The first 30 minutes, in order
- Loot the cabin before you leave. Take food, the soda/water, clothes and anything you can carry. The demo opens with no food in the cabin; the cold and hunger are already ticking.
- Go to the garage and look at the car. In the demo the car is a project: parts are lying around it. Check the engine bay, the oil level, the radiator and the battery.
- Fit the parts you have. Battery, radiator, engine oil, winter tires, doors and steering wheel. The exact set depends on your run and the current demo patch; the parts are physical objects, so carry them to the car and install them.
- Turn on the heater. The heater runs off the battery. Use it to stop the cold meter, but do not leave it on forever — the battery is also what starts the car.
- Load food, water and fuel. Jerry cans are heavy but necessary. Put them in the trunk or the back seat; weight slows the car and burns more fuel.
- Follow the road, not a map. There is no map. The compass at the top of the screen is your only direction tool. Buildings and gas stations are meant to be visible from the road; if you go too far off-road, you can get stuck.
- At the first POI, look for a generator. A working generator can power a recycler and a crafting bench. Recycle empty boxes, broken parts and scrap into materials, then craft repair kits and spare parts.
- Watch the temperature gauge. If the engine starts to overheat, stop, check the radiator/coolant and let it cool. A dead engine in the middle of the road is the run-ending mistake.
Starting garage checklist (demo)
| Part | Why it matters | What we know |
|---|---|---|
| Battery | Starts the car and runs the heater | The demo has a battery in the garage; the car will not start without it. |
| Radiator | Keeps the engine from overheating | The latest demo patch adds a radiator at the spawn point; if it is missing, the engine overheats. |
| Engine oil | Engine health | Check the oil level in the engine bay; the demo shows an oil level readout. |
| Winter tires | Grip on ice | The demo lets you fit summer or winter tires; winter tires are the safe choice for the snow. |
| Doors / steering wheel | Usable car | The demo starts with parts missing; fit the doors and steering wheel before driving. |
| Heater | Body temperature | Runs off the battery; turn it on when the cold meter drops. |
The order can vary with what you find. The important part is: do not drive with no radiator or no oil, and do not leave the heater on while the engine is off if you still need the battery.
The first drive
- Stay on the road. The car is heavy and the snow is slippery; going off-road can get you stuck in rocks or snow.
- Do not overload the back. Every item is physical. A full trunk and a trailer burn more fuel and can spill on a tight turn.
- Use the compass. It shows north/east/south/west, not a route. Pick a direction and note the landmarks; you will have to drive back or find another POI.
- Stop at every building you can see. Cabins, gas stations, stores and watchtowers are the source of fuel, food, parts and recyclables.
- Keep a repair kit. A good repair kit is worth the scrap; a broken car is worse than a slow car.
Demo objectives and what they teach
The demo’s patch notes mention a few scripted objectives: the radio turns off after two repeats, the storm stops after 180 seconds, and groups of 2–4 players get revival kits in the starting garage. These are demo pacing tools, not necessarily the Early Access quest structure. Use them to learn the loop: loot → repair → drive → scavenge → recycle → craft → drive further.
10 beginner tips
- Loot the cabin fully before you touch the car; food and clothes are free.
- Fit the radiator and oil first; an overheated engine ends the run.
- Winter tires over summer tires on the ice.
- Turn the heater off when you stop to save the battery.
- Carry a jerry can even if the tank looks full; the next gas station may be far.
- Do not fill the car with heavy junk; recycle it at the first bench instead.
- Use the compass and remember landmarks; there is no map.
- Check every gas station and cabin for fuel, food and parts.
- Craft a repair kit before a long stretch; you cannot fix a broken car with snow.
- In co-op, assign roles — driver, navigator, cargo/repair — and keep a revival kit for the driver.