10 Things to Know Before You Play Caves of Qud
Live and drink, friends. Caves of Qud is out now on Nintendo Switch. I am working my way through it, and let us just say the introduction has been rough. Thankfully, I have discovered a bunch of tips that make your time in Qud much more manageable and help you survive far longer than five minutes. Here are 10 essential tips to get you started.
1. Choose a Durable Character
If you are new, start with True Kin Praetorian. It is very forgiving in combat and has access to both melee and ranged weapons early. The Praetorian starts with a sword and shield as well as a rifle. You can use auto-combat for your sword and shield to simplify fights. To use your ranged attack, scroll with the right stick to select an enemy, choose Target, then tap R to shoot. I experimented with several different builds and died constantly. This one has been much more durable and lets you sink into the world instead of restarting every 20 minutes. Flashy mutants can wait. Surviving comes first.
2. Start in Joppa
Choose Joppa as your starting village. It gives you structured early quests, manageable enemies, and a safer introduction to Qud’s systems. One standout quest is “What’s Eating the Watervine?”. It is challenging but still approachable for beginners. To start, head two blocks north from Joppa. Explore the area by going downstairs, eventually finding a defanged creature whose corpse you need to collect, as well as an NPC to trade with. Completing this quest alone can easily get you to level 7 and provide some decent gear, including ammo, armour, and other useful items. Random starts are fun later, but early on, Joppa gives you a safer, structured introduction to the world.
3. Enable and Bind Quicksave
Turn on Quicksave in the settings, then go into Controls and bind Quick Save and Quick Load to buttons you will use often. With Quicksave enabled, the game also saves automatically when you enter a new area, or go down stairs. If things go badly, you can quit to the Switch Home Screen, reopen the game, and hit Continue to reload the last save. This makes the game much more approachable for beginners.
4. Prioritise Armour Value (AV) Early
AV reduces incoming damage. A few extra points make a massive difference in the early game. To prioritise AV be sure to equip armour immediately, even basic pieces count! Upgrade gear whenever you find something better as soon as possible. Do not chase minor stat bonuses over protection because damage is useful, but staying alive is essential.
5. Always Carry a Ranged Option
Even a basic musket changes how you approach fights. Softening enemies before they reach you, or finishing something dangerous from a distance, dramatically reduces risk. Early Qud is much easier when you are not forced into every melee encounter. If you created a Praetorian character on our recommendation, you will start with a rifle and some rounds. You can replenish rounds by trading in villages.
Pro tip: After combat, reload your ranged weapon by pressing R3. Forgetting to reload takes a turn, which lets a charging enemy get closer and puts you in danger. Keeping your gun ready saves lives.
6. Learn When to Run (And Rest)
If a fight turns bad, disengage immediately. Do not wait until you are one hit from death; try to leave the screen, create distance, or break line of sight. Once you have done this, on Switch, press B to rest until full health. If you can outrun an enemy, you can often fully recover before re-engaging. Survival is about choosing your battles wisely.
7. Water Is Your Currency
Water is money in Qud. You need it for trading and survival. While carrying weight applies, try to grab things you can sell to merchants. You can build up a lot of drams quickly, especially if you start in Joppa and clear the Red Rock area for the “What’s Eating the Watervine?” quest. When you return to Joppa, stock up on ammo, upgrade your armour, and get some supplies. Water is important, but there is no point hoarding it only to fall to an enemy. Spend wisely and stay prepared.
8. Use Auto-Explore Carefully
Auto-explore is excellent in safe areas, but it is not smart enough to protect you from everything. On Switch, pressing Down on the D-pad will ask if you want to navigate to the stairs leading down, and it will take you on a direct route. The same works for going up by pressing Up. Once you have cleared an area, this is a fast way to get topside. Just do not get complacent. Always keep an eye on your surroundings and be ready to take manual control when danger appears.
9. Examine Everything (And Use Zoom)
Inspect enemies, check their level, and remember not everything is hostile! Read item descriptions before using them. Also, pay close attention to the text panel on the right side of the screen. It often tells you things that are not immediately visible. It can alert you when you pass by items, spot hidden objects, or notice something buried under another object.
On Switch, you can hold ZL and press Left or Right on the D-pad to zoom in and out. Zoom in for a closer look at spaces where positioning matters and zoom out when scanning large areas. Adjusting the view makes it far easier to see what is going on. Many early deaths and missed opportunities come from simply not noticing what the game is already telling you.
10. The World Is Weird on Purpose
You will not understand everything at first. That is intentional. Caves of Qud rewards curiosity and experimentation. Instead of trying to solve everything, explore, experiment, and embrace the strange. The mysteries, oddities, and unexpected interactions are what make Caves of Qud truly memorable.
There you have it! I’m really enjoying my time with Caves of Qud now that I’ve learned the tips above, but when I first dived in, I hated the game! Let me know how your journey is going and stay tuned for our Caves of Cud Switch review coming soon!
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