How to Play REPO Game: Complete Beginner Tutorial
New to R.E.P.O.? This is the start-to-finish walkthrough of your first run — lobby, controls, the cart, extraction, and the Service Station — written for players who have never opened the game before.
Quick Answer
To play REPO: launch the game on Steam, run the in-game Tutorial, then host or join a lobby (1–6 players). Each level, exit the armored truck, push the cart, grab valuables (cursor turns yellow), and place enough on the extraction pad to meet the quota. Between levels visit the Service Station to buy upgrades — this is also the only point where your progress saves. Walk, don't sprint; cooperate over voice chat; only fight monsters you cannot avoid.
REPO Game Controls (Default Keyboard)
Every binding is changeable in Settings → Controls. Native controller support is not included, but Steam Input lets you remap a gamepad.
Standard FPS movement. Hold Shift to sprint, but sprinting is loud and attracts monsters.
Most maps need at least one jump per run. Buy the Extra Jump upgrade later if you keep falling short.
Quieter than walking. Useful for sneaking past Hidden, Headman, and similar audio-triggered monsters.
Hold to keep gripping. The cursor turns yellow over a valid valuable, cart, or door.
Critical for fragile valuables. Spin items so the soft side faces toward you when carrying.
REPO uses proximity voice chat — teammates only hear you when they are nearby in the level.
Activates Tumble mode (rolling) — handy in tight corridors and for prank knockdowns. Default key, rebindable.
Esc opens settings, Tab brings up the in-run overview. Use Esc to remap any key.
How to Play REPO: Your First Run, Step by Step
The full game loop in six steps, from main menu to a saved checkpoint at the Service Station.
Boot the game and run the tutorial
On first launch, REPO highlights the Tutorial button on the main menu. Take it — it walks you through movement, picking items up, the cart, and proximity voice chat in about five minutes. After that, you have unlocked the rest of the menu.
Host a lobby or join a friend
From the main menu choose Host to create a lobby (1–6 players, including yourself), or click your Steam friend's game in the friends list to join. The host's PC holds the only save file, so pick the player with the most stable internet to host the campaign.
Drive in and leave the truck
Every level begins inside the armored truck — your safe room and the only way home. The opening room outside the truck is always safe. Take the cart parked there with you; it carries multiple items so you avoid solo trips through monster territory.
Hunt valuables until quota is met
Sweep rooms with your flashlight on. Anything your cursor turns yellow over is a valuable: vases, electronics, art, instruments. Stack them on the cart. The cart's screen shows your running haul value — keep grabbing until it exceeds the quota at the top of the screen.
Extract before time runs out
The map shows one or more glowing extraction pads. Roll the cart onto the pad, push every item past the floor markings, then step off. A wall slams down — anything sticking out or any player still inside gets crushed. When the dollar value on the pad meets the quota, the level locks in and you can return to the truck.
Spend at the Service Station
Between levels the truck stops at the Service Station — the in-game shop and your only auto-save checkpoint. Spend everything you earned on Health, Stamina, Strength, Range, weapons, or grenades. Money does not carry over after upgrades go on sale, and unsaved upgrades vanish if the team wipes on the next level.
Common Beginner Mistakes to Avoid
These four mistakes cause most first-night wipes — internalize them before your first paid run.
Don't sprint everywhere
Sprinting drains stamina and creates noise that draws monsters. Walk by default, only sprint when you are already spotted or making a planned dash between rooms.
Don't carry valuables solo through unscouted rooms
Big items go on the cart, with one player pushing and one or two scouts ahead. Lone carriers get blindsided by Headmen, Banger explosions, and Rugrat throws.
Don't Alt+F4 mid-level
REPO only saves at the Service Station and at the start of each level. Force-quitting mid-run loses everything since the last save and risks corrupting the host's save file.
Don't fight monsters you can avoid
Most monsters are best ignored. Spend money on Stamina and Strength early, not on weapons. Every bullet is a one-time purchase; running away costs nothing.
Proximity Voice Chat: The Real Gameplay Layer
REPO uses proximity voice chat, which means teammates only hear you when they are physically close in the level. The Push-to-Talk key (V by default) keeps your mic active while held — release it the second you stop speaking, because monsters react to voice volume too. Loud screams and laughter genuinely attract enemies.
Plan calls before splitting up: who pushes the cart, who scouts, where the meet-up extraction is. The biggest jump in skill from new player to confident player is not mechanical — it is calling out monster sightings clearly: "Rugrat west room", "Headman in the corridor with the cart", "open extraction pad north".
If you cannot use a mic, the in-game Truck Computer chat (with the /help command listed) lets you type messages for the host to read.
Where to Go Next
REPO Tips & Tricks
Once you have your first run under your belt, the next ten hours of optimization tips.
Commands & Console
Truck Computer commands, debug shortcuts, and hostable mod commands.
Monster Guide
Every enemy you will meet, with HP, damage, and counter-play notes.
Save System Explained
Why REPO only saves at the Service Station and how to back up your campaign.
How to Play REPO Game — FAQ
How do I play REPO game for the first time?
Launch REPO on Steam, click Tutorial from the main menu to learn the basic controls, then either Host a lobby or join a friend. In each level you exit the truck, push the cart through rooms, grab valuables (your cursor turns yellow over loot), drop them on the extraction pad to meet the quota, and return to the truck. Between levels you spend earnings at the Service Station shop. The whole loop takes 10–20 minutes to grasp on the first run.
What are the REPO game controls?
Default keyboard binds: W/A/S/D move, Space jump, Caps Lock or Ctrl crouch, Shift sprint, Left Mouse grab/pick up, Right Mouse or Scroll rotate the held item, V push-to-talk, T tumble, Esc menu, Tab quota overview. Every key is rebindable from the in-game settings menu. REPO does not have native controller support, but you can enable Steam Input from the game properties to map a gamepad.
Can I play REPO solo?
Yes — host a lobby and just don't invite anyone. Solo play is harder because you cannot two-player slam monsters or split scouting and hauling, but the quota scales down with the lobby size and the early levels are doable with patience. Most players still get the best experience in a 3–6 player team because REPO is built around proximity voice chat and panic communication.
How does the cart work in REPO?
The cart sits at the start of every level outside the truck. Grab the front handle with Left Mouse and walk — it follows. Drop or stack valuables onto it; the screen on top shows the live total value of everything on board. Push the cart all the way onto the extraction pad and step away to extract. The cart is also indestructible cover against Hidden and Bowtie attacks if you crouch behind it.
What is the quota in REPO?
The quota is the dollar amount you must extract per level to advance. It appears at the top-left of the HUD and increases each level. Falling short means the run ends and the team is sent back to the menu. Quotas scale with how many players are in the lobby — solo players get a lower target than a full 6-player team.
What is the Service Station and when do I visit it?
The Service Station is the shop the truck stops at between levels. It carries a random rotation of upgrades (Health, Stamina, Strength, Range, Tumble Launch, Extra Jump) plus consumables like grenades and ammo. Critically, entering the Service Station triggers the only checkpoint save in REPO — money and upgrades earned mid-level are not safe until the truck pulls into the station.
Do I need to host or can I just join?
Either works for playing, but only the host stores the save file. If your friend hosts, you cannot continue that campaign on your own — you have to be in their lobby. Host yourself if you want a save you control. Pick whoever has the strongest internet, since a host disconnect ends the run for everyone.
What happens if I die in REPO?
You drop into a downed state and your teammates can revive you with the heal cart in the truck or by carrying your body to a healing item. If every player in the run dies, REPO automatically deletes the save file — this is permanent unless you backed the file up beforehand. Play cautiously: one Cube of Knowledge from a Rugrat throw can wipe a full-HP teammate at low Health rank.