Starfield: How to Get XP (Level Up Fast)

In Starfield, there's a lot to do, but some of its most interesting features, such as advanced ship and outpost building, are locked behind skills that players need to invest in. Naturally, this means that only the highest-level explorers can enjoy these parts of the game.

Leveling up in Starfield takes a lot of time, especially early on when there aren't many good sources of XP. However, there are some ways to make this process less tedious and monotonous, or at the very least, less time-consuming. Here's how.

There's no sugarcoating it: the best (though not necessarily the fastest) way to level up in Starfield is to complete quests. This is because quests also reward players with a ton of good loot and Credits while granting huge chunks of XP upon completion. They also feature Bethesda's signature style of storytelling, making questing the most engaging and entertaining way to level up.

Completing quests is a given, but some players may want to get lost in the game's many planets while doing their own things. For avid explorers like these, the best way to level up is to visit high-level planets. Find a place that's about 20 or even 30 levels higher with a moderate or high fauna density. Land on it, then start eliminating the local wildlife. It's not the prettiest thing to do, but it's hassle-free. Just be careful when encountering spacers, pirates, or anything that can shoot back.

High-level herbivores and other non-aggressive animals yield upwards of 70 XP when killed. They don't put up a fight either, so all players really need to worry about is having enough ammo to shoot them with. Most predators can be avoided by using boost packs or by climbing up a big rock, so their threat can be mostly mitigated as well.

Before doing either of these, it's best to sleep for eight standard in-game hours or longer to gain the Well Rested buff, which increases XP gains by 10%. If players have romanced any of the viable Constellation members, then this bonus goes up to 15%. It's not much, but the extra XP does add up over time, so try to make sleeping a habit before heading out on an adventure.

It's worth noting that the game difficulty has no effect on XP gains. Players who simply want to level up may want to consider reducing the difficulty so they can more easily face higher-level enemies.

Starfield is available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.