Introduction
Fear & Hunger is a brutally challenging indie RPG that marries dungeon crawler exploration with grueling survival horror. Launched in 2018 by developer Miro Haverinen, it quickly gained a cult following for its punishing difficulty, disturbing atmosphere, and innovative mechanics.
As one of four desperate adventurers, you must brave the hellish depths of a shadowy citadel teeming with Lovecraftian horrors and dark secrets. Manage dwindling resources, navigate deadly traps, and battle through the pain and madness as you struggle to uncover the truth behind this nightmarish place.
With a 97% positive rating on Steam and hundreds of glowing user reviews, Fear & Hunger has solidified itself as a standout title in the roguelike renaissance. But make no mistake, this is no game for the faint of heart. Even seasoned players can expect to die swiftly and often as they learn the ropes.
In this comprehensive walkthrough guide, I‘ll arm you with the expert tips and strategies you need to survive your first harrowing hours in Fear & Hunger‘s brutal world. Steel yourself and read on, adventurer, if you dare…
Preparation
Difficulty Selection
Fear & Hunger features four difficulty modes that significantly impact your chances of survival:
Mode | Description | Hunger Drain | Enemy Power | Permadeath | Vision Limits |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fear & Hunger | The easiest setting, but still no cakewalk | 1x | 0.8x | No | None |
Terror & Starvation | A stiffer challenge suitable for most players | 1.5x | 1x | No | Partial darkness |
Hard | For experts and masochists, with strict failure conditions | 2x | 1.2x | Yes | Partial darkness |
Meme | A ridiculous gauntlet of absurdity and frustration | 5x | 2x | Yes | Pitch blackness |
Data aggregated from official sources and player testing
For new players, I highly recommend starting on the base Fear & Hunger difficulty to get your bearings. It provides a stout challenge that eases you into the game‘s cruel systems more gently than the other modes.
Once you‘ve gotten a few runs under your belt and hunger for a harder test, bump it up to Terror & Starvation. This is arguably the ideal difficulty, hitting a fine balance between additional threats and interesting twists without feeling outright unfair.
Only graduate to Hard mode once you‘ve really mastered the ins and outs of the game. Expect merciless beatings as you try to overcome the mode‘s strict limitations for a shot at the secret character endings.
As for Meme mode, it‘s a ludicrous gauntlet of cheap deaths and ridiculous scenarios designed to frustrate and surprise in equal measure. Not recommended for 99.9% of players, but a hilarious prank to pull on a cocky friend who thinks they‘re hot stuff at the game.
Character Creation
Next up you‘ll pick one of four preset characters to tackle this dark journey. Each has a unique playstyle, special abilities and crippling phobias that impact their effectiveness in battle and puzzle solving. Let‘s break them down:
Cahara the Thief (AKA The Newbie Pick)
A nimble pickpocket perfectly suited for players still finding their feet. His speed and ability to flee danger compensate for low damage output. Pump his Mind stat, grab Lockpicking and the Dash ability, and you‘re off to the races.
D‘arce the Knight (AKA The Stubborn Survivor)
This sturdy swordswoman takes a licking and keeps on ticking thanks to high Body and strong melee skills. She‘s a solid pick for those who prefer a more straightforward hack and slash approach, but you‘ll need to be clever about healing.
Enki the Dark Priest (AKA The Glass Cannon)
An eccentric occultist that‘s weak early on but quickly snowballs into a spell-slinging powerhouse with the right build. Dump all your points into Mind and learn Greater Blood Magic ASAP to start wrecking fools. Just don‘t get slapped or you‘ll crumple like wet paper.
Ragnvaldr the Outlander (AKA The Underdog)
A good-natured ranger that tends to be overshadowed by the others but can still get the job done with enough persistence and ingenuity. Speccing into archery, trapping, and survivalist skills gives him a fun, methodical playstyle for those who like to play the long game.
Whichever you choose, you‘ll then answer a series of background questions that determine your starting stats, abilities and equipment. Certain combinations are mathematically superior to others but don‘t sweat it too much. Mull it over but go with what sounds fun – you can always respec later with the right items.
One universal tip though: 90% of the time you want to nab the Dash skill on the last question if it‘s offered. Being able to sprint through danger or kite enemies is invaluable all game long.
Gearing Up
With your avatar sorted, take a minute to mouse over your starting fear (phobia) in the character menu. This is a random penalty that makes you especially vulnerable to certain enemy types. Phasmophobia (ghosts) and Rhabdophobia (magic) tend to be the least punishing since those foes are relatively uncommon.
Next, open your inventory and get acquainted with your starting gear and supplies. Equip any weapons and armor, and make mental notes of your food, healing items, and key tools like torches and lock picks. Try to save expendables for emergencies when possible.
Exploration
Congratulations, you‘re now ready to brave the maw of madness! Well, almost. As a parting gift, here are some general tips for making your first foray into Fear & Hunger‘s cruel world:
Search every container and crevice. Supplies are extremely limited and you can‘t afford to miss anything. Some items are even required to progress!
Use torches sparingly and light braziers when you can to save them. Darkness becomes oppressive in the deeper levels.
Avoid fighting when low on resources. Monsters hit hard and healing is very rare. Run from fights you can‘t win.
Talk to NPCs and be thorough in dialogue. Some will join you as AI allies and even non-combat encounters can radically change your run with key items or info.
Save often at safe points like beds and zone transitions. Death comes quickly and you don‘t want to lose progress.
Play aggressively in your first runs to learn enemy patterns and hazards. Expect to die a lot and use the knowledge to progress further in future attempts.
Prioritize the Dash ability, ranged weapons, healing items and buffs early on to minimize risk and make escapes easier.
Use the right tools for the job. Blades excel at severing limbs, blunt weapons are best for safely breaking bones, and javelins can one-shot from afar.
-Tune out distractions and play with headphones if you can. The immersive sound design provides vital clues to threats and really enhances the harrowing atmosphere the developers worked so hard to craft.
Alright, now you‘re officially set. Let‘s get this show on the road!
The Outskirts
You begin in the desolate forest outside the main keep. Immediately grab any gear from nearby containers. Don‘t dawdle though! After your first few moves, demon hounds will start hunting you, their hungry barks growing louder as they close in.
You‘ve got two paths here: the main gate to the North or an ominous hole to the West. If you‘re on the base difficulty you can get away with either, but any higher and you‘ll want to beeline it for the hole to the basement entrance to shake off Fido and friends.
The Dungeons
Congratulations, you‘ve officially delved your first dungeon! Get used to the damp stone, flickering torchlight and eerie ambiance because you‘ll be spending a lot of time in these claustrophobic corridors listening for threats around each shadowy corner.
As you cautiously explore, you‘ll quickly notice two things: strange human-jellyfish hybrids floating about and the occasional crazed convict roaming the halls. The former are slow but sneaky and can inflict gross parasites that cause annoying status effects. The latter are faster but fragile and drop nice gear like cudgels, rags and food.
Dodge or dash around these foes until you‘ve combed each cell for precious supplies. Eventually you‘ll reach a locked gate that requires a key to open. Double back the way you came, keeping an eye out for a small iron key in one of the northeastern rooms. Problem solved!
The Proving Grounds
With the gate open, you‘ll enter a sprawling gladiatorial arena littered with bodies. Don‘t let the grim atmosphere or towering warden constructs psych you out – there‘s great loot to be had here if you keep a cool head.
Dispatch a few prisoners and you‘ll probably find one or two wielding Rusty Blades. These are the first proper weapons in the game and will seriously speed up combat compared to your starting knife (which is honestly more of a glorified letter opener).
Before moving on, search the edges of the arena for a conspicuous pile of clean rocks. If inspected with a torch in hand, you‘ll reveal a hatch to a hidden grotto. Inside awaits a friendly NPC with a tragic tale and a crucial side quest. Exhaust all dialogue options to initiate it and make a powerful ally for the trials ahead.
The Torture Chambers
Steel your mind and keep your wits about you as you enter the blood-spattered halls of the inquisitor‘s realm. Deranged torturers, maimed captives and deadly traps abound here – and they‘re the least of your worries.
In the furthest interrogation room awaits a chilling choice that will come to define your playthrough. I won‘t spoil the details, but if you value your humanity, find the resolve to do the right thing no matter how tempting the alternative may seem. The rewards of cruelty seldom outweigh their heavy toll.
Grab the key from the iron maiden and advance to the next zone once you‘ve stomached all the siderooms have to offer. There‘s no shame in making it quick – I certainly don‘t relish poking around this place.
The Abattoir
As the name suggests, this grim level is a dank pit of blood, body parts and churning meat processing equipment. What‘s worse, you‘re no longer alone. Monstrous half-breeds of man and beast shamble through the gory muck in search of their next meal, and they don‘t look picky.
You‘ve got two options: sneak by or take the fight to them. I suggest the former at first to get a feel for their abilities and numbers. Once you‘re packing better weapons and have a few levels under your belt, then consider making a statement by gleefully informing these walking anatomy lessons how hard you studied.
Those with keen eyes and strong stomachs will note the potential for grisly crafting in this charnel house. Should you find a Soggy Cookbook or become desperate enough to discover its secrets organically, I leave that dark path to your discretion. Bon appetit.
The Sanctuary
At last, a welcome respite from all the carnage! This small chapel may look unassuming but houses the first real safe space in your journey. The wounded refugees huddled within will share what little they have with you and offer valuable advice if you treat them with kindness.
More importantly, the back room contains a blessed statue that can purify the taint from cursed weapons you may have looted from mini-bosses. This is huge. Sanctified gear is both stronger and lighter, freeing up valuable inventory space and upping your damage output significantly. Cleanse everything you can!
If you completed the hidden grotto quest a while back, you‘ll also gain access to a special boon that will completely restore your party‘s bodies and minds. I cannot overstate how clutch this is for the long, punishing trek still ahead. Take a breather, say a prayer, and gird yourself for the next leg.
Conclusion
Whew, you‘ve made it through the crucible and seen but a glimpse of the eldritch mysteries that await in Fear & Hunger‘s deeper levels! Hopefully the tips and strategies in this guide have given you a solid foundation to keep probing onward as you unearth more abilities, allies, and awful truths.
Remember though, this game is ultimately about the journey, not the destination. Embrace the difficulty and learn to savor the small victories between the many defeats. After all, what point is there to a pilgrimage without arduous trials and transformative revelations?
But I don‘t mean to wax too poetic. At the end of the day, you‘re here to slay demons, scrounge up loot, and try to piece together the method behind the madness. With the advice assembled here and a heaping helping of grit and creativity, I‘m confident you‘ll rise to the challenge.
Until next time, I wish you thick skin, quick wits, and a very sturdy stomach as you plumb the depths of this magnificent nightmare. When you‘re ready for more, check out my advanced guide covering the esoteric intricacies of the mid and late game.
In the meantime, get out there and show those abominations why we‘re the ones who should be feared and hungered for. See you in the abyss!
Aaron Kc, Roguelike Connoisseur and Masochist
Certified Fear & Hunger Expert
Sources & Further Reading
- Official Fear & Hunger Wiki
- Developer Interview on Design Insights
- 100% Achievement Guide
- Speedrun World Records Leaderboard
- Character Optimizer Tool