MISERY is a post-apocalyptic survival game that wastes no time testing your limits. It features cooperative play for up to five players, but don't be fooled—more people often just means more witnesses to your inevitable mistakes. The game kicks off with a literal panic attack. You start in your bunker, open the door, and suddenly a 60-second timer begins. Welcome to the scramble.

The First 60 Seconds: Loot or Lose

Those first moments are your only chance to raid your old house before disaster strikes. The game drops you in a random location, and you have just one minute to collect everything that isn't nailed down before an "emission" or explosion forces you back inside. Prioritization is key. Healing supplies like bandages and medkits are priceless—grab them first. Food and water are plentiful later in the Zone, but medical items are scarce.

Next, secure clothing, a backpack, and a melee weapon. Reports suggest that a machete is the most reliable choice, though a bat or axe will suffice. The early game is less about style and more about survival, so focus on anything that boosts your durability and inventory space.

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The Bunker: Your Lifeline

Once the panic ends, you'll return to your bunker, which serves as your sanctuary. This is where you can safely store loot, craft essential items, and rest. Crucially, this is also the only place where you can save your progress. To save, you must be in the bunker, press Escape, and select the save button—no exceptions.

Your bunker comes equipped with a crafting bench, a generator, and an incinerator. Metal bars, for example, require fuel for the generator and a connected incinerator to melt scrap metal. Expanding your concrete hideout requires either finding or crafting sledgehammers to break through walls. An important tip: items left in your bunker's yard are safe, but anything abandoned in the Zone will vanish when the map refreshes each day.

Cowardice is a Strategy

The Zone is procedurally generated daily and becomes progressively harsher every five days, introducing new hazards and locations. The best survival tactic is often avoidance. Combat is dangerous, especially unarmored, as enemies hit extremely hard. Prioritize protective clothing like a bandit or tourist jacket and a steel helmet as soon as possible.

The Zone is filled with anomalies, which are environmental hazards that can kill you instantly. Some anomalies are visible, like black holes and spike traps, while others are invisible, such as the ones in scrapyards that hurl players into the air—usually fatally.

And then there's the infamous plane. Periodically, you'll hear its engine. Locate it immediately and move in the opposite direction—failing to do so will get you bombed. Many players have fallen victim to this sudden death trap, proving how quickly the Zone can punish inattentiveness.

Finding Firearms

Ammo is far more common than guns, which are rare and cannot currently be purchased from vendors. There are a few reliable spots to find firearms. One notable location is a point of interest featuring levitating helicopters and three hangars (two accessible). Here, players have discovered AKs, SMGs, and pistols, though the area is highly radioactive. Another guaranteed firearm spawn is a warehouse with concrete walls and a hunting tower. By climbing through wooden cracks from below, you can always find a PPSH and a stash.

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Co-op and Caution

MISERY is still in beta, so cooperative play comes with risks. Griefers can exploit game mechanics to block exits, trapping teammates. More critically, a severe save-corrupting bug exists: if a friend restarts their game and rejoins your session as the host, they may load on a different map while still interacting with your map's objects. Their emission count resets, but yours remains correct, corrupting the save file. The developers are aware and working on a fix, but until then, extreme caution is advised when playing co-op.

Conclusion

In MISERY, surviving even the first minute is a triumph. Prioritize healing, gear up wisely, and treat the Zone with respect. Avoid unnecessary fights, watch out for anomalies, and remember your bunker is your only safe haven. Guns are rare, and co-op can be tricky, but with patience and caution, you can navigate the chaos and start building your post-apocalyptic life.