Nivalis Nights Beginner Guide — Getting Started & First Hour

Welcome to Nivalis Nights, the cyberpunk life simulation game from ION LANDS (the studio behind Cloudpunk), published by 505 Games. Launching September 29, 2026 on Steam, Nivalis Nights puts you in the rain-soaked, neon-lit city of Nivalis with one valuable asset: a run-down noodle bar inherited from a retiring cook. From that single counter, you'll build a business empire — and a life.

This beginner guide covers everything you need for your first session: the core gameplay loop, a first-hour walkthrough, and the mistakes new players should avoid.

What Is Nivalis Nights?

Nivalis Nights is a slice-of-life business simulation. The loop looks like this:

Run your business — set menus, price dishes, hire and schedule staff
Make money — reinvest profits into upgrades, ingredients, and new venues
Live your life — decorate your apartment, fish from your boat, befriend citizens
Grow — expand from one noodle bar into seven business types: food stalls, noodle bars, ramen bars, stim stores, bars, restaurants, and nightclubs

The game's slogan is basically "make it in the city" — and the city is full of people, weather, markets, and mysteries that constantly pull you away from your business ledger.

The First Hour — Step by Step

Step 1: Meet Thaddeus Carmunis

Your story starts in the Meridian Market district, where Thaddeus Carmunis — a 92-year-old cook retiring after a lifetime in the kitchen — hands you his noodle bar. The introduction is a gentle tutorial: you'll be walked through the management interface for the first time.

Don't skip anything. The noodle bar is a deliberately simple venue, and every system you touch here — menu, prices, staff, inventory, furniture — scales up to the biggest nightclubs in the city.

Step 2: Run Your First Service

Your first job is to open the bar and serve customers. Here's what actually matters:

Set a small menu first. A few dishes you can reliably source ingredients for beats a big menu that runs out of stock mid-service.
Watch the clock. Lunch rush and dinner rush are when you make your money. Make sure you're open — and staffed — for those windows.
Keep an eye on inventory. Spoiled ingredients are wasted money. Running out of a popular dish loses customers and reputation.

Step 3: Meet Banor and Hire Help

Early on you'll meet Banor, a 64-year-old former restaurant owner who becomes your first employee — and effectively your tutor for the management systems. Hiring him (and paying attention to what he teaches you) is the single best early investment you can make. Trying to run service solo while also stocking, cooking, and pricing is how beginners drown.

Step 4: Reinvest, Don't Hoard

Your first profits should go into the business: ingredients, a slightly better layout, and eventually a second employee. A common beginner trap is banking every coin instead of reinvesting — the noodle bar's early margins are thin, and upgrades are what turn them into real income.

Step 5: Explore a Little

The first day should not be all counter work. Nivalis Nights is a life sim — take a walk, meet a few NPCs, check the newspaper for market information (it reports on prices and trends across the city). Early relationship points and market knowledge pay off later.

Core Systems You Must Understand Early

The Management Interface

Every venue has the same core tabs:

Menu — what you sell, and what you charge. You can also designate a Signature Dish once customers respond well to an item; it builds your venue's identity and brings repeat visitors.
Inventory — real-time stock levels. Items have shelf lives, so set automatic reorder thresholds to avoid both spoilage and stockouts.
Staff — hire, pay, and schedule employees. Wages eat into margins, so schedule for coverage of rush hours, not 24/7 staffing.
Layout — furniture and customer flow. Layout affects how many customers you can seat and how smoothly service runs.

The Dynamic Economy

Prices shift based on supply and demand per neighborhood. A dish that sells well this week may flop next week if a competitor starts selling something similar. The newspaper is your best early tool for staying ahead of trends — check it daily.

Weather Matters

Weather isn't just atmosphere. Rain and storms drive foot traffic indoors (great for indoor venues, bad for outdoor food stalls). Snow raises heating demand and energy prices — which matters a lot if you trade energy. Rainy days are also good for greenhouse work; clear days are good for fishing.

Achievement Points

Hitting business milestones earns Achievement Points that unlock access to new city areas and business opportunities. Business success literally opens the map.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Expanding before mastering the noodle bar. A well-run single business beats two poorly managed ones. Reach venue level 3 first — that unlocks the ability to hire a Manager, who restocks ingredients, boosts staff efficiency and morale, and collects greenhouse harvests automatically.
Over-hiring. Staff wages are the silent killer of thin margins. Schedule for rush hours; run a skeleton crew off-hours.
Ignoring inventory. Spoilage and stockouts both hurt — set reorder thresholds early.
Skipping relationships. NPCs and factions can funnel customers to your business. Even a few friends in the right neighborhoods matter.
Hoarding cash. Reinvest. The game rewards growth, not bank balances.

What to Do Before Launch

Nivalis Nights launches September 29, 2026 on PC (Steam), with Epic Games Store support planned. Before release, the best prep is:

Wishlist the game on Steam so you're ready on day one
Read our Best Business Guide to plan your expansion path
Check System Requirements so your PC is ready

This guide is based on official pre-release information as of August 7, 2026. We'll expand it with verified gameplay details after the September 29 launch.