Outward is an open-world survival RPG where you play as an ordinary person — no chosen one narrative, no power fantasy. You're a villager paying off a debt while exploring a hostile world where every expedition requires preparation: food, water, warm clothes, healing supplies, and a plan. The game's defining feature is its consequence system — dying doesn't reload a save but triggers a unique defeat scenario (dragged to a bandit camp, rescued by a stranger, washed ashore). Magic isn't innate; you must sacrifice max health permanently to gain mana through a dangerous ritual. The Definitive Edition includes the Soroboreans and Three Brothers DLC expansions, adding new regions, mechanics, and faction content.
Starting Outward can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Outward is a rpg game built around survival RPG and no hand-holding. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Excellent for beginners | Drop backpack before combat, use two-handed power attacks to stagger enemies, manage stamina between swings. |
| Mage | Good (but demanding) | Place sigils on the ground, cast combo spells through them for amplified effects, manage mana and cooldowns between casts. |
| Rogue | Excellent for beginners | Coat weapons with poison, apply status effects through quick hits, dodge enemy attacks while effects tick damage. |
| Shaman | Excellent for beginners | Cast boons before combat for stat enhancement, place totems at fight locations, engage with enhanced melee. |
| Mercenary | Situational | Adapt gear and abilities to each situation rather than specializing. Carry diverse equipment for diverse challenges. |
Our recommendation: Start with Mage. Magic requires sacrificing max health at the Conflux Mountain ritual to gain mana. Spell combos (placing a fire sigil then casting spark) create powerful AoE effects. The Philosopher breakthrough increases mana and spell damage. The most versatile endgame build.
Avoid Mercenary as your first pick. Jack-of-all-trades build using a mix of combat, magic, and survival skills.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn survival RPG
Survival mechanics include hunger, thirst, temperature, sleep, and disease. Traveling without food drains stamina recovery. Cold weather without warm clothing causes hypothermia. Sleeping outdoors risks ambush events. Every expedition from town requires packing supplies, making preparation as important as combat skill.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how survival RPG works before worrying about anything else.
Step 2: Head to Cierzo
The starting town on the coast. Your home is at risk of being taken in the opening quest if you can't pay 150 silver within 5 days. Cierzo provides basic merchants, crafting, and the initial questline. The beach has easy enemies for early combat practice.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Horror Bow — it's the most accessible early upgrade. The best bow in the game with highest base damage and built-in decay damage (armor-reducing effect). Obtained through the Blue Chamber Collective faction quest. Decay damage reduces enemy physical resistance, making follow-up hits more effective.
Step 4: Understand no hand-holding
No quest markers, no minimap icons, no GPS waypoints. Quests give text directions like 'head northeast from Berg until you reach the burning tree.' You navigate using landmarks, a compass, and your map (which doesn't show your position). Getting lost is part of the experience.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early — it pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to Berg
A mountain town and home of the Blue Chamber Collective faction. The surrounding Enmerkar Forest is lush with resources but dangerous. Berg merchants sell advanced recipes and cold-weather gear.
Essential Mechanics Explained
survival RPG
Survival mechanics include hunger, thirst, temperature, sleep, and disease. Traveling without food drains stamina recovery. Cold weather without warm clothing causes hypothermia. Sleeping outdoors risks ambush events. Every expedition from town requires packing supplies, making preparation as important as combat skill.
no hand-holding
No quest markers, no minimap icons, no GPS waypoints. Quests give text directions like 'head northeast from Berg until you reach the burning tree.' You navigate using landmarks, a compass, and your map (which doesn't show your position). Getting lost is part of the experience.
backpack management
Your backpack determines carry capacity but also affects combat — wearing a large pack slows dodge rolls and movement. Dropping your backpack before combat (dedicated keybind) dramatically improves combat mobility. Managing what to pack for each trip is a genuine strategic decision.
split-screen co-op
The entire game is playable in local split-screen co-op with a second player. Both players share the world and can tackle content together. Co-op makes combat more manageable and splitting pack duties more efficient. Online co-op is also available.
faction quests
Three mutually exclusive factions (Blue Chamber Collective, Heroic Kingdom of Levant, Holy Mission of Elatt) each offer a unique quest line and rewards. Choosing one locks the other two permanently. Faction choice determines which region becomes your home and what endgame abilities you access.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Not paying the 150 silver debt in the opening quest, losing your house
The house provides free storage and sleeping — losing it early significantly complicates the game.
2. Fighting with the backpack on
The combat mobility difference between wearing and dropping a backpack is enormous. Always drop it before engagement.
3. Choosing a faction based on aesthetics rather than rewards
The faction rewards (weapons, abilities, spells) define your endgame build. Research them first.
4. Hoarding supplies at home instead of bringing enough on expeditions
You need food, water, and appropriate clothing for every trip. Under-packing kills more players than enemies do.
5. Ignoring magic because the health sacrifice seems bad
30 permanent health lost for access to powerful spell combos is one of the best tradeoffs in the game.
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand survival RPG and no hand-holding
- Choose Mage as starting build
- Clear Cierzo main content
- Acquire Horror Bow or equivalent upgrade
- Reach Berg
- Drop your backpack (dedicated key) before every fight. The movement speed and dodge improvement is dramatic and can be the difference between life and death.
- Sleep in towns or use the Camping skill in safe areas. Sleeping in the wild triggers random ambush events that can kill you before you wake up.
Tips for New Players
- Drop your backpack (dedicated key) before every fight. The movement speed and dodge improvement is dramatic and can be the difference between life and death.
- Sleep in towns or use the Camping skill in safe areas. Sleeping in the wild triggers random ambush events that can kill you before you wake up.
- The magic ritual at Conflux Mountain permanently reduces your max health. This is intended — magic is powerful enough to justify the tradeoff. Sacrifice 3 times for 30 mana, which is sufficient for most builds.
- Pack water skins (multiple), food that doesn't spoil (travel rations), and warm/cool clothing for every expedition. Running out of supplies mid-journey is the most common death cause.
- Faction choice is permanent and defines your endgame. Research all three factions' rewards before committing. The Holy Mission gives the best magic abilities, Blue Chamber gives the Horror Bow, Levant gives the Manticore weapons.
- Defeat scenarios are not failures — they're content. Being knocked out triggers unique events (kidnapped, rescued, washed up) that provide different gameplay experiences. Embrace them.
- Crafting recipes aren't in a menu — you discover them by combining items. A guide or wiki helps, but the discovery system is part of the game's charm.
- Silver is scarce early on. The most reliable income is selling cooked food (recipes improve selling price) and bandit loot. Don't waste silver on equipment you can craft.
- Temperature management requires appropriate clothing. Desert gear in winter will freeze you; heavy armor in summer causes heatstroke. Carry a set for each environment.
- Co-op makes the game significantly easier. Two players can split backpack duties, coordinate combat, and share supplies. If struggling solo, invite a friend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Outward hard?
Yes, intentionally. You're not a hero — you're an ordinary person in a dangerous world. Preparation and knowledge matter more than combat skill. The difficulty is part of the identity. Co-op significantly eases the experience.
Can you play Outward solo?
Yes, fully soloable. Combat is harder solo since there's no one to help when you're knocked down. The defeat scenario system ensures you always continue playing even after losing a fight.
Is the Definitive Edition worth it?
Yes. The Soroboreans and Three Brothers DLCs add two new regions, new skills, and significant endgame content. The Definitive Edition includes all DLC and quality-of-life improvements.
How does death work in Outward?
There is no traditional death. Being knocked out triggers a defeat scenario — you might wake up in a bandit camp, be rescued by a traveler, or wash ashore somewhere new. Each scenario is unique content. You never reload a save.
What to Read Next
- Outward Builds — Optimize your build once you've learned the basics
- Outward Walkthrough — Full progression path
- Outward Tips — Advanced strategies for when you're ready
