Casualties Unknown Moodles and Status Effects
Moodles are not decoration. They are the game telling you which decision is becoming urgent. The skill is mapping a cue to an action before the obvious symptom appears.
Quick answer
- Read moodles in severity order: critical, high, medium, monitor.
- A cue that changed since the last room is more important than a stable one.
- Map each cue to one action: treat, avoid, rest or extract.
- If two critical cues are active at once, leave the run.
What moodles are for
A moodle is a compact status signal. It tells you that something is affecting the character before the full consequence is visible. New players read moodles as a health bar; they are closer to a queue of decisions.
The useful habit: when a moodle appears or changes, name the action it implies. If you cannot name an action, you do not yet understand the cue, and that is the moment to stop moving.
Severity levels and what they ask of you
| Level | Meaning | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Run-ending now | Treat immediately or extract |
| High | Will become critical soon | Treat at the next safe point |
| Medium | Affects decisions | Adjust route and supplies |
| Monitor | Worth watching | Recheck after the next room |
Two critical cues at once is not a puzzle. It is a signal to leave.
Common effects and the action they imply
- Bleeding: treat now; do not wait for a safe room.
- Infection risk: shorten the route; treat before it compounds.
- Fracture or movement limit: stop taking optional fights.
- Fatigue or exposure: reduce distance and find a controlled space.
- Visual distortion: treat as a hazard cue; identify the source before moving.
- Low oxygen or radiation: leave the area first, treat second.
Exact icons and names can change between builds. The action mapping is more stable than the artwork.
Watch changes, not just presence
A moodle that has been present for ten minutes is background. A moodle that appeared since the last room is news. Before entering a new area, glance at the panel and note what changed.
This is also how you catch internal problems: the visible wound may be treated while the status panel keeps getting worse.
When moodles mean extract
- Two critical cues are active at the same time.
- A critical cue is active and you lack the supply to treat it.
- A cue keeps escalating after treatment.
- You are interpreting icons instead of moving; stop and leave.
Extraction is a decision you make early, not a reaction you have after the screen turns red.
Frequently asked questions
What are moodles in Casualties Unknown?
Compact status cues that tell you something is affecting the character. Read them as decisions, not as a health bar.
Which moodle should I treat first?
The critical one that is actively getting worse. Bleeding usually outranks slow problems such as infection.
Why did a moodle appear with no visible wound?
Some conditions are only shown through status cues. Check the panel after every encounter rather than relying on what you can see.
When should I leave the run because of moodles?
When two critical cues are active, when you cannot treat the critical one, or when a treated cue keeps escalating.
Do moodle names stay the same?
They can change between builds. The severity-to-action mapping is the durable part of this guide.
Pair cues with a triage card
When a moodle turns critical, the medical guide gives the in-game order of treatment.