Ossuary

Master the treacherous Ossuary in Dead Cells! Learn enemy patterns, find secrets, and conquer this challenging biome with our expert guide. Get the edge you need!

Alright, so you've made it past the early stuff and you're heading into the Ossuary. This is where Dead Cells really starts to feel like Dead Cells, and honestly, it's probably the first level that's going to make you sweat a little. It's a bit of a weird one because you can end up here after a few different paths – either directly from the Promenade of the Condemned, or by going through the Prison Depths. Because of this, the enemies here are tougher than what you'd usually find at this stage, and some of them can be a real pain even if it's just you and them. Seriously, don't let your guard down here, especially on your first few runs. Take it slow, get a feel for how these guys move, and you'll be much better off.

This place is also HUGE. Expect big rooms with tons of hallways branching off everywhere. It's a good idea to keep an eye on your map constantly to make sure you're not missing any paths or, more importantly, any sweet loot. Some paths just lead to more fights, but there are definitely some good pickups hidden away. You're also way more likely to stumble into a wandering elite or a dedicated elite room now, which isn't a bad thing – they always drop good stuff.

When it comes to enemies, you'll see a few familiar faces, but mostly you're up against a whole new crew. This is easily the toughest group of foes you've faced so far, and you won't see anything quite this nasty again until much later in the game. Let's break down these new headaches:

• Spawner: These guys look weird and don't actually attack you themselves, but they're a priority because they just keep spitting out Corpse Juice enemies. They're like little enemy factories. The Corpse Juice are these odd, orange, liquid-filled constructs. The more Corpse Juice they spawn, the less health the Spawner has. Your best bet is to destroy the Spawners ASAP before you get swarmed.
• Corpse Juice: These are the little orange worm-like things spawned by the Spawners. They're not super tough on their own, but if a Spawner gets a bunch of them going, it's easy to get overwhelmed and take damage. Like I said, focus on the Spawner first, then clean up any stragglers.
• Shocker: These are tricky because they don't move at all, but you can sometimes knock them back. They're like little stone pillars that periodically blast out these big electric fields. If you're caught in the zap, you'll take continuous damage. This makes melee tricky; it's hard to get in close for hits without getting zapped. Your best bet is to use grenades or ranged weapons to take them out from a safe distance.
• Slasher: Ugh, these guys are probably one of the most annoying common enemies in the whole game, and you'll see a lot of them here. They're big skeletons with a cloak over their head and a pretty big sword. They're large, have good reach with that sword, and are super fast horizontally. The good news? They really only have one attack pattern, so it's learnable. They also aren't great at chasing you down ledges or platforms. After they close the gap, they'll do a quick three-hit combo. Dodge roll away from these – they hit hard. Ranged attacks are great here. If you're feeling brave and get good at the timing, you can dodge roll behind them after their third swing and get a few hits in.
• Thorny: These guys look like spiky armadillos. When they attack, they curl into a ball and roll right at you. You can dodge roll through their charge. As soon as they stop rolling, they're momentarily stunned, and that's your window to attack. Just be careful – if you hit them on the thorny side, you'll take damage too.
• Lacerator: Another big skeleton, but these guys wear those wide-brimmed black hats and have some red clothing. They can also dish out decent damage, but thankfully, they only have one main attack. Once they spot you, they'll stop, then start spinning rapidly across the platform. They'll change direction if they hit a wall or a gap. You can roll through this attack, but again, wait until they stop spinning before you try to melee them. Ranged weapons or grenades are also solid choices here.

Beyond the enemies, remember this level has a timed door! You've got 8 minutes to get through it, and inside you'll find a Scroll of Power and the blueprint for the Marksman's Bow. It's a tough challenge, but that bow can be pretty sweet.

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