Generally speaking, you don't want have any heroes that have the following quirks (especially kleptomaniac):

Other quirks have worse effects, but most of them can be worked around (like not bringing the hero certain dungeons). The worst quirks early on tend to force you to interact with curio because interacting with curios in the wrong manner quickly stresses your entire party out (and afflictions are really bad, especially when starting out). The classes have skills that increase light level by 5-6 for each use during a battle (and those skills add up). Until you can take advantage of lower light levels, get in the habit of burning a torch whenever the light level goes below 76 (each torch adds 25 to your light level). Light level has a strong impact on the game and it's part of what makes Darkest Dungeon the game it is. Don't bother curing/destressing heroies that you haven't invested in.Īfter the carriage is upgraded to 4 heroes a turn, upgrade the armor (then weapons) in the blacksmith, then the guild, sanitarium, and finally the abbey (the tavern has too many risks associated with it). Having a fresh stream of new heroes allows you to dismiss (or kill off) those with afflictions. Prioritize recruiting based on the character's postive and negative quirks. This allows you to recruit up to four new heroes per week. The very first thing you should do is upgrade your carriage twice. Upgrade your carriage (and the rest of your town) because let's be honest, you are a bit of a masochist if you've decided to play Darkest Dungeon.

These rules should help you through your first playthrough and make the game much more fun and a little less frustrating. Darkest Dungeon is meant to be a tough game.

Beginners tips darkest dungeon