Beginner guide: your first clean run
Build a three-survivor squad, choose upgrades with a plan, and turn Camp progress into faster runs.
Direct answer
Move first, build one damage plan, and recruit for coverage. The game fires automatically, so survival comes from positioning and from choosing upgrades that make the whole squad stronger.
What to know before the run
- Squad size
- Up to 3 survivors
- First priority
- One reliable damage path
- First safety pick
- Control or sustain
- Event rule
- Start only with an exit route
- Between runs
- Camp upgrades and missions
The first five minutes
Stay near the edge of loose packs instead of standing in the center. Collect gems in safe arcs, upgrade the starting weapon, and avoid spreading early levels across unrelated damage types.
- Prioritize a reliable main weapon
- Recruit up to two more survivors
- Keep one escape lane open
- Take sustain before a run becomes unstable
Build the squad, not three solo characters
Each run starts with one survivor and can grow to three. Pick teammates that add range, control, healing, or a shared damage tag. Version 1.0 gives every survivor four cross-survivor synergies, so team composition affects far more than raw damage.
Use the Camp after every run
The Camp contains permanent upgrades, missions, conversations, and the Mission Log. Completed missions add Friendship, which permanently improves Cash and Specialization gains.
A repeatable run loop
Use each run to unlock one useful thing: a mode clear, a survivor milestone, a mission objective, or a stronger specialization node. After the run, spend permanent upgrades, check the Briefing Room, and choose the next objective before starting again.
- Enter with one progression goal
- Recruit for coverage instead of rarity
- Complete safe map events when the route allows it
- Review missions and spend resources in Camp
Use the first SOS to fix the squad
Recruit the survivor who solves the current problem. Add Huntress or SWAT when basic enemies are stacking up, Engineer or Mechanic when you need an area to fight from, and Medic or Ranger when chip damage is ending otherwise stable runs. Reroll only when both offers leave the same weakness open.
Treat map events as optional until stable
Research Pods ask you to collect timed samples and return to the start. Chests and Military Training can also pull you across an unsafe lane. Clear nearby elites, wait for a fresh movement opening, and leave the event alone when the route crosses a train, toxic boundary, or dense telegraph field.
- Clear the approach before interacting
- Keep enough movement speed to finish the route
- Return to the event origin after collecting samples
- Abandon the reward if the safe lane closes
Use skips as emergency sustain
Once the squad is full, later SOS offers can be skipped for healing. Level-up panels can also provide a recovery option. Take the heal when health is low enough that one elite pattern could end the run; a small damage upgrade has no value after a failed clear.
Common early mistakes
New accounts lose runs by splitting levels across unrelated weapons, taking a third survivor before the leader can clear a lane, and chasing every pickup during an elite wave. Lock one damage route, add one source of control, and spend rerolls on missing core pieces rather than higher rarity.
Strategy sections are independent editorial guidance based on observed version 1.0 gameplay. The official sources below support version facts, not every tactical recommendation. Facts last checked Aug 26, 2026.