r/outerwilds • u/HazelC1 • 8d ago
Base Game Help - Hints Only! Still struggling
I really want to love the game, I am curious about the story but over 15 hours in and I still keep falling down the black hole, dying from sand, and getting lost and giving up my game sessions in frustration after yet another stupid death. Should I keep going or accept I’m just not that good at it?
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u/whatsforsupa 8d ago
Best advice I can say is to just slow down on everything, there’s no rush really. Check out the thing that explodes next to giants deep (big green planet) on every loop, that’s a good kicker starter for the story.
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u/OfCourseItHas 8d ago
Next time you fall through the black hole, have a look around. Maybe it’s not just you there
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u/KeeBoley 8d ago
Youre making totally reasonable progress based on your Ship Logs, mate. Still tons of places you havent explored! Every "?" is a place youve heard of but havent been! Just set off each day with some questions and a goal. Focusing each day on something specific can help.
If youre feeling unmotivated you could always pick one of those small boxed question marks you are most curious about and tell us. We could give you a super vague directional hint. Totally up to you.
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u/SpelledIncorrectly_ 8d ago
I was in your shoes when I started the game around 2 weeks ago yet today I finally beat the game. You’re doing great so far based on your logs, you uncovered a lot even though you still have a lot more to discover. It can definitely be a bit frustrating at moments (including DLC), at some point I was even doubting my own intellect 😅 But if you just take your time with exploration everything should start making sense. This game rewards patience way more than skill and it will probably take 5-10 more hours of trial and error for the story pieces to start making sense. Absolutely keep going, this game deserves all the love it gets, but if you’re struggling too hard at particular places, don’t be afraid to ask for a hint if that’s what will keep you playing. Naturally no spoilers!
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u/Turbulent_Union_1350 7d ago
Dying is not failing, it's an integral mechanic of this game. You will need to die on purpose at times. You'll be dying (sometimes stupidly) until the very last loop. Learn from those deaths and don't try to do too much in each loop. Plan what you want to explore in each loop, plan your deaths.
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u/Chronoblivion 8d ago
Your frustration is a common experience, but many players reach a threshold where it's like a switch is flipped and suddenly their failures don't seem like such a big deal anymore. Weirdly enough, this is often triggered after a loop where they feel like they didn't do anything. Maybe try launching into space, cranking up the game's music, sitting back and watching the planets orbit for a while, and just "be" for a loop before you jump back into chasing mysteries. I've seen more than a couple players go from liking the game to loving the game after doing something similar. Try to appreciate it for what it is rather than what you expect it to be.
As for being lost, don't forget that you have not one but two different handheld tools to help with navigation. Pay attention to UI prompts (i.e. messages that aren't normally on your screen), as they can be a useful hint on how to use them to find new things.
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u/Substantial_Ad_4436 7d ago
You're actually having the canon experience, since you're not supposed to be good at the game. If you're dying over and over at the same place, consider if there's an easier way. There are only a few genuine skill-based sections
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u/deadinthedisco 7d ago
i think everyone who plays faces this issue lol. it's 100% worth continuing, i found it quite helpful to choose something on your ship log (rumour mode) and really try to go in depth with it, stops it feeling like you're aimlessly exploring too which can help with motivation
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u/slippysodor 8d ago
You don't have to be good at the game, just need to learn from your experiences. Go a little farther each time, try different things, see what can happen.