You’ve just woken up in a freezing Finnish apartment in 1999. The radiator groans, your stomach aches, and outside, a car is buried under a mountain of snow. In My Winter Car, the cold can kill you in under ten minutes—and that’s before you even touch a wrench.
For new players, the opening hours are brutal. Death comes fast, mechanics are unexplained, and one small mistake—like wearing the wrong clothes indoors—can spiral into disaster. This guide isn’t just about surviving your first two hours. It’s about giving you a stable foundation, turning panic into purpose and confusion into confidence.
Follow this step by step, and by the end of Hour Two, you’ll be warm, fed, mobile, funded—and ready to begin building your rally legend.
Chapter 1: The First 10 Minutes – Fight the Freeze
Your life is ruled by the stats in the top-left corner of the screen. Ignore them, and you will die. Your immediate, non-negotiable priority is body temperature.
Equip Your Jacket
The moment you gain control, open your inventory (I key) and drag the winter jacket onto your character.
This simple action drastically slows heat loss and buys you precious time.
Master Your Home Heating
Walk to the radiator and interact with it. Turn the dial to 30°C.
This is the magic number. Only when the room reaches 30°C can you safely:
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Sleep in the bed
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Recover fatigue
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Avoid freezing during rest
Trying to sleep in a cold room is a death sentence.
Understand the Deadly “Sweat” Mechanic
This is the single most important survival rule in My Winter Car.
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Never wear your jacket indoors once the heating is on
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If the Sweat stat appears and fills, your character becomes wet
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Stepping outside while sweaty causes body temperature to crash almost instantly
Rule of thumb:
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Indoors = no jacket
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Outdoors = always jacket
Break this rule, and the game will punish you hard.
Chapter 2: Taming the Sorbett – Your Icy Lifeline
Your blue Sorbett is your daily driver and your only reliable way to reach the outside world. Starting it in winter is a ritual—miss a step, and it won’t run.
Cold Start Checklist
| Step | Action | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Unplug the Block Heater | Find the orange cord at the front of the car. It will not start if plugged in. |
| 2 | Use the Choke | Get in and pull the choke all the way out (mouse scroll). Enriches fuel for cold starts. |
| 3 | Start & Warm Up | Turn the key and let the engine idle for a full minute until RPM settles. |
| 4 | Clear Your View | Set blower fan to max, activate windshield heater, and manually scrape ice if needed. |
Driving Tip: Respect the Ice
Ice is your greatest enemy early on.
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Accelerate gently
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Brake early and lightly
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If you skid, steer into it and release the accelerator
Overcorrecting will spin you straight into a tree—or worse.
Chapter 3: The Essential PSK Run – Fuel, Food, and Intel
Your first real destination is the PSK gas station and shop. This single trip secures your immediate survival.
Fuel First
You must prepay inside the shop before using the pump.
Start with 20–30 liters—enough to explore without overspending.
Critical Purchases
Food & Drink
Buy supplies for 3–4 days:
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Sausages
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Canned food
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Beer (mandatory)
Beer isn’t optional. It manages a critical survival stat you can’t ignore.
The Parts Magazine
Buy this from the rack inside the shop.
This is your catalog for ordering car parts later—essential for progression.
Vital Intelligence
Inside the PSK, check the bulletin board.
You’ll find a note with the phone number:
08609553
This number lets you inquire about the Corris Rivett project car.
Write it down using the in-game notepad (N key). Forgetting this stalls your progress later.
Chapter 4: Beyond the Basics – Understanding Your Hidden Stats
Health, Hunger, and Thirst are obvious. The real danger comes from the hidden systems.
Fatigue – The Silent Killer
Fatigue drains fast and kills without warning.
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Never let it hit red
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Blacking out while driving usually means instant death
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Only sleep when your radiator is at 30°C
Rest often. Overconfidence ends runs.
The “Problem” Stat – A New Need
This represents your character’s… dependencies.
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Water does nothing for this stat
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It only decreases by consuming alcohol
Always keep a few beers in your inventory.
Stress
Stress increases when:
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You crash
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Damage your car
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Put yourself in danger
Lower it by:
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Drinking alcohol
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Smoking cigarettes
Ignore stress long enough and mistakes compound fast.
Chapter 5: Securing Your Future – Cash and Next Steps
You’re not as broke as you look.
Access Your Secret Money
Use the ATM inside the PSK:
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Set a PIN
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Withdraw your starting 2,000 Markka
This is your seed money for tools, food, and parts.
Your First Real Mission
Your immediate goal is the Corris Rivett project car.
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Call 08609553 from your home phone
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Agree to the deal
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Find the Firewood Guy (often near the junkyard)
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Pay 500 MK for the car frame
This unlocks the true heart of the game.
Consider a Safety Net
If you’re learning, consider disabling Permadeath in the settings.
This prevents losing hours of progress to:
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A sudden blackout
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A moose encounter
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One bad skid on ice
You can always re-enable it later.
From Survival to Builder
You’ve done it.
You are:
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Warm
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Fed
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Hydrated
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Mobile
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Financially stable
The brutal Finnish winter is no longer an immediate death sentence—it’s now the backdrop for your project. The panic of the first hour has melted away, replaced by the clear, grinding purpose of a true gearhead: find the frame, gather parts, and build your machine.
The road from a rusty pile of bolts to a roaring rally champion is long. It demands patience, mechanical thinking, and a steady supply of sausages and beer. But every master mechanic starts the same way—with one correctly tightened bolt.
Your first two hours are complete.
Now, pick up the wrench.
Pro Tip for the Road Ahead
Start simple. Before diving into engine swaps or tuning madness, focus on reliable income.
The newspaper delivery job (check the PSK ads) is steady, low-risk, and perfect for early game funding. Small, consistent earnings beat one risky high-paying haul when you’re still learning the roads.
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