How are events different from anomalies and enemies?
Anomalies are patients that fail the 4-layer inspection — you reject them at the window. Enemies roam the hospital and require specific countermeasures (shooting, avoiding, distracting). Events are scenario-based emergencies (ambulance arrivals, fires, death rituals) that trigger during shifts and require immediate action to prevent patient deaths, sanity loss, or cascading failures.
When do events start appearing?
Critical/Fainting can happen from Shift 1. Fire events unlock around Shift 2. Death Ritual appears around Shift 3. Ambulance unlocks at Shift 4. Monster Eating appears around Shift 5. The variety and frequency increase as you climb shifts. By Shift 7+, multiple events can trigger simultaneously.
What happens if I ignore an event?
Ignoring events always has severe consequences. Critical/Fainting: the patient dies and you lose sanity. Fire: it spreads to adjacent rooms, endangering more patients. Death Ritual: guaranteed multi-patient death. Ambulance: patients die if not admitted in time. Monster Eating: the patient is consumed and the monster becomes stronger. Never ignore an active event.
Can multiple events happen at the same time?
Yes, especially on Shift 5+. A common scenario: a Fire breaks out in one room while an Ambulance arrives with critical patients at the same time. Prioritize based on timer urgency — Ambulance patients have a countdown to death; fires spread gradually but must be addressed before they reach patient rooms.
Which event causes the most sanity drain?
The Death Ritual is the most sanity-intensive event — witnessing it drains significant sanity, and failing to interrupt it causes maximum drain plus patient deaths. Monster Eating is second worst. If your sanity is already low when an event triggers, use Coffee or Chocolate before engaging with the event.
How do I prepare for events before they trigger?
Keep Coffee in your inventory for emergency sanity restoration. Know the hospital layout so you can reach any room quickly when an event triggers. In multiplayer, assign one player as the designated "event responder" so others can continue processing patients. On higher shifts, expect events and position yourself accordingly.