Trench Decay: How to Play
Learn campaign chapters, bunker route votes, and gas hazards, then distinguish your squad's run from the shared Major Order war.
Trench Decay combines squad PvE combat with changing roguelite campaigns. Fight through stages with other players, adapt to the equipment and threats in the run, and keep the shared world war separate from the route your own squad chooses.
This related gameplay video provides context for the campaign and equipment decisions below.
Follow the campaign rather than a fixed map script
A campaign advances through chapters. Enemy health rises as the run progresses, and weapons found during the run become more powerful. A comfortable opening therefore does not mean your original equipment will feel equally strong throughout the campaign.
Treat a new chapter as a reason to review the gun you are carrying. If enemies are lasting longer, a later weapon found in the run may serve you better than clinging to a familiar opening choice. That is a progression decision, not a reason to rush every encounter.
| System | What it changes |
|---|---|
| Campaign map | Your squad chooses available stage paths in the bunker. |
| Campaign chapters | Enemy health and newly found weapon power rise through the run. |
| Live world map | Players across servers contribute to shared Major Orders. |
Use the bunker map to choose your next stage
Dotted lines show possible routes, while the solid red line shows the route already taken. When the bunker offers several paths, the squad votes on the next one. A single available path does not produce the same choice, and the Torn Map modifier randomizes the vote.
Look at the faction symbol beside a stage before voting. It identifies the faction in that bunker, giving your route choice more meaning than simply picking the shortest-looking line. Talk about the next destination while the squad has a chance to prepare.
Manage the hazards around the gunfight
Gas can come from green-smog Mindless or New Order gas shells. Staying in it damages your filter; after the filter breaks, gas starts damaging you. Gas damage also builds Decay, so standing in the cloud while shooting is a poor bargain even when the target looks convenient.
Leave the cloud and rejoin the squad's movement. Decay can also rise from mutant damage, being grabbed, going down, and spending too long outside saferooms. Avoid treating every red screen effect as a reason to fire blindly at whatever you think you see.
Separate your run from the global war
The live world map and Major Orders connect players across servers. Your campaign path is the local sequence of stages; the shared war is a broader community objective. Choosing a bunker route does not mean you personally choose the global campaign for every server.
Does progression save?
The developer states that progress saves.
Where do I find a first-run plan?
Use the beginner guide for a manageable opening, then the tutorial for the initial extraction sequence.