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Characters in Casualties: Unknown: Experiment, Milky and Dune

Short answer

There are 3 characters. The Experiment is available from the start (STR 9, RES 8, INT 7). Finish a run with the Experiment through any ending to unlock Milky (STR 0, RES 4, INT 16), then finish a run with Milky to unlock Dune (STR 16, RES 16, INT 0). Dying does not count as finishing.

Applies to Release 1.0 (Nov 9, 2026) Sources checked

Starting stats compared

Starting skills (community wiki, code inspection)
CharacterStrengthResilienceIntelligenceUnlock
Experiment987Available from the start.
Milky0416Finish a run with the Experiment (any of the 3 endings; dying does not count).
Dune16160Finish a run with Milky.

Strength affects damage, throws, minigame hand speed and carrying. Resilience affects stamina, pain and hand shake. Intelligence decides what you recognise, craft and how well you trade. All three grow during a run. See skills.

Experiment

SAW-01, "Expie"

Unlock: Available from the start.

  • Bioluminescent: always-on head light reaching about 26 blocks. Losing an eye halves it, losing both turns it off.
  • Chocolate makes it sick (theobromine).
  • The only character who can take the training courses.

How to play: Balanced. Start crafting early: INT 7 means most medical recipes are a few levels away.

Milky

second subject

Unlock: Finish a run with the Experiment (any of the 3 endings; dying does not count).

  • Head light reaches only about 3 blocks: carry a lantern or flashlight.
  • Chocolate makes it sick.
  • Needs 115 reputation to hug a survivor (Experiment needs 100).

How to play: A crafter. INT 16 recognises and crafts nearly everything from the start, but STR 0 means weak hits, short throws and slow minigame hands.

Dune

third subject

Unlock: Finish a run with Milky.

  • Head light reaches only about 3 blocks.
  • Never gets sick from chocolate.
  • Dune traders and a "dune mode" were added in 1.0.

How to play: A brawler. Hits hard, carries more and shrugs off pain, but INT 0 means items show as "some kind of…" and almost nothing can be crafted until you read E-PDAs and blueprints.

Unlock order

  1. Start as the Experiment. Reach the bio-pod, escape or M.E.R.C. ending.
  2. Milky unlocks. Finish a run as Milky through any ending.
  3. Dune unlocks.

There is no official shortcut. Community unlock-all mods exist; see mods.

The developer added the characters for replayability, each with a different best playstyle, and said more might come after launch but not to count on it. Release 1.0 also added Dune traders and a "dune mode". Official Official

The end-of-run status report labels your specimen as SAW-01 (Experiment), SAW-03 (Milky) or SAW-12 (Dune). Database

Questions

How do you unlock Milky in Casualties: Unknown?

Reach any of the three endings with the Experiment. Until then Milky shows ACCESS_DENIED on the character select screen.

How do you play as Dune?

Finish a run with Milky through any ending. Dune then becomes selectable. There is no other official unlock; console shortcuts and unlock mods exist but console use outside the sandbox disables achievements.

Which character is best?

The Experiment is the most balanced and the only one with a strong built-in light. Milky is strongest for crafting and recognises items from the start. Dune is the strongest fighter and pack mule but must learn everything to craft.

Can you change character mid-run?

No. You pick a character when you start a run. Stats can still be raised during the run: see the skills page.

Sources

Next file

Skills: INT, STR, RESHow to raise Intelligence, Strength and Resilience, and what each does.EndingsAll 3 endings and how to reach each one. Spoilers are folded away.