FIRST SOLO EXPEDITION
What should I bring on a first solo run?
Build a minimum viable loadout around survival, visibility, one objective and a retreat plan instead of trying to prepare for every possibility.
VERSION SCOPE
Written for Steam Demo 1.0.10 · Build 25803784
- Official patch released
- Guide checked
- Applies when
- Your game shows Build 25803784
If your game shows a different Build, treat numbers, item relationships and map conditions here as version-limited and check the version page before relying on them. Check database version
QUICK ANSWER
Bring one working weapon, healing, a usable light, enough bag space for the objective and a known way back.
Before leaving, equip a usable weapon, healing items and a bag. Then check weapon condition, choose a light, leave room for the objective and note one return landmark. Confirm the actual quantities and unlocked slots in your game.
WHAT TO DO
Give the run one definition of success
Choose one purpose: learn the first landmarks, reach one named place, collect one material type, complete one task step or test one loadout. A solo beginner run becomes dangerous when every interesting object silently becomes a new objective.
Write what ends the run successfully. Once that condition is met, optional loot must justify the extra distance, inventory space and combat risk. This creates a natural extraction decision instead of leaving only when supplies are gone.
OPEN RELATED PAGEFirst expedition checklistWHAT TO DO
Complete the minimum loadout
Confirm primary and secondary weapon slots, then inspect Equipment and Attire views for missing armour or utility slots. Check the weapon’s remaining durability rather than reading maximum durability as its current condition. Carry healing in a slot and quantity you can actually access during a fight.
Choose a light by footprint and carrying method, not rarity. Leave enough empty grid space for the named objective. If the destination or exit needs a key, Rope or Fine Rope, protect that requirement before adding optional valuables.
OPEN RELATED PAGEFind exits and plan extractionWHAT TO DO
Plan a short outward leg and a clear return
At the entrance, identify one return landmark and keep the first trip inside a radius you can describe. The interactive map is best used to recognize named areas, doors and stairs. It does not remove locked-door, random-generation or live-access uncertainty.
The entrance can serve as an exit. Use that fact as the fallback even when searching for another extraction point. A new player does not need to discover the deepest or closest exit on the first successful run.
OPEN RELATED PAGEChoose a light sourceWHAT TO DO
Leave with resources still available
Set a trigger such as one healing reserve remaining, primary weapon entering an unsafe condition, the goal item acquired, or the return route becoming uncertain. Solo play removes the safety of a teammate covering a search or carrying a second set of supplies.
After returning, evaluate one thing: which missing item, confusing system or landmark created the most risk? Use the matching guide or database page to repair that single weakness before the next run. Repeating this loop builds knowledge without requiring a perfect first build.
OPEN RELATED PAGEManage inventory and lootBEFORE THE NEXT RUN
Check these four things before you leave
- One goal and one success condition.
- Weapon, healing, light and bag slots checked.
- Objective and exit items protected.
- Entrance and one return landmark remembered.
One last check before you leave
Check inventory counts, remaining durability, learned recipes, quest progress, random spawns and whether the intended route is open. Doing this before spending materials or setting off can save a wasted trip.