Torchlight Infinite beginner guide for SS14

Torchlight Infinite is a free ARPG where you level through a campaign, then spend the season farming the Netherrealm for gear and Flame Elementium. New players lose the most time on three things: picking a hero that struggles without gear, ignoring the Auction House and pushing difficulty too early. This guide goes through the game in the order you meet it, with links to the detailed guides for each step.

Seasons and what carries over

Torchlight Infinite runs in seasons of about three months. Each one starts a fresh economy, and you make a new character for it. SS14 Tartarus starts on 16 October 2026, the evening of 15 October in US time zones. Unlocked heroes, traits, Pactspirits and cosmetics are account-wide and carry over between seasons. Our new season checklist lists exactly what stays and what resets, and the SS14 Tartarus guide covers what is new this time.

Picking a hero

There are 12 heroes, and each has up to three traits. The trait matters more than the hero, since it decides the whole playstyle. Community shorthand puts the trait number after the name: Selena 2, Erika 1 and so on. Our classes guide explains every hero and trait.

For a first character, pick something that clears quickly on whatever gear drops. Going into SS14 that means Selena 2, Erika 1, Youga 2 or Thea 3. The tier list ranks the rest, and if you mainly want to make currency, the best heroes for farming narrows it down.

Leveling through the campaign

• Keep moving. Elites and bosses give far more XP for the time than clearing every trash pack.
• Upgrade your weapon first. Most of your early damage comes from it.
• Pick up a movement skill early. It saves time on every map for the rest of the season.
• If you fall behind the campaign's level, run a Treasure Trove a few times to catch up.

The leveling guide goes through the campaign in more detail.

Skills, talents and the build guide

Your build is your trait, your skills with their linked supports, and up to three talent panels from six gods. The game marks a recommended god for your hero's first panel, and the in-game build guide lists recommended skills and early gear. Follow one of those, or one written guide, closely while you learn. Mixing advice from several guides is an easy way to end up with a character that does nothing well. Our builds guide explains each part.

Ignore Divinity Slates and Pactspirits while leveling. Life, resistances and a better weapon matter far more until the endgame.

The endgame: the Netherrealm

After the campaign, the game moves to the Netherrealm, a map system split into five planes with difficulty tiers called Timemarks. You open maps with beacons, clear them, and fight each Timemark's Plane Watcher boss for Cinders, which unlock the other planes.

1. Unlock Timemarks 1 to 7 in all five planes.
2. Farm Timemark 7 until it is comfortable. Guides aim for around level 90 to 95, 3,000 or more life, capped resistances and item level 80+ gear.
3. Move to Timemark 8 once Timemark 7 maps take about a minute each.

The Netherrealm endgame guide explains planes, beacons and bosses step by step, and the Timemark 8 and Profound guide covers the top end.

How money works

Flame Elementium, FE for short, is the currency gear is priced in. It drops in the Netherrealm, but most of it comes from selling embers, beacons, compasses, memories and good legendaries on the Auction House, which unlocks at level 60. The currency guide explains every currency, the Auction House guide covers selling and price checking, and the FE farming guide shows where the best drops are.

The premium currency, Primocryst, is a separate thing. It buys Pactspirit draws, bag space and cosmetics, never FE. Free Jagged Primocryst comes from events, the season pass and redeem codes.

Mistakes that cost new players the most

• Pushing a Timemark too early. A tier you clear in a minute earns more than one you crawl through.
• Never opening the Commodity tab. It fills with things other players want to buy.
• Selling legendaries without a price check. A good roll can be worth hundreds of FE more than it looks.
• Spending Jagged Primocryst on cosmetics before you have the bag and stash space you need.
• Using AutoHotkey or macro tools. XD's rules name key macros, and players report bans for simple ones, as our guide to cheats and bots explains.

When you do not have the time

The biggest gap between new and experienced players is hours played. If you cannot put in full-time hours, you can play in co-op with a friend, as our multiplayer guide explains, or have the farming done for you. MUSA's Torchlight Infinite bot runs Netherrealm maps on your character while you are away. It breaks the game's rules and XD bans for automation, so read the bot safety guide before you decide.

Common questions

Is Torchlight Infinite good for beginners?

Yes. The campaign is quick, the in-game build guide helps you set up skills, and the game is free, so you can try a few heroes without paying.

What is the best class for a beginner?

Selena 2 or Erika 1. Both progress quickly on cheap gear.

When does the endgame start?

After the campaign, when you reach the Netherrealm. The Auction House opens at level 60 around the same stage.

Do I need to spend money?

No. Gear is bought with Flame Elementium, which only comes from playing and trading. Our page on whether the game is pay to win covers what money does buy.