Just as a primer to all the information to follow, a lot of this is my own opinion, accumulated over play and with my own observations. Some things are objective, but others are not - use my advice as you see fit, and craft your own experience. Also, and this goes without saying, there are numerous gameplay spoilers littered throughout. While areas are largely left implied, things like traps are detailed for clarity. I will try to update this guide if possible, but I tried to be thorough to begin with. Information was relevant for patch 1.02, some things may have changed.

If any of it was helpful to you, give me a rating and a thumbs up. If you have suggestions or questions, comment below.

Be quick, but be cautious as well. Sometimes it is more prudent is slow down and explore thoroughly, and other times you know nothing is around, so sprinting is the better option. In a nutshell, don't sprint through a house unless you know it has no traps left inside, because you need time in order to spot them or react.

Plan out your route on the map. If you're in a hurry to finish, plot a route that's quick, fuel efficient, or relatively safe. Conversely, if you're trying to accumulate supply, knowledge, or kills, try to visit as many locations as you feel your infection and resources will allow for. Supply Caches, Safehouses, Merchants, Stashes, and HERC outposts are always of highest priority for me. Which of these special locations I choose is dependent on my resources and needs at the time.

Traps appear to be unique to their particular region in most cases, though some show up repeatedly. Infection traps are always constant, shotgun traps like region 1, tripwires like region 2 and 3, landmines like regions 3 and 4, unstable doorways like region 3, sunken zombies like region 3, hellfire likes region 4, and so on. These are easily more lethal than infected, so be careful. There's also clouds of flammable gas that aren't harmful, but can be ignited fairly easily. Far and away shotgun traps, infection traps, and hellfire are the worst and most dangerous.

Beware of invisible zombies in region 4. It seems like each run I get one or two zombies that haven't rendered, can still hit you, and make noise. Using your melee does seem to kill them, though they will also go for a grab that makes them visible again.

Each area beyond the Suburbs has a stash canister that can be used to stow 50 lbs of gear for later use. Since weight is more important now, being able to squirrel away things can come in handy.

From the inventory > equipped screen, you can easily manage the attachments you want on your weapons. Most attachments can't be shared. Attachments can dramatically improve the performance of a gun, so don't ignore them.

Everything is useful in some fashion, some things more than others, but the merchant will buy up pretty much everything except ammunition. Be mindful of which things he overcharges on, like batteries and meds. Always buy ammo if it's available.

The herbs are color coded. White Yarrow is the base, and is modified by other herbs, like Blue Honeyflower (Stamina), Red Collar (Health), and Hog Root (Antidote). Make some antidotes as soon as possible, or you'll regret not having any. They do not help with the bursters that spread infection, but they do help with bursters that spread poison.

Always make sure your car is repaired before heading out.. or you may run into some unfortunate circumstances. Sometimes no fuel can be found, in which case you'll have to travel midway to a location and get stuck in the Middle of Nowhere.

Batteries are your lifeblood. They will buy you ammo, meds, resources, and antivirals, the latter being the most important. Always keep them, use them sparingly, and don't waste them. If you're at a HERC outpost, walk around the back and check inside - sometimes they will carry an antiviral instead of a radio, in addition to the test bench to craft one, and one outside that needs a battery. In this case, the battery would be wasted if you have samples, but is useful if samples are in short supply. You can make them at a workbench too.

Check the fringes of an area for survivor caches once you have the skill that makes them available. If you want to find them easier, turn on "hearing impaired mode" in the accessibility settings.

Zombies with armor only care about the number of hits needed to take the plates off, not damage dealt (armor piercing aside). You can "equip" your fists and smack it off, then go to town with something more lethal. Or, you know, skip that with AP weaponry and fire.

You can stick a drum magazine in the SR-110. You can also put mags on the belt fed machine guns, though I'm not sure why you would want to. Try to stay away from shotguns or the hunting rifle unless you have no other option, or just for fun, as they can feel lackluster compared to other guns. Having a lot of ammo is usually more important than a lot of damage.

A single antiviral should be your metric of how long it would take to clear an area. If you can clear an area in half the time it takes an antiviral to expire, you're making good time. If it takes a whole antiviral, you're on par, and if it takes more, you're wasting precious time.

Don't underestimate the strength of a lowly Flare Gun. They make quick work of special infected, and one cartridge is usually enough to kill with upgrades. Just be careful of the splashback when you fire it up close - danger close, as they would say.

You can cancel a reload you've failed by switching to your other gun, and then switching back. Credit to Ratchet Lombax: You can also cancel a reload by sprinting.

Regardless of how they're set on fire, you cannot burn yourself on Infected that are burning, just through the pools of fire on the ground - whether created by you or ambient.

Purple Infection cannot be remedied with an Antidote, and Green Poison is not the same as infection. Infected Bursters, Shotgun Traps, and Infection Traps will easily be the end of you if you aren't being careful.

Gear Insurance is a total crapshoot if you have a lot of stuff on you, but if you can manage to survive a full run, before you end it, you can dispose of anything you don't wish to carry over. It will keep full stacks of an item, so for me, I choose to carry over unspent 5.56, 7.62, and Batteries, or the SR-110 for its armor piercing capability.
Latest update nullified gear insurance. Still applies to your current save if you bought it before Patch 1.1.

Generators will always create a small horde of zombies, as well as aggro any enemies in the area with the noise. The zombies created often sprint, so your best option is to bunker down and hold them off. You can swing melee weapons over the barricades. I would recommend rolling to move around rather than sprinting, and potentially leaping over the barricade.

Don't be afraid to use your resources. Besides the yellow stash canisters that let you hold gear for future volunteers, you cannot take anything with you beyond a run. Explosives and Ammo will keep you safe if used correctly.

Of all the knowledge upgrades, I will go through and rank their effectiveness, as well as a small blurb to explain the ranking.



Infection Resistance: 4 Levels / -20% Infection from All Sources at Max / High Priority
Infection is generally the hard cap on how long your run can possibly be, and having 20% more time to keep your health as high as possible is very important. That said, some upgrades take priority over this.

Durability: 4 Levels / +40% Melee Resistance at Max / High Priority
Melee damage from infected is the most common source of damage, and being able to mitigate it is important for survival in a pinch. More is always better.

Constitution: 4 Levels / +50% Poison Resistance at Max / Very Low Priority
Antidotes are the hard counter to being poisoned, and it's only prevalent in region 3. If you don't have antidotes by then, this can help, but it's still gonna hurt a lot.

Tempering: 4 Levels / +50% Fire Resistance at Max / High Priority
While poison is indeed lethal, it can be countered easily. Fire on the other hand is not only lethal, but demands stamina to be put out, and it will kill you if your character is fatigued. While I would not get this before Melee resistance, if you get to region 4 with any frequency, this will be a blessing.

Speed: 4 Levels / +20% Movement Speed at Max / High Priority
Moving faster is always a good thing, since it means less time wasted just exploring an area. You will notice the difference.

Running Technique: 4 Levels / -40% Sprinting Stamina Cost at Max / Medium Priority
Being overweight takes a toll on your ability to sprint, and this is the hard counter to that. You will enjoy the benefit it gives you, but you don't have to get it right away.

Stamina: 4 Levels / +30% Stamina at Max / Medium Priority
While more stamina is always good, you start with 100, and maxed out you get 130. Not a game changer if you ask me.

Melee Technique: 4 Levels / -20% Melee Stamina Cost at Max / Medium Priority
While melee is important in this game, this skill is not strong enough for me to prioritize it higher. Big, heavy weapons that can be swung fast trump quick, low damage weapons in terms of sheer efficiency.

Dodging Technique: 4 Levels / -40% Dodge Stamina Cost at Max / High Priority
Dodging is expensive with stamina, and often times when you need to dodge, it can be life or death. Making sure you have stamina to spare is important, but this will definitely help.

Recovery: 4 Levels / +50% Stamina Regen at Max / High Priority
This is stronger than having more stamina, in my opinion. Being able to recover your stamina fast lets you take advantage of lulls in combat, and if you can avoid it, never fight when out of stamina unless you have to.

Overcoming: 4 Levels / +50% Faster Exhaustion Recovery at Max / Medium Priority
While I would say being able to bounce back from full fatigue is a great boon, pacing yourself can be a good way to avoid needing this to begin with. However, this reduces the window that you're vulnerable while fatigued, and vulnerability gets us killed.

Door Kicking: 4 Levels / +300% Door Kicking Damage at Max / Medium Priority
The first level lets you two-tap most doors, and all the upgrades let you one shot any door. While I wouldn't say it's a necessity, it's very nice to have, and reduces wasted time and energy.

Breaching Technique: 4 levels / -50% Door Kicking Stamina at Max / Very Low Priority
Get Door Kicking first.

Brawling: 4 Levels / +100% Unarmed Damage at Max / Medium Priority
There are circumstances where you have no guns, no ammo, and no melee weapons suitable for taking infected down. In that instance, your fists will be your fallback. While I wouldn't worry about trying to kill infected with punches outright, getting them stunned for an execution is the priority here.

Heavy Hitting: 4 Levels / +100% Melee Weapon Damage at Max / Very High Priority
The first of this ranking so far, the ability to one tap infected that would normally take several hits, or to just double the durability of your melee weapon is amazing. While this isn't the first upgrade to choose, it's in the top 5.

Bullying: 4 Levels / +40% Knockdown Chance at Max / High Priority
In lieu of a properly lethal weapon, this is a good alternative. Knocking them over is a free kill anyway, and executions stagger enemies nearby.

Stunning: 4 Levels / +100% Stun Damage at Max / Medium Priority
While stunning enemies is good for crowd control, it's not killing them. Pick this up at some point, just not right away.

Frenzy: 4 Levels / +50% Melee Attack Speed at Max / High Priority
♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ is this skill fun. You'll make two handed weapons actually dangerous to wield, making the window to be hit very small. For faster weapons, you will rain fury upon your foes with every punch, dashing from target to target unleashing death. Grab this when possible.

Throwing: 4 Levels / +25% Throw Distance at Max / Low Priority
While i'd be lying if I said being able to throw further isn't useful, the amount this skill provides isn't very high. First level should do you fine, grab it later when all the good skills are gotten.

Pyromania: 4 Levels / +150% Fire Damage at Max / High Priority
This is bordering on very high priority for me, but it shines more after you've gotten ahold of a flamethrower and some propane to spare, or a flare gun. Fire is devastating to infected, including the walking Hulks, so don't sleep on this upgrade.

Demolition: 4 Levels / +60% Explosive Damage; +40% Explosive Range at Max / Medium Priority
While explosives are indeed useful, and this makes them even more useful, their uses are sparse and specific. You don't have to get this right away, but it is nice to have if you like liquefying crowds of infected.

Pistol Shooting: 4 Levels / +50% Pistol Damage at Max / Medium Priority
Pistols are a good starter gun, and ones like the G17 and .45 Tactical easily pull their own weight. That said, they are eclipsed by assault weapons later on.

Long Gunnery: 4 Levels / +50% Long Gun Damage at Max / Low Priority
This affects anything that isn't a pistol, but isn't automatic either. Rifles and shotguns, in other words. While better than a harsh word and a chunk of wood, the only MVP amongst this category is the SR-110, which has more than enough damage anyway. You can skip this til later.

Machine Gunnery: 4 Levels / +50% Automatic Damage at Max / High Priority
Of all the firearm skills, this is the best. The best guns are often automatic, even the Flamethrower, and making efficient use of your ammo is key. For everything besides the Vector SMG, you can pull off semi-auto fire easily enough. Where this shines is when you have to go full auto, and kill everything right ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ now.

Quick Loading: 4 Levels / +60% Reload Speed at Max / Medium Priority
This is actually an upgrade that can become a downgrade if you get it too high. Reloading involves a minigame with 4 possible outcomes: you can let the reload finish, you can hit the grey portion for a faster reload, you can hit the green portion for a damage boost on the bullets loaded (til you swap weapons), or you can fudge the reload and have to start over. This can move the sweet spot too close to catch in time, increasing how often you botch a reload. One or two levels will help though.

Sharpshooting: 4 Levels / +50% Aimed Damage at Max / Low Priority
Eh. I only used focus mode to boost my damage early on, you can only get a few shots off, and it requires activating repeatedly. You can sleep on this if you want, but your mileage may vary.

Critical Eye: 4 Levels / +12.5% Critical Chance at Max / Low Priority
I believe a crit is double damage. That said, crits don't happen often enough to make or break a fight, they're just nice to have. Therefore, grab this when nothing else seems appealing.

Searching Speed: 4 Levels / +75% Action Speed at Max / High Priority
A lot of this game centers around time, and how you choose to manage it. Having plenty of time is good, being short on time is bad, gambling time to get resources, spending resources to get time, etc. While I wouldn't make this the first thing you grab with your knowledge, you'll feel a difference with it on, and less time wasted searching containers you've found will help you find others.

Scrounging: 4 Level / Better Loot Chance from Infected / High Priority
It is difficult to quantify how much of an improvement this skill offers you from base, but given how often I find batteries, ammo, and gear of enemies alone, I'd say it's a worthy investment. The game encourages you to kill infected, though you don't have to, and being rewarded for it is a no brainer. That said, don't choose this if you don't see the need.

Ammunition Scavenging: 4 Levels / +100% Chance to find more Ammo at Max / Very High Priority
My early runs were often hamstrung by the lack of ammo to effectively deal with threats, and this skill alleviates that. While you could get through a run using melee only, I wouldn't recommend it, since both weapon types are important and useful. Some enemies later on are very dangerous to attack in melee, and being able to shoot will keep you from finding an early grave.

Medical Scavenging: 4 Levels / +100% Chance to find more Meds at Max / Medium Priority
I felt like the likelihood of finding meds before this skill was fine, and afterwards I'm drowning in the stuff. It never hurts to have more, sure, but pick this up later.

Food Scavenging: 4 Levels / +100% Chance to find more Food at Max / Low Priority
Food in this game doesn't replenish hunger, it replenishes maximum stamina. While keeping your max stamina up is important, I wouldn't say the amount of base food found is underwhelming - it felt fine. With this, you'll be drowning in food, and I consider its priority even lower than meds. Your mileage will vary.

Fuel Scavenging: 4 Levels / +100% Chance to find more Fuel at Max / High Priority
Fuel is what allows you to travel between areas, and a lack of it means wasting time in dead-zones trying to find more. While you can get some extra infected samples here, the risk usually isn't worth it, and the time wasted is more valuable. Finding more fuel lets you stay filled up, and reduces the chances you'll get stranded.

Knowledge Retention: 4 Levels / Improved Knowledge Gains / Very High Priority
I cannot stress this enough - get this skill FIRST before anything else. You'll gain more knowledge overall, and I don't understand why a skill like this even exists because it's a no-brainer.

Life Lessons: 4 Levels / +30% XP Gain after a Death at Max / Low Priority
I'll be perfectly honest with you, I wasn't able to tell where, when, or how this skill was having an impact. XP seems to dictate what's available for purchase in the Armory Supply, so while I would say it can't hurt, I can't vouch for whether you should prioritize this over raw survival prowess. Just try to get it early where it'll have the most effect - your level caps at 100.

Weapon Durability: 4 Levels / +50% Melee Weapon Durability at Max / High Priority
Melee weapons are all you have when you run out of ammo, or you lack the guns to make use of ammo you have, and allowing them to last longer is always good. Early melee weapons mostly suck, stuff like Boards and Pocket Knives, but weapons like Gear Axes, Bloodlusters, and Knuckle Blades really benefit from having more health before breaking.

First Aid: 4 Levels / +50% Healing Benefits at Max / Medium Priority
Getting more out of the resources you have is never a bad thing, but I never felt like this skill was make-or-break for me. It doesn't affect the health remedies you craft either, bandages heal a piddly amount (or you have plenty), and medkits overheal in a majority of cases. It stretches the effectiveness of painkillers though, which are pretty useful for healing over the course of combat.

Rapid Aid: 4 Levels / +40% Heal Speed at Max / Medium Priority
Healing leaves you exposed, and sometimes you have to heal mid combat. This reduces the window of exposure. However, I kinda wish this allowed even shorter downtime, something like 75% rather than 40%, but even then it's not bad. Your mileage will vary.

Safehouse Engineering / Medical / Weapons Chest: 1 Level each / Medium Priority

Three separate skills with one level each that add a respective chest to every safehouse you run into thereafter. (It does not affect a safehouse you are already in). While I'm not about to complain about having more opportunities for loot, you aren't guaranteed to get anything out of these chests, and you only get 4 safehouses maximum a run, with an average of 2, depending on paths chosen. You can wait on this til later.

Boltcutters: 1 Level / Very High Priority
Don't get this before Knowledge Retention, but get it very soon afterwards. This will allow access to areas you cannot get into without the boltcutters, ranging from red munition cabinets, small yards, to large HERC outposts otherwise inaccessible, and sometimes shortcuts too. Well worth the investment.

HERC Codes: 1 Level / Very High Priority
Same as above, but in a different flavor. This gives you access to small bunkers located within a level (located via your focus mode), or rooms within large bunkers later on in zone 4. Basically, codes to a hatch, or codes to a door that are otherwise inaccessible. Good investment, wait til after Knowledge Retention.

Modified Radio: 1 Level / Very High Priority
This allows you to find and loot survivor caches scattered around in a level. (You can find them easily by turning on the appropriate option in accessibility settings.) Sometimes you can find 2, or even 3 in a level, with loot ranging from trash to extraordinary. More loot is never bad, and I felt like this skill was a good investment. Wait til after Knowledge Retention.

Radio Jack: 1 Level / High Priority
This allows you to activate radios for using Knowledge without spending a battery. Good investment, since batteries are better used on other things, and it allows you to upgrade mid-run. That said, your early runs don't allow for much choice in skill selection, so don't fret about waiting on this.

Backpack: 4 Levels / +70 lbs of Capacity at Max / High Priority
Don't let the appealing look of the skill fool you - it's not worth much. Its greatest effect might be early in a run, allowing you to postpone being overburdened, but the penalty for being overweight isn't much, and retaining your resources is more important. If a patch comes to change this, then sure, but for how much the skill costs you can sleep on it.

Since the 1.1 Patch, being overburdened takes more of a toll on your character as you hoard stuff. It gets worse in tiers, each tier meaning a -10% Move Speed and +100% Stamina Cost penalty. At the highest tier, your stamina drains 4x faster and you're 40% slower. Needless to say, the ability to hold more ♥♥♥♥ is important, though this is an expensive skill to invest into. At max, you can carry 120 lbs of stuff.

Fuel Conservation: 3 Levels / +3 Starting Fuel at Max / High Priority
This is actually pretty useful I feel, and is even better when coupled with better chances of finding fuel. Starting out with your tank at 3/5 is great, and provides more freedom early on as to what path to take.

Engine Protection: 4 Levels / +50% Engine Durability at Max / Low Priority
As the skill says, this doesn't affect damage done due to travel, just from zombies beating on your car. I only let this happen twice, one for ♥♥♥♥♥ and giggles, and the other was at the Bridge. Not worth the investment, just clear out any zombies near your car first.

Faster Ignition: 4 Levels / +20% Ignition Speed at Max / Low Priority
20% is not a lot, and there aren't many opportunities for you to sweat the startup sequence of your car. This would be helpful at the Bridge, the end of Zone 3, but beyond that don't worry about it.

Quick Fill: 4 Levels / +20% Refuel Speed at Max / Low Priority
Same problem. Highly specific, not a big benefit, and the benefit is on something that doesn't take very long either. The one that improves all action speeds helps more than this does.

Fast Repair: 4 Levels / +20% Repair Speed at Max / Low Priority
Ditto.

Recipe: Improvised Shotgun / 1 Level / Medium Priority
This skill is necessary to get to the flamethrower, which is far more important, but based on the merits of this recipe alone, it's kinda meh. Shotguns in this case are mediocre compared to other firearms, but if you have no alternative, this will bring you a step up.

Recipe: Improvised SMG / 1 Level / Medium Priority
Similar issue. It's a stepping stone to the Flamethrower, but by itself it's okay. Automatic weapons are great, but I never felt the need to make this or the Improvised Shotgun. Your mileage may vary/

Recipe: Flamethrower / 1 Level / High Priority
I wouldn't call this the best weapon in the game, but it's close. It uses a separate ammo pool that you can craft, it burns through armor, it melts Juggernauts, it's useful against burnt zombies (but not burning zombies), and getting a perfect reload is easy. With the skills added on, you will become one serious pyromaniac. Good investment.

Recipe: Beeper Bomb / 1 Level / Medium Priority
My experience with these is lacking, but considering that they use electronics, and electronics are used in batteries, I'm not in a rush to use them. That said, the ability to cluster infected together cannot be understated, but there are more efficient ways of combining a lure with explosives. (Flare = Grenade?)

Recipe: Box Mine / 1 Level / Low Priority
Even more hesitant with this one. Cannot vouch for its efficacy, but at least the Beeper Bomb lures infected in. Your mileage will vary.

Since mutations function on a card system (draw 3-4, pick 1) when you mutate, some choices will be a no-brainer, and others will be difficult. That said, some are clearly better than others, and I will help clear up some confusion presented. Basically speaking, my priorities are: Hell Yes > Yes > Maybe > No > Hell No.

Adrenal Overload: +10% Stamina / Yes
Stamina is always good to have more of, but this mutation just stacks additive with the skill that increases Stamina. So, in other words, it's another 10 stamina to work with. Not a game changer, but it's a raw positive.

Bloodlust: +25% Melee Damage / Hell Yes
Always a good pick. Melee is half the combat in this game, and killing things faster reduces risk and saves time as well as resources.

Broken Nerve: -99% Flinch Chance / Yes
To be honest, I'm not quite sure what it means by flinch. Either it's the visual effect you get when you're hit, or the stagger you receive. Either way, I imagine having it can't hurt, but it depends on what options you get.

Bulk: +50% Melee Damage; -25% Movement Speed / Maybe
Eh... I like my movement speed, I like moving quickly, and there are other ways to get melee damage that you don't need this, but if you like it, more power to you.

Charger: Replaces your dodge roll with a charge that knocks down enemies / Yes
This is actually kinda fun to use, though it takes getting used to. It lets you stun enemies with your dodge, which will buy you time to do whatever you need to. I don't think it'll stun a Juggernaut, but for crowds of infected it's pretty handy.

Chemical Imbalance: +50% Healing Effectiveness; -50% Stamina Item Effectiveness / Maybe
I'd say the tradeoff is worth it. A lot of food is 40 stamina, and I always top up when I'm down 20, so it would balance out pretty fine. That said, it wouldn't be the first mutation I choose.

Coalescence: Gain 1% Health on each melee weapon hit. / Hell Yes
This is an excellent mutation, and gives you an alternative way of healing when you have no meds. Risk versus reward baby. Love this one.

Cornered: Deal +10% Damage When at 30% Health or Lower / Maybe
That's a small damage boost for what is effectively running around at a one-hit status. A lot of things will kill you easily at 30 health, and hopefully you're only that low due to infection. Pass.

Dextrous: Dodging Reloads Your Weapon; +15% Dodge Stamina Cost / Yes
I love this one too, though it comes with two tradeoffs. You gain the ability to reload more or less instantly, at the cost of some stamina, and not being able to do a perfect reload for the damage boost. That said, some guns take a long time to reload, the perfect reload is hard to get, or the magazine size is small, and this pairs very well with those. (You could also choose to reload prematurely.)

Energized: Taking Damage Restores 20% Stamina / Yes
I haven't taken this personally, but I can see a lot of use in it. You're gonna get hit, that much is inevitable, but this will help you manage threat more easily if you're in a tight spot. Dodging is your lifeline, and keeping some stamina on tap will save your life.

Enlarged Fists: +100% Unarmed Damage; -20% Action Speed / Maybe
If you like punching infected without a melee weapon, this one's for you. After the skill that improves action speed, you're still left with +55% action speed, so it's worth the tradeoff. That said, if you prefer other weapons, you can pass this.

Frenzy: +25% Melee Attack Speed / Hell Yes
I love getting to unleash a flurry of blows with bladed fists, and faster attack speed is usually a good thing. You'll also see a difference with heavy weapons, allowing you to reduce exposure and deal one-hits quicker. Good choice.

Fresh Blood: Deal +10% Damage to Undamaged Enemies / Yes
Not necessarily a bad choice, but the benefit isn't very much. There aren't many instances where this will get over a breakpoint, like from two hits to one for a kill, but most enemies will be "undamaged" anyway. Best application is with high damage weapons.

Heartbeat: Restores you to maximum health. Will not remove infection. / Maybe
Basically an emergency medkit on the spot. You get it once, it heals up to your max (after infection), and that's it. Unless you will die without the immediate heal, pass this.

Heavy Lifting: +50% Carry Capacity / Hell Yes
Since Patch 1.1, being overburdened is a serious grievance, so being able to carry more is always welcome. This'll bump you up to 180 lbs after the 4th backpack. Raw positive.

Hyper Immune: -10% Infection from all sources. / Hell Yes
I grab this every chance I get. You get to squeeze a little bit more out of every antiviral, and it'll reduce how much you suffer from infection bursters or traps. That said, if you're in the last zone, it may not be the best pick.

Jagged: You have a chance to inflict the Bleeding effect on your targets. / Yes
I believe this works on firearms too, but i'm not sure. Extra damage is always nice, and another mutation will stack with this. Grab this if your other choices are poor.

Night Hunter - Night Damage Greatly Increased; Day Damage Reduced / No
I wouldn't choose this personally. I don't see the point. Granted, night is usually more dangerous due to lack of visibility, but taking a damage penalty during the day isn't worth it.

Noxious: +100% Immunity from Poison / No
If I recall correctly, when I tested this against a Spitter, I still took hefty damage despite having this mutation. Given how much of a hard counter an Antidote is, I wouldn't choose this unless I had no better options.

Prey on the Weak: Deal +10% Damage to Enemies With Less Than 30% Health / Hell No
Even more specific than undamaged enemies, and less effective as a result. Easy pass.

Resilience: +40% Melee Resistance / Hell Yes
Always a good choice. Most damage you take is from melee, and this can easily save your life.

Resistant Force: Enemy attackers have a chance to suffer the Stunned condition. / Maybe
I wouldn't bank on a chance of crowd control from being hurt, but if you have no other choices, at least it won't hurt you - unlike the Infected.

Rush: +30% Movement Speed / Hell Yes
I pick this up every chance I get. Faster movement means safer traversal, less time wasted, and more satisfaction. High priority pick.

Slippery Skin: -75% Grapple Chance / Yes
Not a bad choice honestly. While I wouldn't call getting grappled a death sentence, this pairs nicely with the hardship that makes it harder to escape a grapple.

Stench: Your attempts to be stealthy will be more successful. / Yes
I imagine this reduces the range that you'll aggro infected. Being able to control an encounter is important, and choosing when enemies can engage you reduces risk. Never hurts to have this, even if you aren't playing stealthily.

Stone Skin: +25% Unarmed Damage; +25% Melee Resistance / Yes
Good choice. Even if you don't intend on using your fists much, the melee resistance is worth it.

Strength: +50% Melee Damage; -25% Stamina / Maybe
I'm on the fence about this one - on one hand, this can easily turn some weapons into one-hit beasts, but 25 less stamina is a hefty penalty.

Synapses: +25% XP Gain / Maybe
When you're still busy leveling up, and your other options are mediocre, go for this. It won't have a combat benefit, but unlocking Armory Supply options will be easier. After you reach max level, this becomes a dead mutation with no benefit.

Taste For Blood: You will deal additional damage versus bleeding enemies. / Maybe
Stacks with Jagged. If you don't have ways to inflict bleeding, this mutation is pointless. If you do, who doesn't love more damage?

Thorns: Enemy attacks have a chance cause them to suffer the Bleed effect. / Maybe
Like a weaker form a Jagged that requires you getting hurt first. Not necessarily a detriment, but I think i'd prefer infected getting stunned over bled.

Tunnel Vision: +50% Aimed Damage / No
I personally do not often take shots using focus mode, which is what this is referring to.