DARKEST DAYS Beginners Guide and Tips

Darkest Days” is an engaging open-world multiplayer zombie survival game developed by NHN Corp. In a world where hope is fading amidst apocalypse, your task is to struggle alongside a handful of survivors for mankind’s existence. After investing considerable time in the thrilling universe of Darkest Days, I have compiled this beginner’s guide filled with tips and strategies to enhance your gaming experience.

Gameplay Overview

In the opening stages of the game, you encounter Jimmy Hancock, a character who is desperately seeking his missing spouse following the onset of the apocalypse. As you venture into this post-apocalyptic world for the first time, there’s a screen displaying “Character Selection“, which seems somewhat ironic given that the game has already chosen one for you!

Currently, you’ve been attacked by a zombie, so the immediate concern is to locate the Antidote Injection. Go ahead and accomplish that initial task, and the narrative unfolds further as you encounter new characters, expand your community, and progress through levels within this damaged world. This is how the game immerses you in its post-apocalyptic setting.

DARKEST DAYS Gameplay Basics

The game offers numerous in-game choices. If you ever find yourself overwhelmed by multiple events happening simultaneously within this game, I’ll provide an overview of essential options for your convenience. Please note that the majority of these options are found within the Main Menu, which can be accessed from the top right corner of the screen.

Skills

One significant aspect of this game is navigating your way through the variety of skills it offers. I’ve discussed the significance of upgrading and acquiring new abilities in the tips and tricks section. Notably, you can access these skills directly from the Main Menu.

To enhance these abilities, you’ll need certain resources and reach higher tiers for upgrades. They start developing rapidly, enabling you to delve deeply into the narrative from the get-go. Remember to check the page whenever a red indicator pops up at its top.

Bag and Locker System

The game features two distinct methods of item management. One is a constant carry-all, similar to a bag, and the other is a locker system. While the game restricts you from carrying many items at once, this dual setup provides convenient access to your resources when needed.

Titles about survival often emphasize the significance of the items you possess. Therefore, it’s crucial to regularly inspect and organize these items based on your requirements.

Main Quest

In this game, the primary missions initially appear to be straightforward but gradually become more challenging as you advance in levels. These missions will appear in the top right part of your screen. They are simple, taking just a few minutes, and quite captivating. You’ll breeze through the initial quests because each one introduces a new character.

Instead, consider finishing the primary quests swiftly, as it opens up all the features, abilities, and tools from the Main Menu. Moreover, you’ll level up quicker by tackling these quests. Consequently, some Main Quests serve as prerequisites to access essential options, after which you can delve deeper and gather additional rewards.

Community Merchants

In every local marketplace, merchants cater to both buying and fixing goods. This particular merchant is renowned for offering high-quality equipment, gear, and assorted items. Therefore, when you’re searching for hard-to-find items or resources, it’s this merchant you should approach.

Firstly, make sure to boost your relationship with him initially. Secondly, remember to store any excess items or resources in the locker, which can be traded or exchanged with the merchant at a later time.

Map

In the heart of gloomiest days, this map is vast and brimming with an abundance of details. The key to deciphering the multitude of elements lies in the indicators positioned on the map’s left flank. Thus, a bit of time and practice will be needed before it becomes second nature.

This tool simplifies your tasks significantly. Instead of wandering aimlessly to locate essential items, you can easily search for them using the map as it clearly indicates their locations. Furthermore, it provides information about the zombie levels and potential threats in various areas, helping you avoid dangerous zones that could be detrimental to your survival. In essence, this feature ensures you make informed decisions to maximize your chances of success.

DARKEST DAYS Beginners Guide: Tips and Tricks

Spending quite a bit of time immersed in this game myself, I encourage you to advance your character and keep your concentration high to conquer battles and finish missions successfully. You might find it less challenging with some helpful hints and strategies. Here are a few examples:

1. Prioritize your skills: Upgrade the abilities that best suit your playstyle and the current mission at hand.
2. Explore the environment: Don’t rush through levels – take time to discover hidden items, secret paths, and useful resources.
3. Plan ahead: Think strategically before engaging in battles; know your enemy’s strengths and weaknesses, and use them to your advantage.
4. Make use of teamwork: If you have allies, work together to take down tougher enemies more efficiently.
5. Save often: Don’t forget to save your progress regularly, especially before tackling difficult challenges or boss fights.
6. Master the art of stealth: Sometimes, it pays off to sneak past enemies instead of engaging them head-on.
7. Keep learning: Read up on tips and tricks from other players, watch walkthroughs, and practice different strategies until you find what works best for you.

1. Exploring the surroundings is the priority

Exploring your environment might seem risky or awkward, but in survival games, staying alive depends on how long you can gather essential resources and supplies. You’ll be scavenging gear such as food, weapons, ammunition, crafting materials, and more from the surroundings to help you survive.

Be vigilant at all times since the undead are ever ready to pounce on any blunder, and they have an overwhelming advantage in numbers. After all, your role is crucial in preserving human existence, isn’t it? Life certainly matters!

2. Understand the role of your Weapons

In this game, your ability to survive hinges on various factors, one being awareness of weapon usage. It’s crucial not to employ AR Rifles within enclosed spaces. Instead, a fundamental strategy is to utilize smaller weapons when behind doors or in tight combat situations, particularly during final skirmishes or early fights when zombies are nearby.

Instead of shotguns being your primary choice, they’re best utilized in close combat situations where hordes of zombies are present. However, when you find yourself trapped with an unrelenting influx of zombies, you can resort to throwing items as a temporary solution for clearing a small space.

3. Keep upgrading your Skills

One key factor for your survival is mastering various skills. To access this section, click on the menu located at the top right corner of the screen. Here you will find a range of skills essential for survival, including those related to health management, weapon proficiency, scavenging resources, and enhancing your overall capabilities.

Strive to master or enhance a skill as soon as you’ve demonstrated proficiency in it. If you find yourself with the necessary means or progress to acquire fresh skills, prioritize doing so. This will help you stay one step ahead of the undead and boost your chances of survival.

4. Residents are not just NPCs

These characters are Non-Player Characters (NPCs), but they will be such great allies that you won’t even realize you’re working with an NPC! As soon as you can, acquire a companion. Remember to regularly improve their abilities or increase their levels. They prove incredibly helpful in challenging situations where extra assistance is crucial.

A more advanced companion could risk their life for yours (though I’m not certain if they would perish) and escort you out of a congested area. You are permitted to have one companion with you at all times. If your companion has been upgraded, they can handle stronger and beneficial weapons and also inflict greater damage.

Opt for regular updates of one item instead of trying to update everything simultaneously, to avoid finding yourself in a predicament where you’ll have to invest excessive gameplay time into upgrades. In most cases, I tend to pick one and utilize it frequently.

5. Do not go beyond your limits

Whenever I find myself facing a crowd, I always ensure I stand a good chance of coming out victorious or finding an escape route. If not, my efforts would be wasted, and the time invested would hold little significance.

Opt for battles that match your strength, implying engage in conflicts appropriate to your abilities or skill level. This approach guarantees maximum Experience Points (XP) gain from a quest, be it main or side.

6. Events are always a great way to increase Inventory

The game is constantly evolving with numerous events and updates, making progress feel smoother than at its initial release. By reaching approximately level 5, you’ll find an event page conveniently located in the upper right corner, right next to the Mail Icon.

Keep an eye out for recurring events within the game since they offer multiple resources and simpler tasks. If you find that progressing within the game is becoming more challenging, these events can provide a helpful boost.

Final Thoughts

Although the game offers plenty of enjoyment, it does come with its share of problems too. The gameplay, background music, and a few other aspects might cause some annoyance. Yet, if you’re determined to press on, these strategies and hints can help navigate the initial levels.

It’s not surprising that DARKEST DAYS has revitalized the survival genre, which was on the verge of fading away due to its understated titles. However, games like this one have breathed new life into it once more. Therefore, don’t hesitate to explore DARKEST DAYS with our beginner’s guide to get a taste of it.

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2025-06-11 07:12

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