SCP: The Red Lake Guide: Your first steps as a Security Guard
About
OverviewSCP: The Red Lake is a cooperative PvE shooter where up to 20 players defend a facility generator against waves of monsters and human enemies, then neutralize the Red Lake itself. You pick an operative, earn points, and fight through escalating threats across multiple game modes and difficulty levels. This guide covers how to get started, how each major mode works, what the enemies do, and how to unlock new operatives through badges.
What is on this page
Contents
Your first steps as a Security Guard
Step
When a match begins, your job is to stop enemies from reaching and destroying the generator. Between rounds, you vote on which game mode to play. Joining the developer group lets you start every match with 50 bonus points, which helps you buy weapons sooner.
- Join the group paste the group link from the game description into Roblox and join before your next session to earn 50 starting points every match.
- Vote after the intermission, a vote decides the mode.
- Use the crafting station you can equip up to three buff slots next to the crafting station, and two more slots are available for purchase.
- Complete Easy first finishing the Easy difficulty earns the Easy Eradication badge.
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Classic mode maps
TableClassic mode runs on three different maps. All three follow the same defend-then-pour structure, but their rewards, enemies, and operative unlock conditions differ.
| Classic (Canada) | standard rewards and mutations. |
| Forest | unique mutations and enemy types appear, and the base reward is boosted beyond the standard amount. |
| Desert | features two separate paths and sandworm enemies; completing it awards 2,500 EXP plus crafting materials and 25% Operative XP. |
Corruption and what it changes
WarnCorruption is a meter that climbs during a match. At 100% it triggers Corrupted variants of standard monsters, each of which is faster, tougher, and hits harder than its normal form. The Corrupted Riot also gains an Energy Shield that cannot be penetrated by normal attacks.
Enemy behaviors to know before you get killed by them
TipsEnemies split into monsters from the Red Lake and human soldiers from factions like the Chaos Insurgency. Knowing what triggers each enemy's dangerous moment lets you react before you take the hit.
- Walkers can jump, but only one Walker can jump at a time before a global cooldown kicks in.
- Exploders switch into a rush at 40% HP; their death explosion can kill most operatives on Brutal.
- When an Exploder dies it flings four poison puddles.
- Ghosts go invisible for 10 seconds after taking any damage and cannot be hurt during that window, but attacking while invisible removes the cloak instantly.
- Riots have a helmet and vest that can be destroyed with enough focused damage.
- Chaos Scouts have very low health but deal extremely high damage and spawn from the left-side TRU position.
UIU Raid floor-by-floor objectives
StepThe facility is three floors connected by elevators. One floor per game contains a special room chosen at random; the Vault always appears on Floor 3. Many floors also have a modifier that must be cleared before the elevator to the next floor opens.
- Floor modifiers include drilling the elevator, finding a keycard in a side room, capturing a CI or Spirit Goon for a retinal scan, or activating keypads in the corridor; the keycard must be unequipped for it to work when interacting with the elevator button.
- Human Detainment flip all 8 switches to unlock the cells, then escort all 3 hostages outside without letting enemies kill them.
- Warhead cargo bay start the drill on the container and defend against CI spawning from two garages until it opens, then deliver both warheads before they detonate; a failed delivery downs or kills nearby players.
- Storage room collect light loot from the room and carry heavy loot back to the truck; if CI Specialists take the heavy loot back to their spawn, the objective fails.
- Vault (Floor 3, always) start the PC hack and keep teammates near the terminal, since more players at the vault speeds up the progress toward 100%.
- Capture SCP-079 rather than kill him if you want tickets killing him opens the vault and every door instantly but gives no tickets, while capturing reduces your speed by 5; if 079 is active, the vault stays locked and brute-force codes require six letters.
Operatives unlocked through badges
CheckBadges earned by completing in-game challenges permanently unlock operatives. Several require Medium difficulty or higher, and a few have additional level requirements on top of the badge itself.
- Researcher complete 25 quests given by Khaan in the safehouse.
- Engineer craft 50 items total.
- Hunter reach 1,000 kills while inside a sniper tower or bunker during a single match.
- GOC complete Classic on Brutal and reach the good ending.
- Delta be an Operative Level 6 SD Captain on the Classic map on Brutal with GOC as your ally, then speak to Delta near the tree to the right of spawn during the Chaos Wave on Wave 26.
- UIU MOOT complete UIU Raid on Agony difficulty with at least 90% loot secured.
- Broken Dagger earn the To Hell and Back badge and reach Level 200.
- Internal Problem you must be playing as ISD specifically; the badge is buggy, so if it does not trigger, attempt it again.
Reward Track milestones worth knowing
TableRewards are claimed at the Reward Track in the main menu. The level numbers here are the total operative levels required, not your account level.
| Total Operative Level | Reward | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 40 | Hope buff | Bleed-out time increases by 20 seconds |
| 45 | Anatomy Book buff | 5% more firearm damage |
| 60 | Bounty Hunter buff | 25% more points earned from kills |
| 75 | Eradicator Blueprint | Lets you buy the Eradicator special weapon; deals 20% of a Walker's max HP per hit |
| 90 | Mice buff | Lose 25 HP but gain 2 speed |
| 165 | Miltech SMGs Blueprint | Lets you buy the Miltech SMGs special weapon |
| 250 | Precise Shots buff | 15% more damage on headshots |
| 260 | Battle Hardened buff | Take 15% less damage |
| 300 | Fallen Angel buff | You can be downed one additional time before dying |
| 380 | Field Medic buff | Revive players 50% faster and fully heal them on revive |
| 400 | Mutant buff | Gain 50 HP but lose 2 speed |
| 650 | Time Demon buff | All ability cooldowns are 15% shorter |
Gamepass operatives and what they offer
SummarySeveral operatives require a one-time Robux purchase. Each fills a distinct role.
- Combat Medic (249 Robux) grants the Medkit, which heals 24 HP per use, and the Heal Grenade, which heals players in an area for 5 HP every 0.8 seconds across 3 uses.
- MTF Operatives (699 Robux) four MTF operatives plus armory access and a radio for calling airdrops; MTF Commander requires Level 70 and Maz Hatters requires Level 50.
- FBI Operatives (399 Robux) four UIU operatives including UIU Assault and UIU Marksman, plus access to UIU Assault mode without the badge requirement.
- Able (2,499 Robux) melee SCP operative with up to 500 HP, a 500-damage sword, explosion resistance, and abilities unlocked at levels 6, 9, and 10.
- Agent X (Starter Pack, 149 Robux) increased health, a special G18, and Sandevistan which freezes enemies within 100 studs.
- VIP (499 Robux) 175 extra starting points, AK-47 at match start, yellow chat tag, and the SCP-035 universal skin.
Glossary
Glossary- Generator
- The structure players must protect in Classic mode; if it is destroyed the match ends in failure.
- Corruption
- A meter that rises during a match and triggers Corrupted enemy variants when it reaches 100%.
- Corrupted
- Strengthened versions of standard enemies that appear at 100% corruption, with higher speed, damage, and health than their normal forms.
- Operative
- The character class you play as; each has unique perks, weapons, and abilities, and many are locked behind badges or purchases.
- Operative Level
- A per-operative progression counter separate from your account level; it unlocks perks and abilities for that specific operative.
- Deathwish
- A high-difficulty challenge mode required as a condition for unlocking certain operatives such as Frostkill and Broken Dagger.
- Vault
- A fixed objective room that always appears on Floor 3 in UIU Raid; the PC hack inside must reach 100% to open it.
- Pouring
- The final action in Classic mode that neutralizes the Red Lake; players must initiate it after surviving enough waves to complete the match.
- Mutation
- A special game condition that changes which enemies spawn, such as the skeletons mutation that triggers the Undead Army badge.
- Reward Track
- A progression system in the main menu that pays out buffs, blueprints, and materials as your combined operative levels increase.
Common questions
FAQDoes it matter which difficulty I play on for badge progress?
Yes. Many badge conditions specifically require Medium or higher, and several operative unlocks — including GOC and the good-ending badges — require Brutal.
How do I unlock the Delta operative?
You need to be playing as SD Captain at Operative Level 6 on the Classic map with GOC as your ally on Brutal difficulty. During the Chaos Wave on Wave 26, Delta spawns near the tree to the right of spawn. Walk up and talk to him with all requirements already met and you will receive the badge and operative unlock.
Why is the Professional Camper badge so hard to get?
You need 1,000 kills from inside a sniper tower or bunker in a single match. Placing units such as GOC Units or Bunnies keeps enemies flowing past your position, and not activating re-pouring at 50% allows waves to continue; this strategy only works on Medium or higher. The Shapeshifter operative as Bolty can also count kills toward the badge when near a tower.
What happens if I capture SCP-079 in UIU Raid instead of killing him?
Capturing him earns a large ticket payout but reduces your walk speed by 5 for the rest of the match because he is very heavy to carry. Killing him immediately opens the vault and every door in the facility, but you receive no tickets for the kill.
Can I still get the Circus badge now that Kevin The Janitor's Noisemaker method is gone?
Yes. The badge is now earned by interacting with a clown hat that Moderators or above can spawn in a server.
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