Your first hour — Over the Hill

Get oriented before you drive

Treat your first hour as a flexible introduction. There is no need to rush through every step.

Open the map and identify a discovered cabin. You can select a discovered cabin to respawn if a trip goes wrong.
Check the control settings. Automatic transmission is a calm starting point; manual control is optional.
Locate the radial menu and look through Tools, the Safari Camera and the Compendium.

A recovery plan matters more than an ambitious first destination.

Check which tools you already have before choosing a route. A jack can right an overturned vehicle; planks help with gaps and traction.
Practice selecting a vehicle attachment point and a nearby winch anchor. Aim the camera at the intended anchor.
Stay on familiar ground while learning. Avoid committing to an unknown water crossing.

Combine exploration with photography rather than relying on an assumed fastest farming route.

Choose a species in your current area and check its active hours and weather.
Use the Safari Camera with the animal centered, unobscured and at a suitable distance.
Look for meteorites while exploring. Extract them with the winch; their glow is easier to notice at night, when you will also need headlights.

Spend against a problem you have encountered. Catalog prices describe upgrades, not the cost of acquiring a vehicle or field tools.

Compare your stock vehicle with a starter build recipe.
If you struggle on rough ground, consider grip and clearance; if getting stranded is the concern, prioritize recovery.
Enter your actual budget and owned upgrades in the advisor before spending.

Choose a reward you want, then plan the trip around its area.

Find a named unlock trail and read its reward and preparation notes.
Use Low Range when struggling on slopes or rough terrain; return to High Range on regular ground.
Mark the trail complete only after finishing it in-game. The site’s checklist does not read your save.

Keep the next trip small enough to finish comfortably.

Choose one area and a few wildlife or trail objectives in the expedition planner.
Check the time and weather requirements of each target.
Review the completion dashboard when you return and mark what you actually finished.

Based on the game’s driving, recovery, exploration and photography tips. The sequence is editorial guidance, not a timed or playtested route.