Abiotic Factor finally got its 1.0 version release, so it’s never been a better time for beginners to jump in. This unique survival-crafting game has a heaping dose of horror elements to it, with some interdimensional shenanigans sprinkled on top. It’s extremely unique, but also quite a challenge early on. Fret not, though, our guide will help you get your bearings.
Beginner’s Guide | Abiotic Factor 1.0
Pick Your Profession and Traits
One of the first things you do in this game will be to customize your character’s profession and traits. The profession will affect your starting Skill levels, while the Traits will give you passive effects.
When it comes to a profession, it’s a very open-ended choice. You can really pick any of these you want, you can’t go wrong with any of them! If you’re indecisive, though, the Lab Assistant and Summer Intern are decent choices. Both have the highest amount of starting points to spend on Traits.
As for Traits, you can pick both positive and negative ones. Negative Traits will give you extra challenges, but will give you more Trait Points. This will, in turn, allow you to pick more Positive Traits, which give you positive passive effects. Here are some of our recommended Traits:
- Wrinkly Brainmeat – Fairly cheap and boosts all of your XP gains by 20%.
- Hobbyist Chef – It only costs 2 points and makes your Cooking skill level up twice as fast. This is an extremely important skill, and it’s also annoying to level up normally, so this Trait is a huge help.
- Inconspicuous – Makes it easier to avoid enemies, always welcome.
- Night Owl – You get 50% less tired, making it so you require rest a lot less often.
- Fanny Pack – Costs a whopping 10 points, but it makes inventory management a lot easier. You get 2 permanent extra hotbar slots. Worth noting hotbar slots are easier to access, reduce items’ weight by 25%, and aren’t lost on death.
Recommendations aside, remember that these choices are permanent. You can level up all Skills, such as Sneaking and Cooking, but you can’t change jobs or Traits mid-game.
Take Your Time in the Starting Area
This is a simple trick, but it can help you get your bearings: time doesn’t pass in the initial area of the game. You’ll still need to tend to your bodily needs, which we’ll describe later, however. Nonetheless, this does mean you have ample time to get used to the game before the day and night cycle comes into play.
Specifically, time only starts passing once you open the door for Jager and talk with the security officer. You can track time by pressing the T key to check your in-game timepiece.
Be warned, power sources get shut down at night, including lights. You get a warning for this at 8:00 PM and then the power gets cut at 9:00 PM. Make sure to get to a safe area before this happens, you don’t want to be out in the dark with the monstrous critters! Though, as mentioned before, this won’t happen during the introductory sequence.
Check the E-Mails and Pick Up Everything
As you explore the facility, you’ll come across many PC terminals you can interact with. In most cases, these let you read e-mails and other data logs. Doing this is an excellent way to unlock new crafting recipes, so make sure to read everything you can.
Similarly, a lot of items you find in the game will unlock recipes when picked up. You can tell when the game has some yellow text saying something along the lines of “pick up to learn new ideas.” Grab every single item with that descriptor to expand your toolset. This is a simple, but very important, thing to keep in mind!
Manage Your Needs
An important factor that all beginners need to deal with in Abiotic Factor is, of course, your character’s needs. Wouldn’t be a survival-crafting game without them! You can check all of your needs by pressing the X key to bring up the status menu.
You’ll need to eat food to sate your Hunger, drink water to manage your Thirst, rest to lower your Fatigue, and even use the bathroom to relieve your “Urgency”. Not to mention your standard Health, which depletes if you don’t meet your needs or take damage in combat. Learning to manage all of these needs to stay in tip-top condition is essential!
As you explore, make sure to mentally note any places that can help you manage your needs. For example, bathrooms are great for relieving your “Urgency” and you can even drink water from the sinks to sate your Thirst.
Even something as basic as just using the Sit on the Floor emote by pressing B can be vital. It allows you to slowly recover your energy when you’re on the brink of passing out. Might not be as good as actually sleeping, but it’s still good to know!
Set Up a Base
To wrap up this beginner’s guide, you should do the main thing that’ll help you to start surviving for real in Abiotic Factor: make a base.
Technically speaking, a base can be made with as little as a Crafting Bench. Craft one and plug it into any nearby socket to create a safe haven. This will prevent enemies from spawning nearby, and this effect has a much longer range than the game implies. The game lets you know you’re in a safe area with the “Home Sweet Home” buff on your status screen.
After you set up the Crafting Bench, you can start expanding your base with more amenities. Set up places to rest and cook, for example. Couches you find are particularly useful, as you can package the ones you find out in the facility. They can be used both to rest and also just simply put down as barricades to block enemies.
Furthermore, you can make makeshift Batteries later on in the game. These can be used to store energy while the power’s on, allowing you to keep your base powered on even through the night. Ideal for visibility and also to allow you to keep using stations that require power at night! Make these a priority as soon as they become available.
So there you have it, that’s our beginner’s guide for Abiotic Factor. There’s still a lot more you’ll need to learn in this dangerous new job, but these tips should help you have an easier time early on.
Want some more quickfire tips and tricks? Check out our best tips for Abiotic Factor for more!
