Residuum is one of the most important resources in Deathloop, a game filled with time loops, assassins, and strategic decision-making. It plays a vital role in retaining your gear and powers between loops, allowing players to carry their progress forward. Without mastering how to use Residuum, you’ll find yourself stuck restarting from scratch each morning with basic equipment. Understanding how Residuum works, how to collect it, and how to spend it wisely can make the difference between chaos and control in Blackreef.
What Is Residuum in Deathloop?
A Core Time-Loop Mechanic
Residuum is an energy source found throughout the island of Blackreef. It’s essential for a process called ‘infusion,’ which allows Colt, the protagonist, to carry weapons, Slabs (supernatural abilities), and trinkets across loops. Normally, you lose all equipment at the end of each loop, but Residuum helps you break that cycle ironically, by controlling part of it.
Why It’s Important
Collecting and using Residuum gives you a major advantage. Instead of starting over each day, you can keep your best tools and powers. That means faster progress, better planning, and stronger builds for tackling the Visionaries. Infused items remain permanently, as long as you don’t accidentally delete them or waste Residuum.
How to Collect Residuum
Harvesting Residuum from Objects
Residuum is often found as glowing objects scattered around each map. These objects include:
- Old electronics or lab equipment
- Glowing items left behind after anomalies
- Residuum clusters
To collect Residuum from these objects, approach and hold the interaction button. You’ll absorb the energy directly into your pool, which is shown on the menu screen.
Extracting from Corpses
Defeated Visionaries drop a large amount of Residuum. Killing them is one of the best ways to farm the resource. If you can eliminate multiple Visionaries in one loop, you’ll gain a massive bonus that can be used to secure your favorite gear.
Reclaiming Lost Residuum
If you die, you have up to two Reprise respawns, but after the third death, the loop resets. When that happens, any unspent Residuum is lost. However, if you die once or twice, you can return to the location of your last death to reclaim the Residuum you had. It appears as a floating orb near your corpse, waiting to be absorbed again.
How to Use Residuum Effectively
Infusing Gear
Infusion is the main function of Residuum. At the end of each time period or by opening the menu you can choose to infuse any collected item:
- Weapons: Keep your favorite guns permanently.
- Slabs: Lock in powers like Shift, Nexus, or Havoc.
- Trinkets: Save passive bonuses for future use.
Infusion costs vary depending on item rarity. Rare Slabs and golden-tier weapons cost more, so prioritize them once you have enough Residuum. After infusion, items will be available at the start of each new loop.
Using the Inventory Menu
To access infusion options, open your inventory between time periods. You’ll see a list of items with the option to infuse or discard. Items highlighted in gold are already infused. Those in purple or blue can be infused using Residuum.
Prioritizing Infusions
Not all gear deserves to be saved. Focus your infusion on items that have clear long-term value. For example:
- Slabs that match your playstyle (e.g., stealth vs. combat)
- Silenced or powerful weapons that fit multiple scenarios
- Trinkets that boost energy regen, speed, or damage
Don’t waste Residuum on basic pistols or common loot unless you’re low on options.
Strategies for Managing Residuum
Spend Before You Lose It
Deathloop is unforgiving when it comes to mistakes. If you collect a lot of Residuum, try to spend it before engaging in risky encounters. You can only infuse between missions, so don’t hoard it during dangerous objectives.
Farm Visionaries Early
Visionaries offer two key benefits: unique Slabs and a high Residuum yield. If possible, plan loops that target multiple Visionaries. Use your knowledge of their routines to maximize your gains each day.
Experiment with New Builds
Infused gear allows for loadout experimentation. Once you lock in enough variety ranged weapons, different Slabs, utility trinkets you can mix and match to fit specific levels or challenges. This gives you flexibility to approach each part of the loop creatively.
Tips for Efficient Residuum Use
Don’t Infuse Everything
It’s tempting to hoard everything, but your inventory space is limited. Stick with items you will actively use. Discard duplicates or low-quality items to recycle some Residuum.
Combine Slab Upgrades
Each Visionary drops a base Slab, but repeated kills may drop upgrades. Infuse the upgrades as well. Over time, you’ll enhance your powers for example, Shift can teleport farther or leave behind damaging effects. These upgrades offer strategic advantages.
Backtrack to Collect Lost Residuum
If you die, make it a priority to retrieve your lost Residuum. Enemies may still be nearby, so plan your approach carefully. Don’t rush dying a second time before recovery means the loss becomes permanent.
Use Loadout Favorites
Once you find a build that works well like a silenced SMG and Shift stick with it. Infuse and rely on it during tougher missions. Familiarity will make the game feel smoother and reduce failure risks.
When to Avoid Using Residuum
Saving for Something Better
In early loops, you might not have enough Residuum to infuse multiple items. If you’re unsure whether something is worth it, wait until you find higher-quality gear. It’s better to delay infusion than to waste Residuum on temporary items.
Managing Inventory Space
Too many infused items can clutter your loadout. Only infuse gear you plan to rotate. Otherwise, you’ll spend more time navigating menus than playing.
End of Day Panic Spending
Don’t rush to infuse random items just because a loop is ending. Plan what you want to keep throughout the day. That way, you use your Residuum wisely and stay focused on long-term progress.
Using Residuum in Deathloop is key to mastering the loop and gaining control over your environment. It allows you to keep your best tools, develop custom strategies, and progress more efficiently through Blackreef’s layered mysteries. By collecting Residuum through exploration and combat, then using it to infuse gear that matches your playstyle, you can gradually build a perfect loadout that persists between loops. Be selective, stay strategic, and make each infusion count. With proper Residuum management, you’ll be one step closer to breaking the loop for good.