Master Spelunky 2 controls: learn to jump, whip, throw bombs, and grab ledges with this essential tutorial guide.
Walkthrough
- 1Enter doors by pressing R1 (or L1 if preferred).
- 2Jump with X; hold for higher jumps. Jump height is slightly more than one tile, allowing you to grab ledges.
- 3Hang off ledges by jumping into them. Press X to jump from a hanging position onto the ledge, or press down and X to drop off.
- 4Crouch by holding down on the left analog stick. Crawling off a ledge automatically puts you into a hanging position but drops carried items.
- 5Run/walk with R2 (or R1 if preferred). You may also set "movement default" to walk. Frequent pressing and releasing of the run button is key for precision platforming.
- 6Whip with Square. The whip swings backward first, damaging enemies in a short arc behind and above you, then swings forward. You can jump and run while whipping. The whip acts as both a weapon and shield, knocking back many threats.
- 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 upwards. Running or jumping imparts momentum. Hanging off a ledge causes it to fall straight down.
- 8Push sliding blocks by walking into them. These appear as grey squares initially.
- 9Jump through wooden platforms from below by crouching and pressing the jump button.
- 10Run across 1-tile wide gaps without falling.
- 11Break breakable objects like chests (containing gems) and wooden crates (dropping random items like ropes or bombs) with standard attacks or by holding up and pressing Square to open them.
- 12Throw Bombs with Circle. You start each run with 4 Bombs. Bombs create an explosion with a radius of approximately 2 tiles.
- 13Throw Ropes with Triangle. Throwing a Rope while facing a ledge and crouching makes it hang from the ledge. Otherwise, it throws straight upward.
- 14Traverse ladders, ropes, and other climbing devices by holding up or down. You can whip and throw objects from this position. Press jump to dismount.
- 15Swim upward in water by pressing the jump button; there is no breathing system.
- 16Press the touchpad to open the journal when encountering new people, places, enemies, traps, or items for a picture and description.
Tips
- Holding up or down on the analog stick lets you see further in that direction, useful for spotting traps and judging fall damage. Fall damage occurs if you land on the bottom edge of the screen or lower. Avoid fall damage by landing on an enemy or grabbing a ledge/climbable object mid-fall.
- Time your jumps 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.
- Avoid crouch-walking off ledges; instead, 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 provide invincibility frames upon entering. Backroom doors offer a few moments of invincibility on the other side. 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 ledges, ropes, or standing on wooden platforms also positions you to damage creatures below.
- Enemies, NPCs, and yourself can enter stun states, protecting them from immediate attacks but not from thrown objects. Blood indicates damage. Wiggling signals an impending wake-up. The whip causes a longer stun than other attacks.
- All entities have a brief moment of invincibility after taking a hit.
- Ropes deal 1 damage and stun when thrown into an enemy.
- Bombs travel further than other thrown objects due to their round shape. You can reposition a Bomb by whipping it or picking it up. Dropping a bomb from your hands does not send it as far as throwing it.
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