When you first load into Anime Overload, it feels like a typical tower defense game… until you realize there are way more systems than usual. Units, traits, vending machines, tokens, raids—it’s a lot, and the game doesn’t really explain what actually matters first.
The biggest difference between players who progress fast and those who get stuck early isn’t luck—it’s knowing where to focus. So instead of throwing a checklist at you, let’s walk through it the way you’d actually experience the game.
Anime Overload Beginner Guide
Before doing anything, open the News tab, go into the game and event sections, and scroll down. There are hidden claim buttons that give you free rewards.
It sounds small, but early on, this gives you enough resources to get moving without grinding immediately. A lot of players skip this and end up struggling for no reason.
Vending Machines
This is probably the most important thing new players miss.
Scattered around the map are vending machines that let you spend a small amount of gold for rewards. Each one can be used multiple times daily, and there are several across the map.
At first, I didn’t think much of them. Then I started using them daily and realized they give:
- Trait rerolls
- Stars (very important later)
- Useful upgrade materials
It’s basically free progression. If you ignore these, you’re slowing yourself down without realizing it.
Units
Early on, don’t try to collect everything. Focus on a few strong units that can actually carry you.
From experience, units like Sukuna, Bolt Hero, or Enel make a huge difference. They clear waves faster, handle bosses better, and make story mode much easier.
A common mistake is using random units just because they look cool. Early game is about efficiency—once you’re stronger, then you can experiment.
Farming Money
You’ll notice quickly that upgrading units costs a lot. That’s where farm units come in.
Right now, there are only a couple of real options, and they’re extremely important. If you can, aim for the Thrift trait, because it boosts your income.
The earlier you set up your economy in a match, the smoother everything becomes. If you delay this, you’ll always feel behind.
Fastest Way To Get Gems
If you’re wondering how to get gems quickly, the answer is simple:
Play story mode.
Clear every stage on:
- Normal
- Nightmare
The first-time rewards are huge. It’s honestly the fastest and most reliable way to build your gem count early.
A lot of players jump into harder modes too early, but story mode is where you should be spending most of your time at the beginning.
Challenges and Daily Rewards
There’s a habit you want to build early—checking your rewards.
- Daily rewards
- Weekly challenges
- Quest tab
You don’t feel their impact immediately, but over time, they stack into a huge amount of resources.
It’s one of those things where missing a day doesn’t hurt—but skipping it regularly slows your progress more than you think.
Legend Stages
Once you’re a bit stronger, you’ll start running Legend Stages.
This is where things click together.
You get:
- Tokens
- Evolution materials
- Extra rewards
Instead of farming one thing at a time, you’re progressing multiple systems at once. That’s why this mode becomes your main grind later.
Expeditions
This is something I didn’t appreciate at first.
You can send units on expeditions and come back later to claim rewards like gems, tokens, and rerolls.
It’s passive progress. You’re literally gaining resources without playing, so there’s no reason to leave it unused.
Guilds
Joining a guild might not seem important early, but it actually gives you passive buffs and access to extra rewards.
Just join an active one—you don’t need to create your own. It saves resources and gives you small advantages that add up over time.
There’s a teleport system on the map that lets you instantly move around.
It doesn’t sound like much, but during harder stages, being able to reposition quickly makes a big difference. It’s one of those small features that becomes really useful later.
Anime Overload isn’t about rushing everything—it’s about doing the right things early so you don’t struggle later.
If you:
- Grab your free rewards
- Use vending machines daily
- Focus on strong units
- Farm story and legend stages properly
…you’ll progress smoothly without hitting that frustrating “stuck” phase most players run into.
Once your foundation is solid, everything else—traits, evolutions, raids—starts to feel much easier and way more enjoyable.