Gameplay basics | How to start? Dead Cells Guide
Last update: 13 September 2017
In this chapter you will find the most important advice and tips that will help you familiarize yourself with the basic aspects of Dead Cells. Specific subjects are described in the appropriate sections.
Death
An unavoidable element when playing Dead Cells. From the very beginning you'll have to be prepared to die a lot. You're alone here, and the enemies will show you no mercy.
After death you're returned to the starting chamber, where you'll start your adventure from the beginning. Of course, the cells that you've managed to deliver to the collector in the areas between major locations will remain in his inventory and will influence the development of your skills; any cells and money that you may have on yourself when dying, however, will be lost.
Chests, Treasuries, and Curses
In each of the locations you explore, you can encounter a special room with a hidden treasure chest. Opening it will yield you a random item, several items, or possibly even some cells. Of course, the quality of this gear depends on how far into the game you are - the further from the starting location, the better the gear you find in chests.
In addition to standard chests, you can also encounter their cursed variation. It looks different, it needs to be opened differently, but fist of all you'll notice various dialogue lines that the chest will throw at you. Opening a cursed container gives you a better chance for good loot, but it will also put a curse on the protagonist. The curse will require you to kill a certain number of enemies without getting hit even once. Otherwise, the character will instantly die, no matter his remaining health. Once you deal with the effects of the curse you can continue exploring as usual, but opening cursed chests is always risky.
You also have to know that curses can accumulate. If you open a second chest while the first curse is still in effect, the number of enemies you'll have to defeat without getting hit will be increased.
One more thing that can be cursed are treasuries. They can be found in random locations, and are accessible only after you pay a sufficient price in gold. If you decide to smash the gate instead, you will face consequences similar to opening a cursed chest. You should know, however, that if there's a heart, an item allowing for protagonist's resurrection without interrupting the playthrough, inside the treasury, you'll have to defeat 40 enemies instead of the usual 10. Oh, and the additional life doesn't count when battling that particular curse.
Shops
Same as with treasure chests, each level will feature at least one shop. The shops differ from one another - some of them offer more weapons, some other amulets or scrolls, still other will provide you with grenades or other tools. Of course, both the shop's type and its inventory are random. You should always check out any shop you encounter, as it may just have the item you need to improve your build.
Doors with time limit
In some locations you may encounter door that displays time in which you'll need to reach it, from the moment you begin your run, so you can enter. Behind the door you may find both gold and useful items. Of course the location of the room with the door is random in each playthrough, same as all other rooms in the location. It's hard to tell whether the loot you may gather in earlier rooms is worth more or less than what you may find behind the timed door. If you prefer to check out each nook and cranny, you're certain to be late; on the other hand, even if you sprint through the initial location, there's no guarantee that you'll make it to the door in time.
Scrolls
Their location and number is random. You may find some as early as in the starting location, but you may end up finding none throughout your entire playthrough. Scrolls can be used to temporarily buff the character's stats. Temporarily because the buff is gone after your character dies.
There are four types of scrolls in Dead Cells - increasing health, increasing damage, increasing skill, or increasing a specified atribute. You should ALWAYS use them and boost your stats according to your preferred playstyle. If you feel a bit uncertain you should boost your health. Boosting your skills is justified only when you already have some grenades, and boosting your damage is particularly useful when you failed to accquire a decent weapon.
Remember that only one type of scroll enables you to choose. With others you should always notice what kind of bonus you'll get and try to fit it into your playstyle efficiently.
Equipment
The game enables you to use various equipment, unlocked progressively as you concquer more and more rooms. Remember that after you find a blueprint for a new weapon you'll have to bring it to the collector. Only then will the item be bound to the character. If you die before you reach the designated area, the blueprint will lost. What's more, even after you bring it to the collector, you still need to spend a certain amount of cells to unlock the weapon. Once the weapon is unlocked, you'll get it from the collector and you'll have a chance to find it in shops as well. In case of tools, such as grenades, you have to remember about the item's cooldown time.
If you decide to use a ranged weapon, such as daggers, you'll have to remember about the amount of projectiles you're carrying. Once you're "out of bullets", you'll have to approach the enemy you've thrown them at and pick the up again. Otherwise, you'll be unable to use them.
What is essential is the fact that most items have an additional passive skill. You should always check it, as some of them may work against you, and some items, while useless at first sight, may have a passive ability that will be a perfect match for your build. All the more so, as in most cases it is enough to have the item in your inventory for the passive skill to take effect.
Challange Rooms
Some rare rooms will offer additional benefits during a particular run. To open a challenge room, you'll need to find a rune, just like the one needed to open a hidden treasure, only this time it will be placed on the floor. Once the character steps on it, you'll be able to interact with the rune. Do so, and a special portal will appear nearby.
Challenges will require you to eliminate all enemies in a location and leave it within a specified time. Once again, you have to accomplish this without getting hit even once. It's one of the more difficult activities in Dead Cells, especially if you've just started playing. It should be noted that failing to accomplish the challenge doesn't mean you'll lose the run; however, the damage you've received inside the room will be transferred to your character. This means that you may die if your health is low before entering.
Enemies
An inseparable element to the game. Depending on the location, you'll encounter different types of enemies, each of them having unique skill sets and attack patterns. Additionally, the game will have you face elite enemies and several bosses. A list of enemies in each location and ways to battle the bosses can be found in chapters dedicated to individual rooms.