Beginner's Guide (non-spoilery)

This is a spoiler-free guide for new players with a quick list of tips on how to get started with the Outer Wilds so you can get the best experience while playing.

What to Expect & How to Get the Most Out of Outer Wilds

Outer Wilds is a unique experience that is best played blind. I highly recommend you avoid spoilers at any cost.

tl;dr: if you want to skip this section, don't look up answers in guides or you'll spoil this game for yourself!

It is an exploration-centric first-person adventure game that focuses on using player knowledge to progress. It is hard to compare to other games, but in some respects, it operates similar to a Metroidvania in that you use "new abilities" to gain access to previously inaccessible areas, except the "new abilities" in Outer Wilds are knowledge and techniques that you, the player, learn from exploring.

The game does an amazing job of teaching you naturally what you need to know to progress and leaves you with many rewarding "aha" moments when you figure things out. Because of this, you should avoid guides for solutions and do as much as you possibly can before resorting to guides to preserve the rewarding feeling you get when solving a puzzle by yourself.

All that being said, there are some gotchas or basics that all new players should know before heading into the game to get the most out of their experience.

Tips for New Players

1. Don't look anything up
   I've already said this before, but do not look anything up! The game does a lot to give you little hints here and there. You CAN find the answers, just believe in yourself.
   
   
2. Get to the ship ASAP
   There is plenty you can do in the starting area but prioritize getting the launch codes so you can use the ship as soon as possible. You will have plenty of time to go back and fully explore the starting area after.
   
   
3. You are the master of your own destiny
   After you get the ship, the game opens up quite a bit and there are many, many options as to where to go and what to do first. While it can be overwhelming, there are no right or wrong answers here! Pick whatever interests you most and go seek it out. Want to investigate something you read about in the museum? Want to get familiar with your home planet? Want to search for a fellow Hearthian? Go do it! Whatever it is that grabs your attention, get out there and explore!
   
   
4. If you're stuck, go somewhere else
   There will be many times when you are exploring but find yourself unable to access an area. If you have tried everything you can think of and are left banging your head against a problem, leave and try another planet. Not only will this avoid frustrating yourself, but very often the clues to solving a riddle are littered across many planets and locations. Often times if you simply start exploring another location, you will find the answers you are looking for.
   
   
5. Lean on the ship's log
   The ship has a computer log in the back that will automatically add new important information as you find it. Get familiar with the log and use it often. If you are looking for a new place to explore, the log is a great place to turn to in order to see if there are any leads you haven't yet run down.
   
   
6. Cozy up to bonfires
   There are many bonfires littered throughout the world, but they aren't just for aesthetics! They also have two very important mechanics:
   
   • Pass time: You can use campfires to pass time. This is extremely helpful when you need to wait for a long amount of time to pass or if you are trying to hit specific windows as the planets orbit the sun.
     
   • Regain health: You can roast marshmallows to regain health in a pinch! Just make sure you don't burn them -- burned marshmallows will grant no health.
   
   
7. Practice meditation
   This is one of the only near-spoilery items on this list, but while there are almost no "unlocked" abilities in Outer Wilds, you CAN gain the ability to fast forward to the end of a loop. This ability is extremely helpful to keep yourself sane and I highly recommend seeking it out as soon as possible.
   
   If you want to know how to do this, I've added some spoiler tags below to point you in the right direction, but in my own opinion, I recommend reading them:
   
   • Who: A fellow Hearthian explorer can teach you the technique.
     
   • Where: Explore Giant's Deep (the big, green water planet).
     
   • How: Talk to Gabbro on Giant's Deep. After the next 3 loops, come back and talk to Gabbro again. Choose the dialogue option "How do you stay so calm in the face of repeated impending death?" (if it is not present, try again on the next loop)
   
   
8. Get a breath of fresh air
   Keep an eye out for trees and other plants as you explore. Being in the proximity of trees and some plants will refresh your air supply. They are commonly found around campfires, but are also scattered throughout the worlds.
   
   
9. Top off on the ship
   Aside from campfires & trees, you can use your ship to refill your oxygen & heal up. Don't forget to top off when you get back in your ship.
   
   
10. Master space flight
    One of the biggest issues for new players is flying the ship. While it takes practice and skill to master, once you do, your enjoyment of space exploration will greatly increase. Just remember that it will take repetition before you get more comfortable with it.
    
    Here are some tips to start you off:
    
    • Gravity: Don't forget that the gravity of planets will throw off your trajectory.
      
    • Landing view: The landing view will immediately stabilize your ship. If you find yourself having trouble landing, get close to where you want to land, slow down a little, then switch to the landing view. From there, just descend to stick the landing!
      
    • Matching speed: Use the ship's feature to match speed to line up tricky in-space situations. While this will not ALWAYS be the best solution, as long as you are trying to get to an object that doesn't have a changing velocity, this can be a lifesaver for your sanity.
      
    • Auto pilot: Use auto pilot to quickly get around the solar system. This will save you time--but beware that auto pilot will NOT avoid objects that enter your path. You will still need to pay attention to avoid accidentally falling into the sun or crashing into another planet that orbits through your path.
      
    • Ditch the ship: While sometimes it can be useful to make ship repairs, don't focus on it too much. You'll often never need to come back to the ship before you get a new one.
    
    
11. Don't land on the sun station
    While there is an achievement for landing on the sun station and it IS possible, it is extremely difficult and there are easier ways you can discover to get there that don't involve manually wrestling with the physics of the sun.
    
    
12. Names, names, names!
    If you are trying to follow the story and piece together the history of the game, it is important to get a handle on who is writing the lore you are reading. It can be extremely helpful to keep a personal log of the names of each person you encounter in lore text and some notes on each one as you read more of their texts.
    
    
13. Avoid lateral dead-ends
    The last tip is a general tip on thinking laterally. If you find yourself stuck running down a lead, QUESTION YOUR ASSUMPTIONS. Very often you will find that you are attempting to solve a problem based on reasoning that your assumptions are correct. If you are stuck on something, identify what assumptions you are making and test whether each assumption is actually true. Don't rule out anything, even if it seems like a simple or obvious assumption.

Take Notes

While the ship's log can be very helpful, you don't have access to it all the time.
I recommend taking little notes here and there if you need to remember something (especially if you have the memory of a goldfish like me).

It can be very helpful to take a quick screenshot or snap a picture with your phone as you're playing so you can reference text, images, or log entries later on!

More Help On the Fan Discord

If you are truly stuck and want a way to get spoiler-lite help, use the fan-run Discord:
https://discord.com/invite/csKYR3w

Just make a new thread in the "help" channel.

So Long and Thanks for All the Fish!

That's it! I hope this was helpful.

I really loved this game and I hope this helped you get the most out of it.

Also, if you haven't picked up the expansion, many think it is even better than the base game. My only recommendation is to wait until you have beaten the base game before installing it.

Guide icon is from u/MrSaucyAlfredo in this reddit post: https://www.reddit.com/r/outerwilds/comments/hq8go2/i_drew_a_little_hearthian/

If there are any other minor helpful tips for new players I missed, please feel free to let me know in the comments. (just be sure to use spoiler tags if it is for any sensitive information!)

[vote_cthulu]

FWIW: I agree with the author here about getting to the ship ASAP. Perhaps what is missing is a line that suggests "The amount of time you spend looking for the codes in the village should be sufficient to move on."

[The Word-Mule]

This game is more about tension than action. You're flying a spaceship through a dangerous and uncaring universe and dying frequently. But fundamentally you're still doing archaeology and figuring stuff out with a corkboard.

[Craxker]

does this game has action? like some pve or guns or idk something like that?

[pinecones_sx]

the problem isn't the time spent in the start, it is the potential for dying.

I appreciate the suggestions to change the recommendation to get to the ship asap, but I respectfully disagree.

players can go back and explore the intro area after "getting to the ship".

[Nioga]

Time is paused during the tutorial, explore the tutorial to its fullest on the first loop.

[Globbo]

This is true, until you get the launch codes for the first time time does not pass

[Master Sex]

Only thing I disagree with here is the urging to skip the basic worldbuilding/tutorials in favour of getting your ship. You can explore all you like during the start of the game and to be honest I wouldn't be surprised if there's a mechanic in place to prevent time loops ending so long as you don't have your ship. Either way, most players won't spend that long on Timber Hearth, and it helps to look at everything since the starting area has most of the info you'll need in the game.

[CuriouSaurus]

14. Remember to take some time along the way to smell the pine trees
There is no time rush, you have practically infinite time to complete the game, take your time!

[pinecones_sx]

@robbyant it can be helpful if you're not close to loop end and want to keep exploring a new / hard to reach area.

[robbyant]

I just started playing and ask myself, wether i should save or regain health at all (marshmallows for example)- when i always will be back and can start again? So when death is just start of a new loop, why avoid at all?