zone
- Houses cleared survivors
- Requires: Food, medical supplies
- Capacity: 50 → 500 survivors (upgradeable)
- Morale affects overall performance
3. Quarantine Area
- Initial capacity: 4 people
- Upgradeable to: 8 → 12 → 20 people
- Critical for uncertain cases
- Requires medical supplies
4. Generator
- Powers entire operation
- Requires constant fuel
- Efficiency upgradeable
- Never let this run out
5. Defense Systems
- Mini-gun turret
- Rocket launcher
- Drone control center
- All require power and upgrades
6. Storage Warehouses
- Food storage
- Fuel depot
- Medical supplies warehouse
- Expansion significantly helps
Upgrade Priority System
Tier 1 (Essential - Get These First)
1. Mini-Gun Damage (+25%)
- Cost: $150
- Why: First horde attacks are survivable only with this
- Priority: Get before Day 5
2. Fuel Storage Expansion (+200 units)
- Cost: $120
- Why: Prevents emergency fuel runs
- Priority: Get by Day 7
3. Food Storage Expansion (+300 units)
- Cost: $100
- Why: Allows bulk buying and discounts
- Priority: Get by Day 10
Tier 2 (Important - Get When Possible)
4. UV Light Range (+30%)
- Cost: $180
- Why: Detects hidden infections better
- Priority: Get by Day 8-10
5. Quarantine Expansion (4 → 8 capacity)
- Cost: $200
- Why: More flexibility with uncertain cases
- Priority: Get by Day 12
6. Rocket Launcher Reload Speed (+20%)
- Cost: $160
- Why: Critical for later hordes
- Priority: Get by Day 10-12
Tier 3 (Nice to Have - Get When Rich)
7. Thermometer Accuracy Upgrade
- Cost: $140
- Why: Reduces false positives
- Priority: Day 15+
8. Generator Efficiency (+15%)
- Cost: $220
- Why: Fuel lasts longer
- Priority: Day 15+
9. Medical Storage Expansion
- Cost: $130
- Why: Bulk medical supply buying
- Priority: Day 18+
Resource Management Strategies
The 30-40-50 Rule
Never let resources drop below these thresholds:
- Food: 30% capacity (e.g., 150/500 = time to order)
- Fuel: 40% capacity (e.g., 120/300 = time to order)
- Medical: 50% capacity (e.g., 50/100 = time to order)
Why These Numbers:
- Gives buffer for unexpected events
- Allows time for delivery
- Prevents emergency buying at poor rates
Daily Resource Check Routine
Every Morning (Game Day Start):
- Check food levels - Calculate days remaining
- Check fuel levels - Assess daily burn rate
- Check medical supplies - Factor in quarantine patients
- Review budget - Can I afford today’s needs?
- Place orders BEFORE starting screening
Every Evening (Game Day End):
- Count today’s survivor intake
- Calculate tomorrow’s food needs
- Adjust fuel estimates for horde attacks
- Save enough budget for emergencies
Bulk Buying Strategy
Food Buying Guide:
| Survivors | Daily Consumption | Order Size | Order Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50-100 | 50-100 units/day | 250 units | Every 2-3 days |
| 100-200 | 100-200 units/day | 500 units | Every 2-3 days |
| 200+ | 200+ units/day | 500 units | Every 2 days |
Fuel Buying Guide:
- Early game: Order 100 units every 5-7 days
- Mid game: Order 100 units every 3-4 days
- Late game: Order 200 units every 5-6 days
- Before expected horde: Order extra 100 units
Crisis Management
Food Emergency
When food drops below 50 units:
- Immediate: Order food even if expensive
- Short-term: Slow survivor intake temporarily
- Long-term: Upgrade food storage ASAP
Prevention:
- Set reminder at 200 units remaining
- Order 250-500 units in advance
- Never spend food budget on other items
Fuel Emergency
When fuel drops below 30 units:
- Critical: Order fuel immediately (top priority)
- Emergency: If can’t afford, slow operations
- Do NOT: Let it hit zero under any circumstance
Prevention:
- Check fuel daily without fail
- Order at 100 units remaining
- Always keep $150 emergency fuel budget
Medical Supply Shortage
When medical supplies drop below 20 units:
- Limit quarantine intake temporarily
- Order medical supplies ASAP
- Triage: Treat critical cases only
Prevention:
- Maintain 50+ unit buffer
- Order when reaching 50 units
- Budget $100 for medical emergencies
Budget Crisis
When budget drops below $100:
- Focus: Process more survivors for income
- Cut: Delay non-essential upgrades
- Prioritize: Keep fuel and food stocked
- Earn: Perfect screening bonuses
Optimization Tips
Maximize Efficiency
Processing Speed:
- Screen 80-100 survivors per day early game
- Increase to 120-150 mid-to-late game
- Fast but accurate = maximum income
Resource Rotation:
- Don’t order all resources same day
- Stagger orders to maintain cash flow
- Order food Day 1, fuel Day 2, medical Day 3, repeat
Upgrade Timing:
- Upgrade after successful horde defense
- Don’t upgrade right before expected attack
- Save $300-400 for emergency orders always
Advanced Strategies
1. The Pre-Order Strategy Place orders one game day BEFORE you need them:
- Delivery takes time in-game
- Prevents emergency situations
- Allows bulk buying discounts
2. The Budget Buffer Always maintain $400-500 in reserve:
- For unexpected resource spikes
- Emergency situation response
- Upgrade opportunities
3. The Quarantine Rotation Efficient quarantine management:
- Check patients exactly every 24 hours
- Clear recovered patients immediately
- Free space for new uncertain cases
- Reduces medical supply waste
Common Mistakes
❌ Mistake #1: Reactive Ordering
Problem: Only ordering when resources run out
Why It Fails: Delivery delays cause shortages
Solution: Order at 30-40% remaining threshold
❌ Mistake #2: Upgrade Hoarding
Problem: Saving all money for upgrades
Why It Fails: Can’t afford emergency resources
Solution: Maintain $400 minimum budget always
❌ Mistake #3: Ignoring Storage Upgrades
Problem: Only upgrading weapons/tools
Why It Fails: Can’t buy in bulk, miss discounts
Solution: Storage upgrades are cost-effective
❌ Mistake #4: Unplanned Spending
Problem: Buying upgrades without budget plan
Why It Fails: No money for resource orders
Solution: Plan weekly budgets and stick to them
❌ Mistake #5: Neglecting Medical Supplies
Problem: Focusing only on food and fuel
Why It Fails: Quarantine patients die, morale drops
Solution: Medical supplies are equally important
Weekly Planning Template
Week 1 (Days 1-7)
Budget Allocation:
- Resources: 60% ($300)
- Upgrades: 30% ($150)
- Emergency: 10% ($50)
Priority Upgrades:
- Day 3-4: Mini-gun damage
- Day 6-7: Fuel storage
Resource Orders:
- Day 1: Food 250 units
- Day 2: Fuel 100 units
- Day 4: Food 250 units
- Day 5: Medical 50 units
- Day 7: Fuel 100 units
Week 2 (Days 8-14)
Budget Allocation:
- Resources: 50% ($250)
- Upgrades: 40% ($200)
- Emergency: 10% ($50)
Priority Upgrades:
- Day 9-10: UV light range
- Day 12-13: Rocket reload speed
Resource Orders:
- Increase to 500-unit food orders
- Maintain 100-unit fuel orders
- Order medical supplies every 4-5 days
Week 3+ (Days 15+)
Budget Allocation:
- Resources: 40% ($320)
- Upgrades: 50% ($400)
- Emergency: 10% ($80)
Focus:
- Maximize all defensive upgrades
- Expand all storage capacities
- Maintain comfortable resource buffers
Performance Metrics
Aim For These Standards
Resource Management:
- ✅ Never run out of any resource
- ✅ Maintain 40%+ buffer always
- ✅ Order resources before 30% threshold
Budget Health:
- ✅ Daily income: $200+ minimum
- ✅ Emergency fund: $400+ always
- ✅ Upgrade savings: $200+ accumulated
Efficiency:
- ✅ Storage upgraded by Day 15
- ✅ Key weapons upgraded by Day 12
- ✅ No resource emergency situations
Quick Reference
📊 DAILY CHECKLIST
Morning:
- ☐ Check food (order if < 30%)
- ☐ Check fuel (order if < 40%)
- ☐ Check medical (order if < 50%)
- ☐ Verify budget > $400
- ☐ Place resource orders if needed
Evening:
- ☐ Count survivor intake
- ☐ Calculate tomorrow’s needs
- ☐ Review day’s earnings
- ☐ Plan next day’s purchases
💰 EMERGENCY THRESHOLDS
- Food < 50 units = CRISIS
- Fuel < 30 units = CRITICAL
- Medical < 20 units = URGENT
- Budget < $100 = DANGER
🎯 UPGRADE PRIORITY
- Mini-gun damage ($150)
- Fuel storage ($120)
- Food storage ($100)
- UV range ($180)
- Quarantine capacity ($200)
Conclusion
Effective base management is the backbone of successful checkpoint operations. Master these principles:
- Proactive Not Reactive - Order before you need it
- Budget Discipline - Always maintain emergency funds
- Upgrade Strategy - Follow the priority tiers
- Monitor Daily - Check resources every morning/evening
A well-managed base means you can focus on what matters most: detecting infections and saving humanity.
Next Steps:
- 📖 Defense Strategies - Protect your base
- 📖 Beginner’s Guide - Master the basics
- 📖 Infection Detection - Perfect your screening
This guide is based on demo gameplay and official information. Full release November 2025.
Related Guides
Quarantine Zone Beginner Guide - Essential Tips
Complete beginner's guide for Quarantine Zone. Learn checkpoint operations, survivor screening, infection detection, and base defense.
Quarantine Zone Defense Guide - Combat & Strategies
Master base defense in Quarantine Zone. Learn combat tactics, weapon usage, horde patterns, drone control, and upgrade strategies.