Kenshi
ByYurii Luzhko
Kenshi — a lone wanderer setting out across a harsh wasteland
  • How to start
  • Get stronger
  • Avoid the traps

Kenshi beginner's guide

Kenshi throws you into a brutal open world with no story and no hand-holding. Here's how to start, how to actually get stronger, make money, and avoid the mistakes that end early runs.

The first hour

  1. 1

    Pick a forgiving start

    Choose a start that drops you near a safe town (a Wandering Trader / Holy Nation-neutral start is gentle). Avoid the harder solo or hostile-faction starts until you know the game.

  2. 2

    Hire a squad

    You can't do everything with one character. Recruit a couple of bar recruits or hire mercenaries early — a group survives raids and shares the workload.

  3. 3

    Stock food and keep moving

    Buy food before you leave town and don't wander far without it. Starving cripples your stats. When something dangerous appears, run — you rarely have to win a fight.

  4. 4

    Explore near a safe hub

    Do laps around a friendly town, sell junk, and learn the local map before pushing into the wild. The world doesn't scale to you — some zones will kill a new squad instantly.

How you actually get stronger

This is the one thing new players miss: in Kenshi stats level up by doing, and losing a fight is not game over. When a character is beaten they're usually knocked out (or lose a limb), not killed — they recover, and their toughness goes up for having survived. So the fastest way to build a fighter is controlled danger: take on weak enemies (starving bandits, single animals), get knocked down, heal, repeat. Athletics rises from running, strength from carrying heavy loads or bodies, and combat skills from actually fighting. Don't grind menus — play, get hurt, and recover.

Making money early

Early cats (Kenshi's currency) come from a few reliable loops: mining copper or iron at a node and selling the ore; crafting once you have a building (buy a shack in town and make goods to sell); trading goods that are cheap in one town and dear in another; and looting — strip downed bandits for weapons and armour and sell them. Pick one, do it until you can afford a squad and gear, then diversify.

Your first base

Don't rush a base. Build one only when you can defend it — that means a defensible spot, walls, ranged turrets and enough squad to hold a siege. Remember raids scale with your wealth and building size, so a rich base draws big attacks. Pick a location with a natural chokepoint and on-site resources, plan the buildings you'll unlock, and steer clear of hostile territory.

Best base locationsResearch plannerInteractive mapUnique recruits

Dangers to avoid

The world is full of factions and hazards that will end a new run. The Holy Nation is hostile to non-human races (Shek, Hivers, Skeletons), slavers in United Cities territory will capture a weak squad, and some zones are simply too tough early. Check who controls each area on our faction guide and scout routes on the interactive map before you travel.

Common beginner mistakes

  • Fighting everything — running away is a valid, often better, option.
  • Reloading after every loss — losing a fight is how Kenshi's story (and your toughness) is made.
  • Building a base too early, before you can defend it or research walls and turrets.
  • Wandering into the Holy Nation with a non-human squad, or into slaver country unprepared.

Kenshi beginner's guide FAQ

How do you start playing Kenshi?
Pick a forgiving start near a safe town, hire a couple of squadmates, buy food, and do short trips around a friendly hub while you learn the map. Don't try to win fights early — run from anything dangerous. Kenshi has no set story or objectives, so your first goal is simply to survive and get a little money and a bigger squad.
Is Kenshi hard for beginners?
It has a steep learning curve because nothing is explained and the world doesn't scale to you, but it's fair once you understand two things: you level stats by doing (including by surviving fights), and losing a fight usually means being knocked out and recovering, not dying. Play cautiously, keep a squad, and don't reload every loss.
How do you get stronger in Kenshi?
By using the skills you want to raise. Fighting — even fights you lose — builds combat skills and toughness; running builds athletics; carrying heavy loads builds strength. Take controlled risks against weak enemies, get knocked down, heal, and repeat. There's no XP bar; every stat improves through use.
How do you make money early in Kenshi?
Mine copper or iron and sell the ore, craft goods once you own a building, trade items between towns that price them differently, and loot downed bandits for gear to sell. Any one of these funds your first squad and equipment.
What should I do first in Kenshi?
Survive and build a small squad. Stay near a safe town, avoid the Holy Nation with a non-human character and stay clear of slavers, earn some cats, recruit a few people, and only think about a base once you can research walls and defend it. Use our interactive map and faction guide to see which areas are safe.
Tips reflect Kenshi's core mechanics (v1.0.68) and long-standing community consensus; Kenshi is freeform, so your run will differ. PinDrop is fan-made and not affiliated with Lo-Fi Games.

Cookie preferences

Choose which cookie categories PinDrop may set. Essential cookies are always on — they keep auth and voting working.

Error-tracking changes apply on the next page load.