For a first run, use the default Scissors and finish its full combo only when enemies leave a safe opening. Pick a Spell or Special Skill that creates space when the combo becomes unsafe. After a run, return to the Armory, check for permanent unlocks, and change one slot at a time.
Quick answer checklist
- Use Keyboard & Mouse for free aim, or keep Keyboard-Only if that movement pattern feels more reliable.
- Learn one Scissors attack chain before judging damage.
- Choose room rewards that improve the same repeatable action.
- Do not force a high-risk room when health or recovery cannot support it.
- Check the Armory after failure and after every chapter clear.
1. Set controls before the first room
Version 1.0 makes Keyboard & Mouse the default and keeps Keyboard-Only and Gamepad available. Mouse aiming helps when a Spell or Scissors release travels in a chosen direction. Keyboard-Only can be easier for a returning Early Access player who already knows its movement rhythm. The right setup is the one that lets you move, aim and activate a defensive option without looking away from enemies.
Test movement, one basic combo, one Spell and one evasive action in a low-pressure space. If two actions compete for the same finger or a charged input cancels movement, change the binding before a real attempt. The live settings screen is the authority for key labels because localization and platform layouts can differ.
2. Build around one action loop
Your repeatable damage input and the rhythm that defines the run.
Covers the weapon's weak moment, adds range, control or burst.
Changes how a particular skill behaves after its upgrade branch appears.
Connects separate skills or rewards a condition already present in the loop.
A coherent early build answers one question: what action can you repeat without taking unnecessary damage? The default Scissors rewards completing its attack chain, so learn when to finish and when to leave. Do not select three rewards that each ask for a different setup. One reliable interaction is more useful than several unrelated bonuses.
3. Read room reward and risk
| Room decision | Take it when | Skip or choose safer when |
|---|---|---|
| Damage upgrade | It strengthens the attack you already land consistently | It only works during a condition you rarely create |
| New behavior / Imprint | The branch fixes range, timing or target coverage | It replaces a reliable loop with an unfamiliar one before a hard fight |
| Relic interaction | Both sides of the interaction are already in the loadout | It depends on a skill you do not have |
| Higher-risk route | Health, recovery and a boss-ready loop are stable | The last two rooms exposed the same failure |
Random rewards mean the exact planned loadout may not appear. Use a fallback rule: preserve the weapon's core rhythm, then replace the missing bonus with something that improves uptime, reach, control or recovery. Do not restart a coherent run only because one named preview item did not drop.
4. Use the Armory as a progress checkpoint
- Return to Sil's House after a clear or failed attempt.
- Open the Armory and look for newly available Scissors, Spells or Special Skills.
- Read the current tooltip instead of relying on an Early Access description.
- Equip one change and keep the remaining slots fixed.
- Run the next chapter and note whether the changed slot solved the intended problem.
Version 1.0 starts with the default Scissors and a limited Spell selection. More options unlock through chapter progress and other conditions. A failed combat attempt can still be useful when it reveals a permanent unlock or proves that the current loop fails at range, during recovery, or against groups.
Common beginner mistakes and fixes
| Symptom | Likely mistake | Fix on the next attempt |
|---|---|---|
| Damage feels low despite many upgrades | Rewards improve different actions | Choose one attack condition and make every new piece support it |
| Combo keeps getting interrupted | Starting the finisher without a safe opening | Use a Spell for space or leave before the final hit |
| Charged attacks miss | Charging before establishing direction and distance | Create space, aim, then hold and release |
| No new option appears | Wrong save state, uncompleted progress, or Armory not rechecked | Continue the latest cleared save and inspect the Armory after returning home |
| Old guide terms do not exist | The guide targets Early Access | Replace Attribute, Synergy and Rune advice with current 1.0 systems |
Version and source boundary
Official 1.0 launch notes confirm the new control schemes, rebuilt Scissors/Spell/Imprint/Relic system and progression structure. Reward order and individual runs vary. Current tooltips decide exact effects; this page does not invent room probabilities or hidden unlock conditions.
Your first run, moment by moment
| Moment | Best beginner action | Ready to continue when |
|---|---|---|
| Before leaving Sil's House | Keep the default Scissors and a simple support action | You can explain what each equipped input does |
| Opening room | Practice movement, aim, combo and dash separately | You can leave danger without losing your target |
| At a door | Read the visible reward before entering | The choice improves the current loop or protects health |
| Before a major fight | Keep movement available and stop experimenting | You know the safe attack window and an exit path |
| After defeat or a clear | Return home, inspect progress and change one slot | The next attempt has one stated purpose |
Reward priority for a beginner
- Health is the limit: if another hit can end the run, recovery is worth more than a conditional damage reward.
- Execution comes next: if the combo or charge is constantly interrupted, take movement, control or reach that lets the action happen.
- Then reinforce damage: prefer a reward whose trigger already occurs in the current loadout.
- Skip fake synergy: a rare Relic is not useful when the other half of its condition is missing.
- Read current wording: the installed tooltip wins over an Early Access guide or launch preview value.
After the run: expected reset or real problem?
| What changed | Normal? | Next step |
|---|---|---|
| Imprints, Relics and run rewards are gone | Yes, these form the temporary run build | Use the result to plan the next route |
| A different room order appears | Yes, placement and clear rewards can vary | Read the map again instead of memorizing a route |
| Spent permanent upgrade nodes or level disappear | No, current 1.0 reports treat this as a save/progression bug | Preserve the save and follow the upgrade reset checklist |
| A new Scissors feels weaker | Possible; an unlock is a new rhythm, not a straight upgrade | Practice its defining input before comparing |
Frequently asked questions
What should a new player do first in Garden of Witches?
Choose a comfortable control scheme, learn the default Scissors full combo, and use one Spell to cover the moment when finishing that combo is unsafe.
What should I check after a failed run?
Return to Sil's House, inspect the Armory for newly unlocked Scissors or Spells, and change only one loadout slot before the next attempt.
Should a beginner copy an Early Access build?
No. Version 1.0 removed Attribute, Synergy and Rune systems. Use current Scissors, Spells, Imprints and Relics instead.