Mutant Year Zero gives you a talking boar, a talking duck, a post-apocalyptic map and a mutation screen it explains in about one sentence. Difficult first runs almost always break in the same two places: points spent without noticing that prices differ per character, and stealth phases that try to do more than the weapons allow.
Both are fixed in the first hour if you know the rules.
What to do first, in order
| Priority | Do this | Why it ranks here | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Read every character's mutation prices | The same mutation costs different amounts per character and the game never says so. Skull Splitter is 1 on Dux and 9 on Magnus | Spending early points at the first screen you open, then finding the same thing cheaper elsewhere |
| 2 | Buy Dux's Skull Splitter immediately | One point for a guaranteed critical. It is the cheapest meaningful purchase in the game | Saving points for something impressive and skipping the best price in the game |
| 3 | Treat stealth as straggler removal | All three base silenced weapons deal 4 damage. Anything tougher survives and alerts the camp | Trying to empty a camp silently and starting the fight on the enemy's terms |
| 4 | Take high ground before shooting | Alpinist gives 50 percent critical from above and costs Dux 5 points. Height is free, time is free in stealth | Shooting from level ground because the angle looked fine |
| 5 | Fill three slots before buying a fourth | One Minor, one Major, one Passive equipped at a time | Pouring every point into one favourite, where the fourth purchase sits on the bench |
If you remember one thing, it is the first row. Everything else in this list is cheaper once you are buying from the character the game prices it lowest for.
The two systems
| System | What it does | How you feed it | What limits it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mutations | Minor, Major and Passive abilities | Points from levelling up | Three equipped at once. Recharge is paid in kills |
| Stealth | Real-time approach before turn-based combat | Splitting patrols, silenced weapons | 4 damage per silent shot in the base game |
The two are linked. Mutations recharge on kills, so the stealth kills you land before a fight have already paid part of the cost of the abilities you use inside it. Skipping the stealth phase does not just mean more enemies — it means fewer abilities.
The stealth ceiling, plainly
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1
Three silenced weapons, all dealing 4
The Ancient Pistol that Selma starts with, the Crossbow that Dux starts with, and the MIMIR Needle Pistol from The Fallen Angel. All 4 damage, all 10 range. The DLC Wraith deals 7 with 14 range, which is a different game.
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2
The crossbow is the worst of the three
Same 4 damage, but 5 percent critical chance against the pistols' 10, and 1 ammo against their 2. Since Silent Assassin doubles critical chance, a 10 percent weapon becomes 20 and the crossbow only becomes 10. Move Dux off it when you can.
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3
Split the patrol, then count
Send one character ahead to read routes while the others hold back. Look for enemies that wander from the group, and before shooting ask whether 4 damage finishes them.
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4
Start the real fight on purpose
Once the easy removals are done, choose the turn and the position. An alarm you triggered deliberately from high ground is worth more than two more silent kills attempted badly.
Weapon range is set by type, not by the individual gun — shotgun 8, sidearm 10, assault rifle 14, sniper rifle 20. The MIMIR C/R 33 scope adds 30 percent range and 15 percent critical chance in one slot, which makes it the clearest upgrade in the shop.
What you cannot take back
Mutation points are not refundable. What you can change freely is which of your purchased mutations are equipped, so the permanent decision is the buy, not the loadout.
Two consequences for a first campaign.
- Compare prices before every purchase, not just the first. New characters join with their own price lists, and something you paid 9 for may be 5 on the mutant who joins two hours later.
- Weapons and characters move freely. Only points are permanent. Swapping Dux out of the squad costs nothing; buying him Chameleon for 12 points costs most of an early budget.
You can field only three characters at a time out of six. Spreading points evenly across all six leaves you with six half-built mutants and no complete one. Commit to four and treat the last two as scenery until a mission genuinely wants them.
Five ways to waste a first run
- Spending before comparing. The price list is the whole game's hidden rule.
- Expecting stealth to scale. 4 damage is still 4 damage in the last zone.
- Ignoring recharge. Abilities come back on kills, so short fights give you one use.
- Keeping the crossbow. Half the critical chance of a silenced pistol for the same damage.
- Building one star. Three equip slots means the fourth purchase does nothing yet.
Once the basics are in, the full price table and what is actually worth buying is in the mutations tier list, the stealth ceiling and how to raise it is in the stealth guide, and who belongs in your three is in the characters guide. If you have not bought it yet, start with the honest review.
