Most Windrose players hit level 5 and wonder why leveling feels so slow. The answer is almost always the same: they are farming the wrong thing.
TL;DR: Enemy kills give zero XP in Windrose. All XP comes from Journal quest completions and the Site Clear bonus (loot every chest in a POI). Stack a Rested buff from your bonfire, farm island 2 pirate camp chests daily, and chain Journal quests. Solo players hit level 10 in 4–5 hours. Co-op crews do it in 2–3.
The One Rule That Changes Everything
Important: Killing enemies grants zero XP in Windrose. The game tracks progression through two sources only — Journal quest completions and the Site Clear bonus triggered by looting all chests in a Point of Interest.
Players grinding pirate kills for an hour are earning nothing. The pirates are obstacles standing between you and their camp's chests. Get past them, loot everything, trigger the Site Clear — that is the game.
Every tip in this guide builds on this foundation.
The Two XP Sources — Exactly How They Work
Journal Quests
Open the Journal and filter to Active — this shows every quest currently tracking progress. Main Journal entries reward 40–60 XP each on islands 1–2, scaling to 80–120 XP in the Foothills (levels 6–10) and 100–150 XP in the Cursed Swamps (levels 11–15).
Side journal entries (exploration notes, faction tasks) reward 20–60 XP. They stack up fast when you activate them all before heading out.
Note: Journal quests track progress passively. Activate every available quest before each session — players who skip this earn 30–40% less XP per hour doing the exact same activities.
The Coastal Traders faction on islands 1–2 has the densest cluster of early-game Journal quests. Start there.
Site Clear Bonus
Every POI in Windrose has a chest count displayed on the HUD when you enter. Loot the final chest and "Site Clear" fires — a bonus XP reward on top of everything else earned at that location.
- Small pirate camps: 40–80 XP Site Clear bonus
- Medium ruins and coves: 80–150 XP
- Large ruins, shipwrecks, underwater POIs: 100–200 XP
Important: The bonus only triggers on full clears. Partial clears earn nothing. If you do not see "Site Clear," there is a chest you missed — check elevated positions, behind debris piles, and underground cellars.
Step-by-Step — The Fastest Daily XP Routine
How to Build Your Session Loop:
- Log in near your comfort bonfire — check the Rested buff icon on your stamina bar
- Open Journal → Active tab — note which quests are active and where they point
- Head to island 2 pirate camp — loot every chest for 250–350 XP (kills count for nothing)
- Clear the nearest 2–3 POIs on your route — Full clear only, watch the chest counter
- Complete any Journal quests that trigger along the way
- Build an FTP at any new coastline camp you plan to revisit (1 Fast Travel Bell + 20 wood)
- Rest at your bonfire before ending the session to top up the buff for next time
Run this loop consistently and you hit level 10 in 4–5 hours solo.
The Rested Buff — 45 Minutes of 2.5x Stamina
The Rested buff is Windrose's passive XP accelerator and most players ignore it for the first several hours.
How to Set It Up:
- Build a bonfire at your base camp — costs 5 wood
- Place 5 comfort decorations in a ring around it — shells from the beach work (free), chairs and rugs require 20 wood and 10 fiber each
- Check the bonfire's comfort level — aim for level 3
- Rest near the bonfire before each session to activate the buff — the duration scales with your comfort level
At comfort level 3, the Rested buff gives 2.5x stamina regen for 45 minutes. With 2.5x regen, you sprint between objectives faster, clear POI debris quicker, and spend less time waiting to act. The same island 2 camp route that takes 12 minutes without Rested takes 8–9 minutes with it.
Pro tip: Shells on the beach cost nothing and count as comfort decorations. Five shells around a bonfire gets you to comfort level 2 before you spend any crafting materials.
Biome XP Rates at a Glance
| Biome | Levels | Quest XP | Site Clear XP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coastal Islands | 1–5 | 40–60 per quest | 200–350 per site |
| Foothills | 6–10 | 80–120 per quest | 300–500 per site |
| Cursed Swamps | 11–15 | 100–150 per quest | 400–600 per site |
Do not rush ahead. Attempting Foothills content at level 4 with copper-tier gear makes every clear slower and harder. Fully exhaust the Coastal Islands Journal before pushing to level 6.
Island 2 Pirate Camp — The Best Daily Routine
Island 2 pirate camps are the most reliable daily XP source in Windrose. Each camp contains 4–8 chests and yields 250–350 XP per full clear from the Site Clear bonus. The chests respawn on the in-game day cycle.
Solo 10-Minute Camp Loop:
- Arrive at camp, scout chest locations before engaging
- Clear enemies only as needed to reach the chests
- Loot every barrel, crate, and chest — watch the chest counter on HUD
- Wait for "Site Clear" before leaving
- FTP to next camp or back to base
Note: Do not forget to check Blackbeard Crew Maps for chests — the maps themselves drop interesting loot but grant zero XP. Any chests the map leads you to DO count toward Site Clear if they are in a tracked POI.
Co-op tip: assign one player to hold aggro on camp pirates while others loot. Splitting roles cuts clear time by 40% and everyone gets the full 250–350 XP.
Co-op XP — Why It Is Dramatically Faster
XP in co-op is earned individually — but with Shared Quest Progress toggled on in World Properties, completing a Journal quest or Site Clear awards the XP to every player in the world who has that quest active. It is effectively shared XP with no split.
A 4-player crew with Shared Quest Progress enabled clears island 2 pirate camps and every player earns 250–350 XP per clear simultaneously. The same crew clears POIs 40–60% faster than solo. Steam community data confirms co-op groups consistently hit level 10 in 2–3 hours versus 4–5 hours solo.
Use the G-radial ping (hold G) to mark chest locations for crew members across the POI. One missed chest means no Site Clear for everyone.
Common XP Mistakes
Grinding kills. Already established — zero XP. Stop.
Leaving POIs before Site Clear. Every partial clear is a full bonus forfeited. Two minutes of thorough looting is worth more than rushing to the next location.
Ignoring the Journal Active tab. Quests only track if they are active. Check before every session.
Skipping underwater chests. Underwater sections of shipwrecks and coastal POIs count toward the Site Clear. Skipping the dive means skipping the bonus.
Not building FTPs. Fast Travel Points cost 1 Fast Travel Bell + 20 wood and can only be placed at coastline locations. Not building them turns a 5-minute transit into 10–15 minutes per loop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the fastest way to get XP in Windrose? A: Journal quest completions (40–120 XP each) and the Site Clear bonus from looting every chest in a POI. Stack a Rested buff before each session and farm island 2 pirate camp chests daily (250–350 XP per full clear). Enemy kills give zero XP.
Q: Do enemy kills give XP in Windrose? A: No. Enemy kills grant zero XP. All XP comes from Journal quest completions and the Site Clear bonus. The most common beginner mistake is farming pirate kills instead of looting their camp chests.
Q: What is the max level in Windrose? A: Max level in Windrose Early Access is 15. Gear tiers scale with biome — Coastal Islands (1–5), Foothills (6–10), Cursed Swamps (11–15).
Q: Does Windrose have an XP glitch? A: No verified active XP exploit as of April 2026. The legitimate method — Journal quests + full Site Clears + Rested buff — is already the fastest path to max level. Focus on the island 2 pirate camp chest loop for the best daily XP rate.
Q: How does the Rested buff work in Windrose? A: Build a bonfire and place 5 comfort decorations around it (shells from the beach are free). Reach comfort level 3, then rest near the bonfire before each session. This gives a 45-minute Rested buff with 2.5x stamina regen.
Q: How long does it take to reach max level in Windrose? A: Approximately 4–5 hours solo with optimal play. Co-op groups of 4 with Shared Quest Progress enabled hit level 10 in 2–3 hours. Casual play without Journal quest focus typically takes 15–20 hours.
References
- Windrose on Steam — official Early Access page and patch notes
- Windrose Leveling Guide — GameBrief — full biome progression and level cap breakdown
Related Reading
New to Windrose entirely? The Windrose Beginner Guide covers faction choice, first-hour priorities, and common early mistakes that cost hours of progress.
For co-op setup and the full breakdown on multiplayer XP, diving, and voice chat, see Is Windrose Multiplayer?.
Our full Windrose Early Access Review covers whether the game is worth buying right now.
