Nightingale is a new open-world survival title from Inflexion Games. Set after the world collapsed, brave explorers known as Realmwalkers travel through portals in the hopes of reaching the eponymous city of Nightingale, said to be humanity’s last bastion.

Now, it’s your turn to make the journey through the Fae Realms. You can either strike out on your own, or as part of a group of up to six other players. Whether you choose to explore solo or not, our Nightingale beginner’s guide has all the tips you need to start your adventure.
 

Keep an eye out for Puck

Nightingale is set in the Fae Realms, vast landscapes that were once the domain of the Fae. A peculiar fellow, Puck, serves as your mentor as you follow the initial steps of Nightingale's campaign. Whenever you complete an objective and are asked to talk to Puck, simply look around the same area to find him. He usually spawns nearby.

 

Craft cards to explore different Realms

The core gameplay loop of Nightingale involves crafting cards that can be used to travel through portals to other Realms. These lands are where you’ll gather more materials and acquire various blueprints, enabling you to progress even further.

You’re initially allowed to combine two cards. The first determines the biome (forest, desert, swamp, and so on) while the other determines the type of Realm (Byways, Abeyance, Antiquarian, and such). It’s also possible to set the Realm’s difficulty, as well as whether it's Private (for solo players) or Public (if you want random players to join your adventure).

Later, you may also encounter Realmic Transmuters. These machines consume cards that add certain modifiers to the current realm. For instance, it’s possible to never have the sun set in your current realm—or, conversely, to turn it into perpetual night and boost item drops from enemies.

 

Understand the attributes pertaining to your survival

Given that Nightingale is an open-world survival game, it’s important to understand three key attributes, represented as bars or meters in the lower-left corner of your screen:

• Health (red bar): Represents your character’s vitality and how much damage you’ve taken. Your health regenerates over time.
• Rest (blue bar): Denotes how much you’ve overexerted yourself, which is why you also need to take short rests or long rests with your character.
• Hunger (green bar): You have to keep eating food in order to survive.

If any of these are fully depleted, your character will perish and respawn at the last activated Estate Cairn.

Seek shelter, build your Estate Cairn, and prioritize bonuses from comfort

It’s always a good idea to seek shelter whenever you suffer from environmental hazards like extreme heat or hailstorms. Shelter can be as simple as finding a cave or building a makeshift tent—anything that puts a roof over your head.

Other bonuses from comfort affect not just your character, but also the Workbenches that you build. For instance, fixtures placed on rock-hard ground and stone foundations increase grit, while setting up near a fire ensures your surroundings are well-lit. Maximizing these comfort bonuses buffs your character’s health and stamina regeneration, as well as the crafting speed when you use Workbenches.

You should also construct the Estate Cairn in an Abeyance Realm. This landmark denotes what is considered as your “home realm” regardless of where you travel to next, and acts as both a fast travel point and respawn point.

 

Craft better gear and tools

The overall level of your character’s equipment is determined by “gear score." The higher it is, the better your capabilities in combat and in certain other activities where gearscore comes into play. You start Nightingale with Makeshift weapons and outfits made from simple materials, but you’ll soon unlock blueprints that require higher-end resources.

And higher-end resources require better tools. You won't even be able to gather many of the resources you encounter early on because your equipment isn't fit for purpose. For example, you only need a Makeshift Mining Pick to break down stone, but gathering tin and quartz requires a Simple Mining Pick.

 

Collect berries, mushrooms, and meat for food

Surviving the wilds in Nightingale entails eating lots of food. (We’re not kidding about this one.) The aforementioned Hunger meter constantly depletes while you play, and you'll need to gather as much food as possible to stay alive.

Berries and mushrooms can be gathered with just your bare hands by pressing the 'E' key. You won’t even need tools. As for meat, you'll need to slay animals in the realms you visit and then slash the carcass with a Hunting Knife to collect their meat, hide, and bones.

Once you've acquired some ingredients, simply build a Campfire using six rocks and start cooking. Make sure cooked food is assigned to a keybind as well so you can quickly use it by pressing the 'F' key.

Bring a torch with you at all times

The Makeshift Torch is one of the most important tools that you should bring with you for the long road ahead. Nights in Nightingale are extremely dark, and it’s almost impossible to see your surroundings without a proper light source.

You can craft a Makeshift Torch with five plant fibers and five sticks. The Makeshift Torch is equipped as an off-hand item—which means you can wield it in conjunction with a one-handed weapon like sickles or knives—and it enables you to see in the dark so you don’t end up lost.

Alternatively, you may take a long rest by interacting with your sleeping bed once the sun sets. This allows you to advance the time straight to dawn, skipping any dangerous nighttime treks through the dark.

 

Beware of the Bound

The Bound are the main threats in Nightingale. You’re likely to see them in Occupation-type encounters in small ruins dotting the map, but they're also found in Fae Towers and various landmarks, and some spawn when you activate portals.

The Bound range from small skittering creatures and poison gas lobbers to hulking monstrosities and Apex hostiles. It’s often a good idea to plan your attack before advancing, since they can easily wear you down due to sheer numbers.

 

Recruit companions (and have them carry your loot)

You don’t necessarily need to trek through the Fae Realms on your own, even as a solo player. You'll encounter a variety of NPCs during your adventure. These survivor-type NPCs can be recruited as companions if you manage to complete their quest objective, such as building certain fixtures at their base or defending them from enemy attacks.

Once you’ve recruited a survivor companion, they’ll automatically follow you wherever you go—and even teleport to your location just to catch up. They’ll battle enemies, and also collect resources depending on the tools they have equipped. Even better, you can use them as "mules," giving them stacks of heavy materials so your character doesn’t become over-encumbered.

 

Gather Essence and trade with vendors

You can acquire different types of Essences as rewards from chests or as loot drops from enemies. This currency is used to purchase blueprints from Essence Traders. Blueprints include new or more advanced types of Workbenches, furniture and fixtures for your base, and additional Realm card options.

 

Complete Fae Tower and Bastille challenges

Fae Towers are imposing structures found in various Realms. Try to complete the challenges contained therein, which can include both combat encounters against the Bound as well as jumping or traversal tasks. If you manage to reach the top of a Fae Tower, you can interact with a device that reveals other landmarks in the region.

Landmarks revealed include Bastille ruins, which also contain challenges, such as battling against enemies or finding hidden glyph markings. Once overcome, you may find a reward chest waiting for you, a crafting blueprint, or a selection of Favors—powerful but temporary buffs for your character.

 

Use the Guidebook when you're uncertain

Lastly, due to the expansive nature of Nightingale and its numerous worlds, you might encounter unfamiliar mechanics or concepts while exploring. This is where the Guidebook comes in.

The Guidebook can be accessed by pressing the 'B' key, and it contains a lot of useful information—including crafting materials, a quest journal, a glossary of terms, and explanations of various game mechanics. It even has a list of Essence Trader types, along with the wares that they have for sale.

Hopefully these tips help you survive the journey and become a top-tier Realmwalker. Nightingale is available now in Early Access on the Epic Games Store—and don’t forget to bring a few reliable friends along to conquer the trials and tribulations that await.