We Happy Few guide: How to survive in the early game

We Happy Few
We Happy Few (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

We Happy Few's twisted world is dangerous, especially during the first few hours of gameplay. Since you start with no items, things are pretty difficult. However, there are ways you can make it through the early game if you keep your eyes peeled and use your wits. Here are five tips to help you survive.

Read: We Happy Few review

Use nature to your advantage

While much of We Happy Few's game world is made up of urban areas, there are plenty of open fields filled with a variety of plants in the Garden District area. A few of these plants can be collected by the player and consumed or used for crafting.

The most useful of these is the Gilead Petal, which comes from red rose plants. These petals can be used to create healing items. Other notable plants include the Night Blooming Nonsuch, which is used to make sneaking easier, and the Rowan Berry, which can be eaten to reduce hunger.

Dress for the occasion

We Happy Few

We Happy Few (Image credit: Xbox Game Studios)

In We Happy Few, clothes make the man. What you're wearing plays a large role in how nearby NPCs will act towards you. If you're in the urban districts where high-strung citizens live, wearing anything other than a clean suit will make others wary. Conversely, if you're in the slums where the societal rejects live, it's best to intentionally damage your suit so you look more like the locals.

Transitioning from a regular suit to a torn suit is easy; just use a rock. However, repairing a torn suit back into a regular suit is a little trickier. For this, you'll need several pieces of cloth, which can be found in many containers or by destroying clothes. You'll also need a sewing kit, which tend to be rare. These items have a low chance of spawning, so grab every one you find.

Stay off the streets

If you don't have the necessary clothing to avoid suspicion in an area, you'll want to stick to the alleyways and backyards. You have a better chance of staying hidden if you're not in the streets, and you can usually still move to where you need to go without too much trouble.

Be smart about how you kill

There will come a point where you have to kill an NPC, either for self-defense or for an important item they have that you need. We Happy Few has no karma system, so you don't need to worry about getting "bad endings" for committing murder. However, you do need to worry about being caught.

Generally, you should only kill an NPC when they're isolated from others. This way, there isn't a risk of you being spotted during the event. Killing carelessly or recklessly can lead to the police searching for you, and while they can be killed, they're difficult opponents.

Get more weapons

You start the game with easy access to a lead pipe, but it breaks fairly easily after a few battles. Most weapons in We Happy Few have low durability, so you'll want to collect every single one you come across. You should also keep an eye out for glass bottles and pointy sticks, as these are arguably the two best weapons early on.

The glass bottle can be used as a ranged projectile, hitting enemies and shattering to do moderate damage. This lets you hit a foe before they are in melee range. The pointy stick is also fantastic because it has a large reach and can cause the bleeding effect on people that you hit with it.

Your thoughts

What do you think of these tips? Let me know.

We Happy Few is available now on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Steam for $59.99.

Brendan Lowry

Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.