Just some tips.
Basics
You are in a time constraint, explore and note where everything is and then load a save to quickly collect each item. You do not have time to wander about.
My observation is: you run out of food so fast, you basicly have only two ingame days per floor. You should load a save and try again if it took you more.
- Doors are just a hindrance.
- You can sneak past them, sounds attract them.
- There are no infinite resources, water is stagnant leftovers in the toilet basin or sinks. Once it is taken it is gone. Same with everything else.
- A food item does not fill you. Nope, they all help a little.
- To sleep you need to have the fire going.
- Plants need two water bottles to grow.
- Sawblade is fixed on the wooden workbench and the crowbar on the metal one.
- This is not a FPS. At least with the nailgun, you need to be super lucky to take a Z down. I managed to do it with 8 shots on my day 3, but never managed to take another down again.
Unlock the workbenches the earliest you can, the water tank is not a source of water, it is a tank to filter water. You need the filter for this and the filter lasts two bottles.