Chained Beasts Guide for Beginners: Controls, First Run Tips, Healing and Winning the Crowd
✓ Last verified 2026-10-16 · How we check facts
Quick answer
This Chained Beasts guide covers the basics for new players: block to stun, keep a backup weapon before throwing, trip enemies with the chain, vary attacks to earn crowd gold, and heal carefully because every potion adds an affliction.
This Chained Beasts guide is for your first few runs. The game punishes habits from other roguelikes: there are no permanent upgrades, healing always costs something, and your teammates are physically attached to you. Follow this Chained Beasts guide and you will reach the first boss with fewer tangles and more gold.
Chained Beasts Guide: The Basics
The tutorial teaches the core actions in this order: pick up a shield or weapon, block, attack, dodge, aim and throw, and carry or throw allies. Button prompts differ by platform, so follow the on-screen prompts in the tutorial or the control screen. The developers recommend playing with a controller.
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Pick up shield or weapon | Equip gear from the arena floor |
| Block | Absorb hits, and a well-timed block stuns many enemies |
| Attack | Light and charged attacks, plus heavy weapon specials |
| Dodge | Evade, uses stamina |
| Aim and throw | Throw a weapon or object; thrown weapons are lost |
Ten Tips for Your First Run
- Block more than you think. Well-timed blocks stun many enemies and open them up for executions.
- Grab a shield early, and replace it, because shields break after a few hits.
- Never throw your only weapon. Thrown weapons are gone; pick up a backup first.
- Trip enemies with the chain. Sweep it under them, then backstab. Many players miss this until their third run.
- Watch pillars. Wrapping around one traps the whole team. Walk back the way you came.
- Use the arena. Urns, spike walls, snake pits and fire all count as kills and impress the crowd.
- Mix your attacks. The crowd scores variety, tempo and carnage, and repetition earns less gold.
- Heal with a plan. Every potion adds an affliction, and stronger heals bring worse ones.
- Mind your stamina. Running dry leaves you unable to dodge.
- Do not over-train. On higher difficulties, pushing the trainer too far can injure you.
Healing Without Ruining Your Run
| Situation | Suggested choice |
|---|---|
| Small damage, early act | Skip or take the mildest potion |
| Low health before a boss | Take a strong potion, accept the risk |
| Teammate at 1 heart | Give them priority in co-op |
| Several afflictions already | Look for perks or surgery to offset them |
Read the full afflictions guide for examples.
Picking Your First Beast
The Rhino is the safest start, with longer-lasting shields and less damage taken according to player reports. See the characters guide for others.
Next Steps
Once you win a run, harder difficulty levels and new beasts unlock. Our hard mode guide explains the ladder. For an overview of every system, read the gameplay guide.
Official Source
The Chained Beasts Steam page includes the official description and demo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the most important tip in this Chained Beasts guide?
Use the chain to trip enemies, and always keep a backup weapon before throwing.
Q: How do I earn more gold in Chained Beasts?
Vary your attacks, use the arena and land executions, because the crowd pays for variety, tempo and carnage.
Q: Should I heal after every fight?
No. Every potion adds an affliction, so heal when the risk of dying outweighs the penalty.
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Chained Beasts Hard Mode Guide: All 10 Difficulty Levels, Unlocks and How to Survive Them
Chained Beasts hard mode explained: the 10 difficulty levels, how Pleb and Legionnaire unlock, what each step adds and tips for half-health starts.
Afflictions
Chained Beasts afflictions explained: how potions, training and surgery add lasting penalties, which examples players report, and how to plan builds around them.
Characters
Chained Beasts characters explained: the 8 unlockable beasts, known starting perks for Rhino, Wolf, Lion and Lioness, variants, and why there are no fixed classes.
Gameplay
Chained Beasts gameplay explained: chained co-op combat, weapons and throws, crowd scoring, potions and afflictions, trainer, merchant, surgeon and the 3-act run.