Spelunky: the 5 best survival tips

Beginners often do not survive long in "Spelunky" - our tips give you the best starting conditions to cheat death in this difficult game.

Survival Tip # 5: Gold is not all that matters

Especially at the beginning of the game, money seems to be very important in "Spelunky". You not only buy new items, but also refresh your health and can climb up the leaderboards. You can also become a successful speleologist without chasing every gold bar.
First of all, concentrate primarily on the valuables - i.e. gold bars, rubies, treasure chests, etc. - that are easy to reach. This saves you time, as well as valuable bombs and ropes. You will find most of the items sooner or later in one of the levels.
You can also steal items from the shop owners. You should plan your robberies carefully: as soon as you leave the shop with a stolen item, the seller runs amok and follows you with his shotgun. Place a rope directly in front of the shop entrance to climb safely or use the net gun to "grab" the shopkeeper.
Of course, you can also kill the shopkeeper with a bomb. Not only does this blow up half the shop, the explosion can also catapult objects into inaccessible positions. In addition, all shopkeepers you will encounter later in the game will try to kill you.

In "Spelunky" what lies below you is also in front of you. So you should look down as often as possible (hold down the duck button). Not only will you spot deadly traps and enemies, it will also help you find your way out of the level.
If you can't see the floor below you, don't let yourself fall! In the worst case, you lose one life point, in the worst, a carnivorous plant or sting lurks beneath you, which you impale.
You can completely avoid the fall damage if you land on an enemy with pinpoint accuracy (except for carnivorous plants!). If your opponent is moving, you should carefully factor in the movement pattern so that your crash cushion does not jump at the last moment.
It is also helpful to first explore one vertical level at a time. So when you jump from platform to platform, you should make sure that you can easily get back to the starting point of your jump. So you save your ropes for more important and valuable things and can explore the level more extensively.

With gold you can buy many items in shops, but you can often find them in wooden boxes or take them from opponents. Keep your eyes open, some items can make your progress extremely easier and faster!
There are two items in "Spelunky" that are particularly important and at the same time very rare: First the Jetpack and the Ankh. With the Jetpack you can fly in any direction for a short time. The tank fills up every time her feet touch the ground. The Ankh will revive you if you die. Only once, but with all the objects that you carry with you, all your money and four hearts.
Since you rarely see the items mentioned above, we recommend the green climbing gloves (stick to any wall, saves rope) and the cape (lets them glide in the air, prevents fall damage).
The best weapons are boomerang and shotgun. The boomerang always returns to you after a throw, as is the case. The shotgun is the most powerful weapon with which you can quickly kill even large enemies.

Even if you only have 2 minutes and 20 seconds in each section until the ghost appears and chases you through the level: Don't rush! Explore the level and first focus on the items you can get to without too much fuss.
You should always have something with you that you can throw. Whether stone, skull, rat or jug - in the first levels you trigger traps without being damaged yourself. In addition, you can keep enemies away from you or at least stun them for a short time.
Plan your approach in difficult places. Most of the deaths in "Spelunky" are due to carelessness. Watch out for traps. Allow enemies to move. Most importantly, avoid being hit by your own projectiles. You don't believe how quickly your own bombs can fall on your head!

Never underestimate the value of your bombs and ropes and don't waste them on things like rubies or simple treasure chests in the beginning. Your focus should rather be on wooden boxes (useful items!) And the golden keys.
In the caves, you can also use the bombs to trigger arrow traps without arming the bomb. To do this, hold a bomb in your hand (press and hold the button) and stand on the edge of a platform so close that the character begins to stumble. Now the bomb drops you and the trap is released. Make sure you can collect the bomb again afterwards. Incidentally, it also works with stones, skulls, etc.
You can not only shoot ropes above your head, but also place them next to you (useful for deep abysses). All you have to do is duck and press the rope button. The rope is then attached in the direction you are facing.
Bombs are often your last resort. If there are insurmountable opponents or obstacles in front of you, you can simply blast your way to the level exit. Especially in the dark levels (torches are the only source of light) you should prefer to use your bombs instead of dealing with the darkness and the dangers lurking in it.

Retro games are of course also available for Android and iOS. We have put together the best for you.