Official Tutorial Tips
The official tutorial tips are collected here verbatim, with Chinese and English side by side and a link from each entry to the matching encyclopedia page. Entries are grouped by theme so they can be read in the order players meet the mechanics. The tips explain intent only; concrete values live in the mechanic articles, which list what is still not closed.
Contents
What these texts are
This page reproduces the game's official tutorial texts verbatim: titles and bodies come from the same-release official text table, shown in Chinese and English side by side, while other languages use the English text. Each entry links to the encyclopedia page that explains the mechanic, compendium entry or place behind it.
The official texts explain intent, not formulas or values; questions about concrete numbers belong to the mechanic articles, where the documented gaps are listed.
Inventory
Open your Inventory by pressing the hotkey.
Here you can manage your equipment and move items.
It can be done in a number of ways: by using your mouse to drag an item, by choosing the corresponding option in the context menu summoned by [RMB] or by pressing [Alt + LMB].
Remove the shackles to free yourself.
Searching
Surrounding interactive objects can be searched.
To search the corpse, hover over it and press [LMB].
Now pick up the items.
To take everything at once, press the button with an arrow in the container window or press the hotkey.
- Map discovery · In development
Needs
You are suffering from hunger and thirst. The stronger they are, the worse your overall condition is.
To sate them, hover your mouse over food and water and summon the context menu [RMB]. Choose "Eat" and "Drink" options accordingly.
It's also possible to quickly use items by pressing [Alt + LMB].
Onward
Well done. Now search other containers, arm yourself, and continue pushing ahead.
To move the camera, hold [MMB] - or enable edge panning in the settings.
You can also highlight the loot around you by holding the hotkey.
Leveling
You've just leveled up! Each new level allows you to learn a new ability and improve one of your Attributes.
You mostly get stronger by acquiring new abilities and finding better equipment.
Attributes have a less immediate effect, slightly improving various aspects of your character and the scaling of abilities.
To assign your Stat Points (SP), open the Character menu with the hotkey.
You can hover over each Attribute to learn about their effect.
Assign your SP to any Primary Attribute of your liking.
Some abilities aren't initially available for learning. To unlock them, you need to find and read a corresponding Treatise, reach the necessary level, or match the Attribute requirements.
You've just picked up a Treatise that can unlock the study of Pyromantic abilities.
Open your Inventory, summon the Treatise's context menu [RMB], and choose the "Read" option.
It's time to learn your freshly unlocked abilities.
Open your Abilities Menu with the hotkey, find the Pyromancy tree in the Sorcery section, and spend a point to learn "Fire Barrage".
All learned abilities can be moved to the hotbar where they can be activated with [1-0] keys or by pressing [LMB].
It's also possible to swap abilities around or remove them from the hotbar by dragging them with [LMB].
Medicine
You've been Injured.
Open the character's menu by pressing the hotkey and choose the Health tab.
Here you will find everything you need to know about your character's Health: Hunger, Thirst, Intoxication, Pain, Mental Health meters and also the condition of your Body Parts.
You receive Injuries when your body parts' condition drops below a certain threshold.
On top of that, the worse your body parts' condition is, the lower your Max Health threshold becomes
You should start with stabilizing your injury: hover over your right leg's condition bar, open its context menu [RMB] and choose the "Apply Splint" option.
Stabilized Injuries retain their negative Effect but no longer accumulate Pain. When your Body Part condition is restored to a certain threshold, it will heal completely.
To accelerate this process, use a Healing Salve.
The lower your Health, the higher your Pain Limit. Pain makes healing less effective and can even kill you if it reaches high enough numbers.
You can get rid of it with a variety of painkillers - an Ether Inhaler, for instance.
Use it to reduce your Pain.
Most painkillers are toxic and will increase your Intoxication. Intoxication is detrimental to your character's condition and is incredibly dangerous if it reaches high enough numbers.
Use the Antidote Syringe to get rid of it.
You feel better, but your Health is still low.
The best way to restore Health is to use the Rest Mode, which is only available out of battle.
Resting greatly accelerates your Hunger and Thirst gain, so it should be used sparingly.
Enter the Rest Mode by pressing the hotkey to replenish your missing Health.
Cooking
Pots can be used to prepare dishes with various beneficial effects.
To begin, fill the pot with water. It can be done by clicking [RMB] on any water vessel and choosing the "Pour Into" option.
The pot can also be filled directly from a source of water: click [RMB] on the one nearby, then choose the "Collect Water" option.
Find a campfire or start one yourself with a Brushwood Bundle.
Open the cooking menu by pressing [RMB] and choosing the "Cook" option, then place the pot into the corresponding slot.
Choose the desired dish in the recipes list and see what it requires.
After that, place the listed ingredients into the working area and press the "Cook" button.
Enjoy your meal!
Traps
You'll often encounter hidden traps. You can discover them passively - the chance to spot a trap depends on your Perception attribute.
It's also possible to reliably discover all hidden traps within your Vision by using "Examine Surroundings" - this basic skill has just been added to your hotbar.
Press [1] to use it.
The trap has been revealed. All's left is to disarm it
Summon the trap's context menu by pressing [RMB] and choose the "Disarm" option.
It's also possible to try and Evade a trap as you pass it, but it's a riskier option, more suitable for characters with high Dodge Chance. It's better not to use it for now.
- Map discovery · In development
Darkness and Lighting
Darkness reduces your character's Vision range, leaving them more vulnerable to ambushes and traps.
To drive back the shadows, equip and ignite a torch. Torches can also be ignited and thrown from the inventory to create a stationary light source at a distance.
A torch is useful in combat as well, allowing you to use the "Set Aflame" skill.
Another reliable light source is a Lantern - it can be fastened to the belt through the context menu, freeing your hands for weapons.
- Darkness and Lighting · In development
Combat
Stoneshard is a turn-based game where almost every action takes a turn.
Enemies only act when your turn ends, so you can take your time and think your actions through.
If necessary, you can skip your turns by pressing the hotkey.
Kill the guard. To do so, approach him and press [LMB] to trade strikes.
You can Inspect your opponents to gain additional information about them - open the enemy's context menu by pressing [RMB] and choose the "Inspect" option. Alternatively, you can also press a combination of [Shift + LMB].
Don't hesitate to make frequent use of this tool - the key to victory often lies in understanding your foes' abilities.
Attacks of Opportunity
Careful positioning is instrumental to surviving most encounters. Retreating from a disadvantageous spot can be tricky: whenever there's an adjacent enemy, moving to another tile has a 50% chance to trigger their attack of opportunity.
These attacks can be completely prevented only when moving with Charge and Maneuver skills.
The same rules apply to your enemies: if they attempt to retreat while adjacent to you, they'll too receive an attack of opportunity.
Knockback
Some weapons, enemies, and abilities have access to Knockback Chance - when triggered, it pushes the target a tile away from the attacker.
If an adjacent tile is occupied by any kind of object, getting knocked back against it deals damage and has a chance to Daze.
When engaging in combat, it's usually a good idea to have an empty tile behind you while leaving your enemy no room to fall back to.
Ranged Combat
Ranged weapons are particularly demanding of your character's stats and specialization.
If you want to use them effectively, you will need to invest in the "Ranged Weapons" tree.
For example, "Taking Aim" helps offset the inherently low Accuracy of all ranged weaponry, while the passive skill "Constant Practice" reduces the penalties from distance to the target.
That being said, you don't need to be an expert archer to lob smoke bombs with a sling or land occasional snap shots with a crossbow.
Don't be afraid to experiment and make use of every advantage available!
Raising the Visor
Most heavy helmets allow you to raise their visor, sacrificing some defenses in exchange for reduced stat penalties.
This can be done through the helmet's context menu in the Inventory, the character's context menu, or with Modes and Actions.
Picking Locks
Occasionally you'll encounter locked doors. To open them you can use special items - lockpicks, crowbars or fitting keys.
Pick the lock with a lockpick.
To do so, summon the door's context menu with [RMB] and choose the "Pick Lock" option.
Got Stuck?
If another character is blocking your way, summon their context menu with [RMB] and choose the "Swap" option.
Be careful though, this will not work on enemies: the only way out of being surrounded is to fight your way through.
Save System
To save the game, you need to either Sleep for any amount of time or use a suitable sleeping spot for a momentary Rest. This can usually be done in taverns, cleared-out camps, your future Caravan, or by using bedrolls, which can be crafted or bought from some traders.
Exiting the game saves your progress as well, however this exit save is deleted upon loading.
If you die in adventure mode, you can resume playing from the last save made by sleeping.
In permadeath mode your saves are irreversibly erased on death.
This map symbol indicates locations with a save point.
Magic
Magic is a powerful yet unpredictable force.
Be careful: casting multiple spells in a quick succession puts you at risk of at least one of them Backfiring, which causes you to take damage from your own magic.
Backfire Damage can be reduced by remaining on the same tile or skipping a turn after casting a spell.
Open your Character menu by pressing the hotkey and hover over "Backfire Chance" and "Backfire Damage" in the "Magic" section to learn more about this mechanic.
Scrolls
Scrolls are important items which allow a variety of interactions with your equipment.
Occasionally you may find unidentified items with unknown properties.
To learn them, you will need to use an Identification Scroll.
Some unidentified items are cursed.
Once you equip them, you can no longer let go of them until you lift a curse with a Disenchantment Scroll.
Enchantment Scrolls allow you to improve your equipment by applying various beneficial effects to it.
Trading from the Caravan
The Caravan not only lets you rest between contracts and travel quickly, but also makes trade significantly more convenient.
While the Caravan is within 2 map tiles, you can trade directly from the Caravan Storage, switching to it with a button at the edge of the Inventory.
The Trade Range can be increased with the help of certain Followers and Caravan upgrades.
Thank you for playing!
Congratulations: you've completed the portion of the main quest available during the Beta.
The remaining story will be added to the game with the final update of Early Access, after we're done working on all the mechanics and content necessary for its proper implementation.
However, it doesn't mean the adventure ends here: there are still many unexplored dungeons, contracts, locations, bosses, artefacts, and more. The world is yours to experience!
Supporter Pack: Nomad Caravan Appearance
The official popup title is "Thank you!".
Thank you for purchasing the "Supporter Pack - Nomad Caravan Appearance"!
The bonus appearances have been automatically added to your Collection. You can find them in the Appearance tab of the Caravan menu.
Good luck on your adventures!
Supporter Pack: OST & Extras
The official popup title is "Thank you!".
Thank you for purchasing the "Supporter Pack - OST & Extras"!
Your bonus items are waiting for you in the tavern's storage chest.
Good luck on your adventures!
Finale
The tutorial is complete! Now you are on your own. Survive and find your way to the next floor.
And remember: you are not a chosen one. Many enemies are just as powerful as you are.
Be careful: don't mindlessly charge ahead, avoid fighting with multiple opponents at once, try forcing one on one combat, and use your surroundings.
Good luck!
Not included and not verified
Only official entries that are complete in both Chinese and English are published here; when either language is empty or still marked as a placeholder, the entry is neither published nor translated. A few official texts are themselves still being finished, so where they disagree with the game's actual behaviour, the in-game text wins.
The official tips do not cover combat formulas, damage resolution, price formulas or equipment values; those belong to the mechanic and compendium articles and are not asserted here.