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The Undercityplayer's manual

Drugs

Drugs are bought energy. The play is knowing how hard you can push before you land in the hospital — and what that costs.

Game build 18 data from 10/28/2026 11:45 (UTC−3) page updated 10/29/2026 01:07 (UTC−3)

How the risk works

  • Each dose raises the risk of the next one: the drug's base risk + increment × doses taken in the last hour (60 min). There is one counter for all drugs, and the dose that causes the overdose counts too.
  • The Soda Drink cuts the risk in half for 20 minutes. Another Soda Drink only renews the 20 minutes.
  • One hour without a dose resets the counter. With Gold, the Family Clinic (25 Gold) resets it on the spot, up to 2 times a day; this is just information, not a requirement.

An overdose doesn't take away levels or items: the cost is hospital time or the bill to get out. In a war, an overdose takes you out of it. The dose that causes the overdose is lost and gives no energy.

The rotation, by level

Use the Soda Drink, then the drugs in the order of the table. At each dose, go for the strongest one on the list whose risk at the Dealer is still below the limit; when none is, stop. The new player, with no Soda Drink, is on the first row (see Day 1).

LevelOrderWhere to stop
1, no Soda DrinkWeed, 5 to 6 dosesbefore it goes over 30%
1 to 11Soda Drink → Speed Pill (2 to 3) → Weed50%; 30% when cash is short or after bad luck
12 to 17Soda Drink → Cocaine → Speed Pill → Weed50%; 30% when cash is short or after bad luck
18 and upSoda Drink → Heroin → Cocaine → Speed Pill → Weed50%; 30% when cash is short or after bad luck
  • The strong one opens and the Weed closes. Each dose makes all the next ones riskier. With Weed first, the strong drug is only left for when the risk is already high. At the same overdose risk, the energy the rotation yields is 122 with Weed only, 219 with Cocaine and 254 with Heroin.
  • Speed Pill from level 1, but only 2 to 3. A Speed Pill before the Weed takes 6 to 8 points off the overdose chance. Going past 3 lowers the energy you get out of each overdose.
  • Cocaine from level 12 and Heroin from level 18. Each dose costs $1,000 and $2,000. Before those levels crime pays little per energy, and the extra energy doesn't pay for the drug. At those levels the hospital bill also jumps (see below).
  • Heroin takes Success away from crime: 10 points from the drug itself, plus 2 to 4 from the attributes (−8 SPD, −5 CUN, −5 STR, +10 DEF), 12 to 14 in total. Check the chance on the screen before picking the crime.
  • No Soda Drink, no drugs. The bar goes to crime only until another one drops (it drops from 10% of the crimes that succeed). The exception is the new player's first rotation.
  • Playing 1 or 2 times a day? Empty the bar and use the rotation from the table: it earns 2 to 2.5 times what just emptying the bar earns.

Pay the hospital or wait?

  • Wait by default. An overdose ends the rotation, but the hospital usually ends before the next one and your energy keeps coming back in there. Waiting costs only time.
  • Pay only if the day's profit already covers the bill. Money goes to gear first, which raises Success and income. In 30 days of 8 rotations a day, someone who pays every time they have cash is at level 25; someone who waits and buys gear is at 40.

What each overdose costs, by drug:

  • Weed ($50, +15 energy): risk 3%, +4.25 points per dose. Hospital from 20 min to 40 min; the bill comes to about 75% of the full one.
  • Speed Pill ($100, +20 energy): risk 5%, +10.00 points per dose. Hospital from 30 min to 1 h 00 min; the bill comes to about 96% of the full one.
  • Cocaine ($1,000, +50 energy): risk 15%, +10.00 points per dose. Hospital from 40 min to 1 h 15 min; the bill comes to about 100% of the full one.
  • Heroin ($2,000, +75 energy): risk 25%, +10.00 points per dose. Hospital from 1 h 00 min to 1 h 30 min; the bill comes to about 100% of the full one.

The full bill is 5 times the highest maximum reward you have unlocked, so it goes up with your level: $750 at levels 1 and 2, $6,000 from 8 to 11, $20,000 at 12 and $70,000 at 18. An item that reduces hospital cost makes every paid overdose cheaper.

Single-dose risk calculator