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Intro: Waking Up in the Snow

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The game begins not with a menu or a cutscene, but with the cold: your hero comes to lying in the snow, and beside you is a wounded man who is still breathing and trying to say something. This is a scripted intro, a separate starting map that every new character passes through before stepping out onto the global map.

Waking up in the snow

The first thing you’ll see on screen is a message: “You’ve come to in the snow. Someone nearby is still alive and clearly wants to tell you something.” The intro is built as a short guided scene with a fixed order of steps; until you complete it, the exit to the global map stays closed. If you try to leave too early, the game politely sends you back with a hint about exactly what’s left to do.

The wounded man and his briefing

First you need to talk to the wounded man — his name is Josh. You can’t leave without hearing him out — the game will say: “Talk to the wounded man next to you first.” His instructions are also your first briefing on the world:

  • in the upper building there might still be bandages, meds, a knife, and ammo — search it quickly;
  • he can barely stand and can’t hold off the rats alone — come back with loot and help him;
  • don’t dawdle: blood here quickly draws in all the local vermin;
  • and the most important thing at the start: “Until you leave here, you can freely change your starting stats in the character screen. Outside, they’re locked in.”

That last point is worth remembering: the intro is the only place where your starting stats aren’t yet locked. Once you step out onto the global map, they’re set.

Searching the upper building

After the conversation, head to the containers in the upper structure. Just grabbing any useful item is enough — it pushes the intro forward, and you’ll see the message “You’ve gathered useful gear. Head back to the wounded man and get ready to fight.” If there was no weapon in the loot, the game hands you a simple weapon so you have something to fight with. While you’re rummaging through the building, the wounded man chimes in and urges you on — the cold, the rustling, the smell of blood.

The first fight: rats

When you return to the wounded man, rats swarm you. You have to kill them all. The wounded man follows along and shouts warnings like “Don’t let them get close!” and “Another one! Stay sharp!”. Each rat killed gives a little experience (in the starting scene, 8 per rat).

The predator and the companion

As soon as the rats are dealt with, the noise draws in something bigger — a predator dog enters the scene. The wounded man warns: “A dog! Get back! Pin it against the wall, don’t let it flank you!”. The companion can barely stay on his feet and, as a rule, dies in this fight — he covers you and buys a few seconds (“He bought you a few seconds…”). But if you finish the dog off quickly enough, he may survive. Finish off the predator if it’s still alive (killing the dog gives 25 experience).

When the companion dies, his body is left with his gear and a crumpled note. Search the body: on it is hastily scrawled — “If you make it, head north to the shelter. There are still people alive there.” This is your first hint of where to head next. Picking up the note awards +40 experience.

Stepping out onto the global map

Once the threat is gone, the way out opens: “The path to the global map is open. Gather what’s left after the fight and head out onto the global map.” Completing the intro brings another +60 experience. If you still have unspent starting points, the message will be different — it’ll remind you to go into the character screen and redistribute your stats before they lock in outside the starting zone.

Hints that are easy to miss

  • Don’t rush to leave. The game won’t let you out until the intro steps are done, and each time it’ll tell you the reason: talk first, then fight off the rats, then wait for the fight to end.
  • Use the character respec window. The intro is your last chance to redo your starting stats for free and without restrictions.
  • The world’s main threat is the cold, not hunger. Story-wise, you came to freezing in the snow; it’s the cold, not staying fed, that will press on you in this world.
  • Head north to the shelter. Your companion’s note is your first landmark: according to it, there are still people alive there.