It’s hard to perfect perfection, but Mosssmouth managed to pull it off with Spelunky 2, the sequel to everybody’s favorite, deceptively maniacal rogue-like, Spelunky HD. The newest installment in the single most hectic mashup of Indiana Jones and just about everything else doubles down on the grueling fundamentals that made it the first one the mercilessly addictive game it was and does just enough tweaking to up the craziness without detracting from the vanilla experience.
It’s treasure, traps, and secrets galore in Spelunky 2, and to help you get the most out of each run we’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks in a complete Spelunky 2 guide down below.
What’s New in Spelunky 2?
Below we run through some of the bigger changes that came in with Spelunky 2. We’ll avoid going over minor changes and the more subtle QOL tweaks and stick to the changes that impact gameplay more significantly.
Fluid Dynamics
Lava, to water, to any sort of liquid in the game, Spelunky 2 now incorporates fluid dynamics in many components of the game to add an extra layer of complexity to the madness — so be sure to account for the behavior of liquids in the game. Because like everything else in Spelunky, they can probably kill you. Just make sure you know which way gravity pulls them, first.
Mounts
One of the coolest new additions with Spelunky 2 is the new Mounts. From turkeys to rock dogs to fire-breathing secret mounts, each one has their own movement mechanics and unique attacks — gotta catch ’em all!
Non-linear progression
Unlike Spelunky HD, the new Spelunky on the block actually incorporates branching levels. At key points in the game, players hit proverbial forks in the road which changes the immediate course of their run. Get to know these, because each level has its own unique constraints and caters to very different build-styles.
Items can Explode
Before you kick open the door of the shop and start blasting at the local shopkeeper, make sure to look at what he’s selling first. Items in Spelunky, worn, held, or just sitting around, can and will explode to great effect. This means being careful around flames while using jetpacks, and being wary around explosives while exercising your firearms.
The Whip’s been Nerfed
The old reliable of Spelunky weaponry, the Whip, has seen some significant changes this time around. It requires a little more finesse and getting used to, which we’ll go into with some depth later on, but can in fact be more useful if you know how to use it.
The Ghost is Buffed
Everybody’s favorite, highly impatient, insta-killing poltergeist is still around but this time he moves faster and can even split into multiple ghosts. So keep a move on.
New Secret Level
Like Spelunky HD’s super-secret Hell level, there exists an even more insane after-level reserved for only the mightiest gamers on Earth, known as the Cosmic Ocean. We won’t go into depth, since it’s a pretty massive spoiler, but if you want to learn how to get there you can read our special Spelunky 2 Cosmic Ocean Walkthrough.
Spelunky 2 Guide: 15 Tips and Tricks for Beginners and Advanced Players
1. Approach Shoplifting with Caution
While killing Shoplifters is an old mainstay of Spelunky, returning players and total newbies alike should approach the five-fingered discount with considerable caution this time around in Spelunky 2. Not only are shopkeepers tough as nails, they also have a pretty slim reaction time to any shoplifting and will come in hard.
Also, note that many wares explode, so if you are going to start blasting (or provoke them to do so), be wary of any explosives laying around. That said, experiment, and once you get the hang of the subtleties of Spelunky combat, killing shopkeepers can be a profitable strategy indeed.
2. Make Use of the Sacrifice System!
The new Kali Altars reward you for sacrificing pets on their bloodstained pedestals with progressively better items — culminating in some excellent items like the Kapala that heals you with blood spilled by creatures.
3. Carry the Ghostpot to the Door
The Ghostpot contains a diamond worth 5K, but when you crack it open it spawns the unfriendliest ghost in the Spelunky universe that normally waits three minutes before ruining your day.
To circumvent this, carry the pot to the door to each level and crack it open right before heading out. Note that enemies and other hazards can just as easily crack it open along the way, so keep your eyes peeled. You know, more than usual.
4. There is Always a Shop on 1-2 or 1-3
Take note of the fact that there is always a shop on 1-2 or 1-3 and prepare accordingly. It’s completely randomized after that, so if you want to stock up before beginning your journey in earnest, it’s wise to either cash in a couple of diamonds or otherwise pad the wallet (or get ready to throw down with the shopkeeper for some “free” supplies).
5. Carry an Item at All Times
A good rule of thumb in Spelunky 2 is to always have an item. Anything and everything can come in handy. Even a rock. Especially a rock. You can throw items at enemies, use them to activate traps or break barricades, and generally find numerous ways to make them useful. You can’t carry bodies or large items between levels, but you can carry smaller things like rocks and arrows. This ties into our next tip:
6. Practice Throwing
Acquaint yourself with the “weight” and trajectory of thrown items in Spelunky 2. Not everything has the same throw distance or arc, so training your reflexes to account for these differences can be what keeps you alive on that glorious, personal record-breaking run.
7. Get the Udjat Eye
The Udjat Eye is nothing new to Spelunky. Like in the previous game, it grants players access to the Black Market (which is now just a sub-area, rather than its own level, and thus subject to the three-minute Ghost timer!) and reveals hidden treasure, but it is also used to unlock another secret area in one of the new biomes.
8. Use Tactical Head-Bounces
Ropes are great and all. They can be used to climb, descend safely, drop down into spikes or even be thrown at your enemies. And that’s why they should be used sparingly. A great way to reach a high ledge without using a rope when you don’t have a specialty item/mount is to hold up while bounce-killing an enemy. You can either try and time it or knock the enemy out and quickly place them where you’re going to make the jump.
9. Break Pots at a Distance
As containers, pots can be full of all sorts of wonderful items. Like gold, jewels, and venomous creatures. That last one might be more of an acquired taste. If you’re not a fan of scorpions, cobras, or even aliens, be sure to throw the pot a good distance away to break it open rather than smashing it open with your whip.
10. Don’t Free Fall
Whenever you come to a steep and sudden drop that leads off-screen, you are well-advised to cling to a wall and slide down rather than jumping with a parachute made of hope and prayer. In a rogue-like on the order of magnitude of Spelunky, whatever awaits you off-screen is probably unhealthy — to say the least.
11. Turkeys Are Your Best Friend (and You Their Worst Enemy!)
Turkeys are a wonderful addition to Spelunky 2, and the first rideable mounts you’ll encounter in the game. Aside from being a huge boost to your movement dynamics, you can also be decidedly non-vegan and blow them up with a bomb or other source of fire to cook them. Cooked Turkeys increase your max HP by 1, making them worth the effort whenever an easy one comes your way.
12. Practice Cooking Bombs
Apart from learning how to throw, another key skill that veteran players of Spelunky swear by is the practice of “cooking” your bombs like a grenade. This involves dropping the bomb at your feet to start the 2.4-second timer, picking it up, and throwing it again — timing the explosion to detonate the bomb wherever you want within range.
It takes some serious practice and won’t be something you get the hang of immediately, but once you’re a well-oiled bomb-cooking machine you can basically turn any bomb into a poor man’s sticky bomb.
13. Back-whip
While whipping has been nerfed with a serious reduction in animation speed, many players might not be aware of the utility of the three-stage whip attack. The new whip attack actually strikes one tile behind and above you before striking in front of you — meaning if you really want to hit something quick, pull a trick-move and look the other way before swatting at your enemy.
14. Don’t Fear Spikes
Spikes will kill you a lot. A lot. But that doesn’t mean you have to be afraid of them. New Spelunky 2 players should note that you can actually descend safely into spikes with a rope, and actually walk into spikes from the side without a problem. The only way they kill is by falling on top of them.
15. You Can Whip Arrows (With Practice)
There are few things more annoying than Arrow Traps. Set on auto-fire, come anywhere within six tiles and you’re getting an arrow in the face. You can trigger the trap with an enemy, or a thrown item like a rock.
Even fancier, for those who don’t have anything to trigger the trap ahead of time, is to go full Geralt of Rivia and just deflect the thing with your whip. A well-timed whip will do the trick, but note that it takes practice.
5 Spoiler-Ish Tips:
Below are a series of tips that involve some spoilers that newer players looking to organically explore the game may want to steer clear from. These involve specific discoveries that some people would rather stumble upon the old fashioned way: with a whole lot of death, despair, and eventual elation.
1. Quillback’s Level Never Changes
The left Door on Quillback’s Level leads to Jungle, while the right leads to Volcana. Jungle is generally considered the more difficult map, harboring tighter spaces and a greater density of hazards to traverse. Volcana is no walk in the park, either, but allows for significantly more maneuverability.
2. Leprechauns Fulfill the Stereotype
A new mob, Leprechauns, can drop an item called 4-Leaf Clovers on death that sets the Ghost timer to five minutes and spawns a rainbow that can be bombed to reveal a pot of gold with a few thousand.
3. Vlad’s Got Enemies
On every 2-1 Volcana, there is a secret door that, when unlocked, reveals an imprisoned Van Horsing that will insta-kill Vlad the Vampire King for you later on if you rescue him. Just find the key, find Van Horsing, and let the geriatric vampire hunter do the rest.
4. Ghost Bling is Potent Bling
In 1-4, if you have Quillback destroy all of the bone piles (or bomb them all yourself), a secret door marked by a very faint bas relief of a Ghost’s face (same on that’s on the Ghostpot) will be revealed that can only be entered if you’re afflicted with a Curse.
As much as it sucks to be cursed, once inside you gain access to a “Ghost Shop” that contains 3 gift boxes for 20k each. The loot is completely randomized but can be as crazy as a Kapala alongside other useful loot, or something relatively mundane.
5. Most of Spelunky 2 is Almost Impossible to Reach
There is a secret after-level, called the Cosmic Ocean, that takes the powers of a demigod to reach, and the nigh-literal powers of 1.5 Gods to actually beat. If you’re interested in making the attempt, be sure to check out our complete, step-by-step walkthrough on how to reach that sacred and absolutely terrifying place.
There’s a lot of Spelunky to deal with, and hopefully, this guide equips you with just enough know-how to push a little further on each run. That said, you’re still going to die a lot — the key skill is to try to remember how. Be sure to shoot any questions or comments you have at us down below — we’d love to hear how your Spelunking went!
