Zero Sievert Guide | Beginner Tips and Tricks | TechRaptor (2024)

Our Zero Sievert Guide teaches you the basics of the game and gives you a short walkthrough that will help you survive your first expedition to the Forest.

Zero Sievertmay look cute based on its pixel graphics, but don't be deceived — it's a challenging extraction shooter that will punish your mistakes. With the right skill choices and base modules, you'll be well-equipped to explore the Forest and beyond. Read on to learn about the HUD, and then we'll dive into a walkthrough for your first expedition!

Zero SievertHUD Explanation

1. HP Bar: This shows your health. If it drops to 0, you die and you lose everything you collected in a run. Your max health can be reduced by various negative debuffs.
2. Stamina Bar: This shows your stamina. If it's too low, you won't be able to sprint. Your max stamina can be reduced by various effects such as lack of sleep.
3. Energy Bar: This shows how well-rested you are. You can restore this meter by sleeping at the bunker. If it gets too low, you'll suffer negative debuffs such as reduced max stamina.
   • Additionally, any debuffs you may have (such as bleeding) will appear near this icon. It's good to keep an eye on this area when you're playing!
4. Hunger Bar: This shows how well-fed you are. If it gets too low, you'll suffer negative debuffs.
5. Hydration Bar: This shows how hydrated you are. Low hydration can result in negative debuffs.
6. Radiation Bar: This shows how irradiated you are. If you absorb too much radiation and leave it untreated, you can gain spontaneous negative debuffs such as bleeding.
7. Magazine: This shows how much ammo you have in your equipped weapon's magazine.

Zero SievertGuide | Starter Guide Walkthrough

Now that we've explained the HUD, it's time to move on to the meat of thisZero Sievertguide. This walkthrough will teach you about the basic mechanics and help you survive your first expedition.

Stats and Managing Weight

Most of your stats are detailed in the HUD explanation above, but there is one that we haven't addressed — weight. Weight is represented by "kg," and you can only carry so much stuff before you slow to a crawl. This is represented by the weight number turning dark red.

If the weight number turns bright red, however, you'll be completely incapable of moving. You'll need to drop some weight in a container or on the ground if you want to get moving again.

Skills to Pay the Bills

Skills are split into two categories: Hunter Skills (gained by leveling up and spending Perk Points) and Weapon Skills (gained by using a weapon and becoming proficient in it). Picking the right skills will greatly increase your overall chances of survival; check out our Skills Guide for more details!

Choosing Your Starting Equipment

You have six choices for equipment when you start a new game ofZero Sievert. Each loadout has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some will provide you with Armor. Others will provide you with more Food.

I strongly recommend selecting "Equipment 4" for your first playthrough. It has a good balance of Food, Water, and Medical Supplies. The semi-automatic rifle will help you conserve ammo until you get something better, too.

Using The Device

There's one final key piece of equipment to go over: the Device.

The Device is where you'll find critical information, including the time of day, the date, and your health. You also have six icons on the bottom. They are, from left to right:

• The Map:A map of the area you're exploring. Maps are randomized every time you go on an expedition.
• Tasks:A list of your current Tasks and their progress.
• Stats - Shows your statistics such as enemy kills and looted containers.
• Hunter Skills:A breakdown of your Skills — check out our Skills Guide for more details on how they work.
• Weapon Skills: A summary of your progress building up weapon proficiencies and earning Weapon Skills; we also detail this in our Skills Guide.
• Base Setup:A menu to set Modules for your base in the bunker. Go to our Modules and Base Building Guide for more info.
• Relations:Your relationship with the various factions.

You can bring up the device with J. It's a pretty useful tool, so take advantage of it!

Exploring the Bunker and Taking on Tasks

Once you've watched or skipped the opening cutscene, you'll be deposited into the bunker at the bar. It's time to get moving.

Start by talking to the Barman and taking on the Task "First steps." This is a fairly simple Task; you'll have to go to the Forest and kill 5 Wolves.

Next, head to the left and open your Stash. Equip your weapon(s) and armor. Take one bottle of Water, one piece of Bread, all of your Medical Supplies, and any ammo you have; put the leftover Food items in your Stash. Make sure to reload your gun(s) so it actually has ammo in it!

You can explore the rest of the bunker and see if there are any items you'd want to buy or tasks that you want to take on, but it's not strictly necessary at this time.

Finally, head outside and talk to the train conductor. You have a loaded gun, some supplies, and a Task to complete — it's time to head to the Forest.

Heading to the Forest

Speak with the Conductor, select "I want to leave," and select the Forest map. You'll be treated to a short loading screen.

Based on my experience, it seems that every map is slightly different when you visit it on successive runs. However, they tend to share the same broad strokes. For example, the Forest will always have a road going down the middle from north to south, a factory, and a small town in the center.

Take note of the green circles on the map — those are your Extraction Points. You have to reach these points and remain nearby for five seconds in order to escape back to the bunker with all of your loot.

The small town (represented by black roads) is as good a place to start as any. You have a good chance of finding useful supplies in the buildings. Unfortunately, it's also riddled with hazards.

First and foremost, Ghouls roam around the buildings. They're not particularly difficult to take down, but you can still be hurt if you're not careful. The outside of the town can have Hunters, Bandits, or packs of Wolves. All of these can be significant threats, so use cover smartly and eliminate them if they're a danger to you.

The biggest threat, however, is in the center of the town:

This is the Police Station. The Police Station is protected by a bandit named Lazar and his elite guards. All of them are armed with some beefy weapons and youreallydon't want to try to fight them the first time around.

It's a good idea to loot the town (sans Police Station) a few times in search of some supplies. You can complete all three of your Tasks without ever confronting Lazar.

You should, however, fight Lazar at some point. Aside from having some nice equipment, he holds the key to the Police Station which will get you access to some nice Weapons and Attachments, Medical Supplies, and more.

Back and Forth

Once you've returned home, head immediately to your Stash and deposit any stuff that you'd like to keep. Turn in any Tasks you may have completed.

By now, your Hunger, Thirst, Fatigue, or Radiation may not be in tip-top shape. Eat, drink, and rest as needed, and prepare to leave for another trip to the Forest. Make sure to wait until it's early morning (at least after 08:00 AM) -- you don't want to be in the Forest at nighttime, especially without a flashlight.

Going forward, you're going to want to do the following:

• Find better equipment
• Craft Modules to improve your base
• Complete Tasks for people in the Bunker
• Improve your Skills
• Explore new areas

You now have the basics of the game down —check out our other guides for more advanced tips and details on the other areas of the game!

Zero SievertF.A.Q.

What is Zero Sievert?

Zero Sievertis a top-down, single-player Tarkovlike/extraction shooter where you have to explore the wasteland, fend off enemies, and complete quests for other people in the bunker.

IsZero SievertMultiplayer?

No,Zero Sievertis not multiplayer. There are "no plans" for multiplayer according to one of the developers, but he also says that multiplayer "may be a possibility in the future."

Where is theZero SievertSave File?

TheZero Sievertsave file is located in:

C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\ZERO_Sievert

Where "USERNAME" is your Windows 10 username.

What Happens When You Die inZero Sievert?

If you die inZero Sievert, you'll return to the train at the bunker. You won't lose any ammo or equipment durability, but you won't get to keep any loot you've found and some time will have passed. However, a "Hardcore Mode" is in development and this will likely have different rules for death.

Thanks for reading ourZero SievertGuide — have a gander at our other guides below!