Getting Started in Doloc Town

Doloc Town drops you onto a scrap-strewn vertical farm as Proti, a young scavenger with fragmented memories of a greener past. The 1.0 release on August 5, 2026 (after Early Access from May 2025) keeps the opening gentle: no permadeath, no hunger timer — but weather and stamina still punish careless planning. This guide covers your first hours so you reach Mayor Claud, secure your first harvest, and understand where the rest of the wiki fits.

Create your save and learn movement

After naming your character (Proti is the default), follow the on-screen prompts to walk, jump, and open your inventory. Doloc Town uses side-scrolling platform controls; if buttons feel wrong on keyboard, read the Controls guide before frustration sets in. The game displays gamepad glyphs by default, which confuses many PC players on day one.

Your starting tent sits on the farm platform. Inside you find a bed, storage box, and basic workbench. Sleep to advance days and restore energy. Time moves in a four-season calendar with four weeks per season, so do not assume real-time pacing — shops close at night, festivals occupy whole days, and rain can cancel outdoor chores.

Video guide

Meet Cassia and plant your first crops

Cassia runs the introductory tutorial. Talk to her to receive starter seeds and learn the planting loop: craft or place a planter, till soil if required, sow seeds, water daily unless rain handles it, and harvest with your bare hands or a sickle later. Your first crops fund everything else — seeds, tool upgrades, and building materials for Gerald.

Keep early planting simple. Fast-growing vegetables sell reliably to Lank once his shop opens. Do not chase gene-modified seeds yet; the Gene System unlocks mid-game through the tech tree and Alchemy’s botanical lab. For crop timing and season rules, bookmark the Crop guide and the broader Farming hub.

Secure shelter before acid rain

Weather arrives faster than new players expect. Acid rain damages exposed machines and hurts you outdoors without protection. Scorching heat wilts crops unless you add plastic coverings. The full breakdown lives in Weather Protection, but your day-one rule is simple: finish Cassia’s tutorial, then prioritize a covered area for planters and any crafting station you build.

The starter welding mask helmet blocks acid rain damage on your character — keep it equipped when exploring until you craft better headgear. Shipping containers and upgraded tents provide indoor space for machines that would otherwise stall with gear icons during storms.

Visit town hall and Mayor Claud

Main story progression begins when you meet Mayor Claud at the town hall. From your farm, ride the elevator up to the settlement layer and walk right to the municipal building. Claud outlines the town’s goal: restore environmental stability and find evidence of Eden, the legendary pre-disaster ecosystem. This conversation unlocks the quest chain that sends you toward River Valley and Alchemy’s research lab.

While waiting for story gates (some paths open after in-game days), talk to shopkeepers, read mail, and pick up side tasks. NPC friendship hearts unlock recipes — critical for cooking buffs and advanced stations listed under Crafting.

Gather scrap and learn the economy

Doloc Town’s economy mixes farming income with wasteland scavenging. Punch trash bags, chop regrowing tree clusters near home, and mine surface nodes in the Outskirts for stone, ore, and wire. Combat is minimal at first, but blobs and rogue drones appear once you push past safe zones. See Gathering routes for efficient loops.

Sell surplus crops to Lank, but save some for cooking. A camp oven turns ingredients into 50–100 energy meals and short buffs. Energy gates how much you accomplish per day, so food is not optional once you start double-jumping into valleys.

Drone basics and what comes next

You will not have a combat drone immediately. Guild membership — covered in How to Play and Early Game — grants Mody and Cod’s utility drone plus combat modules. Until then, avoid deep caves and return home before stamina empties.

After your first harvest and Claud meeting, follow this path:

1. Read Early Game priorities for research order and copper pickaxe timing.
2. Study Weather Protection before the first heavy acid season.
3. Explore Map regions once River Valley opens.
4. Track main quests in the Walkthrough when story flags get confusing.
5. Use the Daily Checklist once you juggle crops, animals, and generators.

Version 1.0 features to preview

Full release adds farming automation (solar, wind, ag drones), Old City Ruins, extended festivals, and Steam Workshop mods. You do not need these on hour one, but knowing they exist prevents bad habits — like manually watering fields you will later automate. Read Version 1.0 notes when you reach mid-game.

Doloc Town rewards patience more than min-maxing. Plant consistently, cover your machines, talk to every NPC, and let the story breathe between farm days. The wasteland opens one elevator platform at a time.