The Outer Worlds: 20 Tips, Tricks & Secrets I Wish I Knew

The alien planets of The Outer Worlds are overflowing with secrets — whether it’s weird menu tricks the game doesn’t explain, or hidden unique weapons you’ll want to add to your arsenal, this open-world RPG is packed with surprises. After about 10 hours of straight role-playing, I’m here to provide a grab bag of tricks to make your opening hours easier.

Made by the same team that brought us Fallout: New Vegas, The Outer Worlds adds a satirical edge to outer-space. The company rules everything, and when you’re not butting heads with feckless middle managers, you’ll be chasing down leads in the wild colonies on the edge of space, blasting marauders and looting camps for all the good stuff. It’s like a classic Bethesda RPG with plenty of unique wrinkles, and we’re here to share what’s new, what’s different, and what you need to know on the first planet.

More The Outer Worlds guides:

You Can Talk Your Way Out Of Crimes — And Steal Everything

Crime is a great way to earn easy cash. Lockpicks (Mag-Picks) and Hacking (Cyber Shunts) let you access areas you can’t normally reach, and usually there’s a big reward waiting. Start with the room in the back of the bar for an easy pick. Just make sure no one sees you stealing items marked with red!

If you are caught, having high speech skills will make escape easier. You’ll lose some reputation with the company, but you won’t have to pay a fine for your bad behavior.

Get Good Armor Or Weapons In The Barber’s Shop

This one is even easier — and it’s always there. Right as you enter Edgewater, the town, look left for a way into the Barber Shop. Go inside, and go to the back room where you’ll find a dead guard. Just close the door, and you can easily steal from him. If you’re lucky, he’ll have a set of Guard Armor. This is a great starting set, and it bumps up your Armor Rating from 3 to 9.

If he doesn’t, he should at least have a weapon and a stack of ammo to loot.

Get Parvati As Your Companion (And Raid Her House)

Talk to the town overseer at the top of the elevator in the Cannery, and you’ll quickly earn your very first companion. Parvati is a helpful shooter with Engineering Skills that can solve problems for you. Just by having her with you, you’ll be able to increase your skills and complete any Engineering challenge checks.

You can also raid her house! It’s located across the street from the bar. You’ll know which one is the right one when you enter the building with the garage and workbench.

Upgrade Science To 20+ To Unlock Tinker At Workbenches

Speaking of workbenches, if you have 20+ Science skill, you can start tinkering. For a small price — 50 bits at the start — you’ll be able to upgrade weapons and armor to make them more powerful or provide more defense. It’s incredibly useful, especially if you want to give your favorite weapons more bite.

Upgrade To 20+ Handgun / 40+ Melee To Unlock TTD Location Effects

Shoot legs to slow / stop, shoot arms to lower attack, and shoot in the head to stun while TTD is active. You’ll see yellow lightning at the effected spot! You can even shoot humans in the crotch for the ‘Weaken’ status effect. Move your aiming reticule over each part to see what status effect will occur.

Check the next page for more secrets, tips and tricks in the first area of Outer Worlds.