Intelligence (INT)
INT is knowledge of the technology around you, not raw cleverness. It decides which items you recognise, which recipes you can craft, how well you trade and your lockpicking level. Below an item's recognition level it shows as "some kind of…" but still works. A mindwipe resets INT to 0.
| Source | XP |
|---|---|
| Reading an E-PDA the first time | 35 |
| Reading a blueprint | 25 |
| Reaching a new layer | 80 |
| Crafting a recipe for the first time | 10 |
| Successful haggle | 2.5 |
| Buying from a trader | 1 |
E-PDA trick: they need a battery. Break a nearby lightbulb, remove its battery with a wrench, put it in the PDA, read it, then take the battery back. Community wiki See what each level unlocks in the INT planner.
Strength (STR)
- Damage: about 3.3% per level away from 10 (STR 0 = 67%, STR 15 = 117%).
- Throwing: 10% per level away from 10. At STR 0 throws barely move.
- Minigame hand speed: faster hands for bandaging, shrapnel and dislocations.
- Carrying capacity, together with Resilience.
XP from push-ups (0.5/s), planks (0.25/s), hitting things and moving while over-encumbered.
Resilience (RES)
- Stamina regeneration: 2% per level away from 10.
- Pain: 2.5% less pain per level above 10. At RES 20 pain is 75%.
- Steady hands: 6% less shake per level above 10 in minigames.
- Carrying capacity, together with Strength.
XP from squats (0.4/s), planks, being in pain, jumping and landing, killing enemies and carrying too much.
XP table
| Level | Total XP | From previous level |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 420 | 60 |
| 8 | 480 | 60 |
| 9 | 540 | 60 |
| 10 | 640 | 100 |
| 11 | 758 | 118 |
| 12 | 897 | 139 |
| 13 | 1,062 | 165 |
| 14 | 1,255 | 193 |
| 15 | 1,484 | 229 |
| 16 | 1,754 | 270 |
| 17 | 2,073 | 319 |
| 18 | 2,449 | 376 |
| 19 | 2,892 | 443 |
| 20 | 3,416 | 524 |
Levels 1 to 9 each cost 60 XP, then each level costs about 18% more. Starting levels: Experiment STR 9 / RES 8 / INT 7; Milky 0 / 4 / 16; Dune 16 / 16 / 0. See characters.
Training courses
The tutorial has Basic Training plus First Aid and Crafting courses. Since demo 6.1, First Aid unlocks once you reach layer 2 and Crafting once you reach layer 3. Finishing all of them unlocks the Graduate achievement. Official
Questions
How do you increase intelligence fast?
Power and read every E-PDA you find (35 XP, they need a battery), read blueprints (25 XP), craft every cheap recipe once (10 XP each), haggle with traders (2.5 XP per success) and keep descending (80 XP per layer).
Are there books for intelligence?
No books. E-PDAs and blueprints are the reading items. Release 1.0 rewrote and added more E-PDA notes, and notes no longer repeat until you have read them all.
How do you work out?
Use the workout actions (push-ups, squats and planks) when you have stamina and a safe spot. Push-ups train Strength, squats train Resilience and planks train both. Working out also warms you up, and it is efficient right before sleeping.
What is the max skill level?
There is no hard cap in the XP formula, but costs climb steeply after level 20. The Survival Veteran achievement asks for level 16 in every skill, which about 6.5% of players have.
Sources
- Community wiki Skills Scav Prototype / C:U wiki, checked 2026-09-21
- Official 7.0 demo update Steam news, checked 2026-06-04
- Official 6.1 demo patch notes Steam news, checked 2026-04-23
- Players Books for intelligence? Steam forum, checked 2026-11-11
- Players Braingrow, doesn't. Steam forum, checked 2026-11-11
- Official Global achievement stats Steam Community, checked 2026-11-11