Decaying Winter — Your first run
About
OverviewDecaying Winter drops up to four players on EDEN-227, a hostile planet where a lethal storm rolls in every day and waves of scavengers, militarized raiders, and supernatural enemies stand between you and an evacuation ship. This guide covers the leveling and perk system, how morale and hunger work against you, which enemies to fear most, and what to do when your team keeps wiping on the same wave.
What is on this page
Contents
Your first run — getting oriented
Step
Decaying Winter is a wave-based roguelike, which means every run resets on death. You start at Level 1 with the Survivalist Perk and earn experience by killing enemies and surviving waves. A keyboard and mouse is the recommended setup, though a controller works. Press T at any time to open your agent menu — it shows the map, incoming storm timing, rations, and more, so check it constantly.
- Open the agent menu press T to see the map, storm timer, and food menu before the first wave hits.
- Check your rations find the food menu inside the agent menu and eat or drink anything you have; being starved or dehydrated lowers your melee damage and defense.
- Stay near your team spread out and everyone suffers for it when someone goes down alone.
- Learn the votekick menu press J if a teammate is actively harming the group.
Morale — the hidden threat that kills runs
Warn
Every time a player dies, the entire squad receives a Morale debuff that stacks up to four times. At four stacks of Morale you move like a snail, your defense collapses, and your melee damage drops to zero. The good news is that if nobody dies during a looting phase and its scav wave, all Morale clears. If you are already heavily damaged, carrying heavy debuffs, or sitting on multiple Morale stacks, do not leave the safe zone — dying again only makes the situation worse for everyone.
Leveling, Pledging, and ranks
SummaryYou earn EXP for every enemy killed and for surviving each wave. Once you hit Level 5 you can swap away from the default Survivalist Perk. At Level 100 a Pledge option appears — it resets you to Level 1 and costs 10,000 Odens, with each subsequent Pledge costing 10,000 more than the last. Each Pledge awards 100 Bonds to spend in the Quartermaster store and unlocks weapon skins (cosmetic only, no stat changes). There are nine ranks earned through Pledges, from Experienced all the way to Legendary.
Perks for new players
Tips
Unlock perks at Level 5 and choose one that fits how you want to play. Vagabond rewards aggressive melee play, Prophet rewards careful positioning, and Zealot turns you into the team's shield. Once you are comfortable with the game's rhythm you can experiment with other perks, but avoid Damned until you have serious experience.
- Vagabond players deal damage and cut enemies with a katana to collect dogtags — hold onto those dogtags rather than spending them on healing.
- Prophet players avoid unnecessary fights and use their ability frequently.
- Zealot players protect teammates and save the turret for when it counts — the shield should only come out when it is the difference between dying and surviving.
- Avoid the Damned perk entirely until you know the game well.
- On private servers you can try any Level 5 perk even before reaching Level 5, which makes them useful for practice.
Traits worth taking
CheckTraits modify your agent's stats and stack with your perk choice. For players who want to stay alive longer, three traits offer straightforward defensive value.
- Methodical gives plus 15 percent melee damage.
- Fearless cuts damage from explosives and gunshots by 25 percent.
- Dependable reduces all damage taken by 15 percent.
- Avoid approaching AK, SMG, Winchester, or shotgun scavengers in the looting phase the risk is not worth it.
Combat basics — parrying, shoving, and enemy behavior
TipsParry is your main tool in melee — it is more effective than a shove and lasts a bit longer. Most melee scavengers are immune to shoves. Enemies have a short detection range but see in all directions, so circling around behind one does not make you safe.
- Use parry as your default melee response — it outperforms shoves in both reliability and timing window.
- Only shove against gun-carrying scavengers or when you have no melee weapon available.
- Treat enemy heavy attacks and grapples identically when timing a parry — they share the same wind-up, but grapples cannot be shoved at all.
- Save explosives for large crowds or for Night 10 rather than burning them on single targets.
- Set graphics to level 2 — it improves framerate and makes it easier to see during the storm without much loss to view distance.
- Solo practice runs help you get comfortable with common enemies without putting morale pressure on a real team.
What to know about the map and loot
Check
Loot is what keeps your team armed and alive between waves, but not every part of the map is equally worth your time — or safe to enter. There are four Demons in the game, and if one is near you, head back to base rather than continuing to scavenge. If a Demon is not close, you can keep looting, but stay alert.
- Crates hold the most valuable loot.
- Castle is the most dangerous location on the map because it is the Raiders' base.
- When you hear or see a Demon, return to base if it is anywhere nearby.
- Scav kills during the looting phase drop rations like beans and cola pick them up and eat them through the food menu in the agent menu.
Progression milestones at a glance
TableOnce you are comfortable surviving waves, the long-term goal becomes Pledging through the nine ranks. Each rank requires you to reach Level 100, pay a growing Oden cost, and reset back to Level 1. The rewards — Bonds, cosmetics, and Quartermaster access — accumulate across all your Pledges.
| 0 Pledges | Novice rank |
| 1 Pledge | Experienced rank |
| 2 Pledges | Competent rank |
| 3 Pledges | Skilled rank |
| 4 Pledges | Proficient rank |
| 5 Pledges | Expert rank |
| 6 Pledges | Elite rank |
| 7 Pledges | Master rank |
| 8 Pledges | Veteran rank |
| 9 Pledges | Legendary rank |
Glossary
Glossary- Wave
- A timed round of enemy attacks; difficulty increases with each successive wave.
- Morale
- A stacking debuff applied to the whole team each time anyone dies, capping at four stacks and severely cutting movement speed, defense, and melee damage.
- Pledge
- A voluntary reset at Level 100 that costs Odens, resets your level to 1, and upgrades your permanent rank while granting Bonds.
- Bonds
- Currency earned through Pledging and spent in the Quartermaster store on cosmetic items.
- Odens
- In-game currency required to initiate each Pledge, with the cost rising by 10,000 per Pledge.
- Demon
- One of four especially dangerous enemy types; encountering one is a signal to retreat toward base.
- Quartermaster
- The in-game store where Bonds buy weapon skins and cosmetics that do not affect stats.
- Perk
- A character specialization that defines your playstyle; unlocked at Level 5 and changed freely between runs.
- Parry
- A timed melee defense that is more effective and lasts longer than a shove, and works against heavy attacks and grapples alike.
Common questions
FAQCan I play Decaying Winter alone?
Practicing solo is a good way to get comfortable with common enemies without putting Morale pressure on a real team. The game is built around up to four players cooperating, so a full squad makes the harder waves much more manageable.
What gets me banned?
Griefing teammates in public servers can result in a temporary ban. Exploiting the game results in a permanent ban. Using the votekick menu (press J) is the in-game way to deal with a player who is actively harming the team.
When should I change my perk?
You can swap perks once you reach Level 5. If you are new, Vagabond, Prophet, and Zealot are the most beginner-friendly options. Hold off on Damned until you have a solid understanding of how the game works.
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