**SPOLIER FREE** Rainworld Guide

If you want to explore Rainworld on your own without any spoilers or cheats but you're a bit overwhelmed then this guide is for you! This is intended for new players but if you're a returning player this could be for you too! I looked for a spoiler free guide when i first played a few years ago and I never found any so I decided to make one cuz why not.

This guide is broken down into 4 parts.
Navigation
Survival
Foraging and hunting
Hibernation and cycles

Controls/Quick intro

Before I begin explaining game mechanics Id like to remind you of the Slugcats basic move set. If you're already familiar just scroll down to navigation.

Keyboard

• Left Left Arrow, tap for one step or hold to continue walking in that direction.
  
• Right Right Arrow, tap or hold
  
• Stand up Up Arrow
  
• Crouch down Down Arrow
  
• Jump Z, tap for small hop or hold for full jump
  
• Pickup Shift
  
• Throw X
  
• Eat Hold Shift
  
• Map Hold Space Bar
  
• Pause Esc

Controller

• Left Tilt Joystick Left, tap for one step or hold to continue walking in that direction.
  
• Right Tilt Joystick Right, tap or hold.
  
• Stand up, Tilt Joystick Up
  
• Crouch down Tilt Joystick Down
  
• Jump A, tap for small hop or hold for full jump
  
• Pickup X
  
• Throw B
  
• Eat Hold X
  
• Map Hold RB (Button next to top right trigger)
  
• Esc Back (Button on the center left of controller)

More controls/moves can be found in this guide (they provide gifs which is so amazingly helpful)
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2113850859

Part 1:Navigation

Rainworld has a MASSIVE map and often it begins to feel like a maze. You can't always afford to get lost so when you first play the game it can be pretty overwhelming. I'll break down some tools I use to make mapping and finding my way easier. I’ll start by listing some of the types of areas the map provides to help cement them in your mind.

• Small spaces. Rainworld has a lot of small spaces only just big enough for your Slugcat to get through, these can help you hide and escape danger but can also leave you cornered. I always take a quick glance at every area I enter so I know my escape options before I even need them.
  
  
• Open areas. Open areas can both be very helpful and very dangerous. Moving around is easier but there's less between you and predators so it's important to keep an eye out for any map elements that can help you escape, for example poles to climb up can help you escape some predators or let you climb and jump over others.
  
  
• Parkour. There's a ton of parkour in Rainworld casually thrown into every area, it's a good idea to mess around with your move set and see what makes you faster and slows you down. Often I find myself looking at a particular obstacle and wondering if it's even possible to get around and once I try I realize it is possible, it just requires the right moves.

As you’ve noticed by this point the camera of Rainworld doesn't track your character. This means that the camera will switch to show you the next part of a room only when your Slugcat reaches the very end of the screen. This makes the game a LOT harder and requires some getting used too. So when nearing the end of the screen be careful and be ready for danger when the camera switches. Predators may be hiding just out of sight so again, track out your escape plan and be ready before you even need it.

If you can’t play with this style of camera and its bothering you, you can try this camera tracker mod:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2921147969

Lastly when navigating an area there are four types of pipes you will encounter. You will very quickly figure out what each of these types do but I will put an image of each one here so you can familiarize yourself.


These pipes are indicated by three short lines next to each other and are the most common in the game.


This type of pipe is the 2nd most common its an arrow, these will always come in pairs.



The 3rd is a square, with a small opening on one end.



The final and most uncommon type looks like two brackets.


Utilize these different pipes, they are one of your biggest advantages against predators and danger.

Part 2. Survival

One of the key mechanics is of course, survival. Keeping your Slugcat alive is a challange, its easy to find yourself prey or at the mercy of nature and the world itself. Of course, a big part of survival is the creatures in the ecosystem around you, and these creatures tend to fall under 3 categories in my experience:

• Predators. Creatures that hunt you by default , making them dangerous. The coloring of predators is important, and can indicate how dangerous they are to you. Even the same type of predator is more or less threatening to you based on its color, the color is an indication of its move-set and abilities.
  
  
• Neutral. These creatures don’t see you as foe or friend, sometimes curious of you or weary these types of creatures can sometimes be befriended, however antagonizing them may cause them to see you as a threat or be scared of you.
  
  
• Prey. These creatures are smaller than you and are your natural prey, they might be able to hinder or inconvenience you however you can usually kill them and sometimes eat them.

Something very important to keep in mind always in Rainworld is that your Slugcat is far from the top of the food chain. While you are nimble and powerful you are also very weak and prey to many creatures in the world.

Rainworld has an interesting and tricky mechanic with the creatures around you, the AI learns from you. Word of your actions travels fast, gain a reputation for violence and the creatures in the area will be more predatory or wary of you depending on the nature of the creature. I usually leave even predators alone, only attacking them when it's my only option. Here is a list of a few tactics I use to escape predators.

When escaping or giving creatures the slip the most useful tools In my experience are the environment of the map itself like pipes, poles, parkour ledges and more.

• Crawl into a small tunnel and leave out a different side and double back on land to lose the trail of what's after you or slow it down.
  
  
• Climb up a pipe and then jump off landing behind your enemy to get around it safely.
  
  
• Jump into a pipe and wait on the other side, when you see the pipe blink the color of your enemy go back into the pipe, your enemy will come though one direction while you escape in the other.
  
  
• Lastly throw an object at your enemy, this will momentarily stun it allowing you to get around it more safely or escape. Be careful though, the stun won't last long and then the enemy will come after you faster and much more mad then before!

These moves can be dangerous, but when performed fast enough or with enough practice will make the game much easier and help you with more challenging areas in the game ahead. These are not the only moves you can use to escape, experiment on your own and you will find many more tactics.

It's important to be comfortable escaping danger but it's also important to know how to avoid it too. When you see a predator you want to get past, try distracting it or finding a route past it that wont cross its path. If the creature is on the move this is more challenging but if its still you can use pipes, poles, and parkour to get over, under or around the creature without getting its attention. You can also toss an item near or at the creature getting its attention and causing the creature to move out of your path.

Part 3: Foraging and hunting

There are many types of creatures, and items that can be used as food. Some types of food respawn in the same area after a few cycles, If you find a room with something to eat you can go back after a few cycles and it may have regrown or respawned.

Here are a few types of food to be on the look-out for.

• Fruit
  
• Seeds
  
• Bugs
  
• Small creatures

Keep in mind there are more types of food then this. My advice is to just try eating everything and anything, especially when you get farther into the game and new foods are introduced.
Rule of thumb, when you find something new try eating it to see what happens. If your hunger bar in the bottom left corner glows and makes a small "blep" congratulations! You just found a new type of food. Remember where you found it and what it looks like for later hunting.

Sometimes your Slugcat will appear to eat an item, making a loud gulping sound but your hunger bar will not change. You may have just swallowed an item instead. This is useful but not to be confused with eating as this is a non-consumable item your Slugcat is storing for later and it will not change your hunger stats.

Part 4: Hibernation and cycles

Hibernation is one of the most important mechanics of the game and does the following.

• Saves the game.
  
  
• Keeps you safe from the rain. The rain is fatal, if you find yourself out when the rain begins run for the nearest hibernation hole. You can only hibernate in the designated spots hiding in any random hole or small space will not keep you safe.
  
  
• Triggers cut-scenes. These appear in the form of a simple image sometimes with a description or music to go along with it. This only happens when you do something to move along the story in the cycle you just placed.
  
  
• Sends you into the next cycle. Cycles show you how long you've survived/how many times you have hibernated. At the beginning of a new cycle the rains timer is reset. Think of each cycle as a new day.
  
  
• Storage for useful items. Shelters can also act as a storage place and items placed in your shelter will stay there.
  You can travel and hibernate elsewhere and it wont effect the items placed in another shelter. (Make sure you hibernate (save) after you leave an item in a shelter)
  
  
• Increases your Karma You have 5 levels of karma. Death will bring down that karma by one notch while hibernating will increases it by one notch. Karma comes into play for a few actions, but for the beginning of the game it isn't too important. *Although you will find certain things happen when hibernating with level 5 karma.
  

Putting it Together and Progressing

Alright now that I’ve explained the 4 main mechanics of the game its time to put them together, use your navigation and survival skills to move around the map to find food, then go back to your hibernation spot and rest for the next cycle. Continue this for a while, exploring more of the area around you at your own pace and finding new hibernation spots giving you access to new areas. Keep doing this and exploring and surviving and exploring. The world really is very big and there's a lot to explore so have fun exploring it and enjoying the beauty of the game. At this point you have the skills to understand whats happening though trial and error. You will begin making progress on your own but please note some areas of the game are a lot harder then others so if you keep dying and aren't making progress it might be a sign to turn back and try exploring somewhere else.


Once you are ready to progress the story and get serious instead of casually exploring, turn to the overseer. I'm sure you've already noticed a small yellow worm-like creature popping up around the map, always moving before you get too close. It spins, and sometimes projects images.They follow you throughout your journey, and if you pay attention to your movements and gestures they are attempting to guide you. Follow them and they will lead you to progress the story.

Notes

If you noticed any errors in this guide let me know in the comments, I might add more details into this guide or make a follow up guide with slightly more information and more clarity for players ready for a bit more. If/when I do It will be linked at the bottom of this guide.

Thank you and enjoy the game <3

[tapioka]

thank you bro, I got to this weird pit area after getting traumatized by spiders and water bushes but this guide has made me see rain world in a new way, I think I was progressing too fast. Time to take a chill pill :)

[i <3 tauriee]

@wolfheart if you like to explore and you enjoy a challenge its a great game!
i think going in blind is great but sometimes the mechanics get a bit confusing so thats why i made this guide :)

[Wolfheart]

I am thinking of getting Rain World at some point but I want to make sure it's worth my time and money. This guide is awesome! I really like how detailed you are about explaining terminology.
Thanks!

[VentusDei]

Thanks for the guide, I was feeling like i was only reaching dead ends and with this info I think I need to increase the karma level to open more paths

[Project_TS]

Thank you for posting this wonderful, and helpful guide. I wasn't too sure about certain aspects of the game, and I'm avoiding spoilers as much as I can. This guide managed to tell me a lot, but also nothing at the same time, and I adore that.

[EmperorSquiddio]

@5 pebble yeah it’s fine now and I followed them but now they’re just going back and forth in an area with a lot of kelp(I figured out how to dodge the kelp tho)

[i <3 tauriee]

(careful i mention slighttttttttt spoilers in this answer, if you have not been to an area called "looks to the moon" dont read :) )

@EmperorSquiddio the"yellow things" are to guide you. they sometimes go away and then come back thats normal in my experience, especially when you wonder away from your intended story line areas. moon should be fine as long as you left the ones floating around her alone.
hope this answers ur question man ik im late

[EmperorSquiddio]

uhh help i might have ruined Moon's trust followed the yellow things and got lost. help

[bigfredknows]

Exactly the intro I needed. Awarded, and thanks!

[KikRs]

thanks mate, just got the game, I've hybernated a few times now and was wondering what those icons (kama symbols, ah ty) were, however the rest was helpful for context of what I was observing, so I've got a better idea of how to progress. And is Spoiler free as I still don't know what's ahead. Except guessing plenty of death and tax's... so to speak lol.