Beginner Tips For Barotrauma

Barotrauma is finally out and here's what beginners need to keep in mind.

The 2D co-op survival horror game Barotrauma has really made a name for itself in the gaming community thanks to its unique gameplay, clever mechanics, and the original way in which it uses co-op to both unite and divide players, often in hilarious and unexpected ways.

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With monsters lurking around every corner and rogue players to contend with, Barotrauma gives gamers plenty to think about when in the game. For this reason, the title has something of a steep learning curve and can be challenging for beginners at first. So, this article covers 10 tips for beginners to the game.

Upgrading regular Diving Suits to Combat Diving Suits is one of the simplest ways to make Barotrauma far more survivable. To do so, players will need Rubber, Titanium-Aluminium Alloy, Ballistic Fiber, as well as their Diving Suit.

Put simply, Combat Diving Suits are far better than their standard equivalent. Combat Diving Suits offer considerably stronger protection against many of the Afflictions that can affect players in Barotrauma and also boast an extra 2,000 metres' worth of Pressure Protection, compared to Diving Suits. This is an upgrade that should be a priority for new players to Barotrauma.

Barotrauma has a range of stimulants that players can consume in order to attain buffs in certain stats and attributes. While the effects of these consumables are temporary, they can be a great way to make dangerous missions outside of the sub safer and more manageable for players (while not a post-apocalyptic horror game as such, the desolate world of Barotrauma often doesn't feel far off).

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So, players planning to embark on an especially risky expedition outside of the submarine should consider taking some stimulants beforehand. Not only will it help them complete the mission more efficiently, but it will also allow them to more effectively deal with any issues that crop up.

The sonar system in Barotrauma attracts monsters to the submarine, as do some of the submarine's other functions. As such, in the event of a monster attack, sometimes the best course of action can simply be temporarily shutting the power down in the sub altogether and hoping the attack will abate (a mechanic reminiscent of certain horror titles that punish players for fighting back).

Of course, this isn't a foolproof method. Turning off all the power in the submarine carries its own risks. However, it can be an effective, last-ditch way of getting monsters to lose interest in the submarine for long enough for the player and their crew to survive the ordeal.

This tip is a bit gruesome but is genuinely worth using in case of emergency. Players should keep the corpses of dead creatures in case of Crawler attacks against the submarine, which are arguably up there with some of the most gut-wrenching moments in any horror game, ever.

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Crawlers are attracted to corpses, and will swarm around them if there are any nearby. So, if players have a corpse handy, it's often a good idea to keep it somewhere out of the way in case of a Crawler attack. If Crawlers do attack the submarine, then players can eject the corpse out of the airlock and will likely find that the Crawlers temporarily lose interest in the sub.

The Gardening mechanic in Barotrauma is arguably one that is overlooked and underrated by many players. One perk of exploring Gardening in the title is that it can be a great way to generate passive income for the player or crew.

Essentially, there are different kinds of fruiting plants that can be grown in Barotrauma. The fruits of these plants can be harvested and then sold in cities, which is a fairly low-effort way to generate some extra money without needing to devote much time or resources to doing so.

The Security Officer class in Barotrauma is probably more abused in the game's co-op mode than any other. It's not hard to see why, either; Security Officers are equipped with handcuffs that allow them to restrain other players and control them.

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This is challenging, because, as in other survival horror co-op titles like Devour, teamwork is crucial in Barotrauma. While Security Officers play a vital role in neutralising other players that have gone rogue, it's fairly common for griefers to abuse the class simply for the sake of their own entertainment. So, while playing co-op in Barotrauma, it's wise to never trust an unfamiliar Security Officer under basically any circumstances.

Mastering Barotrauma is often about balance (a concept so key in survival horror that it's seen in games even older than Resident Evil), and nowhere is this truer than the game's sonar system. While using the submarine's sonar is a crucial part of navigating through the map, it's also inherently risky to a degree because it attracts monsters at the same time.

The tricky thing about this is that not using the sonar in Barotrauma is almost like tackling the game blind. So, while it might be tempting to switch the sonar off altogether to avoid monsters, this isn't advisable. Rather, players should use the sonar system sparingly.

Doors in Barotrauma can't be locked shut. This can be problematic if players are trying to avoid griefers actively sabotaging their sub or mission, or, worse still, going on a murderous rampage through the vessel (a situation that creates a kind of tension often reserved for the strongest survival horror titles out there).

However, it's possible for doors to be welded shut in Barotrauma. This can be a great way to buy some time when trying to put some space between the player and their nemesis. A door that's been welded shut in the game can only be opened with a plasma cutter. It is worth noting, though, that doors that have been welded shut don't resist attacks from creatures any more than normal doors.

Oxygen is one of the most valuable resources that players have in Barotrauma, and doing everything possible to conserve or generate more of it is often a wise idea.

One way that players can do this in the game is by transforming diving suit lockers into oxygen generators. This is straightforward as lockers have power inlets, so players can wire them with power easily. Once these lockers (and oxygen storage shelves, too) have been wired with power, they'll slowly regenerate the oxygen of diving suits and oxygen tanks stored inside them.

While not an open-world horror game, Barotrauma's map is massive and full of missions to tackle. Mining missions are one of the types of missions that players can undertake while playing Barotrauma.

Players can mine for different ores and minerals, which can then be used for crafting various items or sold. And, while mining missions are generally worth undertaking, they become especially valuable when players have Engineering or Mechanic skills at level 30 or above. This is due in large part to the Talent Trees of these classes. For example, the Mechanic class has a 'Miner' Talent, which gives players a 20% chance to yield double the output of a deconstructed ore, and allows players to detach ores with cutters much faster than normal.

Barotrauma is out now on PC, Linux, and Mac.

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Emily is a freelance writer and has enjoyed playing video games ever since she was a child. Some of her favourite genres include survival and strategy games. Emily is also especially fond of games with a darker aesthetic or strong sense of atmosphere. Among Emily's favourite titles are Dark Souls, Sunless Sea, Age of Mythology, and Dishonored. She is also passionate about music, film, cooking, climbing, and spending time in the great outdoors.