Getting Started

Overview

Deathloop is a game of time loops, where you play as Colt, an assassin trapped on the island of Blackreef, forced to relive the same day over and over. Your ultimate goal: break the loop by assassinating eight key targets (the Visionaries) in a single day. Unlike many open-world games, Deathloop is a carefully designed puzzle box where knowledge and gear persistence are your greatest weapons. This guide will get you through your first hour, explain the controls on all platforms, decode the UI, and set you on a path to loop mastery.

First Hour Walkthrough (No Spoilers)

Your first experience in Deathloop is a linear tutorial disguised as a chaotic escape.

Opening Minutes (0–10 min)

• You wake up on a beach. Do not skip the opening cutscene; it sets the story and establishes your main antagonist, Julianna.


• Follow the on-screen prompts to move, look around, and sprint. You have no weapons yet.


• Reach the bunker (the tunnel door). Inside, you’ll find your first pistol. Pick it up and shoot the training dummies.


• The door locks behind you — this is a scripted sequence. Listen to the radio transmission for lore.




The First Firefight (10–20 min)



• Exit the bunker into the complex called The Complex (one of four districts). You’ll encounter your first Eternalists (the island’s hapless cultist guards). They are tough for a new player — use cover, aim for headshots, and don’t spam fire.


• Follow the objective marker to a radar dish. You’ll encounter a Visionary named Dr. Wenjie (but she is not your target yet). The tutorial forces you to die to her or her guards to teach you about Reprise (your respawn mechanic).


• Reprise: You have two “lives” per loop. Die once, you respawn nearby with a brief window to reclaim your dropped loot. Die twice, and you lose all loop-specific gear and restart the day. You keep Residuum (the currency for permanently unlocking gear) and any trinkets you’ve infused.




Introduction to the Arsenal (20–30 min)



• After your first death, you’ll respawn at the Updaam district (a stylish, noisy area). Here you’ll meet 2-Bit, a talking machine that gives you your first real mission: find a way to kill all eight Visionaries in one day.


• You’ll receive your Hackamajig (a device that lets you interact with hackable objects). Use it on the locked armory door to claim a submachine gun and a shotgun.


• Practice the controls: aim down sights (ADS), reload, melee, and use your power (Shift, the teleport ability earned later). You don’t have Shift yet; this section is just weapons.




First Loop Completion (30–60 min)



• Explore the small hub area. Speak to the glowing radio (mission giver). You’ll be directed to kill a minor target for Intel — a simple assassination of a named Eternalist.


• After you complete the kill, you’ll be prompted to end the loop by using a “Loop Waver” (a glowing panel). Do so.


• The day resets, and you’re back on the beach with a clean slate, but now you have Residuum and knowledge.

Note: There is NO character creation in Deathloop. You play as Colt Vahn — a preset protagonist with voice and appearance. All customization comes from gear, trinkets, and your playstyle.

Controls on All Platforms

Deathloop offers standard FPS controls. Here is the default layout for each platform:

PlayStation 5 (DualSense)

DualSense Features: Haptic feedback for stepping, shooting, and using Reprise. Adaptive triggers provide resistance when firing certain weapons (e.g., the shotgun).

Xbox Series X|S

PC (Keyboard & Mouse)

PC Remapping: Go to Options > Controls > Key Bindings. Highly recommended: rebind Sprint to a toggle (available in settings) to avoid cramps.

UI Overview

The HUD is minimal but conveys critical information:

• Health Bar (bottom left): Red bar with small white segments — each segment is one Reprise life. Losing all health depletes a life.


• Reprise Lives (above health): Two diamond icons. You start with two lives per loop. When empty, next death ends the loop.


• Ammo/Equipment (bottom right): Shows current weapon, ammo count, grenade type, and trinket slot (if any).


• Compass (top center): Objective markers and direction to points of interest. Colored dots: Red (enemies), Yellow (quest items), White (collectibles).


• Minimap (top left, when toggled): Shows your immediate surroundings. Can be expanded via the Map screen (hold Tab/M).


• Slab Cooldown (bottom center, middle of screen): When you have a Slab (power), a circular icon shows its cooldown.


• Objective Tracker (top left): Current mission objective, updated dynamically.


• Notifications (center screen): Temporary pop-ups for kills, loot, and discovery.


Important Screens:

• Map (M/Touch Pad): Shows all four districts (Updaam, Karl’s Bay, Fristad Rock, The Complex) and time of day. Each district can be visited in morning, noon, afternoon, or evening. You must plan routes based on time.


• Loadout Screen (Tab/Menu): Before entering a district, you can equip weapons, trinkets, and Slabs. Gear acquired during a loop is NOT kept unless you Infuse it with Residuum at the end of the day.


• Journal (Pause > Journal): Massive lore documents, quest clues, and Visionary intel. Use it to solve puzzles.




Essential Early Objectives



Your first few loops should focus on building a foundation. Ignore complex assassination puzzles for now.

1. Complete the Tutorial Loop (as described in the first hour). You must die at least once to understand Reprise.
2. Reach the “Safe House” in Updaam (the hub building with 2-Bit). This becomes your home base.
3. Unlock the Arsenal Door (inside the armory in Updaam). The shotgun and submachine gun are your first reliable weapons.
4. Kill the first “Mule” target (a named Eternalist carrying a key) — this is part of the tutorial chain to gather Intel.
5. Collect your first Slab (power). After your first murder of a Visionary (the quest will guide you to kill one), you’ll obtain the Shift Slab (teleport). This is essential for mobility.
6. Save Residuum. After your first few deaths, you’ll have a small amount. Spend it only on infusing Shift (if you haven’t yet) or a weapon you love (e.g., the LIMP-10 submachine gun). Do NOT waste on cosmetic trinkets.
7. Explore The Complex (the first district you visited). Find the power station and the secret lab — these hold upgrades.



What to Do First vs. What to Avoid





DO These First



• Talk to 2-Bit (the machine) in Updaam. He gives you the mission “The Long Game” that explains the loop structure.


• Hack all jammed doors you encounter. The Hackamajig is your best friend early on.


• Read your journal entries. They often contain passwords or hints to locked rooms. For example, a document might reveal a safe combination.


• Use headphones. Audio cues matter a lot — enemies whisper, machines hum, and Julianna (the player-controlled invader) has a distinct sound.


• Die intentionally in a safe place (like the tutorial) to learn Reprise without penalty. The game expects you to fail.




AVOID These Mistakes



• Don’t rush. Deathloop favors stealth and planning. Charging into a firefight with multiple Eternalists will drain your Reprise lives quickly.


• Don’t ignore your surroundings. Many secrets, shortcuts, and lore notes are hidden on walls, under tables, or behind breakable objects.


• Don’t waste Residuum on low-tier gear. Only infuse items with high rarity (purple or orange) or that significantly help your current build.


• Don’t skip the tutorial. Skipping dialogue or cutscenes will leave you confused about mechanics like Reprise and the Nexus (a power you get later).


• Don’t kill Julianna early. If you see Julianna (the rival assassin) in your world, don’t engage unless you’re experienced. She is highly aggressive and can end your loop. Run away or hide until you have better gear.


• Don’t use the same district at the same time repeatedly. Changing the time of day changes enemy placements and events. Experiment.

Early Resource Priorities

Your most valuable resources in the first 1–3 hours:

Tip: In the early game, prioritize Silenced Weapons. The first one you can find is the “Heritage Gun” (a silent shotgun variant) in a hidden room in Karl’s Bay. Look up a guide if you’re stuck.

Common Beginner Mistakes

1. Treating it like a shooter: Deathloop is a puzzle game first, shooter second. Standing in the open gets you killed. Use stealth, listen for patrols, and reposition often.
2. Ignoring time of day: Each district has different events at morning, noon, afternoon, and evening. If a door is locked at noon, try visiting in the morning when a guard might be there with the key.
3. Not using the Hackamajig: Many turrets, mines, and security cameras can be disabled or turned on enemies. Practice hacking during the tutorial.
4. Saving all Residuum for big items: If you die and lose your gear, you’ll have no backup. Infuse at least one good weapon early so you always have a reliable backup.
5. Fighting Julianna without preparation: Julianna is a real or AI player who hunts you. In your first few loops, avoid open conflict. If you hear her music (a distinct piano melody), hide or leave the district via the tunnel.
6. Forgetting to use Reprise: Dying once isn’t the end — you can reclaim your dropped items. But if you die a second time, everything in that loop is lost. Sometimes it’s better to retreat and end the loop early than risk a second death.
7. Not reading clues: Many assassination routes require information from multiple loops. If you’re stuck, open your journal and read every document. Look for highlighted keywords.

Day-One Checklist

After completing the first loop and exiting the tutorial area, follow this checklist to set yourself up for success:

• [ ] Play the full tutorial (first ~45 minutes) until you reach the safe house in Updaam and receive the mission “The Long Game”.


• [ ] Hunt for a silenced weapon – Visit Karl’s Bay (morning) and find the “Heritage Shotgun” near the party room. Alternatively, pick the silenced pistol from the dead Eternalist in the armory in Updaam.


• [ ] Collect your first Slab – Follow the objective markers to kill a Visionary (likely Dr. Wenjie or Harriet Morse). Infuse the Slab you get (Shift) with Residuum.


• [ ] Learn the four districts – Open your map and note which districts have what at each time of day. For example, Updaam in the morning is a party; The Complex in the afternoon is heavily guarded.


• [ ] Save 2,000 Residuum – That’s the cost to Infuse a single orange-tier weapon. Don’t spend any Residuum until you have a weapon or trinket you truly want permanent.


• [ ] Explore The Complex (any time) – Investigate the underground tunnels and the nuclear reactor area. This district contains many upgrade stations and a shortcut to other areas.


• [ ] Die at least twice on purpose – Get comfortable with losing gear and restarting. The loop is a tool, not a punishment.


• [ ] Adjust your settings – Go to Options > Accessibility: enable “Hold to Sprint” (if on PC), disable camera shake if it bothers you, and set subtitles to on. Also look into HUD opacity.


• [ ] Watch a combat tutorial video (optional) – The game’s combat isn’t fully explained — understanding how to slide, shoot, and hack quickly will save many deaths.

With this foundation, you’ll be ready to start solving the puzzle of Blackreef. Remember: every death teaches you something about the world. Good luck, Colt.