First off, control keys will be assumed to be set to keyboard default. You can change these from the menu by hitting ESC at any time. From there enter Options -> Controls.

IMPORTANT: tips listed under the basic instructions provide crucial information about actions as listed. While each of them has been listed under the instructions for clarity of reading (formatting is a pain), make sure to read the whole entry AND the tips before acting for best results!

A note on Burst - Burst is the term for the second half of a character's AP bar (50-0). Using AP from the Burst pool will double your character's delay on the timeline (usually from 50 to 100). As such, be careful of using burst unless: your character can kill all the enemies threatening it; you need to prevent a powerful attack; you have skills that can delay enemy initiative even further than your Burst delay; it's the best way of protecting other characters.

Selection
Selecting a character can be done with a left-mouse click or by pressing enter on the highlighted space.

Actions - a short note here is that the initiative timeline, one of the few things properly explained in the tutorial, will have set values for your characters at the start of each mission. It is impossible to select anything more than the current timeline active character (the one at timeline value zero [0]).

IMPORTANT: make sure to organise your characters in the mission screen by who you want to move first!

Movement - first off select the time-line active character, the hit Enter/Click on a space. Hitting Enter/Click again will show a red shadow of the character, allowing you to see where they will end the move and how much AP it will consume. Pressing Enter/Click a third time to move your character to the red shadow space. This will lock the move in place and take away the AP shown previously, so make sure you are ready! You can cancel the move at any time prior to the third 'confirmation' Enter/Click by pressing the cancel button (C).

IMPORTANT: memorise how much your most basic attack action will cost before moving, don't over move and lock yourself into burst mode (which delays you on the timeline far more) through poor planning! Be especially careful with weak or ranged characters, as even multiple attacks might not finish off a foe before forcing you into burst.

Note: you can attack and move in any order, but you may want to check movement costs before setting up combinations to prevent being unable to move at a crucial juncture.

Attacking - this is actually easier than moving and will be a brief recap as the tutorial is more detailed on it. Selecting a skill/attack from the character menu will show it's range/area of effect in red outline/red tiles. For Instant skills, selecting the target once will highlight them and show the AP cost (use this to check if you'll be pushed into Burst by this); then again to use the skill which will go off immediately in the timeline and consume the AP shown. For Delayed skills, they will consume the AP, end the active character's turn, and add their action to the Timeline. The skill will only activate once the timeline entry is reached (for most skills, this isn't too long but it can allow the attack to be interrupted or delayed so use careful judgement.)

IMPORTANT: the third kind of skill, Reaction skills, consume HP. HP requires character sacrifice to be restored so be very, very, careful on how you choose to use them! They can cancel and alter enemy attacks though, so use as you will!

Note - There is no friendly fire in this game, for either enemies or player characters. As such, use AoE attacks normally without fear of hurting your own side!

Ending - press Backspace or manually select the turn-end button to end a character's turn and cycle to the next entry on the initiative timeline. This will then repeat.


IMPORTANT: If for any reason you can't end a turn, or an action isn't working, try hitting cancel (C), then reselect the character and try again.

Note: enemies spawning in cannot attack on their first turn unless a character is right next to the spawning tile (including diagonals). You can use this to your advantage to approach the spawn points and ready a counter attack! Please note that as the game goes on, the enemies spawning may be too strong for individual characters to handle.

So that's the very, very, basics, hope they help you guys out!

Following my basic introduction to the game, please find below some additional tips for surviving/thriving in Othercide. These are largely my own reflections, so please feel free to ignore them and find a playstyle that best fits you!

#1 - Kill everything in the tutorial to get an achievement. No spoilers, just murder everything. You can always start a new game if you missed it the first time like me! You shouldn't need too much strategy, just a solid grasp of what constitutes a Burst and non-Burst turn, as well as an understanding of AOE.

#2 - Ignore anyone who says there is a "one true build" or specific squad requirements for bosses. While some skills have more generic practical uses, none are truly without application and several are useful later game despite being unlocked early. For the early game however, make sure your characters have access to at least one Interruption skill as it will save lots of time. You can always make experimental characters to test out later on, as there are unlockable remembrances that let you spawn daughters above first level later on .

#3 - While a balance of classes is generally advised for most generic missions, it is not a requirement. Shield characters are particularly versatile, if slow, whereas gun characters provide much needed ranged support. The fourth class, which isn't unlocked until after the third boss, can be used as an excellent third-woman option in almost any squad. . However, unless pure fast damage is needed or you can reliably one shot enemies in a chosen mission, try to avoid using multiple blade characters as they are the least versatile fighters (though if you're not shy to lose some HP, they can be incredibly hard for opponents to dispatch).

#4 - If you can get to the second and third era, it is possible to get a memory that reduces the target's initiative by 20 per use of the attached skill. Obviously, if you pair this with the gun-type skill "Spirit Haste" which does that anyway... well, it lets you rule the battlefield through sheer tenacity. Also, if combined with the otherwise impractical skill Accepting Stance on a suitably positioned sword-type daughter it will not only allow them to act again but deal damage overall up to the tens of thousands. (This was patched in the Dream update, preventing infinite action loops. For better or worse.)

#5 - Once you unlock the remembrances that let you spawn higher level starting daughters, don't be afraid to sacrifice them right off the bat for the powerful bonuses you can use from the start of a recollection. Blademasters are particularly useful for this as their sacrifice trait's powerful buffs to damage can easily let a lower-levelled character catch up with their elders.

#6 - Memories remain useful throughout all stages and eras of the game, so ignore those who say they are overshadowed by traits and remembrances. While it is true that their effects can be outdone by the other options, proper use of memories can allow even first-run characters to push deep into the heart of the game and rare mid-late memories can create characters that can dismantle even the strongest enemies and bosses.