Surviving Your First Week Beginner
Your first week is not about winning. It is about not dying for reasons you could have avoided.
Pick a safe town, earn starting cash, recruit a second body, and learn to run before you learn to fight.
The First Goal
Forget glory. Week one has three jobs: find a safe town, earn a little money, and add a second character so a single bad fight does not end the run. Squin is the standard answer for a base.
Money & Recruits
Mine copper near the Hub or Squin for your first cats, then recruit a cheap merc from a bar. Two characters survive what one cannot, and one can drag the other to safety.
Learn To Run
Running away is not failure in Kenshi — it is a core mechanic. Train Athletics by travelling on foot, and flee any fight you are not sure you can win.
Common First-Week Mistakes
Wandering into the wrong region for your race, fighting Hungry Bandit packs head-on, and exploring the map before the squad can survive it. Stay near guards and grow slowly.
“Train Athletics early — a fast squad chooses which fights happen.”