This Ludus beginner guide explains how to manage a gladiator school without neglecting your family. Before considering cosmetic purchases or several recruits, check your inventory, your loved ones’ health and the condition of your main fighter. Every expense should answer an immediate need: healing, training, equipment, income or construction.
Quick answer: inspect your inventory and funds, buy the medical supplies your family needs, choose one gladiator as your priority and identify your next source of resources before advancing time. Ludus is available on PC as a solo game and offers five gladiator styles: Dimachaerus, Retiarius, Murmillo, Hoplomachus and Gallus.
What to do on the first day
- Heal your family before making secondary purchases.
- Focus training on one main gladiator.
- Keep equipment consistent with the fighter’s combat style.
- Choose employees and buildings according to a specific problem.
- Do not modify save files in the Windows Registry: the developer warns that doing so can corrupt them.
Secure your first day in Ludus
Ludus is not limited to battles. The Steam page also presents a school to build, employees to manage, trading and a family to protect. Use the first day to establish a simple routine.
- Open your inventory and check which medical supplies are available.
- Check every family member’s health before sleeping or advancing time.
- Check which gladiators are fit to fight.
- Save your money for an upgrade that unlocks income, training or better preparation.
- End the day only after identifying your next source of resources.
In a Steam discussion, the developer says that a medicine seller can be found in the alley opposite the tavern. After buying the item, use the syringe from your inventory: place the cursor over it, then press the spacebar.
Develop one main gladiator
The five available styles are Dimachaerus, Retiarius, Murmillo, Hoplomachus and Gallus. The official page does not present any of them as universally superior. For a first playthrough, keep a fighter whose equipment and abilities are already coherent rather than recruiting several underdeveloped profiles.
Keep one main gladiator for important fights and prepare a second profile once your economy starts to stabilize. This reduces the risk of losing all your active strength after an injury or poor preparation, while letting you compare styles without immediately emptying your treasury.
Before each fight, check the gladiator’s condition, equipment and the logic of their style. A powerful weapon that is incompatible with their specialization can slow progression. During the first few hours, improving the same fighter is generally more effective than spreading expensive items across the entire school.
Train without cutting off your income
The Steam page describes a cycle combining training, equipment, trading and construction. You do not need to fill every available space immediately. Start by removing the bottleneck that is preventing your school from progressing.
| Situation | Priority | Mistake to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Only one reliable gladiator | Improve this fighter and prepare a reserve | Recruiting several profiles without the necessary equipment |
| Income is too low | Unlock or improve the activity that generates money | Buying weapons solely for their price or appearance |
| Family is in poor health | Buy and activate medical supplies | Advancing time without checking your inventory |
| Equipment is insufficient | Strengthen the main fighter’s weapon and protection | Distributing the best pieces among too many gladiators |
Before each upgrade, ask what it changes immediately. An employee should speed up a task, improve management or reduce a recurring expense. A comfort building can wait if your family lacks medical supplies or your main gladiator cannot win the next fight.
Spend your money when it matters
Ludus asks you to buy armor, swords and other equipment, but the official page also confirms that you can trade and earn money. Do not turn every reward into an immediate purchase: keep a reserve for medical supplies and the essential expenses of the next day.
Compare the equipment you already own with the needs of the next fight. If your weapon does its job and your protection is not holding you back, keep your money. An item that lets your main gladiator take part in an important fight or properly follow their style comes before secondary upgrades.
Should you buy everything from the start? No. Gradual progression is more sensible: get your first fighter working, stabilize the family, then invest in a source of income or an employee who reduces your constraints.
Avoid the mistakes that slow your school
Do not sleep or advance time without checking on your family. Avoid recruiting more fighters while only one gladiator is truly ready, and do not confuse an interesting reward with an urgent expense.
Do not modify the Windows Registry to look for or move a save file. In a response published on Steam, CheesecakeDev explains that Ludus saves the game in the Registry and warns that tampering with it can corrupt the save. If you encounter a problem, keep a copy of your information and first use the game’s Steam channels instead of randomly deleting keys.
Finally, do not change styles every time you find a new piece of equipment. Keep a clear direction until your school can finance several fighters.
Repeat this routine before every session
After a few days, this checklist makes it easier to identify what is blocking your school:
- Check your family’s health and buy any missing medical supplies.
- Check the main gladiator’s condition and equipment.
- Choose one priority upgrade.
- Keep a reserve of money after the purchase.
- Prepare for the next fight before advancing time.
- Sell or trade only what is not needed for your immediate progression.
The clearest loop remains: health, main fighter, income, then expansion. The five styles invite you to try several profiles, but a first victory mainly depends on a stable school. To continue your research, check out our game guides and articles, the latest gaming news and the information published in the news category.
Frequently asked questions
How do you quickly heal the family in Ludus?
The developer says that a medicine seller can be found in the alley opposite the tavern. After buying the item, open your inventory, place the cursor over the syringe and press the spacebar.
Which gladiator style should you choose first?
No style is presented as the best by the official page. Choose one whose equipment and abilities are coherent, then focus your first upgrades on that fighter.
Can Ludus be played with other players?
No. Steam describes Ludus as a solo experience, with Steam achievements and individual management of your gladiator school.
Is the game available in French?
Yes. The Steam page indicates that French is supported for the interface and subtitles.
To keep following the subject, also read our article on Culdcept The First: the priorities to know for and our article on the Slimelon beginner guide: priorities from the first.
To verify the information at the source, consult the official source and the reference post.
Verified sources
These links allow you to verify the key information used in this article.
- store.steampowered.com: The official Steam page confirms the title, developer and publisher Cheesecake Dev, the February 20, 2020 release date, the solo PC game, the five gladiator styles, the management systems and trading.
- steamcommunity.com: Steam discussion with a developer response, published on February 23, 2020: the location of the medicine seller and how to use a syringe from the inventory with the spacebar.
- steamcommunity.com: Official Steam discussion with a developer response, published on February 22, 2020: the save is stored in the Windows Registry and tampering with it can corrupt it.
- steamcommunity.com: Official Steam announcement by CheesecakeDev, published on February 5, 2020: release date announcement and the addition of a new trailer.
