Kenshi is a game where freedom and chaos coexist. It doesn’t just allow you to make mistakes—it thrives on them. But a few clever insights can go a long way in making your journey smoother and more rewarding. Whether you’re managing a squad of skeletons, getting wrecked by a wild animal, or just figuring out how not to starve in the desert, these tips—courtesy of Maximum Freak—will help you embrace the grind and master the madness.

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1. Skeletons and Hivers Ignore Acid

If you’re planning to explore acid rain zones or need to swim through a sea of toxicity, skeletons and hivers are your best bet. They take no damage from acid environments, giving you a clear advantage in some of the deadliest areas in the game.

2. Don’t Rush the Game

Kenshi isn’t built for speed. Training, traveling, looting—all of it takes time. Rushing leads to frustration and avoidable death. Take your time. Learn the systems. Let your characters evolve.

3. Press ‘R’ to Immediately Stop Actions

Need your character to stop doing something right now? Pressing R cancels the current action immediately—but make sure they’re not engaged in a task from their job list, or they’ll go right back to it.

4. Fix Pathfinding and Visual Bugs with Ctrl + Shift + F11

Having trouble entering a building or the game pathfinding messing up? Use Ctrl + Shift + F11, confirm the action, and most of your visual and movement issues should reset. You’ll probably find yourself doing this more often than you’d expect.

5. Avoid Animals Early On

Animals can’t block attacks, but they are fast, vicious, and often travel in groups. In early game, they’re lethal. Some even snack on your downed characters. Avoid them unless you’re geared and ready.

6. Losing Limbs is an Upgrade Opportunity

Instead of dreading limb loss, consider it an opportunity. Masterwork prosthetics are affordable and can greatly enhance your character’s stats. Think of it as involuntary augmentation.

7. Height Matters for Ranged Combat

Turrets and ranged weapons like crossbows get bonus damage based on elevation. When building defenses, put turrets atop towers. In combat, send your snipers to the highest spot for maximum output.

8. Sitting Lowers Food Consumption

Characters consume less food when sitting. If you’re leaving some behind in a town or bar, have them sit on chairs to conserve food supplies.

9. Recruit the Free Skeletons

There aren’t many skeletons available for recruitment, so be sure to grab the three free unique skeletons in the game when you find them. They offer incredible value.

10. Don’t Reload Saves—Embrace Mistakes

Dying is learning. Reloading to avoid mistakes robs you of Kenshi’s core value: consequence. Live with your decisions, adapt, and you’ll find a deeper sense of immersion and satisfaction.

11. Need Fast Cash? Visit the Secret Drug Farm

There’s a drug farm near Flats Lagoon that’s packed with illegal loot. Collect and sell it in Flats Lagoon for high profits. It’s risky, but worth the payout.

12. Mercenaries = Loot Opportunities

Hiring mercenaries costs cats, but they can fight tougher enemies for you. Whether the mercs or enemies die, you can loot all gear. Even mercenary loot is fair game. Total profit.

13. Want to Lose Limbs Fast? Use a Pillar Machine

Need a prosthetic upgrade but no one’s chopping limbs off? Build or visit a pillar machine to safely amputate. Caution: the Skin Bandits have one too, but if you’re not allied, they may try to steal your character.

14. Feed Animals Raw Meat

Don’t waste good food on pets. Feed them raw meat—it’s cheap and effective, and they’ll gobble it up without complaint.

15. Fight Stronger Enemies for Better XP

Getting beat up by strong enemies gives more combat experience than winning against weak ones. Don’t avoid every fight—sometimes losing is the fastest way to get stronger.

16. Toughness Boosts on Recovery

Get knocked out? Don’t stand up too quickly. If you recover while enemies are still nearby, your toughness skillskyrockets. This is a fast way to toughen up your squad.

17. Sneak Training Tips

To train sneak in towns, just sneak around—even when NPCs can see you, you’ll gain XP. Outside of towns with no observers, you won’t gain anything.

18. Don’t Manually Deconstruct Buildings

Click on the building and use the “dismantle” button from the side menu. Your materials drop instantly, no manual orders required.

19. Crossbows Can’t Be Blocked

Crossbow shots go right through humanoid defenses. Have at least one crossbowman in your squad for free damage, and kite enemies around while shooting. Just keep them reloading and moving.

20. Bulls Are Powerful Combat Allies

Sure, they’re slow. But bulls are surprisingly good at defense and can take on groups of enemies if needed. Consider bringing one along.

21. Sneaking While Working

You can sneak while mining and during other tasks. This helps you avoid surprise fights. Great if you’re training stealth or avoiding ambushes.

22. Turret Exploits Exist

Standing underneath a turret on a wall makes you invisible to it, but you can shoot the turret gunner. It’s rare, but NPCs can use this exploit too—so be alert.

23. Gear Doesn’t Matter for Skeletons

Skeletons don’t need shirts or boots—those slots are useless for them. Don’t waste time or money gearing those spots.

24. Time Conversion and Speed Settings

Two real-time minutes equals one Kenshi hour. A full Kenshi day = 48 minutes. You can adjust time speed with the game speed settings to accelerate long treks or waiting periods.

25. Know Your Faction Relations

+50 points = alliance. -30 points = hostility. It’s easier to make enemies than friends, so keep track of your reputation and interactions.

26. Unlock Hidden Building Options

To unlock swamp houses, pipes, and other creative structures, enter build mode, press Shift + Fn + Alt, and explore the hidden options in the build tab. It’s surprisingly flexible.

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Final Tip: Support Your Creators

If you found this info helpful, consider supporting creators like Maximum Freak who bring depth and humor to the Kenshi community. A like or subscribe can go a long way.

Kenshi rewards creativity, punishment, patience, and perseverance. With these tips, you’ll be better equipped to carve your path through the wasteland—whether as a scavenger, warlord, or cybernetic hermit. See you in the Leviathan Coast!