The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu: Essential Beginner Tips

The Mound: Omen of Cthulhu, as many Lovecraftian tales tend to be, is a steady descent into madness. But the upside is that you get to do it alongside a group of treasure-hunting pals.

But even with a full squad, these expeditions towards The Mound won't be easy, as this game is designed to test your skill, your teamwork, and your sanity. So, to help you keep your head and get out of there with as many occult treasures as humanly possible, here are some beginner tips to help. 

Bring Everything Along 

Firstly, as you set off on any expedition, you'll get a chance to stock up on supplies that vary depending on the contract you take on. You only have 6x Inventory slots to begin with. But the Ox Cart chest is aboard the ship and can be stocked alongside your inventory. 

What this means is that there is no reason not to take absolutely everything offered to you. Even if you don't think you need a Longbow, or extra arrows, it's worth packing them as they could come in handy later. Not to mention, they'll add to the value of your haul when you return. 

Shoot For The Head 

Seeing as The Mound is an FPS shooter, your first question with regard to combat should be: 'Do headshots deal more damage?' 

It's worth asking, as not all games make that distinction and offer more damage, but in The Mound, you benefit greatly from shooting for the head. When your back is against the wall, firing one shot to kill will likely give you some breathing space. 

But it's also worth noting that, even in melee combat, striking the head is also the ideal approach, as this will decapitate enemies and vanquish them faster than body shots will. 

Ranged, Melee, Light Source

While you can go into any expedition with absolutely no gear and technically find a way to make things work, it's not something I would recommend. In fact, I would recommend that you always have three key components in your starting loadout, regardless of the contract. 

Firstly, a ranged weapon is a must. Usually a quieter weapon like a Crossbow is best to manage your madness stat. But, a gun can come in handy, especially during extraction. Plus, you'll need a ranged weapon to deal with hazards like Cursed Birds, for example. 

Then, you'll want a melee weapon for when bolts, arrows, or Charges run out. Alongside a light source to navigate when night falls, and to help you spelunk in caves where you'll find no natural light. 

Watch Out For Birds 

Speaking of Cursed Birds, it's probably best that we explain what they'll do to you if not dealt with. These are evil-eyed birds that you'll see perched on trees around the island, usually blocking the path between you and the Logbook you need. 

This means they need to be dealt with one way or another, because if you ignore them and approach, they will effectively blind the player, creating shadow as far as the eye can see while flying above your head. 

The key here is to spot them, and then shoot them dead before they can do this. They will let out a screech, and you'll anger the forest somewhat, but it's a better alternative than letting them alter your vision. However, if you can avoid them altogether, you should. 

Stay Together, Stay Alive 

Madness is a core mechanic of The Mound, and there are many ways to build it up. However, from what I could tell, the quickest way is by getting isolated from your group. 

The Ox Cart provides a safe zone of sorts from the madness, and remaining with your squad helps keep that stat in check. But if you head off to explore areas off the beaten path, or break off from the group to deal with an enemy, madness will take over. 

This could lead to the game presenting allies as enemies to cause friendly fire, or the game making your allies near-invisible, forcing you to rely on proximity chat. In short, keep a tight formation, and communicate well to stay alive.

Silent As A Mouse 

The other major contributor to madness in The Mound is how much sound you make, and unfortunately, almost everything you do makes a sound. If you run, if you break branches, if you kick open chests, or if you fire off bullets. That all angers the forest. 

This leads to a higher density of enemies, and it ups enemy hostility to prevent sneaky or pacifist measures. Plus, it leads to more dirty tricks from the game that will likely force you into more bold and brash decisions. 

The key here is to use melee and arrow shots where possible. Sneak through areas with enemies when you can. Use your Machete to break branches rather than running straight through, and only open chests if you are running low on supplies. 

Backstab Like A Souls Veteran 

Something that isn't all that well communicated with regard to combat is that, if you creep up on an enemy, you can take them down with a silent backstab takedown. 

This occurs automatically if you manage to avoid being detected and attack from behind, but the player must have a sword or knife on them. A blunt object won't cut it. 

With effective group communication, this tactic can thin the herd and make fighting a larger group blocking your path much more manageable. 

Money-Making Medallions 

When your main goal on an expedition is to make a certain amount of gold, being able to locate big-ticket items fast is key. Otherwise, you'll end up roaming aimlessly around the island, usually leading to a situation where the forest is restless or angry before you're ready to depart. 

A good way to avoid this is by bringing along a Medallion, an item that you'll be able to purchase from the merchant on the ship very early on in the game for 10 Tokens. 

This item reveals a rough path towards potential treasure, allowing you to get to shore, get what you need, and get out of there without needing to go too deep into the map.

Hunt & Gather 

Aboard your ship, you will find a man who works in the galley but doesn't have a lot of food Rations to work with. This is where you come in. 

On expeditions, you can hunt Huemules, which are essentially just wild deer that roam the island. You can either shoot them with arrows or with a gun, and then you need to load them onto your Wagon and extract them. 

If you do, you'll start contributing towards your Rations Level, and with four Huemules delivered home, you'll gain your first upgrade and gain more powerful healing from good Rations moving forward. 

Upgrade Your Weapons

Lastly, an easily missed upgrade that you can make from one run to the next is your weapons. Depending on what is granted to you on the ship before a run, you will be able to make various upgrades to your weapons. 

To do this, use the anvil to the right of the table, and you'll be able to access this menu. This will cost you a certain amount of Tokens depending on what upgrade you want. But if you want to deal more damage or ensure your weapon won't break when you need it most, this can be a decent option.