Dark and Darker is this year’s up-and-coming PvPvE first-person action game that’s all the rave online. You play as one of the few fantasy classes as you go through dungeons solo or with friends. Said dungeon is filled with traps and powerful foes, with your starting point being random as you find your way to the Blue Portal.

Collect as much loot as you can, but if you die, you lose it all. Also, the playing area gradually shrinks and you also have to deal with other players who want to escape alive too, and probably want to take your loot for themselves.

Here are some tips for this battle royale-like dungeon crawler that’s part Elder Scrolls combat and part Fortnite-but-melee-weapons.

Dark And Darker Starter Guide

Pick A Class; Learn Their Strengths & Weaknesses

Dark and Darker features classic RPG characters to pick from and they come with either melee or ranged attacks, dealing either physical or magical damage.

Fighter, Barbarian, and Rogue are melee characters.

Cleric combines melee with magical attacks.

Wizards and Ranger are ranged attackers; the former deals magic damage while the latter deals physical damage.

If you’re new to Dark and Darker, go for the Fighter class as he’s straightforward to use and well-balanced.

Choose The Right Perks And Skills

You can choose a passive ability called a perk and two active skills to use (press Q and E to trigger them). When you’re in the lobby, choose the Class tab to find the Perk and Skill menu. If you’re going for Fighter, for example, you should use Second Wind. Generally, you want to pick abilities that heal and increase damage for a short bit.

Know Your Maps

There are two maps to choose from: The Forgotten Castle and The Goblin Caves. The Forgotten Castle allows groups of one to three players; the Goblin Caves allow solo players only. The “High Roller” version of the Forgotten Castle has better loot but comes with an entrance fee.

If you’re new, just start with The Forgotten Castle first before trying out the others.

Know Your Weapons

The weapons you use in the game have different attack animations and reach. Find time to familiarize yourself with them. Some of them even have alternate swing via right click on the mouse.

Dark and Darker Intermediate Guide

Learn How To Tackle Mobs

Here are some tips on fighting the enemies of Dark and Darker while taking as little damage as possible.

• Dodge the Skeleton’s sword swings by staying a safe distance away until after their attack animation completes. Do the W and S forward-and-back key dance in other words.
• Some Skeleton Archers fire two arrows in rapid succession, so be careful.
• Take care to dodge the Mage’s spells. They have a protective spell that they cast automatically (on itself and on its pals) if you get too close to them.
• Spiders often come from spawners, which look like ceramic pots lying on their side. You’ll need to destroy the pot to stop more spiders from appearing. Aim down to hit them; try jumping on a chest and crouching to attack them from a safe distance.
• Flying skulls’ eyes will glow gold while they are preparing to swoop at you. They don’t have much HP, so try to dispatch them quickly in this time.
• If you get close to a Mummy, it will release a cloud of green noxious gas which deals damage over time. It disperses over time, but watch out as it moves forward a bit.
• Look out for floating ghost creatures called Wraiths. They are strong and hit hard. They usually stay aggro’ed to the last enemy that hit them; it’s a perfect creature to distract enemy players.
• Champions (skeletons with horned helmets and shields) can be difficult to tackle alone. Kite them with ranged attacks instead.
• Red skeletons/red-eyed mobs are Elite mobs, which means they do more damage and are more difficult to kill.
• Mobs with black eyes are Nightmare mobs, which are even more powerful than Elite mobs.
• When in doubt, always aim for the head. Headshots deal more damage to opponents.

Know When To Engage

Don’t blindly rush into fights unless you want to lose all your loot quickly. You have to consider the situation in front of you before going in. However, don’t take too long and take it slow as the safe circle does get smaller. Taking down mobs quick mean you can loot faster and hopefully avoid other enemy players.

If you aggro’ed a mob, you can leave the room and close the door to lock them in, letting other enemy players deal with them.

Go Dark, Or Brighten Up The Place

The game’s title isn’t just about the aesthetics, but it’s also practically-dubbed. See, the Rogue and Wizard have invisibility skills that work well in dark areas. Put out torches in an area, and then camp and wait for enemy players so you can ambush them. However, you need to remove potions from your utility slot since they glow in the dark.

On the flip side, if you’re a melee character, you can use torches to light up particular areas, revealing sneaky rogues and wizards.

This guide is still under development. Be sure to check back periodically for more updates!