As the name suggests, Nightmare mode is a variant in Dead Rails that increases enemy durability and damage, cuts back on loot drops, and removes passive health regeneration to create a tougher experience for players. This may not be for everyone because of how much it ramps up the difficulty, but it is great for hardcore players who want more of a challenge. There is a reward for playing this gamemode, and this guide has all the details you need to know.
How to Play Nightmare Mode in Dead Rails?
You can get access to Nightmare mode after completing the game in Normal Mode once. But if you haven’t done that yet, you can join a friend who has beaten the game and has chosen Nightmare Mode to play.
Apart from less loot, passive healing being disabled, and stronger enemies with more health, there are a few more changes. The Maxims in Fortified Towns only have 50 rounds instead of the usual 75 so you have to use them wisely. Plus, there is limited stock in all shops. However, if you manage to complete the challenge, you receive 20 Bonds as a reward, double of the usual reward.
The best classes to play Nightmare Mode in Dead Rails are Vampire, Cowboy, High Roller, and Survivalist, however, it is possible to make other classes work as well if you’re playing with a good team. As a Vampire, you can use the Vampire Knife to lifesteal, while the Cowboy spawns with a horse and Revolver, so you can do ranged damage right from the beginning. The High Roller has the power to collect 1.5x money from Money Bags, which can come in handy since loot is scarce.
If you’re playing Nightmare mode for the first time, you need to apply all the same strategies and learnings you got from playing the Normal Mode, just that you need to be more alert, manage your resources very well, and choose the right classes as a team to work well together.
That’s everything about the Nightmare Mode. If you’re looking for some more challenge, take a look at our guides on completing the Electric Remains and A Fistful of Dollars which reward Bonds as well as Sheriff Star points.
