Start with the ordinary Trial loop
The Outlast Trials is a survival horror game about completing Murkoff’s assignments and getting out. You can play alone or in a group of up to four. Co-op helps, but mandatory objectives do not force you to bring a partner.
Use the Sleep Room terminal to select a Trial and difficulty, then board the Shuttle. A main Trial is a longer assignment; an MK-Challenge is a shorter task in part of an existing environment. Start with the ordinary Trial loop before experimenting with Invasion or an Escalation run.
Finish the objective, then leave
- Read the objective when you enter. Look for the actual interaction object rather than assuming every door is the next route.
- Use your bound Display Objective input when you are lost. The Season 7 hint system can show a hint and a visual marker; check Settings if hints are disabled.
- Complete the interaction and check that the objective advances. Carrying an item to an area is not always the same as completing its delivery.
- When the assignment is complete, follow its exit objective. Some Trials ask you to call and wait for the Shuttle; others use an immediate timed exit. Follow the current objective and timer.
- Enter the exit Shuttle. Completing the final interaction without escaping does not finish your run.
Survive the trip between objectives
Avoid enemies, watch your noise and use darkness where it helps. When you are spotted, move around solid cover to break the sightline and use doors to buy time. Do not stay at an objective while an enemy closes the distance simply because the interaction is nearly finished.
Night vision helps you navigate dark spaces, but it needs battery power. Save light for places where you need it and pick up batteries when you can. Health items, bandages and antidotes solve different problems; check your status before choosing what to keep.
A Rig buys an opportunity to move, recover or complete an interaction. It is not a reason to fight indefinitely. Learn a route out of the room before committing to a noisy task.
What to buy between Trials
Rigs and their upgrades come from Noakes in the Sleep Room. Each purchase costs 2 Vouchers; a Rig begins at level 1 and has upgrades through level 8. Buying a Rig does not give it every upgraded effect.
At Therapy Level 10, visit Dorris in the cafeteria to buy AMPs. Each AMP costs 2 Vouchers and has its own level requirement. Your three slots are Tool, Skill and Medicine, with one AMP from each category.
Spend on the problem that is ending your runs. Stun gives an emergency interruption, Heal helps you recover, and X-Ray helps you understand nearby threats and useful objects. These are starting points, not a requirement to buy everything in a fixed order. The Rig guide compares all six options.
Season 7 also added three loadout presets. Set them up before a Trial so that you can switch tools for a different task without rebuilding the same combination every time.
A useful first-session goal
Repeat a Trial until you understand its objective order, main routes and exit. A higher grade is useful feedback, but knowing why you got caught is more useful than immediately raising the difficulty. Add more unfamiliar mechanics once you can finish the basic loop consistently.