Master the Prisoner's Quarters in Dead Cells. Learn enemy strategies, find blueprints like the Quick Bow, and understand scroll mechanics for your first run.
The Prisoner's Quarters is the starting area in Dead Cells, serving as a tutorial level. You'll always begin here, and dying will return you to this room. Initially, you'll have a Rusty Sword I and a Prisoner's Collar I, both weak starting items. You can find a Beginner's Bow I and an Old Wooden Shield I nearby. Upgrades exist to randomize your starting melee and ranged weapons from your entire pool.
Walkthrough
- 1Upon starting, turn around and climb the back wall of the initial room to find the Quick Bow blueprint. This is the first blueprint you can acquire and a significant upgrade. Blueprints can be turned in to the Collector after finishing the Prisoner's Quarters for the first time to unlock them for purchase with cells, expanding your available weapons and items.
- 2Explore the Prisoner's Quarters thoroughly to find two Scrolls of Power. These scrolls increase one of three stats: Brutality, Tactics, or Survival, providing health and weapon/skill boosts. Spreading scrolls offers balanced health and attack, while focusing on one stat grants higher damage but lower health.
- 3Defeat all enemies to collect cells, which are used for purchasing blueprints, and to find potential blueprint drops.
Enemy Types:
- Zombie: Slow-moving, melee swipes, leaping attacks. Roll through their leaps and slash. Easily stunned.
- Undead Archer: Fires slow-moving arrows. Duck or roll to avoid.
- Grenadier: Throws bombs that travel through walls and explode after a delay. Can be dangerous in groups. Avoid the slow-moving bombs.
- Shield Bearer: Immune to frontal attacks due to a shield. Charges forward. Dodge roll behind them and attack.
Higher Difficulty Enemy Types:
- 1 Cell: Inquisitors replace Undead Archers.
- 4 Cells: Bombadiers replace Grenadiers.
Level Details:
- Alternate Level Possibilities: None
- Exit Possibilities: The Promenade of the Condemned, The Toxic Sewers
- Scrolls: 2 Scrolls of Power, 0 Dual-Stat Scrolls
- Timed Doors: None
Tips
- Practice your dodge rolls and basic attacks in this area as enemies are relatively easy.
- Grinding for cells and blueprints early on is crucial for improving your item pool.
- Pay attention to the color-coding of scrolls to understand which stat they boost.
100% Human-Written. AI Fact-Checked. Community Verified. Learn how AntMag verifies content