Species: Unknown is a tense, objective-driven co-op game where careful loadout and upgrade choices matter more than raw reflexes. You’ll balance survivability (stamina, shields), utility (threat detection, tools), and firepower (weapon selection and ammo management) while completing contracts: Extract Data, Kill Specimen, Capture Specimen, and Destroy the Area.
This Species Unknown is a tense, objective-driven co-op game where careful loadout and upgrade choices matter more than raw reflexes. You’ll balance focuses on what to unlock first, how to build a reliable team, and which weapons and tools give the best returns on time invested.
Species Unknown Guide Wiki – Build, Weapons
Build Priorities — What to Upgrade First (and why)
Order is tuned for Nightmare runs and longevity.
Suit — Stamina
Doubling stamina has immediate value: it lets you sprint, reposition, and kite effectively after being spotted. Stamina directly prevents chases from ending quickly and improves survivability against specimens that rely on burst damage.
Tools — Shield (+ Upgrade to max)
Shields protect from insta-kill mechanics and last-ditch attacks. The shield is effective in narrow spaces (e.g., shuttle path) and is the single best tool to avoid sudden wipeouts during objective returns.
Tools — Threat Detector (+ Upgrade to max)
Two specimens (octopus and robot) can appear with little sound cue. Threat Detector gives advanced warning and lets teams plan routes rather than relying on unreliable audio cues. On extract runs it prevents accidental encounters while returning to the shuttle.
Suit — Flashlight
Extended flashlight helps in dark areas (ventilation passages, crew quarters) and speeds searches for interactables and weapons. It reduces wasted time looking for objectives.
Suit — Armor Plate (lower priority)
Armor plate is expensive and offers marginal benefit relative to its cost. It reduces damage but does not prevent insta-kills; prioritize stamina + shield + detector first. Buy if you consistently take stray hits or on solo runs where players can’t cover each other.
Tools — Health Injector (+ Upgrade to max)
Useful if your team lacks proper kiting or when tackling capture contracts where sustained fights occur. Its value drops when you already have stamina and full shields on the team.
Ship — Ammo Crate
Early ammo support keeps high-demand weapons usable across multiple fights. Because healing stations are commonly available near shuttle docks, ammo is a more universal ship upgrade.
Ship — Healing Station
Helps after captures and sustained fights, but lower priority than ammo on early runs unless your team frequently dies.
Ship — Containment Cell
End-game upgrade for consistent capture rewards; don’t buy early.
Tools — Mini Map (+ Upgrade) — Not recommended
The mini map as a tool is limited in range and utility, and relying on it undermines map knowledge. It rarely substitutes for team communication and map familiarity.
Contract Advice
Extract the Data: Best early contract to farm resources while you unlock tools. Lower risk and teaches map flow.
Kill the Specimen: Start after you have at least two useful tools (shield + detector). Requires coordination for safe returns.
Capture the Specimen: End-game content; unlock everything before attempting captures reliably. Requires crowd control, patience, and often containment.
Destroy the Area: Low value relative to risk. Avoid unless you want a change of pace or the contract matches team strengths (strong shields, high mobility).
Tool Notes
Shield — A must-have for narrow path segments and engine overload sequences where instant-kill mechanics appear. Bring for Destroy the Area contracts.
Threat Detector — Use on Extract and timed objectives; lets teams preemptively reposition and set traps or anticipate specimen paths.
Health Injector — Situationally good for kill contracts or when playing with inexperienced teammates; redundant with good kiting and shield usage.
Mini Map — Not worth a slot: limited range and poor team benefit. Learn the map instead.
Weapons
General ranking based on utility, recoil/spread, and crowd control.
Shotgun — Best overall. High knockback and reliable damage at close range make it the top weapon for both solo and team play. Knockback forces specimens to reposition and buys time to reload or kite.
Laser Gun — Excellent knockback on some variants and high utility where available. Works well combined with a secondary weapon for continuous damage.
Pistol + Canisters — Flexible and reliable; good for conserving ammo while maintaining consistent DPS.
Flamethrower — Great for controlling certain specimens (Octopus, Scorpion) when used with another weapon to keep pressure.
SMG — High rate of fire for “bullet dump” strategies; useful when suppressing mobile specimens or finishing off fleeing targets. Problems: recoil, spread, and less effective at range.
AR — High single-bullet damage potential but awkward recoil and spread make it less comfortable for many players. It performs better at range in coordinated teams.
Frost Gun — Useful for slowing and control; pairs well with high-damage secondaries.
Electrical Gun — Strong burst in controlled scenarios but unreliable on some specimens (robot especially; see specimen-specific notes).
Weapon Loadout Priorities & Specimen Counters
Below are recommended pairings and why they work.
ID_006 — Octopus
Solo: Shotgun + Flamethrower
Shotgun provides knockback to disrupt grabs; flamethrower prevents the octopus from finishing close-range attacks when it “fakes death” or tries to re-engage.
Alternatives: Shotgun + SMG or AR + Flamethrower
SMG increases chance to trigger flee mechanics; AR helps at range if timed correctly.
Optional: Laser gun if you can maintain consistent aim.
ID_007 — Ghost
Solo: Shotgun + Frost Gun
Frost slows and grounds the ghost; shotgun handles close-range bursts and knockback. Avoid flamethrower because Ghost sits low and flamethrower has limited effect.
Alternatives: SMG for raw volume or Laser + AR for controlled range play.
Note: Ghost uses mobility and ethereal phases; focus on consistent suppression and tight aim.
ID_008 — Robot
Solo: Shotgun + Laser Gun or Laser + AR
Robot is jumpy; high-volume accuracy (laser) or shotgun knockback work best. Avoid electrical gun — it tends to be ineffective and can be risky in close quarters.
Alternatives: Shotgun + AR/SMG if you need sustained DPS on the move.
ID_009 — Professor
Solo: Shotgun or Laser + Electrical Gun
Professor rewards precision and range control. Electrical gun shines when paired with a ranged weapon to stagger and interrupt abilities. Double-shotgun runs can work if coordinated.
Preferred: Electrical + AR for ranged containment; Laser + SMG/AR if you need fallback options.
ID_010 — Scorpion
Solo: Shotgun + Flamethrower or Shotgun + SMG
Scorpion flees and uses venom mechanics; knockback and flamethrower disruption are strong counters. Electrical gun can be used for burst damage if you control range and timing.
Alternatives: Laser + SMG, Electrical + AR/SMG when used as a burst setup.