The Food Meter (also known as "Hunger Bar") is a component of the user interface that represents how hungry the player character is.
It also displays the current Yum Multiplier, Yum Bonus, and indicates whether the currently held food item is tasty.
If the Food Meter is depleted, the player character dies of starvation.
Food Meter Size[ | ]
Each square on the Food Meter is called a "pip" or "box."
The total maximum size of the food meter can range from 4 to 20 boxes depending on the age of the player.
A baby is born with 4 boxes. From ages 0 to 16, the Food Meter increases by one box per minute. From ages 43 to 60, the Food Meter decreases by one box per minute. The player will die of old age when 3 boxes remain.
Food Consumption Rate[ | ]
As of Version 200 (Feb 2019), the Food Meter decreases at a variable rate that depends on temperature.
It can take anywhere between 2 to 22 seconds for the Food Meter to drop by one box.
The formula describing the number of food boxes consumed by hour is given by:
Consequently, players at temperature extremes (e.g. too cold or too hot) consume eleven times more food than a player at the optimal temperature.
Yum Bonus[ | ]
See main article: Yum Bonus
Tasty Indicator[ | ]
When carrying any food item, the Tasty Indicator appears on the Food Meter. Foods that have not been eaten in the current Yum Chain are marked as "YUM", whereas old foods are marked as "MEH".
Eating tasty ("YUM") foods causes the Yum Multiplier to increase by one. Eating "MEH" foods does nothing to the Yum Multiplier (it used to reset it to zero).
Yum Multiplier[ | ]
The Yum Multiplier shows the number of unique foods that have been eaten in the current Yum Chain.
The next time a tasty food is eaten, the Yum Multiplier value is added to the Yum Bonus.
Yum Bonus[ | ]
The Yum Bonus is a bonus Food Meter that stores extra food value.
For example, a Food Meter at 17/20 with a +6 Yum Bonus is the equivalent of having a 23/20 Food Meter.
The Yum Bonus always declines first. The regular Food Meter will not begin dropping until the Yum Bonus reaches zero.