Nine-foot-tall vampires are only the beginning of your troubles in Resident Evil Village’s gothic nightmare. As a frantic dad trying to rescue your infant daughter from creepy cultists – and much, much worse – you’ll need skills and smarts to survive. These clever tactics are a great place to start.

Finding space for new gear is almost as challenging as battling bloodthirsty gargoyles. Save up your cash and buy baggage upgrades from the roving merchant as soon as possible – they’re pricey, but worth it for bulky weapon storage alone.

Mastering the block-kick combo can be a lifesaver when foes are swarming you – booting an enemy into his buddies will stagger the whole group. Hold the Space bar (or the left shoulder button on a controller) to guard against an enemy’s attack; press it again to follow up with a swift kick.

A red area on your map means that location still has undiscovered items: look for hanging birdcages, breakable vases and anything giving off a sparkly glint. Once you’ve pocketed all the loot, the area will turn blue to show it’s been cleared.

Don’t just shoot randomly. Blasting an enemy’s leg will make them stumble (useful when you’re beating a hasty retreat), while hitting an arm will make them drop their weapon – helpful for evening the odds against axe-wielding Lycans and other nasty baddies.

Some treasures can be joined to create an item worth way more than its individual parts. For instance, don’t sell the Necklace With Two Holes until you’ve found both Pigeon Blood Rubies. Combining those gems with the jewellery gives you Dimitrescu’s Necklace, worth a cool 50,000 Lei.

Sometimes the best way to survive is to run! The huge Lycan ambush near the start of the game is a good example: keep moving, force these foes into bottlenecks and stay alive. When the church bell rings, this encounter will be over – though you’ll be going from the frying pan into the fire. (You’ll see!)