Toxic Commando: Beginner’s Guide – Tips & Tricks to Survive the Sludge

Like previous titles from developer Saber Interactive, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando thrusts you into an unforgiving apocalyptic world overrun by monsters. In this case, it’s a mutant-infested wasteland. Sure, there’s a short tutorial section at the beginning, but after that, you’re thrust into the fray. It can feel overwhelming, not because it’s overly punishing, but because the game has so many interlocking systems that it doesn’t always explain well. This Toxic Commando beginner’s guide aims to cover everything you need to know before jumping in, from class selection to Sludge Seeds to why those “optional” side objectives are anything but.

The Basics: What Kind of Game is Toxic Commando?

Have you ever played a popular horde shooter, such as Left 4 Dead, World War Z, or the more recent Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2? Those last two titles come from developer Saber Interactive, too, and they utilize the Swarm Engine, which coordinates hundreds of enemies flooding toward you at once. That’s what Toxic Commando is all about—chaos, firepower, smart positioning, and working with your teammates to complete an objective. It’s a four-player co-op horde shooter involving a team of mercenaries fighting through nine semi-open-world missions against the armies of the Sludge God.

Each mission takes place on a sizeable map with a primary objective and multiple points of interest scattered throughout the environment. Missions clock in at approximately 30 minutes, though that timeframe changes as your difficulty rises and you start exploring the map more thoroughly.

All that said, Toxic Commando is online-only. You can play solo, but you’ll be matched with AI bot teammates rather than in an offline mode. Oh, and there’s crossplay between PC and consoles, so playing with friends across platforms is straightforward.

Pick Your Class — And Understand What it Does

Your first decision in John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando is to pick your class, and it matters more than your character choice. The four characters—Walter, Cato, Ruby, and Astrid—are purely cosmetic. You can play any class with any character. Here’s a quick breakdown of each:

• Strike — An aggressive damage-dealer who carries ammunition and grenades, reloads faster, and wields a powerful Fireball ability that deals severely impressive AoE damage. It is, in my opinion, the best class for solo play or for when you know a horde is around the corner.
• Medic — The primary support class, complete with a Healing Aura ability that restores nearby teammates’ HP over time. Medics carry additional medical items and stronger Medkits, making them a crucial linchpin for any squad.
• Operator — A tech-support-oriented class, the Operator controls a combat drone that attacks enemies, repairs vehicles, and revives downed teammates once you’ve unlocked the appropriate skills. They’re also the vehicle specialists, taking less damage while driving and consuming less fuel.
• Defender — The game’s tank-like class, the Defender deploys a dome barrier designed to block incoming attacks and damage enemies within its radius. With more health, extra damage resistance, and additional ammunition, this is the best class for new players who keep dying.

If you’re playing Toxic Commando solo: Strike or Defender proves most effective at holding their own. The Strike’s Fireball saves the day in a pinch, clearing entire hordes with reckless abandon. Alternatively, the Defender’s barrier and high HP pool make them more stalwart.

If you’re playing with friends: Bring a Medic. You’ll need one to keep moving from POI to POI, and especially at the final objective, which often culminates in a horde.

Classes Level Separately

Every class in the game features a unique skill tree and levels independently, up to a max of 40. You’ll earn skill points as you level, but only for the class you’ve selected for that mission.

• Do not spread yourself thin. Pick a single class, play through all nine missions to complete a full playthrough, and level that class extensively. You’ll have an easier time tackling higher difficulties and playing in a squad with a single leveled class instead of four partially leveled ones.
• Playing on a high difficulty grants more XP. On Very Hard, you’ll earn 3x XP compared to playing on Normal. It’s more challenging, but the rewards outweigh the inevitable headaches.
• You’ll unlock new class ability variations at levels 5, 10, and 15. Every class receives one Special Ability, and then you can choose how to evolve said ability using your acquired skill points. These choices change your playstyle, so take some time to explore your options and read what each unlock does.

Collect Sludge Seeds

Sludge Seeds are one of the most important pickups in the game, but one of the least explained. Here’s what to know:

• They appear as a blue orb-like icon on the map and tend to have tougher enemies guarding their location.
• Picking one up automatically grants a second life—if you’re downed while carrying a Sludge Seed, you’ll automatically revive.
• If you carry a Sludge Seed through the mission without dying, you’ll earn additional Class XP.
• On Very Hard, don’t skip the Sludge Seed. You’re bound to go down due to the increased difficulty, and the revive will be a godsend.

Exploration Isn’t Optional

When you load into a new mission, open the map while you have breathing room. Take a good, hard look around. You’ll note various points of interest already marked, including weapons, spare parts, supply caches, and Sludge Seeds. Do not skip any of this. They’re all critical to your success.

You’ll find:

• Supply Caches: Stocked with ammunition, weapons, and health items. These provide necessary top-ups after prolonged fights.
• Sludge Seeds: As covered above, they’re worth finding and carrying with you.
• Spare Parts: Necessary to construct defensive equipment, like turrets, mortars, and electric fences, when facing off against a horde during the final sequence. You also require Spare Parts to fix your vehicle.
• Sludgite Deposits: Orange crystals scattered about the map; collecting them counts towards currency to upgrade weapons at the hub.

Vehicles: Use Them, Respect the Sludge

Every map has at least one vehicle—sometimes two—and having one is essential for traversal, mission objectives, and exploration. Each vehicle handles differently and comes with unique perks, like mounted weapons or a winch.

A few vehicle tips for beginners:

• Drive carefully through sludge terrain. Toxic Commando features light touches from MudRunner—another game by Saber—meaning off-road sections occasionally mean getting stuck in a sludge pit with a horde bearing down on you.
• Find a vehicle with a winch. By far, the winch is the most useful vehicle-mounted tool in the game. It allows you to pull a stuck vehicle free and pry open car trunks, bunkers, and objectives for loot and resources.
• The Operator class receives vehicle buffs, including less damage taken, reduced fuel consumption, and automatic HP restoration while driving.