Beginner's Guide to Duel Corp.

I had no idea that a procedurally generated souls-like game was something that I was looking for until I tried out Duel Corp. Challenging gameplay, randomized areas, and the promise to build your own character is what initially attracted me to the game. Twenty hours in, I could not let go of this game as I am addicted! And since souls-like games don't exactly hold your hand to guide you, this is my attempt to at least provide you some semblance of hand-holding. 

There are so far, six Duel Corp character classes to choose from (for now, in the writing of this guide while it is still in Early Access on Steam). And as mentioned earlier, you can build your own character, so these classes are just stepping stones of the main stat that you would like to lean into. Included in the image below are the the classes, their main stat, and the starting accessory that they have. It is important to note that you do not start with any skill, spell, or ability whatsoever. 

To help build your character, there are ten Duel Corp Skill Trees to choose from. True to souls-like games, once you get to a "bonfire", which in this game looks like a mound of candles from the ground, you get to spend your hard-earned Lichsilver. Lichsilver can be gained from felling enemies, selling gear, and completing quests/contracts. These skill trees cover anything from physical abilities, armor, archery, and different types of magic. 

*Yes, like all games, I have made a mage build

Once you choose to get out of the initial dungeon, the Knight's Rest, the nearest place you should head to next is the Hideout. Here you will have your shop and blacksmith you can interact with. The blacksmith, as you may have guessed it, allows you to upgrade your weapon. 

In the event you choose, emphasis on the word "choose", to beat the boss in the Knight's Rest called The Seeker, you will get an item and be prompted to visit the Hideout. There you will meet Seraphine, who will allow you to reset your skill points at a cost. 

Following the quest line, you will be asked to buy a horse, which costs 300 Lichsilver. You can get one from Kylie in Ehrenfeste, which is still close to the Hideout. Having a horse allows you to have a mount and move faster in the world map. In the event that you have a companion with you, you will need additional horses in order for you to stay mounted when traveling in the world map. 

One question I got often as I played this game was how to identify the unidentified gear that you loot. Just choose any town and go to their inn. From there, you will find an imposing NPC that can identify items for you, granted you have Lichsilver to spend. In the image below, I am in Klingenheim, where you'll find August to remove the question marks on your gear.  

One big tip I can give you is to pay an NPC to become your companion. If you see someone walking around in town, whether a quest giver or not, and they have a weapon on their person, you can hire them. You can level up your companion, choose their skills, give them equipment to wear, and also upgrade them. And do not worry, when they die, which is bound to happen, you can revive them at no cost at all. If you don't get to revive them, that's alright too. They will still be in your party. 

That, I believe, covers everything to get you started on your way to questing in Duel Corp. Have patience to learn how to parry, look for better gear, use your enemies fighting other enemies to your advantage, and level up. I wanted to say, "don't die," but this is a souls-like game, so... you got this!