Tips and Tricks for Sovereign Syndicate

Although Sovereign Syndicate is a point-and-click adventure, and this makes gameplay rather straightforward, there are a few hidden mechanics that can improve the quality of life and some of your character's stats. Here are some tips and tricks to get the most out of the story.

Tips for beginners - Sovereign Syndicate

The game has us playing with three different characters, one at a time, but all of them share the scenarios. Some of these tips include indirect interaction between characters, through their actions towards the environment, while others are pure quality of life improvements.

1. You can activate "Always Run" from the options menu, which will make your whole experience faster and smoother.
2. If you play with the "Always Run" option deactivated, you can still double click somewhere in the ground to have characters run there.
3. If you double-click and hold the last click, your character will keep running towards the cursor. Move the mouse without releasing the click button to change the direction of your character.
4. Sell all your cogs to Teddy Redgrave: If you sell him the cogs and gear you've gathered with Atticus in Chapter 1, you will start Chapter 3 with more cogs in Teddy's pockets. He will need those to install modules and upgrades on Otto.
5. Use the consumables: Perfumes and some alcoholic drinks can increase the level of the humours, which in turn make you gain skill points. Cigarettes also increase the Black Bile humour at the cost of some Hope. Don't be afraid to use these, since food and gin increase Hope again, acting as healing potions.
6. Always choose the optimistic point of view. Unless you want to roleplay a depressed character, when interacting with objects, choose whichever dialogue line seems more positive. In many instances, an optimistic take on the world will make you gain Hope, while a pessimistic one will take away some. Examples of this are staring at fallen leaves, looking at a grim tunnel that leads to the slums, or staring at an old worn chair. Look at the bright side.
7. The game auto-saves before every dialogue or interaction. So if you really wanted to pass a skill check you've just failed, you can reload the last autosave before ending the conversation, and you will appear right before the last NPC or object you've interacted with. Then you'll have another chance at the full conversation.
8. If you pick up the gears and cogs with a character, they won't be available for whoever comes afterwards. While Atticus can sell his cogs to Teddy, you may want to make Clara leave some behind for Teddy to pick up in the following chapter.

Related: Where to find the Ladsman in Sovereign Syndicate?

9. By default, you can quicksave with F5 and quickload with F9.
10. You can zoom in and out with the mouse wheel. I recommend playing with the zoomed-out camera to spot all interactive points with more ease.
11. Start new playthroughs. Sovereign Syndicate is a game made to be played several times. You'll discover new interactions when you choose different Archetypes, and you'll also get to know some characters from a different angle. Experiencing the different paths and outcomes makes the design of the game shine at its brightest.
12. Visit the shops with all the characters. Some vendors have unique items that can only be purchased by a specific character. Clara can get Fans for her Fan Collector task, Atticus can buy rare bottles of gin, while Teddy sometimes finds upgrades he can install onto Otto. Take your time exploring the entire city with each character and you may find a few extra rewards.
13. Level up all your skills. Although it may be tempting to keep using the strongest skill for most dialogues, there's a point in the game where increasing a skill further won't give you more chances: the maximum chance of success is always 94%. This is because the 16 card deck contains a critical failure card called The Fool, and, regardless of your skill level, drawing that card always means failure.
14. Take your chances. Following up on the previous point, it is common to steer towards the easier routes, or attempt whichever skill checks have more success chance. However, some Major Arcana cards can be unlocked by succeeding skill checks that may not be the strongest suit of your character.
15. Look at the numbers drawn in skill checks. Every time you take a skill check, the drawn card is discarded. If you've drawn high numbers many times in a row from the same skill, only the lower numbers remain in deck. This will decrease your chances every time you draw high; however, if you draw a critical success (The World) or a critical failure (The Fool), the whole deck will be reshuffled and restored to its original probabilities.

For more on Sovereign Syndicate, check out Where is the Missing Flat-purse in Sovereign Syndicate? here on Pro Game Guides.