So you probably "completed" the tutorial. "Completed", if you were lucky, or got mercilesly smacked by several battle encounters and got evicirated by Scissors woman. Get psyched because thigs will only get more hairy from now on.

General gameplan:
0. YOU PICK GAME MODE.
SPINE-CHILLING STORY OF SCHOOL SCISSORS case. Your "case tutorial". You won't pick it ever.
EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY. Your 1st "real run" where you gonna play "best unga gurl" in a most vanilla way possible. You won't pick it ever, after 1st game.
RANDOM MODE. Pick difficulty and dive into the world (of horror).
CUSTOM MODE. Pick everything: difficulty, character, background, dark god, seed... and play.
(there are also some sub modes like Last stand and but I won't cover it here.)

So you started the game:
1. Pick "City History". you will pick up to 2 "actions" per town location (shops and et c.).
2. Go to your appartment. Get EXP from bathroom, find 1 FUNDS from robot in the dresser.
3. Go look at your 5 cases. Plan your run. I won't help you here much, sorry. Learning the game is part of experience. First few runs you will learn. Then you will plan: this case allow you to roam the town (and gain items and followers from the start) but this case happen on location and gives you free stuff. This case have item that can help you in another case. This case have mandatory fights that you can't handle well at 1st lvl. And so on.

4. You pick a case and start.
Base Game cycle:

• Game shows you where you need to investigate to progress the case.
  
• You investigate stuff, or do optional stuff for alternative ending.
  
• When you done X investigations, there will be an ending or a boss.
  
• You get the rewards and the next day start.
  
• Town gets a curse, you get a key and start new investigation.
  
• When you get 5 keys, you go to a lighthouse and survive 5 (?) trials. Then you destroy the altar of dark god and win.

More about investigation process.

• When you pick a location to investigate. You "draw" a random event. And gain 2 EXP.
  
• There are several types of EVENTS. "Pick an action" event, fight stuff event, "puzzle event".
  
• Pick an action usually has from 1 to 4 actions. Some events are STAT, FUNDS, ITEMS, PERK checks, some are just FUCK YOU events where you lose someting or pick a lesser evil (lose STA or lose REA).
  
• Some events are straight figts. You can gain more exp from fight but you'll lose mose STA\REA during a fight. Also enemy might be a ghost. Then you'll need to guess right order of CLAPS and BOWS to exorcise it (go to the last section of the guide to check my exorcism helper).
  
• Some rare events are "puzzles" where you need to click on stuff and it will result in something.

Experience plays imortblahblahblah...
Ways to gain experience:

• Investigating areas. You'll get 2 exp right away by starting an event.
  
• Getting reards from SOME events.
  
• Beating ENEMIES.
  
• Comlpeting Cases.
  
• By having Compass (+2 exp every time you investigate stuff worth it's money).
  
• By having some Perks like Quick learner, Occult signs et c.

Ways to spend experience:

• You can level up by pressing a button and spending 100 points of experience. On "level up" you will be able to pick 1 out 3 perks, and increase 1 stat (including option to gain STA or REA).
  
• You can pay with experience at some town locations like Police station or Schoolyard.
  
• Some rare events and spells require you to PAY with experience. There is a combat action that rises hit chance for whole battle for 5 experience.

Tips:

• Compass is good. +2 exp every time you investigate stuff worth it's money.
  
• Deduction perk turns your 30 EXP upon solving the mystery into 50 EXP. I.E. You can grab it if its on your 1st level up (revelant to Kouji but not so much for Random skills option).
  
• Policeman and Junji can give you Funds for Experience. Junji is more generous man.
  
• Healing at hospital sometimes can give you 20 exp (check Status menu for Dischage papers). Check it.
  
• Listening to Doll Matron (find the special action) can give you EXP and Spells for Doom. Its bad.
  
• Spending EXP on students is actually worth its "money". +1 stat basically worth 50 exp (and spooping them costs 5), so hire (check & discharge) students to the limit. "Parting gift" will significally buff you (if stats didn't changed it was Luck buff).
  
• Hit chance varies only for your weak and strong weapon attacks (not kicking and shooting).

Most events are checking your stats:
{Your checked Stat} VS {roll from 1 to 12}+{difficulty modifier} (bigger value wins)

Locations that you invesigate can have varied difficulty levels, that might grow during the game. There are 4 difficulty levels:

• NONE = no modifiers.
  
• LOW = +1 to stat checks
  
• DANGEROUS = +1 to stat checks & more STA\REA penalties
  
• DOOMED = +2 to stat checks & more STA\REA penalties & more Doom for investigating.

Tips:

• If your stat is equal to the check - you win.
  
• Try to memorize (look up, or guess) what stat will be checked. Its not always obvious but most of the time you can guess.
  
• Check location danger level.
  
• Manage your stats (get followers, manage items, remove injuries, et c.)

Right now there are:

• 17 Strength checks.
  
• 12 Dexterity check.
  
• 14 Perception checks.
  
• 16 Knowledge checks.
  
• 17 Charisma checks.
  
• 16 Luck checks.
  
• 13 Item checks.
  
• 13 Item check.
  Downtown: Flashlight, Map, Showel, Holy candle,
  Forest: Ritual robe, Camera, Stake knife
  School: Tiny key, Holy candle, Bottle
  Village: Yakuza card, Map
  Mansion: Holy candle
  Perk check 11.
  Ally check 4.
  
• 11 Perk checks.
  Downtown: Arcane Grasp, Hot Bath, Quick Thinking
  School: Art Knowledge, Anatomy Class
  Village: Folklore Studies
  Mansion: Hot Bath
  Seaside: Arcane Grasp, Quick Thinking, Fast Hands
  Hospital: First Aid
  
• 4 Ally checks.

Hit chance is partially based on your level, partially on enemy power level and your weapon stat.
YOUR HIT CHANCE = {weapon stat} + {10% multiplied by your Leve} - {enemy power level}

Oh boy, here we go. First, the things you need to know:

• Stats DO NOT affect every aspect of battle. Only when action scales with certain stat, this stat will affect SPEED of this action. Only that.
  
• Only certain ACTIONS are scaling: Attack, Strong attack, dodge, Brace, Use knowledge, shoot, listen (unique action).
  
• There are "general" speed modifiers of ACTION GROUPS (attack, defecne, spiritual, Inventory). This boosts accesible ONLY by: smoking cigarettes, perks (Swimmer, Adrenaline, Famous), follower boosts, some items (donut mask).

Formula time:
Action time = ({BASE TIME} X {SPEED MODIFIERS}) - ({SCALING} X {STAT})

Explanation:
Base action takes 80t, general modifier is 0.9 (1*0.9), Dexterity is 8, Scaling is 3
(80 * 0.9) - (3 * 8) = 48

Tips:

• General modifiers are applied before scaling. So they are VERY GOOD with scaling.
  
• Multiple general modifiers are multiplicative: 0.9 * 0.85 (swimmer) = 0.76 (truncated)
  
• Everything is truncated. In your favour. Rejoice.
  
• Scaling is fixed per action. So slow weapons scale worse and suck.
  
• Getting Spiritual actions speed is not advised. There aren't many ghost encounters, you need to guess the ritual only once per run, you still need to be scaled up to add defensive action, and not all ghosts will furiously bite you while you guessing.

Once in a while you'll gonna bump into a ghost. You can't kick ghost to death. You need to do correct sequence of 5 claps and bows to exorcise the ghost.

• Every time you do sequence of X claps & bows game will give you a tip of how many actions was correct.
  
• When you find the right Ritual IT WILL BE THE SAME WHOLE RUN. Write it down.
  
• Ghost will act in the Round you did the CORRECT Ritual sequence. So it might bite you one last time.
  
• Correct solving could take you from 1 to 6 turns. With strong avereage of 3-4 turns (in my experience).

How to solve Ritual: