If you’re looking to get powerful fast in Once Human, this guide walks you through an efficient early-game route that includes acquiring a top-tier sniper rifle, setting up your base for passive wood collection, and optimizing gear and weapon calibrations. This approach will put you way ahead of the curve with minimal risk and maximum payoff.

Step 1: Progress to Unlock the Bike

Early on, the game gives you a bike—an essential mobility tool. Getting it is simple: just play through the intro and do some basic exploring. Once you have the bike, you’re ready to begin this progression route.

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Step 2: Calibrate Your Starting Weapons

Before heading out, upgrade your primary weapon, especially the pistol, at your Gear Workbench (which the game leads you to early). Use copper ingots and Stardust to calibrate it to +2 or +3. Skip upgrading the crossbow—you’ll soon replace it with a sniper rifle. The pistol remains reliable even later in the game.

Step 3: Optimize Your Early Armor Set

Combine the Raid Set (15% gathering speed, +20 max load) with four pieces of the Rustic Set for movement speed and additional gathering speed. This combo enhances mobility and efficiency across all early-game activities.

Step 4: Locate the Overpowered Sniper Rifle

Head south on the map. You’re aiming for a compound marked by a red-roofed warehouse, northwest of the Dark Spludge landmark. Approach from the top road to avoid combat.

• Place a map marker on the warehouse.
• Follow the road or fast travel to Mayor’s Market as a nearby starting point.
• Optional: Grab the logging beaver deviant on your way back (see step 6).

Step 5: Carnival of Doom Quest (Sniper Rifle)

Once inside the compound:

• Avoid enemies by sneaking and hugging the left path past the red train.
• Clear three guards outside the red-roof warehouse.
• Enter the warehouse and start the Carnival of Doom quest.
• Use your scanner (Q) to follow a cable, climb to find an NPC, and return to Chuckles.
• Accept the game and follow through the challenge until you’re allowed to enter the red door.

Inside:

• Sneak up to the NPC and backstab for an instant kill.
• Investigate the cheating device.
• Defeat Chuckles at his game to earn the tier 2 sniper rifle blueprint and weapon copy.

If you’re not yet level 10, you can’t equip the T2 rifle yet. In that case, craft the tier 1 version using the blueprint at your base.

Step 6: Logging Beaver Deviant (Optional but Powerful)

To automate wood collection:

• Place a marker on the docks south of Mayor’s Market.
• Fast travel or ride there and look for a beaver deviant near the shack by the water.
• You get three capture attempts—use sneak or food boosts to assist.

At your base:

• Install an isolation unit under the Facilities > Functional tab.
• Place the beaver inside, and once charged, it will collect wood passively.

You can also capture more beavers later for greater output. Leave one isolation unit per deviant.

Step 7: Use the Sniper Rifle (Why It’s So Good)

The sniper rifle you just unlocked is:

• Extremely accurate: Minimal recoil and excellent stability, even while moving.
• Fast-firing: Quick enough rate to handle groups.
• Massively powerful: Can one-shot early enemies and makes most encounters trivial.

Downside: Longer reload time. But for its sheer damage, it’s worth it. Keep it upgraded with materials and recalibrate it for key bonuses.

Step 8: Craft & Expand

Back at your base:

• Use copper and ammo crafting to build out the sniper rifle.
• If you’re level 10 or higher, use the provided rifle. Otherwise, craft a tier 1 version and use it until you level up.

Add more isolation units if you want to work with butterflies or other utility deviants.

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By following this strategy, you’ll quickly outclass your enemies, automate resource collection, and have reliable long-range damage from the get-go. Pair the sniper with your mobility and gathering bonuses, and you’ve got an early-game powerhouse build that can carry you far into Once Human’s world with ease.