Against the Storm is a roguelike city-builder where you establish settlements in a perpetually stormy fantasy world on behalf of the Scorched Queen. Each run drops you into a new procedurally generated map with different biomes, species compositions, and available buildings. You must balance the Queen's Impatience (a loss timer) against Reputation (a win condition) while managing three to four different species with conflicting needs. Between runs, the meta-progression Citadel grows with permanent upgrades. It's the game that answered the question: what if city-builders had permadeath?
Against the Storm features distinct areas with increasing difficulty. This guide covers every major location in progression order — what to do, what to get, and when to move on. For the step-by-step path, see our walkthrough.
Area Progression Order
| Order | Location | Difficulty | Key Rewards | Recommended Build |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal Woodlands | Difficulty 1-3 (beginner) | Abundant wood, standard resource distribution, balanced species composition | Beavers |
| 2 | Coral Forest | Difficulty 3-5 (intermediate) | Enhanced rain collection, coral trade goods, faster crop growth | Beavers |
| 3 | Marshlands | Difficulty 4-7 (intermediate-advanced) | Unique marsh resources, rare herbs for medicine, challenging terrain management | Humans |
| 4 | Scarlet Orchard | Difficulty 5-8 (advanced) | Ruin salvage (advanced materials), dangerous but rewarding Glade events | Humans |
| 5 | Sealed Forest | Difficulty 7-10 (expert) | Maximum Citadel meta-currency, unique challenges, prestige rewards | Humans |
Royal Woodlands — Starting Area
The starter biome with balanced resources, moderate weather, and standard Glade difficulty. Dense forest provides abundant wood, and wildlife is manageable. The Royal Woodlands teach core mechanics without extreme challenges. Most new player runs should start here.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Difficulty 1-3 (beginner) |
| Key Rewards | Abundant wood, standard resource distribution, balanced species composition |
| Recommended Build | Beavers |
| Key Equipment | Cookhouse |
What to Do Here
- Learn the basics of roguelike city building — this is where you practice without heavy punishment.
- Collect starting resources and your first equipment upgrade.
- Clear all main content before moving to Coral Forest.
- If you're struggling, read our beginner's guide.
Coral Forest — Early Game
A wetter biome with more rain (better Rain Collector output) but also more flooding risk. Coral formations provide unique trade goods. The damp environment means crops grow faster but wood rots if stored improperly. Moderate difficulty with unique resource opportunities.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Difficulty 3-5 (intermediate) |
| Key Rewards | Enhanced rain collection, coral trade goods, faster crop growth |
| Recommended Build | Beavers |
| Key Equipment | Cookhouse |
What to Do Here
- Focus on mastering reputation system — it's critical from this point on.
- Farm for Cookhouse if you don't have it yet.
- Complete all objectives for maximum rewards.
- Prepare for the difficulty spike in Marshlands.
Marshlands — Mid Game
A swampy biome with limited dry building space and poisonous miasma from certain Glades. Resources are spread across more Glades, forcing aggressive exploration. The Marshlands test your ability to manage disease and limited building area. Bring species with disease resistance.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Difficulty 4-7 (intermediate-advanced) |
| Key Rewards | Unique marsh resources, rare herbs for medicine, challenging terrain management |
| Recommended Build | Humans |
| Key Equipment | Cookhouse |
What to Do Here
- This is the main skill check. Bring an optimized build.
- Trading Post becomes accessible here — prioritize getting it.
- Master blueprint drafting for the boss encounters.
- Check our boss guide if you get stuck.
Scarlet Orchard — Late Game
A biome with aggressive wildlife and burned-out ruins containing valuable salvage. The Scarlet Orchard has the best potential loot from ruins but the most dangerous Glade events. Opening Glades can spawn enemies or environmental hazards. High risk, high reward.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Difficulty 5-8 (advanced) |
| Key Rewards | Ruin salvage (advanced materials), dangerous but rewarding Glade events |
| Recommended Build | Humans |
| Key Equipment | Trading Post |
What to Do Here
- Full build optimization is expected by this point.
- Trading Post should be your primary, fully upgraded.
- species management mastery starts mattering here.
- Farm resources for the push into Sealed Forest.
Sealed Forest — Endgame
The hardest standard biome with extreme storm intensity, limited resources, and the most dangerous Glade events. Sealed Glades can contain curses that affect the entire settlement. Only experienced players with strong meta-upgrades should attempt Sealed Forest on high difficulty.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Difficulty | Difficulty 7-10 (expert) |
| Key Rewards | Maximum Citadel meta-currency, unique challenges, prestige rewards |
| Recommended Build | Humans |
| Key Equipment | Trading Post |
What to Do Here
- This is endgame. Best-in-slot gear and a perfected build are mandatory.
- See our boss guide for endgame fight strategies.
- The reward loop: clear content → upgrade → push harder content.
- Experiment with Foxes for variety once you've mastered the meta.
Exploration Tips
- Clear areas in order — Royal Woodlands → Coral Forest → Marshlands → Scarlet Orchard → Sealed Forest. Skipping areas means missing resources you'll need later.
- Check every corner — Hidden caches and secrets are often in non-obvious locations.
- Match your equipment — Some areas favor different equipment types.
- Read the walkthrough — Our walkthrough provides exact progression milestones for each area.
- Don't rush — Clearing an area fully gives more resources than speedrunning two areas.
More Against the Storm Guides
- Against the Storm Against the Storm Overview
- Against the Storm Best Builds
- Against the Storm Tier List
- Against the Storm Walkthrough
- Against the Storm Beginner's Guide
- Against the Storm Tips & Tricks
- Against the Storm Weapons Guide
- Against the Storm Combat Guide
- Against the Storm Boss Guide
- Against the Storm Crafting Guide
- Against the Storm Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Against the Storm, check out these related guides:
- Sid Meier's Civilization V Maps & Locations — strategy game with similar mechanics
- Mount & Blade II: Bannerlord Maps & Locations — strategy game with similar mechanics
- RimWorld Maps & Locations — strategy game with similar mechanics
