#wonder how he'll fair without all the tinctures *clicks tongue*

[orionali]

I guess I can write down a small 'guide' on how I survived on Imago with 0 deaths. These are just my general observations after putting 60+ hours into the game.

From Day 4 onward, always, ALWAYS max out your hospital fund – the "Fund" bar on top of your town map HUD. This involves always performing your duties at the hospital (1 per day) and healing the sick lying on the ground in infected districts. If you max it out, the fund will give you an assortment of antibiotics, 4000+ money, two 'filling' food items, and many 'lesser' food items. These provisions will help you get through a good 2/3 of your next day. Surprisingly enough, even though the hospital is shut down by the army on Day 10, the fund will remain, and you'll still be compensated on Days 10 & 11 if you max it out by healing random sick people.

Avoid burnt districts at all costs. If there's a choice between going through an infected district and a burnt district, choose infected. Yes, you'll suffer immunity damage and your protective garments will fray, but trust me on this. Burnt districts have the nasty habit of spawning groups of 4-5 marauders at once and if you don't have the stamina to outrun them, you're pretty much dead. Plus, the moving clouds of Sand Pest always follow main roads and are easy to spot from afar (the 'collision box' on them is also quite generous) while stationary clouds can be dispelled by lighting your lantern.

On Days 1 and 2, before the Plague hits, I suggest going on a Twyre-picking spree. The herbs in the Steppe won't spawn on Day 1, but the 'Boddho-roots' that need human blood (1 bottle for three random herbs) will be there. Blood can be drawn without you taking a hit to your reputation. You can easily get up to four bottles of blood from the corpses of the guys that jumped you in the beginning (they're near the Lump) and the poor woman that jumps from the top of the Termitary. On Day 2, get access to your Lair as fast as you can, and brew as many tinctures as you can so you can go plunder infected houses on Day 3.

Infected houses often spawn 'dead' items: used-up bandages and broken morphine ampoules. Keep them and take them to the Fellow Traveler's shop at night. The Fellow Traveler sells food and occasionally shmowders. 

Speak with the man near the Factory jetty on Day 1, and try your absolute best to buy his revolver for 3000. The prices for guns will skyrocket in later days, so this is a steal. You'll get around 1500 from your inheritance on Day 2, and I suggest harvesting organs  – your reputation on Day 1 will be dogshit by default, so take what you can get and sell them to One-Eyed Var for $$$. One-Eyed Var will become a merchant after you finish the Piecework quest for Grief. Try and upkeep this revolver as best as you can or it'll jam at the worst of times.

Doing hospital work and healing the sick will always increase your reputation across the entire town, so I suggest doing some organ-harvesting or looting unlocked houses when it hits 'you're respected here.' Not the most upright thing, but hey, this is Imago and you need to survive. You should harvest/loot until you hit 'you're unwelcome here.'

But seriously. Do not underestimate organ-harvesting. One-Eyed Var pays a TON, particularly in later days.

Abuse children's stashes. There're around 10 of them across town and they'll often spawn useful trading items as well as Fingernails. Trade Fingernails for coffee from NPCs. Additionally, you absolutely MUST complete the hide-and-seek sidequest on Day 2 to get your hands on a shmowder for only 5 barter points instead of the usual 35-40.

You know what? Barter. Barter is broken and you can survive on it alone. Bless those two teenage NPCs that trade smoked fish for scissors, razors, and needles.