Starting your first few runs in How Many Dudes can feel overwhelming. With dozens of Dude Types, hundreds of Relics, Trinkets, and different team combinations, it’s easy to think you’ve made the wrong choice after losing a few battles. The good news is that the game rewards learning and experimentation far more than perfect decisions. Almost every loss teaches you something new, and every run helps you understand your Dudes a little better.
This How Many Dudes Beginner Guide covers the most important beginner tips that will help you survive longer, spend your money wisely, build stronger teams, and avoid some of the mistakes that nearly every new player makes.
1. Every Dude Can Become Strong
One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is giving up on a Dude too early.
A Dude might seem weak simply because you haven’t found the right Relics, stats, or teammates yet. Many Dude Types don’t show their true potential until they receive a few upgrades.
Instead of replacing someone immediately, try supporting them with Relics that improve their strengths. You’ll be surprised how quickly an average Dude can become one of the strongest members of your team.
2. Read Everything
Almost every icon, keyword, and stat in the game can be clicked.
If you’re unsure what Toughness, Cleave, Defoom, Deflection, Revenant, Doom, or any other mechanic does, simply open the explanation.
The in-game Dudex is full of useful information and makes learning much easier than guessing how abilities work.
Taking a few seconds to read descriptions will save you from making poor decisions later.
3. Don’t Waste Dude Juice
It feels tempting to revive everyone after every difficult battle.
Most of the time, you don’t actually need to.
Unconscious Dudes recover naturally after a few rounds, so using Dude Juice every time someone falls usually wastes valuable money.
If your remaining team can comfortably win the next few rounds, save the consumables and invest your cash elsewhere.
4. Move Into Higher Tiers Earlier
Many players stay in Tier 1 until they finish everything.
You don’t have to.
Trying Tier 2 or Tier 3 early can unlock rewards much faster, and Stars earned there also count toward lower tiers.
Even if you lose, you’ll gain experience fighting tougher enemies and learn which builds actually work in later stages.
5. Save Money Early
Money becomes incredibly valuable later in a run.
Buying every Relic you see feels satisfying, but sometimes saving cash is the better decision.
The Business Dude can double your investment multiple times during a run.
The more money you manage to save early, the more powerful your late game becomes because you’ll eventually have enough cash to buy almost every useful Relic that appears.
6. Experiment With Different Teams
Don’t build the exact same team every run.
Some of the strongest combinations in the game come from unusual synergies that aren’t obvious at first.
Try focusing on one Dude Type.
Build around a single powerful Relic.
See what happens if you skip healers or tanks.
The more combinations you test, the easier it becomes to recognize powerful strategies during future runs.
7. Build For The Final Boss
Winning early battles doesn’t guarantee you’ll defeat the final boss.
Bosses have much higher damage, larger health pools, and unique mechanics.
Make sure your team has enough:
- Toughness
- Max HP
- Temporary Health
- Healing
- Mobility
- Cheat Death effects
Preparing for the boss throughout the run is much easier than trying to fix your build right before the final fight.
8. Learn Which Stats Each Dude Needs
Not every stat benefits every Dude equally.
Some Dudes love Attack Speed.
Others prefer Attack Power.
Tanks usually want Toughness and Max HP.
Support Dudes often gain more value from survivability than raw damage.
Instead of stacking every stat equally, focus on the ones that naturally improve each Dude’s ability.
9. Understand The Relic Pool
Your posted Flyers affect which Relics can appear during a run.
Adding more Dude Families increases the number of available Relics, but it also makes finding specific Relics less likely.
If your strategy depends on one important Relic, keeping your Relic pool smaller often improves your chances of finding it.
Planning your Flyers before the run starts can make a huge difference.
10. Prevent Knockouts Whenever Possible
Keeping your Dudes alive is usually more valuable than increasing damage.
Relics that provide:
- Toughness
- Max HP
- Temporary Health
- Healing
- Cheat Death effects
often save entire runs.
Consumables like Health Potions, Meteors, Bottled Lightning, Burner Phones, and Strange Spores are also worth using when they prevent multiple knockouts.
A healthy team saves money, survives longer, and snowballs much more easily into the late game.
The best way to improve in How Many Dudes is simply to keep experimenting. Every run teaches you something new, whether it’s discovering a powerful Relic combo, learning which stats a Dude prefers, or finding a team composition you never expected to work. Don’t be discouraged if your first few attempts end early—that’s part of the learning process.
As you become more familiar with the game’s mechanics, you’ll start recognizing strong synergies, making smarter purchases, and planning your builds several rounds ahead. Before long, you’ll be clearing higher Tiers, collecting powerful Relics, and creating teams that can handle even the toughest bosses with confidence.