Outer Wilds is a space simulation game that focuses on exploration and learning. Players will control an alien astronaut who is uncovering mysteries through puzzles to learn about the Nomai, an ancient race whose culture spans over all eight planets in the solar system.

Related: Outer Wilds: How to Learn Meditation

Players will eventually realize that they are trapped in a loop, dying after a certain amount of time and respawning at the starting location. While this can cause some stress at first, Outer Wilds intended this feature to urge players to take their time, whether that be at the starting location or at one specific spot on another planet. There are some key tricks that can help beginners succeed in this game to fully enjoy unraveling the lore and mystery.

Updated June 11, 2022 by Nikole Brinkman: Outer Wilds brings new mechanics to gamers by putting them on an endless loop, like the well-known movie Groundhog Day. By discovering new planets, secrets, and puzzles, players solve a mystery. But with the added struggle of getting as much information as they can before the timer runs out, players will certainly get more frustrated as the days pass.

This is why updating and adding more tips for players is crucial to prevent anyone from giving up just yet! It can be hard to appreciate a game that practically sets back progress and starts players over again and again. But it just allows players to truly enjoy where they are and live in the moment before it all crumbles around them.

11 Explore The Spawn Location

oute rwilds timber hearth scenery ship

The starting point in Outer Wilds, Timber Hearth, is near a populated village. This spot can help players uncover the beginning clues about the solar system itself, and how to get started. Spending the first couple of cycles of the game exploring all that it has to offer can be detrimental to how the rest of the game plays out.

Not only does Timber Hearth help players learn which tools they should have and use while exploring through space, it also has a model ship within the village that can be used to practice flying and landing before trying their hand at the real deal. There are also Nomai artifacts in the village, so characters can learn how to interact with them properly.

10 Practice Flying Before Leaving

outer wilds practice flying

The spawn area, Timber Hearth, really is the best place players can stay to learn what they need to for the adventure ahead. One of the biggest bonuses about the area is that players can practice flying a ship and landing it, which can mean everything for the future since landing can ultimately lead to crashing and dying.

Don’t leave the spawn area too soon, and definitely take a few cycles to learn how to properly fly so when the time comes, it won’t be frustrating.

9 Chat With The Locals

outer wilds village timber hearth villager

In the starting location, Timber Hearth, players will have the option to speak to the villagers. These dialogues could provide valuable information and tutorials that will help players progress in the game. While some players would rather run past and ignore them, the villagers will give hints as to what to do.

Related: Outer Wilds: How To Get To Black Hole Forge

Since the starting location is the main teaching point in the game, it is important to try and gather as much information as possible before launching head first into the vast open space.

8 Visit All The Planets

outer wilds planets

Outer Wilds focuses on exploration and learning, therefore visiting every planet is crucial. Each planet holds hidden secrets, however, they don't need to be figured out right away. Getting to know the solar system can be more beneficial before diving into one specific planet, so make sure to visit everything before getting deeper into the core of the worlds.

Also, take a few seconds to study the planet before landing. There are eight different planets in total, so while some can be easy to maneuver around on, others can be large enough that players will start to lose air and time before reaching their destination. Make sure to plan the visit to use time wisely.

7 Research Before Landing

outer wilds planet giants deep scenery

While every planet needs to be visited to unravel the mystery, not all of them can be as easy as the spawning planet. Some planets can be hard to manuever around due to their formation. Because of this, players should do their research on where they should go with what information they have.

There are some planets that should be avoided for the first time leaving Timber Hearth. Go to the easier planets initially, and then travel to the harder terrain further into the exploration, so there’s no time wasted trying to figure out how to navigate the planet.

6 Repairing Is Easy

outer wilds ship

When using the ship, there is a chance that players can crash it. If they do, do not forget to repair it. All players need to do is check the screen to the left of the pilot's seat. There, you will find a screen that shows each part of the ship that needs to be repaired. Once players know which parts need to be repaired, they can then walk up to those specific spots and interact with it to repair it. This takes no materials and is done quickly.

Related: Games With A "Groundhog Day" Style Time Loop Like Deathloop

Repairing the suit is also crucial to surviving a cycle in game. Puncturing your suit can be detrimental, but it is easy enough to repair, just like the ship, so there's no reason to leave it ruined. Healing your body after a crash, fall, or misstep is also just as easy. Players can head to where they usually pick up their suit and look on the left side for a medical kit to heal any wounds.

5 It's Okay To Give Up

outer wilds puzzle

Outer Wilds is stocked with mysteries and puzzles, therefore, players might end up getting stuck quite often. There are time when players just won't have enough information at that stage to figure out what to do, and that's okay. When this happens, players should move on to a new area.

Redirecting the mind to something new can give it enough of a break to potentially unlock the answer. Characters might even stumble across an answer to the puzzle they were stuck on while exploring different spots. There are fans who have worked out solutions to all puzzles as well, for those who need some extra guidance.

4 Read Everything

outer wilds lore plaque

While exploring through the solar system, players can find various material that they can read, such as papers, plaques and artifacts. These can be very useful in providing clues on what they should be doing.

Related: How to Start Outer Wilds: Echoes of the Eye Expansion

Since Outer Wilds can be quite a lonely experience, especially since there isn't a guide to inform players on what to do or where to go, these reading materials will help direct while sharing the history of the solar system.

3 Scout The Area First

outer wilds scout launcher

Sometimes it can be intimidating exploring new spots and diving into the unknown, especially with so much at risk. Thankfully, players can utilize their scout launcher to see what's going on outside.

When exploring new areas, don’t be afraid to send out the scout launcher and take pictures at the surrounding areas. This could be really helpful to avoid any unnecessary death before the timer runs out.

2 Explore, Learn, Die, Repeat

outer wilds supernova

Eventually, players will die. It is inevitable. Dying is part of the game. The solar system is set on a 22-minute timer, and once the timer is up, a supernova will wipe out the entire system, making players respawn back at Timber Hearth.

This does not mean that characters lose all progress. Logs will help characters remember all the information they learned from past loops. Outer Wilds is not meant to be finished quickly, but instead be an indulgence that players can slowly absorb.

1 Always Check The Ships Log

outer wilds log

When players die, the information that they learn from the previous cycle ends up in the ships logs. Due to this, players can go back to this information at any part of the game when they need to remember what happened a few cycles back.

What's handy about the log is that it not only shows the information that has been found, but also information that has not yet been uncovered. If players only have part of the information about something, it will indicate that there is still more to be figured out. There's an interactive ship log for a better guide if players need extra help.

Outer Wilds is available now for PC, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One

More: Outer Wilds: How To Get Past The Anglerfish