Spelunky is a challenging platformer where you descend into procedurally generated caves, grabbing treasure and battling enemies. Every run is different, with new traps, monsters, and secrets to discover. You'll need quick reflexes and a good understanding of the game's physics to survive the treacherous Mines, the jungle, the Ice Caves, and beyond, all while trying to reach the mighty Olmec.
This guide will help you master Spelunky. We cover everything from essential controls and weapon strategies to navigating each perilous zone. Whether you're aiming to uncover all the game's secrets, defeat challenging bosses, or simply survive longer, you'll find the information you need to conquer the depths.
Guide and Walkthrough (PS4) by InfernoSD
Navigate Spelunky's worlds and secrets with this comprehensive table of contents, covering Dwelling, Volcana, Jungle, and more.
Walkthrough
- 1Introduction
- 2How to Play
- 3World 1: Dwelling
- 4World 2: Volcana
- 5World 2: Jungle
- 6World 3
- 7World 4: Tide Pool
- 8World 4: Temple of Anubis
- 9World 5
- 10World 6
- 11World 7 and Other Secrets
- 12Strategies
- 13Trophy Guide
- 14Legal
Tips
- The guide progresses logically from basic controls to advanced content.
- Refer to specific world sections for detailed level information.
- The Trophy Guide section offers insights into unlocking achievements.
How to Play
Master Spelunky's tutorial mechanics: learn to jump, whip, throw, and use ropes with this essential beginner's guide.
Walkthrough
- 1Enter doors by pressing R1.
- 2Jump with the X button; hold for higher jumps.
- 3Hang off ledges by jumping into them and press X to jump from the hanging position. Press down and X to drop off.
- 4Crouch by holding down on the left analog stick. Crawling over a ledge will automatically put you into the hanging position but drop your carried item.
- 5Run/walk with R2. You may need to frequently press and release the run button for precision platforming.
- 6Whip with Square; the attack swings backward and then forward, damaging enemies and knocking back threats. You can jump and run while whipping.
- 7Pick up objects by crouching and pressing Square. Throw them by pressing Square again. Dropping an object while crouching places it half a tile in front of you. Holding up throws it diagonally. Running or jumping inherits momentum. Dropping from a ledge causes it to fall straight down.
- 8Push sliding blocks by walking into them.
- 9Jump through wooden platforms from below by crouching and pressing the jump button.
- 10Run across 1-tile wide gaps in the floor without falling.
- 11Break breakable objects like chests (gems) and wooden crates (ropes or bombs) with standard attacks or by holding up and pressing Square.
- 12Throw Bombs with Circle; you start with 4 Bombs. They explode with a radius of approximately 2 tiles.
- 13Throw Ropes with Triangle. Facing a ledge and crouching makes the Rope hang from it; otherwise, it throws straight upward.
- 14Traverse ladders, ropes, and other climbing devices by holding up or down. Press jump to dismount.
- 15Swim upward in water using the jump button; there is no breathing system.
- 16Press the touchpad to bring up the journal when encountering something new.
Tips
- Holding up or down on the analog stick lets you see further in that direction, useful for spotting traps and judging fall damage.
- Avoid fall damage by landing on an enemy, grabbing a ledge, or grabbing a climbable object mid-fall. Fall damage occurs if you land on or below the bottom edge of the screen.
- Time your jumps carefully to avoid hitting your head on low ceilings when running off ledges. A quick turn-around jump is possible if another ledge is one tile above.
- Instead of crouch-walking off ledges, walk off and immediately flip around to grab the ledge.
- Doors that are two tiles high are level exits. Doors one tile high are backroom doors.
- Doors offer invincibility frames when entering; this lasts for a few moments on the other side of backroom doors, allowing time to react to dangers. You can attack and return through a door without being hit. Doors can be entered from one full tile width away.
- Your feet can be used as a weapon by jumping on enemies. Hanging off a ledge, rope, or standing on a wooden platform can also damage creatures approaching from below.
- Enemies, NPCs (non-player characters), and yourself can enter stun states. The whip causes a longer stun than other attacks. Blood indicates damage. Wiggling indicates they are about to wake up.
- All entities have a brief moment of invincibility after taking a hit.
- Ropes deal 1 damage and stun when thrown into an enemy.
- Bombs tend to travel further than other thrown objects due to their round shape. You can reposition a Bomb by whipping it or picking it up.
Guide and Walkthrough (PS4) by InfernoSD (2)
Spelunky guide and walkthrough by InfernoSD, version 1.4, updated 11/12/2020. Includes Dwelling, Volcana, Jungle, and more.
This is the table of contents for the Spelunky guide and walkthrough created by InfernoSD. It was last updated on 11/12/2020 and is version 1.4. This guide was a FAQ of the Month winner in October 2020.
Sections:
- Introduction
- How to Play
- World 1: Dwelling
- World 2: Volcana
- World 2: Jungle
- World 3
- World 4: Tide Pool
- World 4: Temple of Anubis
- World 5
- World 6
- World 7 and Other Secrets
- Strategies
- Trophy Guide
- Legal
Tips
- The guide progresses through the worlds sequentially, starting with World 1: Dwelling and moving on to World 2: Volcana and World 2: Jungle.
- It also details World 4: Tide Pool and World 4: Temple of Anubis.
- Look for strategies and a trophy guide within the full document.
World 1: Dwelling
Explore Spelunky's World 1, Dwelling. Learn about items like the Skeleton Key, Spectacles, Paste, and Camera, and their uses.
Items:
- Rope Pile - Provides 3 ropes.
- Bomb Bag - A brown bag containing 3 bombs. Explodes if damaged.
- Bomb Box - A green box containing 12 bombs. Explodes if damaged.
- Paste - A white bottle that turns bombs into sticky Bombs. Sticky Bombs adhere to enemies or walls and can be picked up and thrown.
- Spectacles - Enhances vision in dark levels, revealing gems and items within walls.
- Udjat Eye - Reveals gems and items locked in walls; also used for a secret ending.
- Compass - Displays a red arrow on the HUD (Heads-Up Display) pointing to the exit.
- Four-Leaf Clover - Extends the level timer by five minutes, delaying the Ghost's (an NPC (non-player character — anyone the game controls, not you) that chases the player) appearance. Ineffective if the Ghost has already arrived.
- Skeleton Key - A permanent key that unlocks any locked door.
- Parachute - Automatically slows your fall from great heights, preventing fall damage. Has one use. To dismount, press up or down and the jump button.
- Climbing Gloves - Allows you to cling to and move up walls. Holding the control stick towards the wall is required to cling. Can be awkward and may lead to accidental grabs.
- Pitcher's Mitt - Modifies your throwing arc to a straight line for bombs and thrown objects.
- Spring Shoes - Increases your jump height by one tile. Jumping on enemies also propels you higher.
- Spike Shoes - Jumping on enemies deals 3 damage. Can damage armored enemies and increases damage with prolonged airtime.
- Kapala - A skull cup that fills with blood droplets from sacrifices at the Altar to Kali. Every 8 blood droplets grant +1 HP.
- Camera - Stuns enemies in front of you and kills Bats instantly. Illuminates dark areas and can trigger Arrow Traps. It is the only item that can stun the ghost.
- Mattock - A pickaxe that can dig through dirt and stone. Has a limited use (approximately 55 blocks).
- Machete - Deals 2 damage with an attack arc similar to a whip but with less range behind you.
- Boomerang - A thrown weapon dealing 1 damage that can hit enemies multiple times per throw. It's the only ranged weapon that can travel diagonally and does not cause knockback.
- Shotgun - Fires 12 pellets dealing 4 HP damage each in a random spread. Has significant knockback that can propel you upward when jumping.
- Freeze Ray - Fires a short-range blue laser that freezes enemies. Flying enemies shatter upon hitting the ground; grounded enemies need to be shattered by another means. Has knockback similar to the Shotgun.
- Webgun - Fires webs that can stop some enemies and be used to stick bombs to walls. Webs disappear after five seconds and can be climbed.
- Crossbow - Fires arrows in a straight line. Comes with a blue invincible arrow that can be reloaded. The blue arrow can act as a platform. If lost, normal arrows break after use.
- Plasma Cannon - Fires an explosive projectile with significant knockback (4-5 tiles). The explosion deals 10 HP damage, similar to a Bomb.
Tips
- Dwelling can be surprisingly difficult, even for experienced players. Don't get discouraged by frequent deaths.
- Wooden crates may contain items, but often contain Bombs or Ropes.
- Bombing dirt blocks can sometimes yield useful items.
- The Spectacles and Udjat Eye are crucial for finding hidden items and gems within walls.
- The Four-Leaf Clover is only useful before the Ghost appears.
- Climbing Gloves can be awkward; consider skipping them if you find them difficult to control.
- The Shotgun's knockback can be used to gain extra height when jumping.
- The Freeze Ray's knockback can also be used for extra jump height.
- The Mattock has a limited number of uses.
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