We Happy Few: Tips and Tricks For Survival

Tips and Tricks for Survival in We Happy Few

We Happy Few can be a very challenging game. Even if you happen to be used to the survival genre, things can get pretty rough while exploring the twisted utopia of Wellington Wells. A lot will be demanded of those who truly want to stay alive.

To that end, we’ve put together some tips and tricks to help make your new life as a Downer a bit more manageable. After all, we Downers must stick together or else the Wellies and Bobbies will keep us drugged and oppressed.

Understand Your Inventory

Tips and Tricks for Survival in We Happy Few

One of the most important menus in We Happy Few is your Inventory. Here you can see everything that you’re carrying as well as what you have equipped. To add an extra level of challenge to the experience, opening this menu does not pause the game, so it’s a good idea to take stock of what you have before venturing out or undergoing dangerous excursions.

Organizing your Inventory so that you can quickly pick an item during hectic situations is important. It’s also a good idea to have things equipped before you step out into the world as equipping weapons and quick items takes time. You should also note that you don’t need to carry crafting components with you. These will be used whether they’re on your person or in your stash, so it’s best to leave them back at your safehouse. 

Keep Your Stamina Up

Tips and Tricks for Survival in We Happy Few

There are three important meters you need to pay attention to while you play We Happy Few: Fatigue, Hunger, and Thirst. Each one has a reasonable way to increase. Food will satiate that hunger, beverages of all sorts will quench that thirst, and sleep (along with a few consumables) will keep you energized. As weird as this may sound, that fatigue meter is the one that should get the most attention since it governs how much stamina you have at your disposal.

Running, jumping, and attacking all require stamina. The more of it you have, the better chance you have at winning fights and/or getting the heck out of harm’s way. While it’s true that hunger and thirst can actually kill you, they don’t directly affect your gameplay. Even if those two meters are halfway, you can still run, jump, and be merry as long as you’re rested. Fatigue changes that by slowly lowering the amount of stamina you can actually use. The less stamina you have, the higher the chance that you’ll die out there in the city before making it back to safety.

Because of this, always make sure to stay rested. When you simply don’t have the opportunity, don’t waste it all on swinging your weapon. Always keep a little in place just in case you need to run. 

Stealth

Tips and Tricks for Survival in We Happy Few

One way to stay alive in We Happy Few is to not have threats see you in the first place. This requires stealth, which works interestingly in We Happy Few. In its most basic form, stealth requires that players avoid lines of sight. If someone can’t see you, then they can’t be mad at you, now can they? Of course, you won’t always have the option of hiding. You will need to walk the streets of Wellington Wells at some point. That is where We Happy Few’s other stealth mechanic comes into play: Conformity.

Conforming to your surroundings allows you to hide in plain sight by use of items and your clothing. Each outfit draws suspicion from a specific group while also allowing you to move among another with ease. Pay close attention to the clothes you choose. Newspapers allow you to sit out in the open while hiding your face so nobody notices the Downer in their midst. Joy, which should only be taken when absolutely necessary thanks to its side effects, actually makes all happy people leave you alone. You can stroll right on through Hamelyn without a care in the world.

Conforming also means not breaking the law. If you notice a red eye icon at the top of your screen, it means you’re doing something you can get in trouble for. If that happens, quickly stop and wait until the coast is clear. Also, don’t stand in any one place too long. Even if someone grows suspicious of you, as long as you keep it moving they’ll eventually get over it. 

Combat Is a Last Resort

Tips and Tricks for Survival in We Happy Few

While you may get the urge to beat up on some Wastrels for their food, or to go to war with We Happy Few’s Bobbies (the game’s term for police), it is ill-advised. As is the case in most survival games, combat favors the AI. You aren’t meant to be some killing machine, you’re just some person who has had it with all of the drugs and the lies.

You will often find yourself outnumbered in confrontations, and weapons have a habit of breaking at the most inopportune moments. For those reasons, you should try to do everything stealthily, and plan out every infiltration you come up with. The last thing you need is some drug-addled pyschopath beating your skull in with a branch because you were trying to get your hands on some rotten carrots.

If you ever do feel that you absolutely must fight. Make sure to take out as many targets you can stealthily first. After that, focus on headshots and always keep an eye on an escape route. Running out of stamina while cornered will almost certainly spell your end. So play it smart. It’s your head that will get you out of We Happy Few’s nightmarish reality, not your fists.

For more on We Happy Few, be sure to check out our comprehensive wiki.