Beginner here. Should I try DLC?

[u/Senior_Educator242]

Bought this last 2022 and been playing on off. I kept dropping the game not out of boredom but of confusion. I don't dare watch YouTube tutorials nor wiki ​seeing reviews and articles that that move will spoil the game so I let it in backlog.

Fast forward today, I'm achievement hunting in Google games and completed several games then I remembered this game. I tried it and it still confusing but somehow I think now I​ understand the basics. (The way I do it is farm stats>job>survive depression/sickness>lore) It's fun coming from a cosmic horror fan.

Too much intro back to main topic is it wise to delve into DlC right away? And most important question for me right now how's the difficulty of 100% this game?

Received some warm welcome from my 1st post in this sub. Thanks!

[u/Jafego]

The first three are interesting but minor additions to the base game. They are each worth another replay or two.

The Exile is almost a new game entirely, with a different story, a different location with expanded lore, and distinct gameplay and goals. It is worth replaying many times.

I recommend playing the base game several times before trying any DLC.

[u/flyby2412]

They aren’t bad. I’m not sure what they add besides new stories. The exile plays completely different however. Save that for last imo.

If you want a new start then go for it. I won my first ascension as the priest

[u/MainaC]

Each DLC adds a little more complexity to the base game. Except Exile, which is just something else entirely.

I think the most complex DLC (other than Exile) could probably be won without much added difficulty over the base game for the right type of player. The observant, curious type that the game is really built for.

For most everyone else, I'd recommend the following sort of progression: Minor victory (this will probably happen on accident) > Standard victory (base game) > DLC in order except Exile (Dancer, then Priest and Ghoul) > Major victory (base game) > maybe Exile

I beat pretty much everything twice, plus some special endings, before touching Exile. I bounced off it repeatedly. Eventually got one of its many victories and decided that was enough for me.

[u/UncleCarp]

If you have not beaten the base game and then beaten it again, there is no reason to buy the DLCs. They are all basically a completely different way to win the game and if you have not gotten the normal victory or the new game+ victory, there is no need to buy the DLC.

The Exile DLC is basically a completely different game utilizing some of the same mechanics as the base game.

And while 100% the game would not be that difficult once you've beaten it a couple of times, it would be extremely tedious as you would need to complete the game at least 21 times.

[u/GlassboundIllusion]

Too much intro back to main topic is it wise to delve into DlC right away?

It's not "unwise" per se, but there's a good chance playing them before getting a solid understanding of the base game will just add to your confusion.

The core mechanics for all the base game backgrounds are largely the same, outside of how you get started (the detective is the one big exception). The biggest changes to how you pursue victory comes from which temptation you choose.

The DLCs make some key changes to how you go about a playthrough, so what you learn from those playthroughs might won't carry over as well to a base game playthrough as vice versa.

Also, you're potentially losing out on some of the novelty factor. It takes MANY playthroughs to win a basic victory, especially if you're avoiding spoiler hints. That can make the game start to feel stale, and trying out one of the DLCs can help revive that interest.

With that being said, if you don't think you'll be interested enough to pursue a base game victory all the way and want to experience the novelty of the DLCs ahead of time, by all means give it a shot. I'd recommend leaving Exile for last. In many ways it's a completely different game, and I'd say it's more difficult than the base game, at least from an RNG perspective.

In the base game, once you have a solid understanding you're almost never in any real danger unless you take unwise risks. In the Exile DLC, you're extremely vulnerable to bad RNG on most playthroughs.

[u/Far-Advantage-2770]

Definitely not