No Rest for the Wicked: Starter Guide

Like a rose that cuts you with its thorns, No Rest for the Wicked is both beautiful and cruel. It fuses the ARPG action of Diablo with the punishing, precision gameplay of Elden Ring and other Soulslikes. The result? A merciless isometric adventure. Much is sure to change during early access, but there’s already enough to dig your teeth into. From spellcasting and sword-fighting to dastardly backstabs, No Rest enables a variety of playstyles. It’s also quick to punish small mistakes, which can make the game’s opening hours rough. Here’s our essential beginners’ guide for No Rest for the Wicked.

Character Creation

Before you can step into No Rest for the Wicked‘s world, you need to create a character. This process is straightforward, giving you a variety of preset customization options, model choices, colors, and sliders. All of the choices here are cosmetic, so pick whatever you like. No Rest doesn’t include classes, so if you’re unsure about whether you want to play a fighter or mage, no worries. You’ll have plenty of time to figure that out once there’s a weapon in your hands.

No Rest for the Wicked Control Guide

No Rest for the Wicked has a pretty conventional control scheme. Early on, you won’t have to worry about much more than moving, dodging, parrying, and attacking. Once you get weapon runes, however, things will get more complicated. Here’s a guide to the controls in No Rest for the Wicked:

• Movement – WASD
• Attack (hold for Charge Attack) – Left Mouse
• Mainhand / Offhand Rune (hold for Charged Rune) – Right Mouse
• Parry or Change Active Rune – Middle Mouse
• Dodge – Space
• Interact – E
• Consume Quick Item (hold for Item Picker) – Q
• Open Menus – ESC
• Quick Menu (hold for Menus) – TAB
• Sprint – hold Shift
• Use Offhand or Offhand Rune Switch – hold CTRL
• Toggle Mainhand Item – Z
• Toggle Offhand Item – X
• Walk to cursor – hold ALT
• Consume Food (hold for Food Picker) – F
• Sneak or Drop Down – C
• Shoulder Barge – V
• Toggle Mainhand and Offhand Runes – R
• Target Lock (hold to exit Target Lock) – T
• Gesture Menu – G
• Inventory – I
• Journal – J
• Map – M
• Runes – 1234

Learning the Basics

You play as a Cerim, a holy warrior who uses your powers to slay monsters and drive back the Pestilence besetting the land. The death of King Harol has plunged the land into chaos, and with the church and King Harol’s upstart son vying for control, it’s only going to get uglier. After the tutorial, No Rest for the Wicked will guide you through the semi-open world of Isola Sacra. Similar to Lords of the Fallen, you will split your time between exploring, fighting, and unlocking new paths. Be warned: the first few hours of No Rest aren’t easy. You will die (a lot) as you learn the ropes.

Understanding the HUD

No Rest for the Wicked uses a minimalist HUD. In the top-left corner of the screen, you’ll find your character’s portrait, along with bars for Experience (gray), Focus (orange), and Health (red). Over time, you’ll gain additional Focus bars, if you invest points in the associated Attribute. In the bottom-left corner, you’ll find your current Weapon, Focus Ability, Offhand Rune ability, Quick Item, and Food. Remember that you can reassign your current Quick Item (hold Q) or food (hold F). Fumbling for a meal is a good way to die, so prepare in advance.

Combat Fundamentals

The biggest thing separating No Rest for the Wicked from Diablo and other ARPGs is its combat. All movement is handled with a controller (or WASD and mouse), allowing for precision movements. Most fights pit you against just one or two opponents, but Nightmare Dungeons won’t prepare you. Even the lowliest mob can kill you, and at the start of the game, they probably will. Here are our top tips to make your life (and your many deaths) a bit easier:

• Encumbrance determines your dodge. Light characters can quickstep, medium characters can dodge roll, and heavy characters Shoulder Barge to stun their foes.
• Backstabbing makes tough fights much easier. You can even backstab in the middle of a battle if you stagger your enemy first.

• Striking enemies weakens their Poise and will eventually break it, leaving them staggered. Parries break Poise instantly.
• You can take advantage of ledges, narrow doorways, and other terrain features to take down your enemies (and prevent nasty flanking maneuvers).
• Beyond dodges, blocking, parrying, and food are the three pillars of a successful defense. Always have a meal (or 10) at the ready.

Leveling and Builds

There are 8 primary Attributes in No Rest. Each time you level up, you get 3 Attribute points that you can assign as you see fit. If you have Soulslike experience, you probably know whether you favor Strength/Faith builds or a club that goes bonk. If you’re looking for some guidance, however, we recommend increasing your Health and Stamina first. Every build benefits from those Attributes, so it’s hard to go wrong. Here are the categories you can advance:

• Health – How much damage you can take before dying.
• Stamina – How much you can attack and dodge without pausing to rest
• Strength – How much damage you deal with Strength-scaling weapons
• Dexterity – How much damage you deal with Dexterity-scaling weapons
• Intelligence – How much damage you deal with Intelligence-scaling weapons
• Faith – How much damage you deal with Faith-scaling weapons
• Focus – How much Focus you have available for special attacks
• Equip Load – How much weight you can carry without increasing your encumbrance

Weapons and Abilities

Because No Rest for the Wicked is a classless game, your weapon plays the biggest role in shaping how you fight. Do you want a Blood-Rusted Sword and shield to poke at your enemies from safety? Maybe you prefer a Short Bow or Staff to deliver death from afar? Every weapon type has its pros and cons, so it’s a good idea to experiment. Weapons come in one of four rarities:

• White – standard loot
• Blue – rare loot with various buffs
• Purple – cursed loot that comes with various powerful buffs as well as a significant drawback
• Gold – one-of-a-kind loot handcrafted by the developers, typically among the best gear in the game

With few exceptions, all loot is randomly generated. You never know what you’ll find when you open a chest, so no No Rest for the Wicked guide can tell you exactly what you’ll find. If you enjoyed farming Pearls in Diablo 4, you’ll be happy here. Embrace your inner loot goblin and grab everything you can, because you’ll need that coin soon enough.

Durability and Repairs

Fillmore the blacksmith plays a vital role in the battles to come for one reason: Durability. Your weapons and armor will lose Durability with every hit, eventually breaking altogether. No Rest doesn’t cause you to lose experience when you die. Instead, everything you’re carrying will lose durability. Repeated deaths can break your whole wardrobe, which can be a pricy fix. When you’re first trying to learn a boss like Warrick the Torn, you might even want to unequip your gear and fight naked until you learn their moves. It might be undignified, but at least when you die your gear won’t suffer.

Exploration, Resources, and Sacrament

As you explore you’ll find a variety of resources you can harvest if you have the right tool. With a Fishing Rod, Axe, or Pick in hand, you can gather valuable resources that will serve you well once you reach Sacrament. This hub city is where No Rest for the Wicked really breaks away from its Soulslike comrades. In addition to shopping, you’ll be able to spend the resources you’ve gathered upgrading Sacrament’s various merchants. Weapons, armor, home furnishings, and even new shortcuts through town are all available for purchase. Harvest now. Profit later. If you always wished Dark Souls had a taste of New Horizons, you’ve got it now.

No Rest for the Wicked Frequently Asked Questions

Is No Rest for the Wicked multiplayer?

Although No Rest for the Wicked doesn’t have multiplayer as of its early access launch, Moon Studios will be adding multiplayer as part of the game’s first big update.

Is No Rest for the Wicked on Game Pass?

No, No Rest for the Wicked isn’t on Game Pass.

Is No Rest for the Wicked Steam Deck verified?

No, No Rest for the Wicked isn’t Steam Deck verified, at least not yet.

Does No Rest for the Wicked have multiple difficulty levels?

No, like many Soulslikes, No Rest for the Wicked does not have difficulty levels.

No Rest for the Wicked is available on PC in early access.