The past couple years have been filled with incredible indie games, and Abiotic Factor is the most recent addition to that pile. It’s a story driven survival game with lite horror elements that feels a bit like Half-life with SCP themes.

You could make a number of comparisons to other games, but Abiotic Factor certainly has its own take on the genre. Some of the mechanics can throw even survival game veterans for a loop. But we’ll walk you through the basics so you can focus on unraveling the mysteries of the Gate facility instead of fiddling with the crafting menu. Let’s dig in!

Unique Mechanics

Abiotic Factor has all the standard survival game elements, so you’ll need to manage your hunger, thirst, fatigue, and… bathroom needs. We’ll come back to that last one after we talk about Abiotic’s take on crafting and electricity.

Crafting: Ideas vs Recipes

Like most games in the genre, Abiotic Factor allows you to unlock new recipes as you play and discover new materials. The process is similar to Minecraft’s or Valheim’s but with a twist: Instead of automatically learning the recipe when you pick up a new item, sometimes you’ll get an “Idea.”

In Abiotic Factor, beginners craft with unlocked recipes or solve Ideas: recipes use known ingredients, while an Idea shows an item silhouette and asks you to work out its recipe before you can craft it.

1. Open the crafting menu after discovering materials.
2. Select an Idea to open the Ideation interface instead of a standard ingredient list.
3. Match the ingredients to the 2–4 empty boxes by their corresponding borders.
4. Try combinations until you identify the recipe; failed attempts do not prevent you from trying again.

Electricity

Abiotic Factor base power comes from outlets throughout the Gate Facility, so beginners can connect a crafting area without a generator. Facility power shuts off every night at 9:00 pm, making outlet access, cable placement, and overnight lighting important when choosing a base.

• Use nearby facility outlets for powered equipment during the day.
• Use desk lamps for overnight light because they do not need a power connection.
• If an outlet is too far away, use tech scrap to build make-shift outlets from an existing outlet and chain them toward your base.

Bathroom Needs

The mechanic isn’t unique to Abiotic Factor but it’s still rather rare. As you eat/drink your lavatory need will slowly rise, and unlike hunger/thirst, you can’t meet it preemptively. So you’ll have to wait until you actually need to go to relieve yourself. But you’ll have to do more than take a seat on a toilet to go.

Yep, using the bathroom comes with a mini-game. Now, you don’t have to play it, but you’ll be on the toilet for a while if you don’t. The game is pretty simple, when the blue sliding poop icon is under one of the green bars, press E to “ease passage.”

Or you can let your restroom needs fill up and go on the floor, and you’ll be rewarded with a Bag of Feces. It’s a surprisingly useful item, so believe it or not, pooping yourself is a good idea. You can also get it by relieving yourself on a makeshift toilet. Either way, you’ll want to grab some for later use.

Honestly, picking up everything is in your best interest if you want to thrive in the early game. Speaking of, now that you have a good understanding of the basics, we can talk about how to get a good foothold in the Gate Facility.

Surviving the Early Game

Scavenging

One of the main differentiating parts of Abiotic Factor is the setting. Instead of being stranded in untamed wilderness, you’re stuck in a massive underground laboratory. So instead of punching trees or picking up stones, you’ll be smashing desks and grabbing roles of duct tape. Basically every item is used in multiple recipes so go crazy. Pick up, scrap, and store everything.

The best thing to look for is the water coolers. They hold a ton of water and retain that water when picked up, making them the easiest way to ensure you have water at your base. Those dollar bills are worth grabbing too. You start with $15 and while it isn’t used in any crafting recipes, the money can be used at vending machines to buy invaluable food.

With your pockets full of useful supplies, it’s time to find the perfect spot to set up your base and unload.

Base Building

For a safe Abiotic Factor beginner base, choose a covered area in the Gate Facility and prioritize sleep, storage, and a powered crafting bench. The facility’s walls and ceilings reduce the need to build a full shelter, letting you establish a useful early base with found furniture and essential crafting access.

• Use filing cabinets for early-game storage.
• Sleep on available couches until you can craft a bed.
• Craft a bed when you need to set a new respawn point.
• Connect a crafting bench before exploring farther into areas with hostile pests.

Combat

Abiotic Factor beginners should make throw nets from cloth scrap before relying on early melee weapons. Nets quickly control smaller creatures and temporarily muzzle the larger dog-things, creating time to stomp a netted small enemy or land several hits on a tougher target.

• Scavenge cloth scrap to make throw nets.
• Use a throw net and the E key to stomp smaller netted creatures.
• Use nets to create an opening against dog-things before attacking.
• Start with found kitchen knives or desk legs, then discover additional craftable weapons.

With that, you’re just about ready to take on the mystery of Abiotic Factor and the Gate Facility, but there are a few useful tips that the game doesn’t tell you or are easily missed you should know about.

Other Tips

AleForge’s Abiotic Factor beginner tips for carrying, repairs, and strength progression can make early exploration easier. Repair durable items with duct tape, keep heavy finds in the hot-bar to reduce their weight, and avoid becoming completely over-encumbered when you want to gain strength experience.

• Repair any item with durability by using duct tape.
• Keep water coolers and furniture in the hot-bar because hot-bar items weigh 25% less.
• Carry enough weight to slow down, but do not become completely over-encumbered if you want strength experience.

Alright, enough rambling. Let’s wrap this up so you can get started.

Conclusion

Abiotic Factor is a truly unique survival experience. The gameplay loop is very enjoyable and the story is incredibly engaging. With everything you’ve learned in mind, you’ll surely be one of Gate’s top scientists and have no trouble getting to the bottom of what’s going on in the facility.

One last tip before you set off: play with friends. Many of the Steam reviews say that Abiotic Factor is enjoyable solo but the multiplayer experience is top-tier. With the built in proximity chat like Lethal Company and diverse classes with meaningful specializations it’s a stand-out multiplayer game.

And the best way to play with friends is on a dedicated server. Everyone can play when they have time and you don’t have to wait for the person with the world to host so you can play. So what are you waiting for? Check out our Abiotic Factor server plans and get ready to unravel the mysteries of the Gate Facility. For science!