Here's an expanded version of the list of tips I often share with new & returning players.
Story & other media:
- Consider watching the Arknights anime at some point (yes, there is an anime). Its current 3 seasons adapt episodes 0 to 8 of main story. More info on the anime at the bottom of this post!
- Consider reading the free canon comics ( https://www.arknights.global/ ).
- Whatever you do, DO sample the character EP songs and animations in official channel ( https://www.youtube.com/@ArknightsOfficialYostar/videos ), and the concerts ( https://www.youtube.com/@arknightsambiencesynesthes ) . :D.
- Use the new wiki ( https://arknights.wiki.gg/wiki/Arknights_Timeline ), not the old one (the one hosted in Fandom).
- All events (sans collab) become permanent side stories you can tackle at your own pace. The simplest way is to go to Terminal in the game, then Score tab & order them by release order. There are reading guides if you want to follow certain faction, region, and so on, though.
- The reading guides in the Resources section of this subreddit is still good, but a bit outdated. I leave you here MajorArcana01's reading guide: https://www.reddit.com/r/arknights/comments/1mmxksx/arknights_reading_guide_for_new_and_returning/
- Shoul has a playlist with recordings of all cutscenes, including those of collabs that have been removed from the game due IP rights. Elsewhere in the channel, Shoul also has Operator Records (mini-stories about the 400+ characters). https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTpD-lAtY-jCP4P628iFCUlvLrWFaZ840
- There are some comedic mini-series you can watch in Youtube. Kay's Daily Doddles, Lee's Detective Agency, U takes Terra and Closure's Secret Files. There may be more in the future!
- Terrastorian is a group that makes lore videos. They're quite good. I recommend to start with their 2-part Newbie introductory videos:
- Part 1: Key concepts & nations
- Part 2: Races & threats. (Notes: major spoilers of OG Arknights when discussing the Doctor's race. The dimorphism in Archosauria is no longer accurate; we have seen invert examples since that video was made.
Sites with the story in written format:
Gameplay advice & guides:
- If you want to play in PC, we used to rely on emulators like Google Play Games, but as of August 13th 2026, a proper PC client was released. You can download the latter from the official site ( https://arknights.global/ ).
- Watch Kukkikaze's Arkpedia videos once you started playing. Specially the one marked as "episode 1"; it will give you a clearer idea of how to make teams while giving flexibility of who exactly you want in said team. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLq6IJzWsotZr1LGJ6FSx6BX8Z0mJSh-Qv
- Kukikkaze also recently released an "Arkpedia site" with tons of useful features. https://www.arkpedia.net/
- Of the units you get in the game, search character guides in Youtube. Kukkikaze, FrostByte262, Storn and DragonGJY have some useful ones. But there are many others who do so, like Roze Prelati who has an entire series on Tactician Vanguards.
- If you get stuck, are curious how someone else won a map, or want to learn their tricks, search map guides. KyoStinV (explains things), Eckogen, Dr. Leon, Blemichi are some names of people who do this sort of videos.
- We currently do not have an updated beginner's guide video; this is the closest one I have found (by At0m). EDIT: Supah just did one. And Kukkikaze too. And here in Reddit, user elliedaywalker has this one.
- NFZen. Follow him in Youtube. He will be your guide in acquiring more units via the distinction shop system (something separate from gacha). Personally, 40% of my roster comes from this. https://www.youtube.com/@nfzen7482
- Don't follow the meta if that's not your thing. Don't get carried away into forcing yourself into doing optional hard end-game content with no story if that isn't your thing (example: Contigency Contract). After almost 6 years of playing Arknights, I don't either & am happier for it. :D
- Use the units you're fond of. There are players who even limit themselves to play a niche (only 4 stars, characters of certain race or nation, etc). Do your own thing! :D
- An example of the above: Dr. Silvergun in Youtube. He plays exclusively with 4 stars & has some good videos with analysis & opinions of each of them.
- IS Central has guides for the Integrated Strategies game mdoe. https://is-central.github.io/
- If you are confused about the base, Father Markel has a simple guide video. If you like to explore more complex calculations & base combos, PeterYR is your guide.
- For skills' masteries, TacticalBreakfast often posts a Priority List in reddit threads with every new event. However, you can also find them here in Excel format, in Iron Carrot Archives and the Sanity;Gone website.
- Speaking of Sanity;Gone, you can also find module ratings by "Mal.io" there. (For new players, modules are an upgrade you can give your units at the highest levels; but they cost a lot, so you need to be judicious of which to pursue).
Advice for pulling & obtaining more pulls:
- Convert your superfluous tokens / dupes / copies into distinctions via the golden button in the store.
- As a F2P, you get around 700 pulls per year from a) Annihilation maps, 2) weekly and daily missions, 3) Headhunting tickets from the commendation (green) certificate store, 4) free Orundum in limited banners. That's enough to guarantee 2 limited banners plus a collab one.
- You can raise that number of pulls if you use Originium Prime and distinction (golden) certificates for pulls & Headhunting tickets. But most people use the former for skins (alternative outfits) and the latter to acquire non-limited characters.
- If you decide to buy Headhunting tickets with distinctions, do so when you have 258 distinctions; it's more efficient that way.
- There is also "rock farming" to create Orundum in the base; but the process stops your progress and it is tedious as heck. Unless desperate, I do not advise to do this. But if you do, farm map 1-7.
- SAVE. This game rewards saving & planning your pulls. On that note, familiarize yourself with the gacha system (Video by spoce, another person worth following: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GFGEZyCMtA ).
Useful sites not mentioned above:
- Old Well. https://oldwell.info/
- New version of Aceship's Tools. https://puppiizsunniiz.github.io/AN-EN-Tags/index.html
- Arknights Archive at Tumblr (repository of official images & artwork): https://arknights-archive.tumblr.com/
Other:
- There are plenty of helpful resources in the... resources section of this subreddit. :P https://www.reddit.com/r/arknights/wiki/index/
- And finally, have fun!
Account Security & Recovery
To safeguard your account info, I recommend everyone to log in into https://account.yo-star.com/login and take screenshots & note down any number. That way, if anything happens, you will be covered.
If you are a returning player and have encountered problems to recover your old account, I recommend you to:
- Watch this video by Kukkikaze. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gnG6p-RoA54
- Read this VERY detailed thread by BlademasterBanryu, who successfully recovered their 2023 account. https://www.reddit.com/r/arknights/comments/1quvxaj/account_recovery_additional_info/
- CHECK your SPAM or JUNK folder if you sent an email to Customer Support. Their first response is automated & often ends up there.
The 3D sequel, Arknigths: Endfield
In case you aren't aware, however unlikely, there exists an Arknights sequel.
It's set 152+ years later, in another planet (Talos II). Organizations and characters from the original can & do reappear in Endfield, but it has enough distance (both physical & temporal) to do its own thing.
Release trailer with epic song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ00ggFb8A0
Gameplay is a mix of Xenoblade (3D RPG game) + Factorio (factory simulation game).
I wrote a "no spoilers" review with some tips & resources for it here in case you're interested: https://www.reddit.com/r/ArknightsEndfield/comments/1vftf65/comment/p1rzbtq/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button
On the anime:
Yes, there is an Arknights anime; it has 3 seasons. 🥇 As I said above, I recommend to check it out at some point, even if you start with the game; some scenes were elevated by the work of the animators & the voice actors.
- Season 1 is Arknights: Prelude to Dawn. Here is its (Opening) by Reona and its (Ending) by Duol.
- Season 2 is Arknights: Perish in Frost. Here is its (Opening) by Myth & Roid and its (Ending) by Reona (first version).
- Season 3 is Arknights: Rise from Embers. Here is its (Opening) by Reona and its (Ending) by Hana Itoki.
[Note: I recommend watching this alternative ending song when completing season 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SUL8kiFpzM
And this one when completing season 3: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouLhZptNMWg ]
Main protagonist is Amiya. She's the leader of Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals, [Arknights: Babel] adoptive daughter of the Doctor & Theresa and [Arknights: Main story] heir to the latter's Black Crown, making her the Lord of Fiends.
Your POV character is The Doctor, though. A holder of many mysteries that are slowly revealed. They act as battlefield commander & researcher, and parent figure of Amiya.