Friends vs Friends might at first seem like it's probably a kid's game based on the fun animal characters and bright colorful art style. But, as soon as that intro cinematic plays, players quickly discover this game is a lot more violent and a lot more difficult than they likely originally expected.
It's difficult to win consistently in this PvP FPS, the player base is already at a high standard on average, so let's go over some of the best tips found so far in Friends vs Friends to help get those win rate odds up.
8 Never Stop Moving
First and most importantly for Friends vs Friends, get used to always being on the move. There are very few situations where it's better to be firing at opponents while standing still than it would be to do so while jumping around and moving across the map. The time-to-kill in this game is actually pretty high, and players often trade damage back and forth.
So, constantly keeping on the move will help a ton in making it just a bit harder for the opponent to consistently hit their mark. Longtime Valorant players will likely struggle with this for a bit, but it shouldn't take too long to adjust.
7 Save PalPrize Coins Until Level 21
By far the best tip for anyone just starting out in Friends vs Friends is to hold on to those red PalPrize Coins until level 21. These are the coin currency next to the money counter in the upper right of the screen in the hub area, and there's a good reason to hold onto them. At level 4 players unlock their first PalPrize machine which turns 3 of these Coins into a random prize pulled from a series of Avatars, Card Backs, and Keychains.
However, at level 21 the Skins PalPrize Machine becomes accessible which is how players unlock Skins for the characters in-game (no pay-for-skins microtransactions here). And, outside of dailies and weeklies, PalPrize Coins are actually relatively difficult to come by, so players will want to spend every one wisely.
6 Get Used To Using Cards Mid-Round
Now moving back to gameplay tips, the next big recommendation for FvF players is to try and avoid unconsciously separating the card-playing and FPS sections of the game. A lot of players for their first big stretch of time with the game tend to start each round playing all the cards they want to be in effect, and then they just ignore the cardbuilding aspect of the game for the remainder of the round.
For a while, this works as a perfectly valid strategy, as the card-playing aspect of this game isn't overly complicated like it's Magic: The Gathering or something. However, players will often find more success if they play one or two cards at the start of a round and then save their more 'situational' cards to play as direct counters to what their opponent plays. For example, say a player is on the Subway Station map and their opponent is standing still peppering them from the windows of the tunnel above the tracks. Instead of trying to aim for the small spot where their head is, players can play Big Head in response and force their opponent to either stay there and take more headshots or approach them down in the lower area.
5 Play Cards In Order Of Importance From Least To Most
Because a lot of players in Friends vs Friends tend to just immediately play the cards they want to use each round as soon as the countdown ends, this is also the premium time for enemies to use cards like Mirror Card, Counter Card, or even Barbed Cards to punish them.
Thankfully, a way to 'counter the counter' is to just play the least useful card of the pack first. For example, if a player is going to use Garbage Day, Steel Bullets, and Poison, they should probably play the cards in the order of Garbage Day, Poison, and Steel Bullets. That way, if there's a Counter Card activated, only Garbage Day is countered, if Mirror Card is activated, it'll just copy Poison, and Steel Bullets is safely put into effect.
4 Try & Synergize With Teammates As Much As Possible
The difference in gameplay between 1v1 and 2v2 in FvF is actually much bigger than one might expect. The addition of two other hands of cards actually opens the doors for a lot of different synergies and combinations.
For example, all cards can only be put into a Deck one time at maximum, but across two players that means those same cards that are usually only played once per game can now be played twice. And, most cards are able to stack their effects with multiple copies of themselves. This means that if two Health Downs are played on the same round and aren't countered, that's 70 HP instantly 'deleted' for both opponents. So, make sure to synergize with allies when possible, which can be difficult given that the game doesn't have an in-game communication system currently, but there's still a pop-up whenever allies play cards.
3 Adjust Card Plays & Playstyle To The Situation
Just because Bullet Time + Albatross 21 Works well in the Subway Station Map doesn't mean that this Weapon + Buff combination will work equally as well against different opponents on a different map.
It may seem obvious, but a lot of players tend to try and brute force the same tactics over and over in different situations and then get confused as to why they're not working. Adjust the cards played and the strategies used based on the enemy characters and maps, when applicable. For example, instead of burning Titan on an early round just to give a bit more of an advantage, players can save it for when they get caught out in a straightaway where they would usually take a lot of unavoidable damage. Then, if they play Titan, their opponent suddenly feels trapped instead, and the momentum completely flips.
2 Every Playstyle Has A Character To Match It
Next up, let's talk about the characters in Friends vs Friends. On release, the game has 10 playable mascot-like animal characters, with each one having its own unique passive abilities. Each of these passives tends to synergize with certain strengths, weaknesses, or just general playstyle preferences most players tend to have. To give a few examples:
- Moose Salto & Haru: A great choice for any players who love traversal mechanics or just having any point of a map accessible to them at any point in time.
- Spike Remington & Stevie Gull: Both great choices for players who prefer raw damage advantages over anything else.
- DJ Newton & Myk Raver: Two more fantastic choices for any players who aren't 100 percent confident in their aiming skills.
- Donnie B & Little Lars: Safe choices for any players who get caught out in the open a bit too often or find themselves running away from explosives a bit too late.
Basically, there's a character that naturally works well with just about every stereotypical type of player out there, so experiment with all of them as they unlock to find which one feels the most comfortable.
1 Learn The Card Art ASAP
And finally, let's end things on another huge tip for the gameplay in Friends vs Friends, card recognition. There are over 65 different cards to collect in this game (at the time of writing this), so it can be a bit difficult to tell the difference between them when they're played in-game, at least at a glance.
But, being able to tell that the enemy just played something like Heartless Joker Card or Tin Man Buff Card from just seeing the card art pop up in a player's peripherals can make a huge difference mid-round. So, try and learn/memorize the actual art for the cards, at least the ones that are played more often, as quickly as possible. Players who do so will find that they have a pretty sizeable advantage over players who don't when it comes to moment-to-moment decision-making.
Friends Vs Friends is available on PC.