Spelunky 2: Beginner-to-Advanced Guide

Everything you need to go from dying on 1-1 to finishing runs: core techniques, the area map and branching routes, shops and NPCs, bosses, the secret-ending path, and achievement tips.

Researched September 2026 — current as of patch v1.28 (November 2022), the latest gameplay patch; cross-play arrived in v1.26. Check the linked sources if something differs.

Quick Start

1. You start with 4 health, 4 bombs, and 4 ropes. Bombs and ropes are your lifelines, so don't spend them casually.
2. Look before you leap. Hold look-down at ledges to see what's below. Most deaths are falls, spikes, or landing next to something angry.
3. Don't anger shopkeepers until you know what you're doing. They're heavily armed and stay hostile.
4. Watch the clock. Stay too long on a level and a deadly ghost appears. Move on with purpose.
5. Save the damsel (or pet) and bring it to the exit for an extra health point, or take it to Kali's altar if you prefer favor.
6. Throw things first. Pots, rocks, and skulls are free projectiles. Clear threats before you walk into them.
7. Use the back layer. Doors in the background lead to a second layer with treasure rooms and shortcuts.
8. Unlock shortcuts. Terra Tunnel asks for your help (items or money) to dig three shortcuts deeper into the game, which you then start from Base Camp. Use them to practice later areas.
9. Character unlocks come from coffins found in levels. Unlocked characters then hang out at Base Camp.
10. Every death teaches something. The game is meant to be learned over many runs.

Controls and Core Techniques

Techniques to learn early:

• Ledge hang: walk off a ledge while holding toward the wall to grab it.
• Drop a rope down a ledge to descend safely instead of jumping.
• Throw items down by holding down while throwing.
• Bomb placement vs throw: place a bomb (crouch plus bomb) to dig straight down; throw to hit things at range.
• Backwhip: attacks can hit behind you on the wind-up, which matters for timing.

The World Map and Branching Routes

Spelunky 2 has branching paths. The normal route looks like this:

The game's "Ironman" achievement requires finishing with no shortcuts, and "Speedlunky" requires finishing in 10 minutes or less without shortcuts.

Shops, NPCs, and Kali

Shops

• Shopkeepers sell items at prices you can see. Pay by walking over the item and confirming.
• Shoplifting makes shopkeepers hostile, and they'll wait for you at exits on later levels. Only do it with a real plan (see "Shadow Shopper" style achievements).
• Hurting a shopkeeper or damaging their shop also makes them hostile.

Notable NPCs

Treat NPCs as optional side stories: you can help, hurt, or ignore them, and your choices ripple into later areas.

Kali's altar

Sacrificing bodies (or live creatures) on Kali's altar builds favor and grants rewards. Destroying the altar is a bad idea.

Mounts

You can tame and ride mounts like turkeys, each with its own special ability. Enemies ride mounts too.

Bosses

Optional bosses also appear on secret paths (for example Osiris in Duat and Kingu in Abzu).

The Secret Ending: Road to the Sunken City

Reaching the Sunken City is a long, multi-step quest. This is the broad outline. The exact rooms and triggers are spoiler-heavy and easy to get wrong, so use a dedicated route guide from the Steam community hub for the precise steps.

1. Dwelling: find the key and the locked chest that holds the Udjat Eye, which helps reveal hidden entrances in the next area.
2. World 2: use it to find the Black Market and buy the Ankh, which gives you one extra life and is the key item for the next step.
3. World 4 route:
   • Temple of Anubis: kill Anubis for his Scepter, use it to reach the City of Gold, and use the Ankh there to reach Duat, where you fight Osiris.
   • Tide Pool: the alternate route leads to Abzu and Kingu.
4. Either route gives you the Tablet of Destiny, which you must carry onward.
5. Later in the run, the Tablet of Destiny is combined with the correct Ushabti to obtain the Qilin, a flying mount you need to reach the Sunken City from Tiamat's area.
6. Beat Hundun in the Sunken City for the hard ending.

Carry discipline matters more than combat here. Most failed attempts come from losing a key item (the Ankh used by accident, the Tablet dropped or destroyed, the Qilin killed). Keep your hands free, avoid unnecessary risks while carrying quest items, and don't bring them near lava or shopkeepers.

The Cosmic Ocean requires more steps involving Hou Yi's Bow. It's the game's hardest content: a long chain of Cosmic Ocean levels that runs all the way to 7-99. If you get this far, follow a dedicated route guide, since tiny mistakes (like losing the bow) can ruin the run.

Characters

Ana Spelunky is the protagonist (daughter of the original game's hero, Guy Spelunky). Wikipedia counts 19 other explorers unlocked from wooden coffin-shaped boxes found in levels. The roster includes Margaret Tunnel, Colin Northward, Roffy D. Sloth, Alto Singh, Liz Mutton, Nekka the Eagle, LISE Project, Coco Von Diamonds, Manfred Tunnel, Little Jay, Tina Flan, Valerie Crump, Au, Demi Von Diamonds, the Pilot, Princess Airyn, Dirk Yamaoka, and Guy Spelunky. Characters play the same; pick whoever you like.

Multiplayer

• Online co-op for up to four players in Adventure Mode.
• Arena Mode (local and online) for deathmatch-style fights.
• Cross-play across Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch since v1.26 (September 2022). Other platforms must be on v1.27 or later for cross-play.
• Co-op is chaotic: dead players become ghosts until revived, and friendly bombs hurt.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Jumping blind down shafts. Look down, rope down.
• Whipping a shopkeeper by accident. Put weapons away near shops or move carefully.
• Burning bombs on the first level. Save them for later areas and bosses.
• Carrying the damsel through spike traps. A dropped damsel is a lost health point.
• Standing near arrow traps. Throw an item through their line to trigger them.
• Lingering. The ghost timer is real, and big treasure can wait for the next level.
• Fighting everything. Many enemies can simply be avoided.

Advanced Tips

• Use seeded runs for practice. Most achievements require non-seeded runs, but seeds are great for learning routes.
• Plan your path. Decide Jungle vs Volcana and Tide Pool vs Temple based on what your run needs, especially if you're going for the Sunken City.
• Rob shops smartly. Advanced players steal with bombs or a trapped shopkeeper; the community has entire guides on it. Expect consequences on later levels.
• Hold key items across levels. Items you carry through the exit stay with you.
• Bring a jetpack or cape if you find one. Mobility items make later areas far more forgiving.
• Journal completion ("Seen a Lot" at 50%, "Seen It All" at 100%) comes naturally, but secret areas and rare enemies take dedicated runs.

Achievement Highlights

FAQ

Is Spelunky 2 still being updated? The last gameplay patch was v1.28 (November 2022). The game is complete; recent news is merchandise, like the Ana plush announced in November 2025.

Does Spelunky 2 have cross-play? Yes, across Steam, PlayStation, Xbox, and Switch since v1.26.

How do I unlock shortcuts? Help Terra Tunnel by giving her what she asks for when you meet her during runs. There are three shortcuts ("Mama's Little Helper" for the first, "Mama's Big Helper" for all three).

How do I get to the Sunken City? Get the Udjat Eye, buy the Ankh in the Black Market, reach Duat or Abzu for the Tablet of Destiny, use it to get the Qilin, and ride it past Tiamat's area.

Why is a ghost chasing me? You've spent too long on the level. Head for the exit.

Can I play solo? Yes, the whole game is designed for solo play; co-op is optional.

Sources

• Spelunky 2 on Steam
• Spelunky 2 Steam achievements
• Spelunky 2 on Wikipedia
• Steam News: v1.26 cross-play, v1.27, v1.28 patch notes
• Spelunky 2 Steam community guides