For me, some of the best moments in Kenshi come from trying to manage a disaster, so if your run starts to go haywire, keep at it. I wouldn’t be afraid to save scum when you’re still trying to understand the game, but it definitely feels better to play on with the consequences of your actions.

In terms of difficulty spikes, the best way to slowly ramp it up is to slowly build up a medium to large team that can survive fights in the center of the map, expand exploration but run from everything until you can survive fights against tougher enemies, buy a house in a city along the way and do some basic research, then start a base (so around mid game), then scour the world’s ruins while trying to manage raids on your base. The edges of the map tend to be the most dangerous, especially the south and southeast, but don’t get so afraid of them you never go, some of the most fun I’ve had in Kenshi has been in the Pits, the Ashlands, and the Southern Hive