Typically, No Man’s Sky is a laid-back and enjoyable gaming experience. The journey is mostly what you choose it to be, thanks to a wide array of options to customize the difficulty level. This allows you to avoid any systems you don’t wish to engage with, enabling you to explore the universe in your preferred way.
If you prefer to navigate the cosmos with extreme peril, where a single blunder could lead to your demise—making it impossible to return to the beautiful sunset you met your end under—then opting for permadeath mode in No Man’s Sky is right up your alley.
The Ins and Outs of Permadeath Mode
Permadeath mode is exactly as it sounds: death is irreversible. You cannot reload from your last save point; instead, upon dying, you’re greeted by a reflective quote about the universe followed by the deletion of your save file.
This guide offers tips primarily for newer players or those less familiar with the advanced mechanics of No Man’s Sky.
Always Keep Essential Resources Handy
In permadeath mode, there is little room for mistakes, so it’s vital to be ready for any scenario. The smartest approach is to keep a constant supply of essential resources that you will frequently need. Some of these are crucial for survival, while others help with crafting necessities. Key resources include:
- Oxygen
- Carbon
- Ferrite Dust
- Sodium
- Di-Hydrogen
Life Support Gel
Carbon and Di-Hydrogen are two of the most vital resources for survival, and fortunately, they’re also among the easiest to collect. Di-Hydrogen crystals can be found abundantly on planets, while carbon can typically be harvested from any planet that features plant life.
To create Life Support Gel, you need to first craft Di-Hydrogen Jelly, which is essential to keep you alive. Note that life support does not deplete while you’re inside a Space Station, the Anomaly, or in your ship, but it will drain while you’re exploring planets.
- Life Support Gel = 1x Di-Hydrogen Jelly + 20x Carbon
Life Support depletes more quickly when sprinting, and even faster when using your jetpack.
Recharging Your Hazard Protection
Many planets in No Man’s Sky can be incredibly dangerous, requiring your suit to consume energy to keep you alive. This drains your Hazard Protection, and once it hits zero, you’ll start taking damage from harsh environmental conditions. While this might not be a big deal on easier difficulties, it’s a recipe for disaster in permadeath mode.
You can recharge your Hazard Protection using Sodium, Sodium Nitrate, or Ion Batteries. In the beginning, you’ll rely heavily on sodium. As you progress, Sodium Nitrate and Ion Batteries are far more efficient for recharging your protection.
- Ion Battery = 10x Cobalt + 5x Ferrite Dust
You can use your scanner to find sodium-rich plants; they will appear on your HUD in yellow with a ‘Na’ symbol.
Keep Your Launch Thrusters Fueled
There are countless things that can go wrong while you’re on a planet’s surface, whether it’s running out of life support, being attacked by predators or hostile sentinels, or simply misjudging your Hazard Protection.
In such cases, being able to summon your ship to your location can be a lifesaver. However, if your launch thrusters are below 60 percent fuel, you won’t be able to summon your ship. Always keep these fueled, and if they’re running low, don’t take unnecessary risks.
Earning Nanite Clusters to Purchase Blueprints
Gathering Nanite Clusters is fairly straightforward, and you’ll need plenty of them. Nanite Clusters can be exchanged at the Anomaly for various blueprints for upgrades to your suit, ship, and more.
These upgrades are crucial for increasing your chances of survival and are often essential for progressing in the game, such as enhanced Hyperdrives.
Available Blueprints in the Anomaly
Below are some of the blueprints you can purchase with Nanite Clusters, which may be particularly useful—or even necessary—in permadeath mode:
| Blueprint | Sold By | Effect | Cost in Nanite Clusters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cadmium Drive | Iteration: Hyperion | Enables travel to systems with Red Stars. | 80 |
| Emeril Drive | Iteration: Hyperion | Enables travel to systems with Green Stars. | 120 |
| Indium Drive | Iteration: Hyperion | Enables travel to systems with Blue Stars. | 200 |
| Shield Lattice | Iteration: Selene | Boosts Hazard Protection by 20 percent. | 120 |
| Coolant Network | Iteration: Selene | Enhances Heat Resistance by 21 percent. | 160 |
| Thermic Layer | Iteration: Selene | Improves Cool Resistance by 21 percent. | 160 |
| Toxin Suppressor | Iteration: Selene | Increases Toxin Resistance by 21 percent. | 160 |
| Radiation Deflector | Iteration: Selene | Boosts Radiation Resistance by 21 percent. | 160 |
| Advanced Mining Laser | Iteration: Eos | Allows mining of Large and Rare Resource Deposits. | 75 |
These blueprints are just a few examples; many other useful ones can be found at the hub and elsewhere in the game. Generally, any blueprint that enhances your Life Support or Hazard Protection will significantly decrease your odds of dying.
A Quick Method for Collecting Nanite Clusters
A fast and relatively safe way to earn enough Nanite Clusters is to scan all the fauna on a planet. This process is quick and generally low-risk—just choose a friendly planet to work on and not a hazardous one.
Be sure to upload your scan data in the Discoveries section to earn your Nanite Clusters.
Avoiding Common Fatalities
There are many straightforward ways to meet your end in No Man’s Sky, especially early on. Be vigilant, as these traps can catch you off guard and before you know it, you’ll be starting over.
Starting on a Hostile Planet
Sometimes, the planet where you begin is particularly hostile. Without any quality-of-life enhancements, it can become very easy to die within the first ten minutes.
One way to mitigate this is to skip the tutorial when setting your difficulty. If you are already acquainted with No Man’s Sky’s basic mechanics, you won’t gain much from it. Skipping it gives you access to important tools that can make survival easier.
In particular, you won’t start with the Terrain Manipulator in the tutorial. This tool is essential for digging into the ground to allow your Hazard Protection to recharge. Without it, you’ll have to rely on finding a cave or returning to your ship.
Ambushed While in Your Ship
It’s also possible to be ambushed by hostile pirates during your first venture into space. Although space combat in No Man’s Sky is typically manageable, being in a basic ship without upgrades makes it easy to fall quickly.
Your best bet is to be ready for confrontation whenever it arises. If you discover that you need to escape, once you can access the Anomaly, use it to evade unwelcome space battles. Until then, seeking refuge on the surface of a planet is a good strategy if you’re within reach; fighting back in the dogfight can also be a viable option if you’re prepared.
The Dangers of Impatience
Acting impulsively and taking unnecessary risks can lead to death. This is true across many activities: miners face threats when collecting resources in front of a vigilant sentinel, jetpack users can miscalculate their flight time, and divers can find themselves too deep underwater and unable to surface.
These fatalities are all easily preventable, but it’s surprisingly simple to meet your end this way. While each choice may carry a small risk, the more often you gamble, the greater the chance of a disastrous outcome.
Unlocking the ‘To Live Forever’ Achievement/Trophy
The To Live Forever Achievement is obtained by reaching the Galactic Core while in permadeath mode. Depending on your approach, this goal can be either relatively straightforward or challenging.
How to Reach the Galactic Core
Most players reach the Galactic Core the traditional way; completing the Primary Missions is an excellent method. As you progress, you will collect various blueprints and the knowledge necessary to make your way there.
However, this can take a significant amount of time, and every moment lived in permadeath is an opportunity for danger. If you’re solely focused on securing this achievement, getting in and out swiftly is advisable.
How to Quickly Reach the Galactic Core
Speedy travel to the Galactic Core is more achievable than you might think. After making progress in the Artemis Path Primary Mission, you will begin to collect Glyphs, which can be used as coordinates for traveling through portals.
Potential spoilers follow after this note, so if you prefer not to learn about using Glyphs to quickly reach the center of the galaxy, you may want to skip the remaining part of this guide.
Entering the Sunset Glyph 12 times on a portal will transport you to a location just a few jumps away from the center of the galaxy. As long as you have a fully-fueled Indium Hyperdrive, you should be able to reach the Galactic Core easily and earn the ‘To Live Forever’ achievement.
