We Who Are About To Dieis a solo-dev ARPG where players will take their character from the depths of the Pits to their peak in the Stadium, if they make it that far. Characters will be randomized and have one life, with all deaths being final. Throughout the game, players will obtain newer and better armor and weapons to build up their gladiator, improving their defensive and offensive abilities, but will it be enough?

RELATED:We Who Are About To Die Interview: Jordy Lakiere Talks Fan Response, Future Development Plans, And MoreUnderstanding the mechanics ofWe Who Are About To Dieis essential to making it through even the earliest stages. This game is not for the faint of heart and players will have to relearn how to fight, as this is not a traditional hack-and-slash type of game. With physics-based fighting andgladiator career management, it’s a grand adventure from the start to the player’s glorious end. Taking these tips into consideration will help them get as far as possible without facing a premature death.

a gladiator match in We Who Are About To Die

5Do Not Skip The Tutorial

Combat must be expertly timed in this game, with attacks and defense moves coordinated perfectly. At the same time, players must watch their stamina bar to ensure it does not get completely depleted. If they do deplete their stamina bar, they won’t be able to dodge or sprint away from enemies when the need arises. Swinging their weapon in a certain direction or a specific section of the body requires aiming and clicking in specific ways.

Without completing the tutorial, none of this would be understood by the player. A firm understanding of how to attack and defend is imparted. It will be made clear that this is not ahack-and-slash type of gameand that players must be more strategic about their movements. Flailing around wildly or randomly mashing buttons is not going to achieve success and will ultimately end up resulting in an early death.

a gladiator headed to his match in We Who Are About To Die

4Get Stamina Training Early On

Players must get training early in the game. They’ll need to participate inas many training sessions as possibleto level up critical skills and attributes. A great way to ramp up stamina quickly is to set it as their primary focus in these training sessions. Their primary weapon is equally important and should be set as the secondary focus.

RELATED:We Who Are About To Die’s Jordy Lakiere Discusses Genre Harmony In Gladiatorial RoguelikeOnce that is done, they should switch their primary focus to movement. At this point, their secondary focus will depend on whether they are shield users. Those who are should set it to shield, while those who are not should set it to dashing. After leveling up these skills, players can continue leveling up skills of their choice, or they can head back into the arena with their beefed up stats. Players should take note that there will be anegative effect on their staminagoing into the next match following a training session. However, the benefits far outweigh the negatives when it comes to increasing stats and skills.

a gladiator match in We Who Are About To Die

3Keep An Eye On Gold And Fame Before Matches

Gold has many great uses, and it is essential that players have enough at the start of every match, or they may not make it through. It can be used to purchase upgrades, repair items, or heal the player’s character. Without enough Gold, there’s the chance that players could go into a match without healing all the way, which could result in their gladiator dying.

Fame is also critically important because it can be used to get extra slots in the inventory and reveal matches before going into a fight. Fame can be used to get more gold just as gold can be used to get more fame, depending on the players need at the time.

A Gladiator Match in We Who Are About To Die

2Choose Upgrades Wisely

Various upgrades are available, and they don’t come cheap, so players need to be wise about where they invest their gold. Players can buy an upgrade called Heirloom, which will allow them to pass on an item of their choice to their next character should their current character die. This will get them off to a decent start if they have a high-quality weapon they want to keep from character to character.

RELATED:Developer Jordy Lakiere Details We Who Are About To Die’s Unique Combat SystemThe Entourage upgrade is extremely costly but well worth the investment. When the Entourage event is active the upgrade will allow the player to bring two allies into the match with them, giving them an upper hand toward potential victory.

a gladiator match in We Who Are About To Die

1Make Smart Combat Choices

Players should not just charge into battleswinging their sword left and right. They should cautiously approach the enemy, take a couple of swings, and back up. This will help maintain their stamina and give them the opportunity to assess the situation. They must never let their stamina fully deplete because they may need to stop fighting and run away at some point. This is especially true if their weapon breaks.

Weapons and shields can both break in the game, but luckily, most of the time there are replacements available lying around on the ground. Players will need to run quickly to snatch them up to continue fighting before their opponents take advantage of the situation. If the circumstance arises where the player is overwhelmed, there is nothing wrong with backing or running away to get some space to regroup. Drawing the opponent to their teammate who is handling things better is a plausible solution.

We Who Are About To Dieis available now on Steam via Early Access.