New Players, Tutorials, Stress, and You: Darkest Dungeon Guide

[@slushisimcambi2521]

Me, someone who has beaten the game on the hardest difficulty: “Oh boy a beginner’s guide time to see what I’ve been doing wrong.”

[@Androzavr2101]

True. 320 hours, beaten the game on Stygian - still don't know shit about the game

[@NotBamOrBing]

Using tab to switch between map and inventory got me

[@Arkansym]

It's gonna feel like you're doing something wrong, because no matter how godlike or omniscient about the game you are, there's always a chance for RNG to punish you for breathing, and it's going to be more noticeable on harder difficulties. All you can do as play as best you can, and minimize the impacts of RNG, but ultimately, someone with bad luck will always lose out somewhere in the game.

[@wolfenalpha5330]

@@Arkansym For sure, i try to follow all the advice and this playthrough has just been bad luck all around. rng really brutalizing me. can't get anyone de-stressed or past lvl one. very frustrating to say the least. as much as i like the game it might get uninstalled.

[@donjones5452]

Helo fellow 1%!

[@jacl9976]

I appreciate the heart attack chain at the end of the video. Really sums up the dangers of afflictions/stress and also hilarious to watch every time

[@mr.calamity8886]

God I remember my first time I went to the darkest dungeon... I took a level 0 party that I was going to boot anyway, managed to get through the first fight with not too much trouble (But they were pretty stressed out regardless) And then in the next room someone stressed out a party member and boom, domino effect. And I remember cackling at the thought of the enemies just being like "Bro I didn't even touch them, they walked in, I asked for identification and they all just screamed and dropped dead."

[@FilthyCasualty]

@@mr.calamity8886 They all held their chests and cartoonishly flop with their feet in the air in a 1 2 3 4 pattern.

[@ThePsh07]

My first party wipe was a heart attack chain early in my run. I was testing some new heroes while my main squad took a deserved week off. Poor guys never finished their first quest…

[@destroyerinazuma96]

Makes me wish there was something like HK 47 in the game. With something like wear and tear instead of stress. So they're a heartless bastard but because they are, they will eventually turn on you and decide that maybe Pig Guy is a better boss.

[@whitehayate5903]

I like how at this point 99% of the people here are veterans of the game yet here we are

[@Intestine_Ballin-ism]

You know what, this is great for people that saw "oh dd2 is coming out I should check it out" and then they get rekt and see this pop up

[@Intestine_Ballin-ism]

Since the few most popular new player vids are REALLY old and a lot of patches/DLCs ago

[@jacobhoover1654]

I was hoping for a shitpost

[@idkusername2981]

@@Intestine_Ballin-ism I am one of the new players that benefitted from this guide. and I was really happy when I found out that it was new actually

[@aiodensghost8645]

This is good for people like me who had this in their backlog for freaking ever because of other games

[@jadeamulet2339]

Pain is knowing exactly how to win but being such a perfectionist that you restart when anything goes wrong

[@idkusername2981]

so god damn me and ikd how to get rid of that. It even hurts me irl and I hate it so much.

[@dimitarmatanski3712]

Ah yes I see that I am not the only one who has reset a run because they lost 2 characters

[@TheBoxGhost_tm]

Look dude, nothing chaps me harder at the start of a new run than having Reynauld + 1 (or both in a few cases) of the other recruits having Klepto or one of the other $ grabbing negative quirks. How am I supposed to level up skills or deal with early game afflictions from suboptimal team comps if I have not one but two (or three) chuckleheads stealing all my loot? Instead of slaving away for a bunch of in-game weeks to correct this, I'll just repeat the opening level that takes 5 minutes once or twice.

[@wolfenalpha5330]

@@TheBoxGhost_tm THIS!!! I am damn near ready to uninstall due to trying to "playthrough" the crazy handicaps handed out in the first moments of gameplay. It's getting ridiculous, really.

[@woah5333]

I have had 5 unfinished run for no good reason at all lmao. Finally made it to week 7x with a save but have to take a break for losing a champion level hero. I just can't take failure

[@bryanmclovin5599]

New player here thanks man. Got my first taste of occultist crit 0 heal bleed on leper on deaths door

[@ShuffleFM]

0 heal bleed is a right of passage. Welcome to the game!

[@JasonPootis]

I had a lot of incidents interacting with curios, the first time I met the shambler altar I was all like “wow it’s telling me to put a torch in, that’s a lot easier” Goodbye crusader and 3 other people I don’t remember, I’ll miss you

[@JonathanDPoole]

This exact scenario happened to me tonight. Rip

[@Nionyx]

Yuuup although luckily I realised I was outmatched very quickly and got the *fuuuuuck* out of dodge before anything too bad happened. I find interacting with the curious the most confusing and cryptic part of the game. Unless it’s locked or very obvious I have no idea what to put in them

[@fishy4275]

"Crimson Court adds a lot that you really can't ignore in a playthrough" Me: Completely ignores the first courtyard mission until post-game every time

[@Technotoadnotafrog]

But town events!

[@fishy4275]

@@Technotoadnotafrog Well it stops bad ones too, including bandit attack.

[@aleksthetable]

I'm actually a relatively new player and thank you for this guide. I've been watching several of your videos before, but never been expecting a guide like this. Today. Doh. Although it feels somewhat uncomfortable seeing all those comments from the game's veterans. :D

[@tiagocosmos]

Me, with hundreds of hours clocked in: Yes, Shuffle tell me more

[@brettg-c475]

We don’t care buddy

[@LouisTheFlyVids]

I thought the 200% bleed underneath the skeletons I've been up against meant that bleed was by far the best attack. I remember thinking initially it was weird that skeletons would be worried about bleeds but then my torch ran out and it was the last thing on my mind. Needless to say I hate myself.

[@PCGonline]

imagine being a new player and not witnessing the awe of a fully equipped Quad Leper team

[@hiroshima19]

Recently got back into DD with a bunch of waifu skins. It's hilarious and takes the IRL stress out of losing my vestal

[@DanteCrowlley]

*It gets worst imo*

[@jackyha9445]

Returning players guide: Ruins/Cove: bring blight Warrens/Weald: bring bleed Like riding a bike, everything will come back to you

[@Technotoadnotafrog]

Bring bleed to the courtyard too, if you have it.

[@aurelionsolofficial]

@@TechnotoadnotafrogAnd blight for Fracture/The Sleeper

[@tazplays334]

Me: taking notes intensely

[@Tri-Maggi]

Trouble yourself not with the cost of this crusade - its noble end affords you broad tolerance in your choice of means.

[@Khrene]

Awww those chain heart attacks at the end... That's fucking ROUGH

[@PipoBones]

I love how our collective gamer minds agree that even after beating a game, we go back and rewatch tutorials and guides to see what we figured out and what we missed. Smart dude shit.

[@DailyCorvid]

The torch is basically an in-game difficulty modifier...Adding light makes it easier but less rewarding for your party; allowing darkness causes larger rewards and tougher fights.

[@destroyerinazuma96]

Took me a bit to notive that one torch was 25 light and not 100. I mean, I'm in complete darkness, I right click one torch, I'm still in penumbra. I think wtf? Bootleg torches? Bad rng? But it was actually one torch only filling 25% of the light meter.

[@Demonsouls1993]

i legit just picked up the Ancestral Edition for 75% off and first thing i did was look up a guide that wasnt 2 to 4 years old found this very helpful :D

[@diamondsrule1699]

SAME!!!! i just started dd last night & i've been eyeing it for a while so i was Doing My Research w shuffle & so

[@bumblorsanchez8982]

Darkest dungeon feels like a nuzlocke without but with freaks and monsters

[@Mopsie]

Just started playing this game and my whole team got recked on the second level lol. It seems super dope and in-depth so this video is very welcome

[@thnkr-jl7hw]

This would have been so freakin' useful a few years ago - altough it was also pretty fun to learn a lot on my own. Thanks for this guide shuf - I think the new players will really enjoy it.

[@raden1287]

Me who beat the game 3 times with each time a dlc releases : sure why not doing my first modded run anyway

[@Ironsuaba]

You know how I started out playing DD? I played on Bloodmoon and banged my head against the wall until I completed it...

[@Korvmannen]

New player here, really useful guide! When I booted the tutorial up it felt like a barrage of information, and a few times the tutorial popups even replaced each other. Confusing to say the least. Really nice to see this video with explanations, and also a prolonged tutorial in slower pace. Once I came back to town for the first time I was confused, but it was manageable, but the second time I came back I felt really overwhelmed. Really seems like my type of game, I enjoy board games and playing with associated mechanics, but the initial learning curve... 😂 It's good to actually be able to understand all the stats

[@ShuffleFM]

Glad it was helpful :) The game is really overwhelming at the start like you said, and then it doesn't tell you a lot of other things that are helpful to know which makes the learning curve that much stronger

[@Korvmannen]

@@ShuffleFM The game's tutorial feels very awkwardly placed somewhere in the grayzone between being aimed at players with little to no experience of RPG mechanics, and those (like me) that play games because of such mechanics. I didn't feel as though it told me "the point" of what it is I'm supposed to be doing. The in game codex is so poorly designed which makes it bad, a hassle to use due to its layout, while only really providing really superficial information. Past that point though, it seems like a really well designed game, and I'm looking forward to getting past that. So your video was super duper helpful! Like just having stress and torch explained did so much to understand the game.

[@adamjohnston2145]

Just started the game yesterday. The plague doctor got to deaths door twice in my first run. Now I’m too scared to play again until I watch some of your videos haha

[@Voiceoftruth02-q3n]

My first run of the game at darkest difficulty I completed two quest and then started abandoning the others because I can’t manage resources, horrible at positioning heroes, trash at combat, and ultimately faced a total party wipe at the latest quest. This made me delete the save and watch this video and read guides and now in the newer one I now know these experiences are actually normal and now I have completed all quests and face no deaths. Currently only beat the apprentice necromancer boss so lots to do. I love this game and how strict but fun it is. The challenging gameplay interests me more.

[@BlackWaterStudioSolutions]

Just got the game and all dlc on my Xbox. I been watching your vids for the passed 2 days. Greatly appreciate how you do your videos

[@stonefolk2778]

Omg I played this for the first time today. It’s incredible! I’m excited to get really into this.

[@ShuffleFM]

Nice! Glad you're enjoying it :)

[@Pav94an]

Same got the game on sale and loving it so far, this tutorial helps a lot.

[@Mobus_]

Recently got this game on special. Trying to get the hang of it so, thanks for the tips! Restarted several times due to my entire roster having too much stress.

[@SpartanSchlick]

I tried DD a couple years ago, and while I did really enjoy the challenge, but I knew I had much to learn. Trying to learn the game while playing is tough. Im trying to learn and get back into the game!

[@ShuffleFM]

Good luck!

[@krystian2339]

Played around 150hours and I still need to watch this. Great job dude.

[@RKNELIAS]

the thumbnail with the crusader with the cap fucking kills me

[@ShuffleFM]

My thumbnail artist comes up with some great ideas

[@nikitakempf5065]

Love the video, it gave me back the motivation I needed to start playing DD again 😄

[@Sweetguy1821]

My favorite thing is reading reviews on steam, new players complaining about RNG. I don't think they understand how turn based games work....

[@WillowMoonlight555]

Beat the game once (after putting many many hours into it) a while ago and about to start fresh on a new PS4 copy in prep for DD2. Finding beating your head against the wall once, then learning from the masters is a good strat for most games (if you're a completionist like me anyway lol)

[@ShuffleFM]

I feel the same. Struggle as much as you can before seeing how it's done

[@Cherb123456]

Thank you!

[@alexanderschoneberg8610]

love your darkest dungeon tutorials

[@speachless88]

The game was getting impossible because I was running out of money and couldn't afford torches. Now I'll try again since I understand how important light is.

[@Grautfyrsten]

Im new to this game and this tutorial was amazing. You are really good at explaining and pacing this video. Thanks!

[@Nico42048]

,,Radiant builds bad habits because it's too easy" Me who goes broke after the third mission for the fourth time in a row: ,,INTERESTING"

[@YourPalKindred]

Oh my God that heart attack chain at the end

[@ShadowPhoenix82]

Man, I do feel overwhelmed with Crimson Court on. I played this on PC years ago and enjoyed it, and when I bought the full pack on ps4 I figured why not just have everything available, so I started Radiant Crimson Court. Silly me. I do think I'll still play Radiant, but I understand why you suggest it builds bad habits for harder replays.

[@ferro9926]

Been looking for a turn-based game instead of realtime ones and i am heavily considering darkest dungeon (or II) I love games that are difficult and almost encourage 'failure' (by making dying less of a worry, like with dark souls only making you drop souls and returning you to a bonfire) and the main question about the game is "how does darkest dungeon (II) do failure?"

[@abrahamhmar7317]

I love the thumbnail so much 😂

[@justhwsky]

I had all level 4 mercs before even attempting any bosses so I kicked out 4 and beat the necromancer, swine prince, siren, and hag with a level 0-1 party fresh off the wagon

[@toastie9938]

Can you expand on what DLC you would recommend to be toggled on/off during a first playthrough? I understand crimson court should probably be off but should I also turn off color of madness?

[@MsGorteck]

I did not know that stress goes down while the characters are in town. I have not been able to play for 2yrs, does this mean that when I can finally get back to playing all my characters will have zero stress? Incase you are wondering, I have not been able to afford internet and I won't play at my library.

[@roihanfaiz4820]

Do you have guide for heirlooms spending already? i'm having a little bit of trouble on deciding to spend them whether for town upgrade or district building first

[@ShuffleFM]

Part 2 will talk about building priority. If that doesn't help enough then the bloodmoon guide talks about town management if you aren't worried about potential spoilers (I don't think it has many if any spoilers). I might make another town guide anyway just to cover it if people still need it

[@ShuffleFM]

Easiest rule I can give you though is not to upgrade districts until buildings are at least level 4. If you are starting champion then buildings need to be maxed first since they are more impactful than districts.

[@ehoffart529]

The only two districts that I'd reccomend you getting before the endgame(maybe even mid game) is either the cartographer camp or bank, with the camp being the more valuable one. Otherwise my rule of thumb is 2 stacks of crests per run and prioritizing deeds and art over busts. If giving up a stack of busts means you get 75% or even 50% of the others it's probably worth. Early game, go for blacksmith and guild with the occasional stress upgrade since they're cheap. Mid game prioritize Sanitarium so disease and quick costs are cheaper. With late go for stress buildings but keep an eye on districts you want.

[@isaacstetson5720]

Had the game for a while could never get into it just recently picked it up and been having a lot of fun but I’m stressed more than my squad lmao

[@jonathanclark1845]

Thanks!

[@ShuffleFM]

Thanks to you as well :)

[@FlareNeos6]

What are some key factors to look for in order to determine which hero’s to retire throughout a playthrough?

[@sebastiandee5541]

Just started playing today since it was on sale on ps5. I've had 3 characters die in 3 weeks so its going well...

[@ShuffleFM]

You'll figure it out eventually :)

[@eggman4208]

i dont know why but my characters take stress no matter what i do like i just walking not touching objects just walking straight and they all take stress can someone explain why?

[@hyena-chase2176]

Great thanks

[@meatballmustard7658]

I came here for stress removal and just got told to "just dont get hit"

[@ShuffleFM]

Focus on stress casters. Either stun them or kill them asap, then slowly kill the low damage enemies and stress heal then. Also go on medium missions where camping relieves a lot of stress.

[@meatballmustard7658]

@@ShuffleFM yea I figured that out before but that would of been way better to been put in the tutorial. also I think different units get better value of sanity from certain town places correct me if im wrong.

[@eru1001]

Do you feel like Darkest Dungeon is fun as a new player without any of the DLCs?

[@ShuffleFM]

Yep :) The dlc is great, but it can be overwhelming for a first time. It is nice to have the extra classes either way. It goes on sale quite often if you feel like waiting

[@eduardodiaz9942]

In fact, the game outright suggests you to play without the DLCs during your first run.

[@neglectfulsausage7689]

I dont liek flatulent, antuiquarium, dogpill master, or spearfemale. Spearfemale was obviouls a game of thrones homage. The others were add ons to the game that were the reason the core game was broke. Subtrat these chars and you have the base game. In fact you open the wagon for the first time and the 12 hero portraits that show up in the help text are the originals. They added the chars to fix gameply problems, that broke the game for the other chars and not taking/balancing among them instead.

[@adriftinglink]

My abusive afflicted Reynauld got my secondary party (as the usual party had gotten over stressed) wiped in my like 4th week. He died and my second highwayman died because of over stress (vestal got paranoia and stabbed him). Stress is not fun. Can honestly ruin a short dungeon crawl and lose your team. Best to leave before it gets too bad.

[@justinsellers9402]

That ending, lol.

[@destroyerinazuma96]

The game is so dark the only therapist you're gonna get is a dog.

[@ShuffleFM]

Facts

[@scottb8540]

You say “obviously” a lot but none of it is obvious to a newbie, lol. Thanks for the great guide.

[@baileymonroe9482]

What are the little squares underneath each heroes health bar?

[@ShuffleFM]

Stress meter :)

[@attilagama168]

That thumbnail tho

[@skraaaaz]

What is that number doing at the center top of the screen? Is it increasing in difficulty each time or something?

[@ShuffleFM]

It's the light meter. It increases if you use torches or certain abilities, and decreases as you walk down hallways or from enemy attacks. As it gets darker the enemy gets stronger so you want to keep it high until you understand it better.

[@skraaaaz]

@@ShuffleFM ​ @ShuffleFM At 7:10 what does the number do though? Is it just the amount of turns you had or is it a difficulty multiplier?

[@skraaaaz]

@@ShuffleFM I think when that number reaches beyond 5 you're going to be in trouble cause the chance increases for reinforcements. I don't know this for sure but it feels like it.

[@ShuffleFM]

@@skraaaaz Yes it is just a turn counter display. Reinforcements depend on a couple things, but surprisingly not turn count. Basically if you use 2 damaging moves every other turn you won't see reinforcements. Big enemies also never get them.

[@skraaaaz]

@@ShuffleFM Ah yea it's just the number of rounds. It does gets more dangerous if you take longer than 5 rounds i noticed.

[@АнтонМан-ч9к]

Played 200 hours. Watching very closely.

[@LiIGremlin]

Me watching this with 200 hrs. **intresting**

[@coolyj8481]

Came here after my team got wiped because 1 guy skipped his turn

[@mysteryosdoor3076]

Veteran defo not got the game on game pass 3 days ago

[@yogames6199]

Make a new xbox guide i think the gamepass has only the basic game

[@Namelessstew]

I bet this vid will get a renewal of new views since dd just came out on gamepass

[@trikster22]

this game is way too hard, there so much to learn and even me is getting stressed

[@ShuffleFM]

It's a lot at first, but if you stick with it I believe in you :)

[@bmibudstermaverick5511]

The torch mechanic is so badly done it lasts like 5 seconds and then you have to reply it over and over it’s fucking annoying dumb mechanic with how bad it was done

[@KeimpeJ]

If i own DLC i will never turn it off...

[@symon1033]

I am was about to write a comment, but then I saw that my comment was already written 20 times, so I decided not to.

[@mysteriousdonkey4624]

500 hours and consider myself better at the game than shuff but I'm still here

[@brettg-c475]

He probably has a life unlike you