9 things I wish I knew before playing Prey

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Mimic these tips to out-mimic the most mime-y of mimics.

Prey is a massive systems-driven game with maze-like level design and ruthless, deceptive enemies. In other words, if you don’t know what you’re doing, it can be too overwhelming to even cross a room. What if there are mimics out there? What if I don’t have enough health to face them? Are there alternate routes? What’s GLOO? Who am I? Was The Coneheads a good movie or was I just young and easy to please at the time? Don’t sweat the big questions too hard—we can help.

If you’re just getting started, here are a few tips to keep in mind between smashing every coffee mug, just in case.

Sneak up on mimics (or any enemy) for a damage bonus

If you know how to spot mimics before they ambush you, charging up a wrench swing grants a damage bonus and usually kills them instantly. If you see more than one of any object in a small area or if one of the objects is knocked over or awkwardly positioned, swing just in case. After visiting Psychotronics, this becomes far less of a problem.

Press Z to tag enemies 

I don’t remember it appearing in tutorial, but even before visiting Psychotronics, you can press Z to zoom in on enemies and tag them. They’ll appear on your map and UI under a small red triangle, even if you can’t scan them for research quite yet. Bring up the map and they’ll appear there too, which is invaluable if you’re opting for a stealth run or chose to play on a higher difficulty.

If you see something locked or out of reach, you can probably get it 

Study your surroundings to get behind locked doors or to GLOO climb your way around walls. If you run into a door just below your hacking level, chances are there’s a keypad code hidden nearby. They’re not limited to being hidden in notes and emails either, and if they are, they won’t always be spelled out for you. Maybe you can break some glass and manipulate the computer operating a door lock through a broken window. If you can’t pick up a heavy object, maybe some well-place GLOO can push it out of the way. Get creative.

If you don’t see anything interesting, look closer 

Prey’s level design is incredibly dense. If nothing catches your eye in a room, chances are you’re missing something. Don’t forget to look up or behind big crates. Extra neuromods, weapon upgrade kits, and health packs are likely hiding. 

Talk to bots for a nice boost 

Sometimes you’ll run across friendly, floating science, engineering, or medical bots. Talk to them and they’ll buff you or restore a big chunk of your health or suit HP.

Don’t lose sleep over using neuromods 

If you do enough exploring and find the blueprint to construct them, you’ll be swimming in freaky-deaky eye needles. Early on, I worried about how to spec my character, but you’ll be retreading some of the same areas a few times through, so spend points wherever you feel. Most areas can be exploited with any skillset.

Know how things interact 

Pipes with flammable warnings can catch fire using weapons and certain psi powers.

Flammable pools light up with canisters and certain psi powers.

You can put flames out with the GLOO Cannon.

To get by a wild electric arc or if you want to repair a busted, sparking conduit, pop some GLOO on it to temporarily ground the situation.

Most glass can be broken, so long as it doesn’t lead outside. Even the glass below your feet can be fragile.

Those are just the basics. Be sure to experiment.

If you have a numpad, use it for keypads 

You’re on a PC. Roleplay and enter those secret codes on your fancy keyboard! Just make sure your Num Lock key is on.

You can find some big guns very early on 

Some people have gone hours without a shotgun, and I have no idea how. It’s available in one of the earliest areas of the game, albeit hidden in an easy-to-miss room. Same goes for the Distruptor Stun Gun, which comes in handy if you opt into Psi powers and turrets stop liking the look of your face. These two are far from all Prey is hiding. Keep your eyes and imagination peeled throughout the entire game to find even better weapons and rewards you might otherwise miss.

James Davenport
James Davenport

James is stuck in an endless loop, playing the Dark Souls games on repeat until Elden Ring and Silksong set him free. He's a truffle pig for indie horror and weird FPS games too, seeking out games that actively hurt to play. Otherwise he's wandering Austin, identifying mushrooms and doodling grackles.