Emberville Beginner Guide: Opening, Gear & Wanderer

1. Start in the abandoned building

After creating your character, you begin the September preview route inside an abandoned building. Move into the next room and check the objects around you. A recorded prologue walkthrough shows a barrel that can be broken for Softwood. If your October Demo has a different layout, treat the barrel as a preview landmark, not a guaranteed fixed drop. ^Sources

1. Finish character creation and enter the opening building.
2. Check any doors or breakable objects on your way out. In the preview, rooms become visible as you open or break their doors; unexplored side rooms may contain enemies, not just loot.
3. If you see the introductory barrel, break it and collect the Softwood pickup. If the game displays a pickup or inventory prompt, follow it to confirm the Softwood. ^Sources

2. Continue after the opening defeat

The September preview includes an unavoidable story encounter outside the starting building: a powerful robed figure kills the character, who then respawns and continues. Do not restart a new save simply because this scripted preview scene happens. It does not establish what you lose, keep, or respawn with after an ordinary death in the October Demo. ^Sources

3. Get a weapon and learn its attacks

1. Explore reachable side rooms and open chests or containers you encounter. September previewers found knuckles, a bow, and light armor early in their runs; their exact chest locations are not guaranteed for yours.
2. Equip one of the weapons you found using the inventory or equipment slot shown in your build. The preview taught primary and secondary weapon attacks through an in-game prompt.
3. Fight nearby enemies using that weapon type. Weapon mastery increases through use, so try one type long enough to see whether its attacks suit you.
4. Before switching to another weapon, check your equipment slots: the September preview did not have a confirmed one-button swap-back shortcut. ^Sources

4. Activate the Wanderer class when it unlocks

One first-hand September previewer unlocked Wanderer while exploring the prison and talking with an older man. It was not a permanent choice made on the initial character-creation screen. In that preview, Wanderer offered Focus Strike and Swift Foot. ^Sources

1. Continue the opening objectives until the game presents the Wanderer unlock.
2. Open the class interface and select the unlocked Wanderer class. In the September creator preview, P opened that menu; check the binding displayed in your installed Demo rather than assuming the same default. ^Sources
3. Read each ability description before equipping skills. Focus Strike and Swift Foot are the names reported in the September preview; check your build for their current availability and effects. ^Sources

5. Gather supplies and reach the first boss

The preview route lets you gather resources while exploring. In a September creator build, holding E collected materials from nearby resource nodes, but this is not a verified October Demo keybinding. Before the Spider Matriarch, keep a weapon and any healing consumables you have found accessible. See the Spider Matriarch strategy for the battle order and the Spider Key guide for the next gate. ^Sources

The confirmed route order is defeat the Spider Matriarch → obtain the Spider Key → open the next gate. ^Sources

If your Demo looks different

• No Softwood barrel or a different room? The barrel belongs to a September walkthrough. Follow the objects shown in your version rather than searching indefinitely for that exact drop.
• A control does not respond? Use the current on-screen interaction prompt or controls menu; P and E above are preview-only examples.
• Your dash input does not match? Follow your build’s current prompt. The September preview showed a dash cooldown, but it does not establish an October Demo binding. ^Sources
• The class is still locked? Continue the opening story objectives. Do not assume you must choose a class before you can move or fight.
• Ready to leave the early rooms? Your next distinct task is reaching and beating the Spider Matriarch, not choosing an unverified optimal stat build.