Is Outer Wilds Hard to Get Into? Depends on Your Mindset

When first stepping into (or rather, rocketing into) the world of Outer Wilds, most players quickly discover this isn‘t your typical open world adventure. Instead of waypoints and quest logs directing you from point A to B, you have total freedom over where to explore, but no guidance on what exactly you should be doing. This lack of structure is thrilling, but also tremendously disorienting.

So whether Outer Wilds is "hard to get into" largely depends on your mindset as a player and how you choose to approach its steep initial learning curve.

The First 2 Hours are the Hardest

Reviews and player accounts widely report struggling to enjoy or even stick with Outer Wilds in the first 1-2 hours. Upwards of the first 20% of players drop off before unlocking achievements like escaping Timber Hearth or discovering another planet.

Without clear objectives or feedback on progression, it‘s easy to feel aimless and frustrated as you burn up in the sun or float endlessly through space. These early game pitfalls lead lots of players to quit prematurely before clicking into the game‘s groove.

Common Pitfalls That Turn New Players Away

Based on community discussion boards, the most commonly cited pitfalls include:

• No sense of direction. Where do I go? What should I be doing?
• Fumbling flight controls. The physics take time to grow accustomed to.
• Dying repeatedly. Whether from crashing or the time loop, trial and error deaths can be tedious.
• Feeling overwhelmed. Too many things are strange and unclear.

Because progress in Outer Wilds comes entirely from the player‘s urge to explore and piece together small clues, it‘s far from the most accessible start. You have to be okay with not having your hand held for a while.

Adopting the Right Mindset is Key

More than any single mechanic or activity, overcoming the initial learning curve is about knowledge. Knowledge of how to pilot your ship without overshooting everything. Knowledge of which planets hide what secrets. And most crucially, knowledge of how to approach the game mentally.

Seasoned players, streamers, reviewers, and fans who have sunk 50+ hours into the experience are unanimous on this front. More than anything else, adopting the right mindset determines whether you‘ll push through those difficult first sessions.

Tip #1: Follow Your Curiosity Above All Else

Rather than chasing an objective you don‘t have, focus instead on chasing every question, oddity, or simply gorgeous vista that catches your interest. Treat yourself as an explorer on an expedition first and foremost.

Let curiosity about what that distant planet holds or where that signal leads govern your decision making. If something piques your interest, chase it down! You‘ll stumble upon the main threads organically.

Tip #2: Take Notes to Connect the Dots

With so many subtly relayed names, locations, data points, and alien technologies, jotting down notes goes a long way in piecing together connections.

Sketch maps, write timeline summaries, anything to offload the burden of remembering a growing web of space anomalies and relics. Revisiting notes between loops provides those satisfying "Ah-ha!" lightbulbs when things finally click.

Tip #3: Reframe Failure as Iteration

Each disastrous crash or clueless time loop isn‘t failure so much as an instrumental part of the journey. Being comfortable with confusion and iteration is mandatory. Let go of perfectionist tendencies and enjoy experimenting with wild ideas, even if they vaporize you! Each loop gets you closer to illumination.

Lean into the mystery and make peace with having more questions than answers at all times. That sense of wonder and discovery is the game after a certain point.

Average Completion Time: 16-26 Hours

According to aggregated data sites tracking key benchmarks, the average completion time ranges from 16 hours for main story missions up to 26 for 100% completion.

But the vast majority agree the first 1-5 hours are the biggest hurdle by far. So try not to rush to conclusions on the game in your first session or two.

Give it around 5 hours to truly judge whether the core loop resonates with you. The more glimpses of buried secrets you uncover, the harder it‘ll be to put down!

A Uniquely Satisfying Struggle

What makes cracking into Outer Wilds so difficult yet so rewarding is that you generate nearly all the momentum yourself. There are no waypoints, tutorials, NPCs or big flashing OBJECTIVE signs to externalize that drive.

The hunger has to come from within. From genuine curiosity, scrutiny of details, and willingness to fail until discoveries happen organically. Embrace what you don‘t know, make peace with confusion, and let your innate desire to solve puzzles take the wheel.

The brilliance of Outer Wilds is how much intuitive detective work it allows you to do unprompted. No single solution orDestination is mandated – just gather clues, probe ideas, extract secrets hidden in plain sight, and weave loose threads however you see fit.

A Worthwhile Journey for the Right Adventurer

For gamers accustomed to modern conventions of clear quest tracking and progression gating, Outer Wilds won‘t click right away. The lack of structure warrants patience.

Yet for explorers who value meandering adventures of insight over conquest and completion time leaderboards, its bespoke brand of discovery is magical. There is no optimal path, only the one your wild theorizing and probing summons into being!

So while far from the most accessible at the start, Outer Wilds offers determined newcomers one of the most wholly unique, challenging, yet euphoric exploratory gaming experiences around. As long as you walk in embracing the mystery rather than the solution, this clever indie gem weaves a lasting spell.

Just drift into it with curiosity at the helm rather than efficiency, prepare to be confused before being illuminated, and the secrets of the Timber Hearth system shall unravel at precisely the pace you forge.