Making it to double-digits is a difficult task to achieve in R.E.P.O., and there’s nothing worse than visiting the Disposal Arena when you were on a roll. Whether you’re paying the Taxman solo or with friends, here are our top tips to truly go far in your shift at R.E.P.O.
R.E.P.O. guide: Beginner’s tips and tricks
Play like you’re Spyro’s Moneybags
Always fill the extraction point with as much as you can and aim to exceed the quota every time. This will give you a giant money bag which is significantly easier to carry around, instead of playing Tetris with your valuables as you squeeze them into the C.A.R.T. While money bags can weight a lot as you can reach $85K in contents alone, you should carry this inside the C.A.R.T. and drop the bag off next to the newly activated extraction point. This frees the C.A.R.T. for you to collect new valuables for this extraction point. Repeat the process until all extractors have been used.
Play slow, play smart
After completing your first extraction point, always look for the furthest extractor on the level. While this takes an awfully long time if you don’t have an Extraction Tracker, it is a lifesaver when you need to exfil. The purpose of this tip is to save you at the end of a round, where you should complete the extraction point closest to the truck before leaving. This tip is relevant from level two and increases in importance the further you get.
Learn to look up
Gamers are known to never look up, but you must get used to your surroundings. A lot of expensive valuables are found on top of high structures. These become harder to reach in later levels as platforming gets introduced. You should pass through rooms and refer to the map for any valuables you may have missed (yellow dot on the map). These won’t show valuables in hard-to-reach places like Academy balconies. If you want to clear a level by extracting all valuables, invest in the Double Jump Upgrade, Zero Gravity Drone, and work on your Cauldron jumping skills to find all the loot on a level.
There isn’t any fall damage inside the extraction points and C.A.R.T. This means you can throw things in without worrying about them breaking. Strategize what you put on each extractor and in what order. The extractor can break items if you haven’t placed them inside the extraction point properly. Refer to the corners of the extraction point box as a guide on where you can place valuables. Monsters can damage valuables inside the C.A.R.T. or on the extraction point. Some monsters (Animal and Gnome) will purposely target your valuables.
Upgrade your health at least once
The most damage you can take from a monster is 100 (Huntsman, Robe, Trudge, and Clown). If you upgrade your health stat at least once, you will massively increase your survivability, and it stops you from dying to enemies that can one-shot you on default. Do this first before investing in weapons and other upgrades. 120HP is recommended, and you can rock around 110HP in future levels as you don’t need to replenish your entire health bar so long as you’re over 100HP.
Loot small, think big
Loot all small, fragile valuables close to the extraction point first. Avoid going into larger rooms that connect to the deeper layers of the level. These typically house monsters as they spawn in far from the first extraction point. Smaller enemies with high mobility (Gnome, Apex Predator, Animal, Upscream, and Banger) may greet you earlier than large, slower creatures that can one-shot you. This gives you time to complete the first extraction point before running into any monsters. Refer to the map and avoid large, unexplored areas (darkened rooms with a question mark) at the start of a round.
In the same breath, you should never run through a closed door. You don’t know what’s on the side and this could ruin your high quota attempt if you try to speedrun the level. Later levels add environmental hazards, death drops, and increase the number of spawned monsters. Slow down and open doors with left-click so you have time to react if there’s a monster or a drop on the other side.
Fight back with valuables
If you don’t have the funds for weapons, using valuables is a great option if reaching a ridiculously high quota isn’t your top priority. Upgrade your strength at least twice to pick up medium valuables you can then slam into monsters. This will stun them (albeit temporarily), allowing you to grab small to medium monsters to continuously slam against the floor. So long as you’re doing damage, they will remain stunned. Be careful, as you can hurt your teammates and accidentally kill them if they’re on low HP. If you’re playing alone, do not try this on heavier enemies with high health pools (Clown, Trudge, Headman, and Robe).
Solo strats
Bring a versatile loadout
Take a Tranq Gun and Feather Drone to throw monsters off the map. Feather Drone is incredibly useful for moving valuables or monsters of any weight and size without having to upgrade strength. The Tranq Gun drains Energy Crystals significantly faster than Drones, so use this powerful weapon as a last resort.
Save your stamina and get used to walking around. Stamina depletes incredibly fast, regardless of how many times you’ve upgraded it. So you need to keep your stamina maxed out when no monsters are around.
Kill enemies after completing extraction points. Monsters respawn when you complete an extraction. Killing them gives you extra money and certainty that you’re safe from danger until the next extraction. Don’t take on all monsters, however. Choose your target depending on your loadout and upgrades. Avoid enemies that can kill you quickly and have larger health pools (Robe, Trudge, Clown, and Headman) unless you have weapons that will protect you from harm (Tranq Gun, Shotgun, Stun Grenade, or Baseball Bat).
Know where to hide
Go to different floors (first floor or basement) to hide from enemies as they don’t typically follow you or explore another floor in their patrol. Monsters spawn on the ground floor, usually at the furthest point from the truck. Try your best to stay behind monsters at all times. This lets you remain undetected and also gives you the opening you need to ambush them. Never fight a monster head-on. Most can disarm you, wasting a weapon charge and putting yourself in a vulnerable position that’ll likely kill you.
Turn gamma up
We recommend between a gamma setting 60-65, as anything more could ruin the experience. This is needed exclusively for when you exfil as you will spend most of your time crouched, where your flashlight automatically turns off. Refer to the map (Tab) to remind you of the route back (white dot trail), but be aware, monsters will specifically roam on this path. Therefore, we recommend you keep the route in mind so you know the direction back to the truck, but navigate around it when you can, rather than strictly sticking to the white trail.
You can also turn off Motion Blur, Lens Distortion, Bloom, and Grain to help clear visual clutter.
The C.A.R.T. doesn’t just carry loot
Use the C.A.R.T. to reach tall structures. Don’t jump and grab as you can easily destroy fragile goods. Rely on the scroll wheel to bring items to you. You can also crouch-walk while moving the C.A.R.T., giving you makeshift cover that you can continuously move. This can be used to hide from enemies. Hold the C.A.R.T. at its side to switch it to Weak Mode, making it easier to shift inside extraction points, transfer upstairs, and shimmy across wooden beams without obscuring your vision.
Just like using the C.A.R.T., you should hide from cover whenever you can as all monsters patrol. Doors, tables, chairs, and beds are viable hiding spots. However, the best hiding spot is underneath beds or long tables. These protect you even if a monster sees you. You can keep shuffling inside a hiding spot and avoid taking damage from an enemy. Monsters can easily grab you if they see you retreat to a chair, cupboard, or small table.
Invest in upgrades and drones, not weapons
You almost want to play R.E.P.O. as a pacifist. You don’t have to play scared, crouch-walking everywhere, but you need to play smart and slow, keeping your stamina high. We recommend upgrading your stamina and health at least once and your sprint speed and strength at least twice. The Tranq Gun, Indestructible Drone, and Feather Drone are our top picks for solo players, as you can take isolated fights, slamming stunned enemies into the ground or throwing them off the map in later rounds.
Team strats
Strategize and delegate roles
Assign a player to use the Map Player Count Upgrade. This person should go to the truck when the final extraction point is being completed. They can check if anyone has died when attempting exfil and bring back their heads (so long as they’re close enough to the truck). Don’t risk stepping out of the truck if everyone has died. If the area is safe enough, you can revive someone by bringing their head to the truck, where they will get 25HP upon respawn. Otherwise, the Map Player Count user must ensure they survive so they can leave at the end of the round if everyone has died.
Everyone should have a different loadout and invest in unique gameplay mechanics. Here are our recommendations:
| Role | Function | Drone(s) | Weapon(s) | Upgrade(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Collector | Platforming role focussed on collecting valuables that are hard to reach without upgrades or equipment. Drone user | Should be given the Feather Drone and Indestructible Drone to pass heavy valuables to teammates on the ground. | – | Health Upgrade (two) Double Jump Upgrade (three or above) Range Upgrade (two) Tumble Launch Upgrade (two) |
| Transporter | Tasked to bring heavy items to the extraction point. | Feather Drone and Indestructible Drone. | – | Health Upgrade (two) Stamina Upgrade (three) |
| Muscle | The monster hunters. | – | Baseball Bat / Shotgun / Gun / Frying Pan | Health Upgrade (two) Strength Upgrade (above three) |
| Survivor | The sole survivor of the team that needs to live and return to the truck before exfil starts. | Recharge Drone | Tranq Gun | Health Upgrade (three or above) Map Player Count Upgrade |
| Technician | Focussed around throwables to take out monsters or hinder their movements temporarily so that their team can move around without being spotted. | – | Stun Mine / Explosive Mine / Stun Grenade / Duct Taped Grenades / Grenade | Health Upgrade (two) Stamina Upgrade (two) Sprint Speed (two) |
A useful tip and one everyone should know when you’re playing with friends is that Broken One heads appear as red dots on the map. This will tell you the location of their head, which you need to bring to the active extraction point to revive them. The Map Player Count tells you if someone’s died, so you can just keep your eye on the map (with Tab) and search for any red dots as indicators for your deceased friend’s location.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Travel in pairs in double-digit levels or invest in Strength Upgrades (three minimum) to carry enemies off the map when they’re stunned. You can stun with Grenades, Tranq Gun, or medium to heavy valuables. Use Indestructible Drone to protect valuables or sacrifice loot to take a monster out. Later levels add environmental hazards you can use to your advantage. All monsters can be stunned. We recommend the Tranq Gun, as you can pick up stunned monsters and throw them into death pits and acid pools.
Alternatively, teammates can collectively hold and slam stunned monsters to kill them. The safest bet, however, is to pair the Tranq Gun with the Recharge Drone (investing in Energy Crystals). This means a weapon isn’t necessarily needed if you’re with four or more players.
| Monsters you can grab without stunning (high strength or teamwork needed) | Monsters you HAVE to stun | Monsters you don’t need to stun and can easily kill |
|---|---|---|
| Chef Animal Upscream Rugrat |
Robe Headman Clown Trudge Huntsman (can stun himself on stairs) Reaper Apex Predator |
Bowtie Banger Gnome Spewer Mentalist |
Know what can kill monsters
Any monster can be thrown off the map if you have either a Feather Drone or three or more Strength Upgrades equipped. They must be stunned first (aside from the Animal). But it’s good to know that the Duck can be killed inside the extractor or Academy Cauldron, the Huntsman can stun himself by tripping on stairs, the Bangers can kill the Bowtie, and the Animal tramples Gnomes. Never try to kill monsters if there are more than two enemy types present in one room.
Don’t rush
Leave large valuables next to the extractor before you fill the C.A.R.T. Then, assign someone to move that large object onto the extractor while another transfers the C.A.R.T. to the point, giving you the most amount of money possible from one extraction. The goal is to get the largest money bag for the upcoming extraction point.
Tumble launch is your friend
You’d be surprised how helpful this mechanic is. It can be used to avoid the Hunstman’s gunshot and the Clown’s laser beam. It can stun Shadow Child, forcing her to teleport away. It can save multiple friends from death as you can curl up into a ball inside the Mentalist’s force field or take them away from the Peeper’s captivating gaze. You can pair this with the Roll Drone (although it’s not essential) for extra mobility when evading monsters or getting to hiding spots faster.
Spend your money wisely
Divide health based on purchased health packs, so you’re not wasting them. Purchase large health packs rather than multiple small or medium, this way you can hand over health (transfer 10HP at a time by interacting with your teammate’s neck) and replenish 100HP from a single pack. This will save you more money in the long term.
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