MISERY drops you into a harsh, unpredictable survival sandbox filled with danger, radiation, and anomalies that don’t forgive mistakes. This MISERY Beginner Guide will help you understand the game’s early systems — from looting and combat to anomalies and bunker management — so you can build a steady start instead of dying in your first few days.
MISERY Beginner Guide Wiki – Save game, Loot Priority
1. The Beginning: First Steps and Loot Priority
When you start a new save, you’ll spawn inside your bunker. This is your personal safehouse — but don’t get too comfortable. The moment you leave through the bunker door, you’ll be placed at a random location inside your house, and the clock starts ticking.
You have 60 seconds to grab whatever you can before the Zone consumes the area.
What to Loot First
Your goal in this short window is to grab practical survival essentials. Here’s the priority:
Clothing and Armor: Look for any jackets, pants, or helmets — these reduce incoming damage and help with temperature and radiation resistance.
Backpack: This increases your carrying capacity and lets you bring more supplies back to your bunker.
Healing Items: Bandages and medkits are your lifeline early on. Healing is harder to find in the Zone than food or water.
Melee Weapon: If you’re lucky, you might find a machete — one of the best early melee weapons. If not, a bat or axe works fine.
What Not to Focus On
Don’t waste your precious seconds on:
- Furniture or junk items
- Excess food and water (you’ll find plenty later)
- Decorative or crafting materials early on
The first minute determines whether you walk into the Zone prepared or vulnerable. Healing and defense come first — everything else can wait.
2. The Zone: How It Works
The Zone is the heart of MISERY — unpredictable, hostile, and constantly changing.
Daily Map Generation
Every new day generates a fresh map, meaning:
- Layouts, buildings, and loot spots change daily.
- Every 5 days or so, the world evolves — new structures, anomalies, and dangers appear.
- Over time, you’ll start encountering entirely new environments, like subterranean bunkers or heavily irradiated scrapyards.
No two runs feel the same. You can’t memorize locations; you have to adapt.
Should You Avoid Combat?
Yes — especially in the early game.
Enemies deal heavy damage, and without proper armor, fights can end instantly.
When possible:
- Sneak or run instead of fighting.
- Scout with binoculars or a scoped weapon before approaching.
- Only fight if you have to — or if you’re certain you can win.
If you need protection, look for:
- Bandit Jacket or Tourist Jacket
- Steel Helmet (a solid defense boost early on)
Remember: Surviving is better than winning fights you don’t need to take.
Anomalies and Environmental Hazards
Anomalies are unpredictable phenomena scattered throughout the Zone. They’re deadly and often invisible until it’s too late. Here’s what to look out for:
1. Black Hole Anomaly
- Visible from a distance as small swirling distortions.
- Damages you on contact and pulls nearby objects.
- Usually easy to spot and avoid — but deadly up close.
2. Spike Anomaly
- Deals immediate physical damage when triggered.
- Nearly invisible and sometimes turns completely invisible for short periods.
- Listen for subtle sound cues before moving into suspiciously empty areas.
3. Flying Anomaly
- Invisible, most often found in scrapyards.
- Launches you into the air, causing fall damage on landing.
- Scrapyards are high-risk zones due to radiation and these anomalies combined.
Scrapyard Tip:
There’s often a small parkour course in scrapyards with decent loot at the end. The risk is high — you’ll face strong radiation and potential falls — but the rewards can be worth it with proper gear.
Extra Hazards
The Zone doesn’t just rely on anomalies. Occasionally, a plane will fly overhead — and it’s not friendly.
When you hear the rumble of engines, look up immediately.
Run opposite the direction it’s flying to minimize bomb damage.
Sometimes, the plane won’t attack — but don’t take the chance.
3. The Bunker:
Your bunker is where you’ll return between expeditions — to store loot, heal, craft, and survive the long term.
Bunker Features
- Storage Bench: Safely store weapons, items, and materials here.
- Crafting Bench: Create useful gear and items using scavenged materials.
- Incinerator: Burn trash and scrap metal to produce metal bars (requires fuel).
- Generator: Powers your bunker systems when you supply it with fuel.
Bunker Expansion
You can expand your bunker using sledgehammers.
Either craft one or find one in the Zone. Breaking bunker walls opens new areas, allowing more space for storage or furniture placement.
Item Persistence
Not all items are lost when the map resets:
- Items inside your bunker or in the yard outside are safe.
- Only items left in the Zone are wiped when a new map is generated.
Life in the Bunker
You can sleep, manage your inventory, and even share moments with companions — drinking vodka with your comrades or dwarves adds some levity to the grim setting.
It’s your home between hellish days in the Zone — use it wisely.