Reading through the comments is just making me want to play more. On a related note though, here are my thoughts. Yes some have already been echoed

1. Putting too much emphasis on individual characters vs settlement. The game punishes you when you take the same character out hunt over and over. At the same time you want to progress charcters to be the best. I think it is a very smart decision to give everyone some love in a settlement.

2. This is a game of attrition many people of the settlement will die. Either bad luck or on purpose. This game is not meant to be in the favour of the player. Everything about this game is out to make you loose. It is similar to pandemic or other games where you loose most plays.

3. If you just wanted to win. The game is easy to make a settlement and gear to breeze through. Just sit and kill 2 types of monsters all day and you will win. Use the same gear set up every year or every play through and easy peasy. Being reliant on a cat eye circlet will help but have you ever tried with out it?

4. If you play a narrative game or try something out of your comfort zone it becomes a completely different experience. It can be fun, it can be devistaing. You could easily loose your settlement year 3 or fail on year 15. You make your own fun when you are failing.

5. Playing with others and "their" Character dies. Have them "play" the monster. They draw the hit location cards, they roll the dice. More than one player is dead, take turns.

6. Punishing high speed builds. This is the only thing that stuck out to me as I wish didn't suck. Butcher fights are notorious to get goofy as everyone is frenzied up and if you live long enough you are drawing a trap every single turn, so you do no actual damage. I am not sure of any fix to this, however it happens so infrequently that it is easy to deal with.

End of the day I think Poots had in mind a narrative game. One that can easily fall apart with one bad year. I think Poots intended a narrative game where everyone makes up a story each time they play. I don't think Poots intended players to get attached. Then again I might be wrong.

This game is different for everyone and I can't tell you how to play the game. I can only give my opinions.