Spelunky

About Spelunky

Spelunky began as a PC game by Derek Yu in 2008, was remade as Spelunky HD for Xbox 360 in 2012, and came to Steam in August 2013 under his studio Mossmouth. You play an explorer descending through four areas of caves. The levels are generated fresh each run and almost everything in them can be destroyed with bombs. You carry a few bombs and ropes, a handful of hit points, and whatever you find, buy or steal on the way. Death is permanent and comes quickly, from arrow traps, spiders, falls or an angry shopkeeper.

The Daily Challenge arrived with the Steam release and is also in the PlayStation versions. The idea, as Mossmouth put it at launch, was one chance each day with no excuses. A new cave is generated each day from a single seed, so the terrain, enemies and items are identical for everyone. Some sources of luck are removed: the gambling wheel in the Black Market is locked so a spin cannot change results, and dark levels can still appear. Steam and PlayStation players get different seeds.

You only get one go. If you die, the daily is over until the next cave is released. Each daily cave has its own leaderboard that compares how much money you ended with and how far down you got; times and replays are not recorded. That makes each decision count: whether to rob a shop, how many bombs to spend chasing a gold idol, when to leave a level before it turns on you.

The daily suits people who already know Spelunky's caves and want a fair, single-try test against friends. Newer players may find the run ends in the first area, which is common and part of the routine. The sequel, Spelunky 2, has its own daily challenge.

How to play Spelunky

1. Start Spelunky on Steam or PlayStation while online and choose the Daily Challenge.
2. Play the day's cave from the start: run, jump, use the whip, and spend bombs and ropes to get around.
3. Collect gold and gems, and decide which risks are worth it, such as shops, idols and damsels.
4. Reach the exit of each level and keep going down; dying ends the daily for the day.
5. Check the day's leaderboard to see your money and depth against other players, then come back for the next cave.

Screenshots

Tips

• Play a few normal runs before the daily to warm up; you only get one daily attempt.
• Money is the score, but depth matters too, so do not die chasing a last gem in a dangerous spot.
• Leave shops alone unless you are sure you can handle an angry shopkeeper; it is a common way daily runs end.
• Ropes are often safer than long drops, which take hit points or end the run.
• Do not plan around the Black Market's gambling wheel; it is locked in the daily.

Questions