Romestead Beginner Guide to Resources, Tools, and Gods | Expand production before you make buildings pretty

Following a mysterious catastrophe, the ancient Roman Empire lay in ruins, and you, as one of the few survivors, must join forces with the gods to rebuild Rome amid the wasteland and wilderness. That is the premise of Romestead.

Although the game has only just entered early access, it is unmistakably ambitious. It falls into the same survival-crafting genre as Terraria, Minecraft, or Don't Starve. You can raise a city in the wild, recruit settlers, fend off monster incursions, and delve into dungeons to challenge bosses.

Because the development team has packed so much content into it, new players often feel overwhelmed at first. The following early-game tips should help you secure a smoother start.

What should you do at the very beginning?

Once you step into Romestead, you enjoy near-total freedom - you can roam wherever you like, but that will most likely lead to your first death. What you actually need to do, as in any other survival game, is to scout the area around your spawn point and gather resources.

Wood, stone, and basic food form your entire foundation. Without those Romestead items, you cannot construct anything, cannot feed yourself, and will not last long.

Wood deserves your foremost attention. Collect as much of it as you can to build your base. Do not worry about having too much; in truth, you will almost always find yourself short of it.

Next, gather stone to craft your first set of tools, and collect food at the same time so that you do not starve while working. If you happen to spot metal ore, you can mark its location on your map and then carry on with your current tasks, since you cannot process it in the early stages.

How to handle your resources?

Wood, stone, and food are the pillars of your early growth, so you can never have too many. But do not squander them on pretty yet useless structures - that will only slow you down. Reserve them for what you truly need; if you have no immediate use for them, stockpile them, and they will come in handy when you craft other things later.

Rare resources demand a higher degree of caution. Do not waste them on trivial matters, nor attempt to test new buildings before you have a solid reserve. Keep them stored away until you are more established.

As for items that seem useless at the outset - a particular plant, an odd pebble, a strange fragment - they might be key components for an upgrade or for unlocking important content. Keep every single one of them.

If you manage wood, stone, food, and rare resources wisely from the beginning, your progress will flow much more smoothly. If you casually discard something that appears worthless, you could miss an opportunity to advance the game.

Base and Buildings

Some players choose to set up their base right next to the spawn point - convenient, yes, but not necessarily wise. The location of your first base is critical; you need a spot rich in resources. Ideally, choose flat terrain with access to water and plenty of trees nearby.

Building on uneven ground will cause major headaches for later expansion. If you are playing with friends, select a central position that is easy for everyone to reach.

The order in which you construct buildings has a huge impact on your development pace. In the opening phase, do not try to erect a beautiful or fully fledged base. Your top priority is to secure survival and basic production capacity as quickly as possible, because that accelerates every other aspect of the game.

You should first build a simple shelter, a campfire or similar facility, and a basic crafting station - these let you gather resources, prepare food, and forge tools, establishing a stable cycle from the outset. You can then upgrade your structures step by step.

In the early game, build only the facilities you will use immediately. Do not place multiple unnecessary workshops, nor expand your base without a clear reason. Another common mistake is frequently relocating already-built structures, which also consumes resources and time.

Choosing a God

Picking the right deity makes a significant difference, because it can either speed up your growth or leave you struggling to climb. The available gods differ quite markedly from one another, so do not choose one just because its name sounds cooler.

At the start, you need a choice that helps solve your most pressing problems. Each god has its own inclination, and they broadly fall into categories such as:

• Agriculture and production
• Combat
• Hunting and gathering
• Foraging and crafting

It is advisable to select the god that most benefits your base growth and daily resource acquisition. I tend to favour the option that helps stabilise everything first, because that reduces pressure and gives you room to learn the rest of the game without constantly fighting for survival.

If you are playing solo, choose a god that aids survival and efficiency, since you will be handling almost everything by yourself and every second counts.

In co-op mode, the best choice is one that complements your team's division of labour. If someone focuses on combat, another on gathering, and another on building, then allocating divine blessings according to each player's role makes more sense.

How to survive the first night safely?

The first night is a defining moment - if you are not well prepared by dusk, your game may end much sooner than you expect. The minutes just before darkness falls are the most crucial.

Ensure you have enough food to avoid starvation, sufficient wood and stone for quick construction, and at least one basic tool for self-defence.

Do not wait until night arrives to start preparing. Get everything done while there is still light. Base placement before the first night is also key. You can set up a simple, functional camp near your spawn point and avoid venturing too far; that way, if things spiral out of control or you encounter enemies, you can fall back quickly.

Remember to place campfires or basic light sources around your base before dusk. Light not only helps you see, but also deters certain creatures from approaching. It also gives you more confidence to move around.

The survival pressure of the first night is not overwhelming. A crude fence, a closed door, and a basic weapon are enough to handle it. The priority is to keep enemies out rather than eliminate them all at once. If you can withstand the initial assault and keep your base safe, you have already won that first night. Afterwards, with more time and resources, you can upgrade your defences.

Exploring the map and developing your town

Once you have a rudimentary shelter, ample food reserves, decent tools, and some basic defensive measures, you can consider exploring the surrounding areas.

Outside your base, prioritise things that can speed up your progress without introducing unnecessary risk - for instance, nearby wooded zones, visible stone deposits, and edible plants. If you pick up something valuable, do not be greedy and keep gathering; it is better to head back.

To develop your town faster, you first need to expand resource production, then increase storage capacity, and only afterwards make your buildings look attractive. To boost production, upgrade your tools first, and then you can construct the corresponding facilities.

Romestead is not yet polished and still has many bugs, but the process of building an automated town is genuinely enjoyable - and that is where it outshines Terraria. If you like similar gameplay, it is worth giving a try.