Pre-release page. Launches on Steam November 9, 2026 at 3pm CET (14:00 UTC). Data here comes from the Steam page, the demo and official developer posts, and each page says which version it reflects. We'll update it for the full release.
Version: demo 7.0.1. This guide paraphrases the in-game training courses (Basic Training, First Aid and Crafting) and the official patch notes. We'll check it against 1.0 after November 9.
1. Do the training first
The developer's FAQ recommends the tutorial, and the game warns you before your first run if you skip Basic Training. It covers movement, items, first aid basics, containers, crafting and sleep in about one short session. Two advanced courses unlock as you progress:
- First Aid Course after you reach layer 2. It covers blood pressure, fibrillation, defibrillators, fractures and pain.
- Crafting Course after you reach layer 3. It covers INT, recipe pinning, favourites, campfires and clean water.
The developer locked these in demo 6.1 so new players get a feel for the basics before the details.
2. Controls
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
A / D | Walk |
Space | Jump (hold to jump higher; you can wall-jump) |
S | Crouch |
Right click | Interact with items; click yourself to open the inventory |
Left click | Swing or use what's in your main hand |
Q | Swap the items in your hands |
T (hold) | Throw what's in your main hand |
Left Control (hold) | Show labels for nearby items |
Shift (hover) | Show an item's details |
R | Health panel |
C | Crafting menu |
F | Favourite an item so crafting won't use it |
1–3 | Speed up time |
B | Bark |
Default keys as shown in the demo 7.0.1 tutorial. Since 7.0, you jump once per press of Space (no auto-jump), and jump inputs are buffered.
3. Inventory: six slots and containers
- You have six main slots: two hands, your mouth and three on your back.
- Some tools only work from your main hand. You can switch which hand is dominant in the health panel, but you're not ambidextrous.
- Containers, like a trash bag or foliage bag, let you carry more. Empty containers can go inside other containers.
- Wearables, such as a backpack, don't use the six slots, and some of them can hold items too.
- Since demo 6.0, some containers only accept certain item categories.
4. Craft a container, then dressings
The Crafting course is blunt about priorities: get a container first, then make dressings. They're cheap and they keep you alive.
- Foliage bag (INT 5): Rope + 2× Canvas. Rope and canvas both come from foliage.
- Dressing (INT 5): 2× Ripped dressing. Ripped dressing comes from ripping bags or clothing through crafting.
- You can craft with items lying on the ground near you, so you don't have to pick everything up.
- Drag any item onto the crafting button to see which recipes use it.
- Pin a recipe to keep its ingredients on screen.
- Favourite (F) bags and tools you want to keep. Crafting won't use or rip up favourited items.
- Almost everything in the world is material. Scrap piles and traps give metal, wooden structures give wood and plants give foliage.
Every recipe, with its INT requirement, is in our crafting table.
5. Strength, Resilience and Intelligence
| Skill | What it does | How to raise it |
|---|---|---|
| Strength | Attack power and how much you can carry | Exercise (button in the health panel) |
| Resilience | Resistance to pain and tiredness | Exercise |
| Intelligence | What you can craft and recognize, how traders treat you, and how well you use a defibrillator | Blueprints, E-PDAs, and making a recipe for the first time |
You can craft recipes up to 3 INT above your level, at a price. At +1 there's a 50% chance the result comes out damaged. At +2 there's a 50% chance you waste the materials. At +3 you also hurt yourself slightly. In demo 7.0, a blueprint gives 25 INT experience and an E-PDA gives 35.
6. Staying alive on layer 1
- Carry dressings at all times. Bleeding is the most common injury. It drains blood volume and can lead to infection. See the medical guide.
- Treat infections early. Apply antiseptic to the wound every few minutes until the arrow on its icon shows it shrinking. Untreated infections are lethal. Eating well and staying in shape slows them down.
- Watch the clock. Each layer has a time limit, and staying too long gets you punished. The Unchipped preset removes the limit but also disables your health panel.
- Digging is expensive. You can dig by swinging a tool at terrain, but it exhausts you quickly.
- Water: boil groundwater into clean water. You need a canteen to collect it and a campfire to boil it. Most food recipes also need a campfire.
- Sleep restores energy, and the surface matters. Rubber is comfortable and rock is harsh. Mood also recovers faster while you sleep (7.0).
- Waiting things out: pain and exhaustion fade over time. Press 1–3 to speed up time.
- Hold Left Control to label every item nearby, which makes loot much easier to spot.
7. Make your first run easier
Since demo 7.0 you can pick a difficulty preset before a run. Relaxed gives you more time, and Paradise has plenty of loot and few hazards. You can also start with a flashlight or a full kit. Every option is listed under run settings.
FAQ
Should I play the tutorial in Casualties: Unknown?
Yes. The developer recommends it, and the game warns you before your first run if you skip Basic Training. The First Aid course unlocks after you reach layer 2 and the Crafting course after layer 3.
What should I craft first?
A container, then dressings. The Crafting course says getting a container should always be your first goal and dressings your priority right after.
How do I get more Intelligence?
You gain INT by reading blueprints (25 INT experience in demo 7.0), reading E-PDAs (35) and making a recipe for the first time.
Can I craft recipes above my INT level?
Up to 3 INT above your level, with growing penalties: at +1 there is a 50% chance the result is damaged, at +2 a 50% chance of wasting the materials, and at +3 you also hurt yourself slightly.