Days Gone Beginner Tips and Tricks Guide

Days Gone’s First Days: Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Starting out in the Oregon wilderness in Days Gone can be a brutal experience, especially if you dive in without knowing some of the game’s less-obvious mechanics. Many of us, myself included, spent hours making rookie mistakes or overlooking critical systems that would have made Deacon’s journey a lot smoother. This isn’t just about survival; it’s about understanding the progression loops, the hidden nuances of resource management, and how to avoid those frustrating moments where you realize you’ve been doing something inefficiently for ages. This guide is a rundown of the key things I wish someone had told me before I started my first playthrough, aiming to save you some headaches in a world that offers plenty already.

Camp Economics and Progression Loops: More Complex Than They Seem

One of the first things that trips up new drifters in Days Gone is the sheer inconvenience of camp economics. Every major survivor camp—Copeland’s, Tucker’s, Iron Mike’s—operates on its own damn currency and reputation system. You’ll quickly find yourself doing jobs and turning in bounties, but where you direct your efforts really matters.

Camp Credits: Separate Currencies

It sounds obvious once you realize it, but those “camp credits” you earn are entirely localized. Copeland’s credits won’t buy you anything at Tucker’s camp, and vice-versa. This means you need to pay attention to your trust levels and credit accumulation at each specific camp. Spreading yourself too thin early on can leave you without enough currency to buy critical upgrades where you need them most, slowing down your overall progression. It’s a common frustration to have plenty of cash but not in the right place.

Unique Camp Upgrades

To make things even more interesting, each camp specializes in different goods and services. For example, you can’t buy firearms at Copeland’s camp, and Tucker’s camp is useless if you’re looking for bike upgrades. This isn’t just a minor detail; it dictates your strategic choices. Deciding which camp to prioritize for jobs and bounties should always be based on what upgrades you desperately need at that moment, whether it’s a better engine for your bike or a more powerful shotgun. Neglecting this often leads to grinding for credits in the wrong place.

Survivor Rescue Rewards

While roaming the wilderness, you’ll inevitably stumble upon trapped survivors. Helping them out is good karma and offers rewards, but the key is *where* you send them. Different camps offer varying amounts of trust and credits for rescued individuals. It pays to know which camp needs the boost in trust or where you’re trying to build up your bank for a specific purchase. A smart drifter will always consider their current camp goals before just randomly assigning a survivor. Make sure they know Deacon sent them, of course.

Navigating the Wilderness: Missions and Map Secrets

The open world of Days Gone is vast and full of hidden dangers and opportunities. Knowing how to properly navigate it, manage your missions, and uncover its secrets can make a huge difference in your survival odds and overall enjoyment. A lot of the early game struggles come from not fully grasping how mission objectives and map mechanics truly work.

Saving Your Game: The Mission Trap

The game tells you that saving is possible near your bike or a bed, which is true. What it doesn’t emphasize enough, and what many players only learn after a frustrating death, is that you *cannot* manually save if you’re currently on an active mission. You’re forced to rely on often sparse autosaves during these times. Always, and I mean *always*, make sure you hit that save button before initiating a mission, especially if it looks like a big one. Nothing sucks more than losing 20 minutes of progress because you died near the end of a mission and the last autosave was at the very start.

XP Display: More Info, Less Performance

After completing missions or various jobs, you’ll see an XP screen. It’s often displayed as a percentage, which can mislead new players into thinking it’s a performance score. It’s not. This percentage simply shows how much XP you just gained relative to how much you need for your next skill point. It’s purely informational, not a judgment on your Freaker-slaying prowess. Don’t sweat it if the percentage looks low; it’s just telling you how close you are to that next skill unlock.

Weapon Ownership: Pickups vs. Purchased

This is a classic open-world game trap that Days Gone falls into. Weapons you pick up from fallen enemies or scavenge from the world are *temporary*. If you swap them out for another weapon in the field, they’re gone for good. More importantly, you can’t buy ammo for these temporary weapons from gun lockers. Your only options are to find another identical weapon, loot green ammo tins, or use your saddlebags (if you’ve invested in those upgrades). Weapons you *buy* from a merchant or unlock through missions, however, are permanently yours. You can always retrieve them and refill their ammo at any merchant or weapon locker, even if you drop them. Knowing this distinction is crucial for managing your inventory and avoiding running out of critical firepower when you need it most.

Hidden Loot and Pre-Crafted Items

Exploration in Days Gone often feels like a chore, but there are genuine rewards for being thorough. The game is packed with hidden loot locations where you can find fully crafted items ready for immediate use. We’re talking fragmentation grenades, landmines, pipe bombs, and other handy goodies that save you crafting time and resources. Keep your eyes peeled and investigate every nook and cranny. These pre-fab items can be a lifesaver in a pinch or give you a significant edge against a roaming horde.

Clearing the Map Fog: Ambush Camps

The map in Days Gone starts off annoyingly foggy, obscuring vast areas. The quickest way to clear this fog and reveal points of interest is to locate and clear out Ambush Camps in each region. These camps also serve as fast travel points once cleared, which is a massive quality-of-life improvement. If you’re struggling to find them, head to a high vantage point and look for telltale smoke plumes on the horizon – a classic open-world trick that works every time. Once cleared, your map will even give you a full list of objectives for that region, eliminating guesswork.

Mission Markers and Optional Content

Days Gone has multiple intertwining storylines, making it hard to tell what’s essential and what’s merely a side quest. The game uses a straightforward color-coding system for map markers: yellow markers *always* indicate main story missions. Other colors denote optional side content. Prioritizing yellow markers will keep you on the main narrative path, while the others allow for exploration and extra XP.

Don’t Miss Optional Missions

Speaking of optional content, be aware that a few white-marker missions can actually be *missed permanently* if you progress too far in the main story. While these are genuinely optional in terms of game completion, they often provide easy XP and valuable lore about the world and its characters. It’s a shame to miss out on them, so if you see a white marker, consider tackling it sooner rather than later. Losing out on easy XP is never fun, and you might miss a crucial bit of world-building.

Bike Mastery: Fuel, Speed, and Hidden Injectors

Your bike is more than just transportation in Days Gone; it’s your lifeline. Mastering its mechanics, knowing its limits, and understanding its upgrades are paramount to surviving the Oregon post-apocalypse. Many players underestimate how critical consistent bike upgrades and proper resource management are until they’re stranded with no fuel and a horde bearing down on them.

Reaching Inaccessible Nero Injectors

Nero Injectors are vital for increasing Deacon’s health, stamina, or focus, but some are deliberately placed in hard-to-reach areas. You’ll often find a Nero Injector that seems impossible to get to on foot within each map region. The trick here is to upgrade your bike’s engine for increased top speed and its Nitro for better jump distance. Once your bike is souped up, these seemingly inaccessible injectors become reachable, rewarding careful exploration and smart upgrade choices.

Nitro Usage: Hold It Down

A small but important detail about your bike’s Nitro boost: it’s not a toggle. You have to *hold the button down* for the maximum burn time. Tapping it will give you a quick burst, but sustained speed and jump distance require you to keep that button depressed. This is a minor mechanic that can make a big difference when trying to escape a sticky situation or clear a difficult gap.

Customizing Bike Handling

If you find the bike’s high-speed handling a bit too twitchy or sluggish for your liking, don’t just suffer through it. Days Gone actually offers customization options in the settings menu to tweak the bike’s sensitivity. Adjusting this up or down to match your personal preference can significantly improve your control and reduce frustration during intense chases or tight maneuvers. It’s a simple change, but it makes a world of difference.

Fuel Management: Don’t Be a Rookie

The early game bike has a laughably small fuel tank, and you *will* run out of gas frequently if you’re not careful. The massive open world demands constant travel, and few things are more infuriating than being stuck in the middle of nowhere. However, running out of fuel more than once or twice is honestly a rookie mistake. Fuel is surprisingly plentiful if you know where to look. Deacon can drive directly up to fuel pumps marked on the map, and those ubiquitous little red fuel cans are scattered everywhere if you keep your eyes peeled. Always top off your tank when you get the chance; a few extra seconds now can save you a long, dangerous walk later.

Combat Survival and Horde Confrontations

Fighting Freakers and, more importantly, Hordes, is the core of Days Gone’s combat. Many players approach this aspect incorrectly, either by avoiding Hordes for too long or by not understanding weapon nuances. These tips can seriously shift your combat experience from constant struggle to strategic survival.

Weapon Quality Tiers and Hordes

It’s not just about *what* weapon you have, but *which version* of it. Some weapons, like the SMP9, come in different quality levels. Low-quality versions can be looted or bought, but the absolute best versions are often unlocked by completing specific, tougher challenges – like killing four Hordes. This detail is easy to miss, but it means that investing in Horde killing isn’t just for story progression; it’s how you unlock the most potent versions of your favorite firearms, giving you a significant edge in later fights.

Early Horde Practice: Don’t Wait

The game gives you clear warnings early on to avoid Hordes at all costs. Naturally, most players assume the game will eventually guide them when it’s “time” to start tackling smaller Hordes. This is a trap. You don’t get a main story mission to specifically engage Hordes until you’re about 75% through the game, and that mission throws you against one of the largest Hordes imaginable – often 300+ Freakers. The pro tip here is to start practicing on smaller Hordes as soon as you feel comfortable. Don’t wait for the game to tell you; proactively seek out those smaller groups (25-50 Freakers) to develop your tactics and build confidence. It makes the endgame significantly less punishing.

Horde Story Locks

While you should practice on Hordes early, keep in mind that many Hordes are locked behind story progression. You won’t just find all of them roaming free from the start. In the earliest hours of the game, only about seven Hordes are actually available to be engaged. If you’re trying to clear them all, don’t get frustrated if you can’t find more; you simply haven’t progressed far enough in the narrative for them to spawn.

Hordes as a Weapon

One of the most satisfying mechanics in Days Gone is the ability to use Hordes against other enemies. You can absolutely lead a massive group of Freakers to an Ambush Camp or a Nest and let them do all the dirty work for you. It’s an incredibly effective and often hilarious tactic. Just agitate the Horde, draw them towards your target, and enjoy the chaotic show as the Freakers clear out human enemies or nests that would otherwise be a pain to deal with yourself. It’s messy, but it works.

Bear Trap Utility

Those annoying bear traps scattered throughout the world aren’t just there to step in. If you disarm one (by throwing a rock or rolling over it) and then pick it up, it becomes an item in your inventory. Once placed by *you*, it functions as a trap for enemies and will no longer affect Deacon. This is a fantastic way to set up defenses against chasing Freakers or to thin out an approaching group of human enemies. It turns a nuisance into a tactical advantage.

Final Takeaways

Days Gone is a game that rewards patience and a deep understanding of its interconnected systems, but it doesn’t always make those systems obvious. Many of these insights come from dozens of hours of play, grinding for trust, running out of fuel in the middle of nowhere, or stubbornly fighting a horde way too early. Paying attention to camp specificities, understanding weapon mechanics, and proactively learning how to manage your bike and engage Freakers—especially Hordes—will drastically improve your experience. Don’t be afraid to experiment, learn from your mistakes, and most importantly, don’t underestimate the small details that can make a huge difference in the harsh world of Days Gone. Happy riding, drifter.