Once Human: Beginner Guide (2024)

You are thrust into a post-apocalyptic world in the survival horror, Once Human. In this open-world adventure that you can take solo or in teams, you will need to complete missions and explore various regions in order to uncover the secrets of the wasteland.

In a world of different perils, you will have to get geared up to fend off enemies and to clear dungeons and hostile bases. Using whatever you pick up from your exploration, you'll be able to build a home, craft gear, and everything else you need to ensure your survival. By equipping yourself and understanding your environment, you'll be able to easily face the dangers that await you.

Find Your Own Space

The first thing you'll want to do when you enter the world of Once Human is to look for a good spot to settle down. You'll need a space for storing your items, using crafting tables, and recovering when you're weary.

It's essential that you pick a location that is close enough to a variety of resources such as logs and ores. You'll be needing these in huge volumes when you start building your base and crafting your workbenches.

It's also good to find a spot that's close to a source of food. Look out for where wild deer spawn for a source of meat. You can also opt to set up a base near a fishing spot if you enjoy fishing.

Unlock Technologies Using Memetics

You can unlock different crafting recipes in the Memetics menu. This can be accessed under the Memetics - Cradle tab when you press 'K'.

This is an essential tab to check and update regularly in order to gain access to new technologies. There are four fields with skill trees you can unlock: Infrastructure, Crafting, Logistics, and Building.

There is also Memetic Specialization which allows you to select special abilities. Every five levels earned, you may unlock a specialization in order to give you certain buffs. This can help you build a character that adds unique value to your team.

Don't worry about making decisions when it comes to Memetics because you are given the option to reset your points if you ever change your mind. You will need to be deliberate about it though, because only 70 percent of what you spent will be refunded.

Improve Your Gear

You'll be able to fend off the different mobs lurking around the world using a variety of weapons. You can get weapons that suit your playstyle and complement the rest of your squad.

You should also make sure you're armored up to withstand barrages of attacks from enemies. Both weapons and armor can be crafted or found while exploring.

An essential part of managing your gear is modding. You'll be able to enjoy bonuses to your stats with different mods that you can find during your travels. It'll make a huge difference to your fighting ability when you equip your gear with mods before heading out.

Certain weapons will also allow you to add accessories, specifically a muzzle, an optic attachment, and a tactical attachment. These can also be found through exploration.

Pressing 'J' on a Weapons Workbench will also enable you to calibrate your gear. Using different materials, you'll be able to use calibration to improve your gear's stats for a certain number of levels.

Gather Deviation Buddies

You're tasked with hunting Deviations that are causing a ruckus in the world. These may sometimes be in the form of bosses that you will need to defeat. After felling the boss, you will be able to collect them as Deviations to take home.

Sometimes, you may find Deviations floating in certain areas of the world. You may attempt to catch them, but there's a chance that they'll escape.

These creatures have special abilities that can aid you in different areas for your survival. For instance, Combat Deviations can be deployed on the battlefield for attacking or defending.

Territory Deviations can help in managing your territory by collecting resources and speeding up machines. Gadget Deviations will grant you special abilities when used. There are also Furniture Deviations that can be placed on your base.

These creatures are kept in Independent Secure Units on your base, and there are ways to keep them comfy to stay efficient. For instance, some Deviations prefer colored lights and others like being surrounded by plants.

Use The Necessities To Stay Healthy

Apart from taking care of your Deviations and your home, you'll also need to watch over your own body.

Over time, you'll experience hunger and thirst. You'll also experience insanity when exposed to harsh conditions.

When you keep your stomach full and your thirst quenched, you'll be able to keep your stamina up for longer and exploration will be much easier.

While having food on-hand is essential, however, you'll also want a refrigerator stocked with consumables. Certain foods expire and turn into spoiled food after 24 hours.

Losing sanity will decrease your maximum health, so you'll want to stay away from sanity-decreasing environments if you don't have sanity pills in your bag.

You should also have a bed in your home. While you can't skip ahead to morning by heading to bed, lying down for a few minutes will restore both your sanity and your health.

Follow Along The Story While Exploring

There's a lot that you can do while surviving the wastelands of Once Human. Following the story will guide you in unlocking useful items, Deviations, and crafting tables. It'll also direct you to areas that are suited to your level.

Apart from the story quests, you should also complete side quests that you may find around you. Entering a new area may reveal tasks that can be done to clear it. Speaking to NPCs can also give you special requests to complete.

Opening up your map can also show you different points of interest that you can explore. For instance, unlocking teleporters will make it easy to get around different points of the map.

You can also open your Journal by pressing 'J'. This will show you different achievements that you can complete that will guide you through the many features available. Upon completing them, you'll earn rewards.