Beginner Basics - Darkest Hours Wiki

The Trial System: Core Gameplay Loop

Every match in Darkest Hours consists of exactly four consecutive Trials, each operating on a strict 5-minute (300-second) countdown timer. Your primary objective during Trials 1-3 is to reduce this timer as quickly as possible by completing either Collect or Capture objectives.

Key Concept:

The faster you complete objectives, the more time you remove from the round timer. Time saved equals survival probability increased.

Trial Structure Overview

Trial 1: Standard objective (Collect or Capture)
Trial 2: Standard objective (Collect or Capture)
Trial 3: Special Trial with modifier (Dolly, Double Trouble, Fog, etc.)
Trial 4: Escape Trial — find the exit eye and survive

Objective Types

Collect Objective

During Collect phases, players must gather a randomized quota of Scrap scattered across the map geometry. The quota scales algorithmically with the map's physical volume — larger maps demand significantly more scrap than compact environments.

Upon completing the Scrap quota:

Round Timer is reduced by 10 seconds
A celebratory confetti effect appears
Failure to meet quota has no direct penalty (no timer reduction, no confetti)

Stamina Tip: Never sprint during casual exploration. Hoard your stamina bar exclusively for emergency escapes. Depleting stamina before an entity rounds a corner often results in unavoidable death.

Capture Objective

Capture phases demand that players physically occupy and hold three distinct capture points for a designated duration. Progress is communicated via a center pillar that illuminates sequentially from bottom to top — a total of six illumination stages per complete capture.

Capture Rewards:

Each successful capture point reduces Round Timer by 30 seconds
Capturing all three points is the most time-efficient strategy

Warning: Capture points create dangerous geographical bottlenecks. Coordinate with teammates to protect individuals actively capturing — entities will converge on these stationary positions.

Overtime Mechanic

If the master timer reaches 0:00 while any uncaptured point is actively being held, the server triggers an Overtime state. This indefinitely extends the round until those specific points are either fully captured or completely abandoned.

Special Trials (Trial 3)

The third trial is always a Special Trial — a guaranteed modifier that disrupts the standard ruleset. These anomalous phases introduce severe mechanical gimmicks designed to drain resources and escalate difficulty.

For detailed information on each Special Trial type, see our Special Trials Guide.

Special Trial Variants

Dolly: Movement = damage when eyes open. All killers pause during eye-open phase.
Double Trouble: Entity spawn rate multiplied by 2.
Fog: Dense volumetric fog obscures vision map-wide.
Blackout: Severe darkness restricts visibility.
Bloodbath: Minimum 5+ entities spawn simultaneously.
Husk: Indestructible tracking entity deals proximity damage.
Infection: Extra entity spawns per player death.

The Escape Trial (Trial 4)

The fourth trial is always an Escape Trial. All standard objectives are voided, and the objective text ominously changes to a single directive: "Run".

A massive glowing eye spawns at a random location as the sole extraction point. A directional arrow guides players toward it. Exactly one entity guards the escape vector — this is not a chaotic free-for-all but a focused bottleneck.

For comprehensive escape tactics, see our Escape Trial Guide.

Last Prisoner Standing

If the server detects only one living player during any trial except the final Escape Trial, the Last Prisoner Standing (LPS) event triggers.

LPS Mechanics

Every active entity gains omniscient awareness of the lone survivor's exact coordinates
The player receives infinite stamina as compensation
Objective requirements pause entirely
Survive approximately 2 minutes to trigger extraction machine spawn

Pro Tip:

During LPS with infinite stamina, you can use Riot Coil perpetually for sustained high-speed movement. Maintain a clean driving line — colliding with geometry or an entity will halt your momentum and likely result in death.

Entity Evasion Fundamentals

Every entity in Darkest Hours operates under a unique set of AI mechanics. Understanding these behavioral patterns is critical for survival.

Universal Evasion Principles

Never sprint during exploration — conserve stamina for escapes only
Learn entity audio cues — Kolossos's charge, Angry Munci's humming, Alex's breathing
Use the Radar — tricolor display (Green/Orange/Red) provides proximity intelligence
Flashlight (F key) — essential during Blackout and Fog trials

For detailed entity-specific strategies, see our Entity Threat Dashboard.

Item Basics

Items are provided via randomized loadout — you receive three random items per match rather than purchasing from a shop.

Essential Items for Beginners

Item	Type	Purpose
Speed Coil	Mobility	Massive movement speed boost. Does NOT restore stamina.
Soda	Consumable	Restores stamina. Use BEFORE Speed Coil for maximum effect.
Radar	Detection	Shows nearest entity in studs. Green (far) to Red (near).
Healing Item	Consumable	Restores 50% HP instantly. 20-second cooldown.

Critical Order of Operations: When you have both Soda and Speed Coil, you MUST consume the Soda FIRST, then immediately activate Speed Coil. Reversing this order — activating Speed Coil then switching to Soda — will CANCEL the Speed Coil effect, wasting a critical charge.

Controls Reference

W, A, S, D — Movement
Shift — Sprint (use sparingly — conserve stamina)
F — Toggle Flashlight
E — Interact with objects, capture points
Tab — View inventory / item selection

Next Steps

Once you understand these core concepts, proceed to the Advanced Meta Guide for entity-specific counters, stamina economy optimization, and escape sequence tactics.

Advanced Meta Guide → Entity Database →