Everything a Player Needs to Know About Rhythm, Statistics, Items, Passive Effects, Weapons, Abilities, Characters, Rooms, Chests, Altars, Bosses, Modifiers and Progression

BPM: Bullets Per Minute is a rhythm-based first-person shooter and roguelike developed by Awe Interactive. Every run creates a new arrangement of combat rooms, shops, weapons, equipment, abilities, upgrades and bosses. Your objective is to survive the main route, defeat the bosses guarding each zone and eventually defeat Nidhogg.

BPM is not simply a shooter with music playing in the background. The rhythm controls when most combat actions are allowed. Shooting, reloading, cycling certain weapons, dashing and activating abilities normally have to occur on the beat. Movement, aiming and jumping remain mostly unrestricted, allowing you to reposition between timed actions.

This guide separates several systems that are commonly confused:

• An item is something placed in an equipment slot.
• A passive effect works automatically when its trigger occurs.
• An active equipment effect requires the button displayed beneath the item.
• A secondary ability is collected as a scroll.
• An ultimate ability is collected as a book.
• A consumable provides an immediate benefit and does not occupy an equipment slot.
• A stat upgrade increases one of the six main statistics.
• A room effect, altar, trial or modifier changes the rules of the current run.

For example, Mind Flay is not a scroll or book ability. Mind Flay is the named passive effect of Seiðr’s Hat. It activates automatically when valid enemies or hostile objects are near the player.

Some exact percentages, item interactions and hidden calculations have never been officially exposed. Values described as approximate come from community testing and may vary because of difficulty, modifiers, character rules or unusual item combinations.

Reference pages used by the community include the BPM community wiki, particularly its pages for mechanics, items, stats, weapons, abilities, characters, rooms, chests, altars, zones, modifiers and challenges.

1. Preparing the Game Before Your First Run

Run the Rhythm Calibration

Use the game’s rhythm calibration before judging whether the timing feels correct.

Audio devices, Bluetooth headphones, televisions, soundbars and display processing can introduce delay. A timing problem may therefore come from the hardware rather than from your sense of rhythm.

During calibration:

1. Listen to the beat.
2. Press the requested input when the beat occurs.
3. Allow the game to calculate the delay.
4. Test firing and reloading in an early room.
5. Repeat calibration if actions consistently register early or late.

Wired headphones or low-latency speakers are generally easier to calibrate than Bluetooth audio.

Keep the Music Audible

Enemy attacks and player actions are organised around the soundtrack. Lowering the music until it is difficult to hear removes one of the most useful combat indicators.

Sound effects should remain audible, but they should not completely overpower the beat.

Check Every Control

Do not assume that an equipment item uses the same button as an ability.

The important controls are:

• Fire
• Reload or cycle weapon
• Dash
• Jump
• Sprint
• Interact
• Secondary ability
• Ultimate ability
• Headwear activation, when applicable
• Armour activation, when applicable
• Handwear activation, when applicable
• Footwear activation, when applicable
• Weapon switch when Megingjord is equipped

Controls can be remapped. This guide therefore refers to action names instead of assuming a particular keyboard, mouse or controller button.

Auto Rhythm

Auto Rhythm relaxes or removes much of the manual timing requirement.

It is useful for:

• Learning room layouts
• Learning enemy attacks
• Testing unfamiliar weapons
• Playing with unavoidable hardware latency
• Becoming familiar with abilities and equipment

Auto Rhythm limits normal rhythm scoring and locks the score multiplier at ×1. It can therefore make some multiplier-based items much weaker.

2. The Rhythm System

Full Beats

A full beat is one of the main pulses in the music. Slow weapons often fire once per full beat.

Half Beats

A half beat occurs between full beats. Faster weapons may fire or reload on both full beats and half beats.

Quarter Beats

Quarter beats normally remain hidden. Certain equipment, especially Battle Lion Shield and Six-Shooter, allows compatible actions on these additional timing points.

Quarter-beat equipment changes the practical rhythm of the weapon. Test the weapon in a cleared room before relying on the faster timing during a boss fight.

Actions Normally Restricted to the Beat

The following actions normally require correct timing:

• Firing
• Reloading
• Pumping a shotgun
• Cycling a lever or bolt
• Dashing
• Activating a secondary ability
• Activating an ultimate ability

Actions Normally Not Restricted to the Beat

The following actions can generally be performed freely:

• Walking
• Strafing
• Sprinting
• Aiming
• Jumping
• Looking around
• Opening a chest
• Picking up a consumable
• Buying an item
• Interacting with a room object

Jumping is particularly important. A jump warning does not mean that the jump button must be pressed exactly on a beat. It means that you need to be airborne when the attack arrives.

What Counts as a Rhythm Mistake?

A mistake normally occurs when:

• A timed action is attempted too early.
• A timed action is attempted too late.
• More than one incompatible timed action is attempted on the same timing point.
• You take unblocked damage.

A correctly timed shot that misses the enemy is not a rhythm mistake.

Trying to use an ability before its cooldown has completed does not normally count as a mistake if the input itself was correctly timed.

Trying to shoot an empty weapon or reload a full weapon also does not normally create the same penalty as an off-beat action.

One Action Per Timing Point

A common beginner mistake is pressing fire, reload, dash and an ability together.

The game generally accepts only one timed action on a particular timing point. The remaining actions fail or create mistakes.

A controlled sequence is more reliable:

• Full beat: fire
• Half beat: pump
• Full beat: fire
• Half beat: dash
• Full beat: begin reloading
• Half beat: continue reloading

Input Spamming

Repeatedly pressing an action does not make the game more likely to accept it correctly. It increases the chance that an input will land outside the accepted window.

Use deliberate single presses.

3. Reading the Rhythm Bar and Attack Warnings

The centre display serves as both the crosshair and the rhythm indicator.

Ordinary Beat Markers

Large markers indicate full beats.

Smaller markers indicate half beats.

Directional Dodge Warning

A one-sided ornate marker indicates that you should dash in the displayed direction.

Sideways Dodge Warning

A two-sided warning generally indicates that you should dash either left or right.

Jump Warning

An upward warning indicates that you should be in the air when the attack reaches you.

Jumping slightly early is usually safer than attempting to press jump at the exact centre.

Hide or Block Warning

A dotted or enclosing warning generally indicates an attack that should be avoided by:

• Moving behind cover
• Breaking line of sight
• Using Block
• Using Valkyrie’s Veil
• Using another suitable defensive effect

Do not assume that every attack can be avoided with an ordinary sideways dash.

4. Score, Note Streaks and Room-Clear Ratings

Note Streak

Correctly timed actions performed while enemies are present build a note streak.

The standard multiplier progression is:

• 0 to 9 notes: ×1
• 10 to 19 notes: ×2
• 20 to 29 notes: ×3
• 30 or more notes: ×4

Taking damage or mistiming an action resets the active streak.

Why the Multiplier Matters

The multiplier affects score and several pieces of equipment:

• Helm of Rage gains damage from the multiplier.
• Hermóðr the Messenger gains movement speed from the multiplier.
• Skates of Strafe gain movement speed from the multiplier.

A player using these items can become noticeably weaker or slower immediately after making a mistake.

Room-Clear Quality

Room performance is generally rated as:

• Flawless Clear
• Good Clear
• Okay Clear
• Room Cleared

A flawless clear requires avoiding mistakes, including damage.

Flawless clears normally produce a Flawless Chest instead of a Plain Chest. Rare chest replacements may still appear independently.

Preserving the run is more important than preserving a flawless clear. Taking a safe action is better than dying while trying to protect the multiplier.

5. The HUD

Health

Health is your ordinary red life total.

When health reaches zero, the run ends unless a protective effect such as Lion Heart prevents death.

Shield or Armour

The blue defensive resource is commonly described as shield or armour.

It normally absorbs damage before health.

Some characters use protection differently:

• Freyr begins with armour and no ordinary health.
• Odr and Sanngriðr die from any unblocked damage.
• Herfjötur uses coins instead of health.
• Skuld constantly loses health and restores it by attacking.

Ammunition

The ammunition display shows:

• Current rounds
• Maximum magazine size
• Whether a reload is needed
• Whether certain effects are ready

Fluffy changes the ammunition display when its empowered next shot is prepared.

Secondary and Ultimate Ability Icons

These icons indicate:

• Which abilities are equipped
• Whether they are ready
• Their cooldown progress
• Their assigned controls

Cooldowns are not always time-based. Some require room clears or kills.

Equipment Slots

The four ordinary equipment slots are:

• Headwear
• Armour
• Handwear
• Footwear

An active equipment item displays a control beneath its slot.

Adventurer’s Fedora can rotate these items and the ability icons, changing their positions and activation controls.

Statistics

The six main statistics are:

• Ability
• Damage
• Luck
• Precision
• Range
• Speed

Map

The map shows visited and revealed rooms.

Dwarven Braclet reveals the complete floor layout immediately.

6. Understanding Effect Triggers

Constant Passive

Works continuously while equipped.

Examples:

• Face of Death
• Odin’s Sneakers
• Loki’s Shield
• Raven God

On-Hit Passive

Activates when your attack damages an enemy.

Examples:

• Ymir’s Crown
• Mani
• Asp’s Whisper
• Njord’s Greaves

Critical-Hit Passive

Activates only after striking a recognised weak point.

Examples:

• Berserker’s Arm
• Spurs of Justice
• Helm of Precision

On-Kill Passive

Activates when an enemy dies.

Example:

• Helm-Heim

Damage-Taken Passive

Activates after you take damage.

Examples:

• Hat of Madness
• Equity

Fatal-Damage Passive

Activates when an attack would otherwise kill you.

Example:

• Lion Heart

Reload Passive

Activates after performing a reload.

Example:

• Fluffy

Room-Entry Passive

Activates when combat begins in a room.

Example:

• Rhythmic Chaos Boots

Room-Clear Passive

Charges or recharges after clearing rooms.

Examples:

• The Secret Chord
• Room-based abilities
• Masquerade

Floor-Entry Passive

Activates when you enter a new floor.

Examples:

• Short Horned
• Midgard Bracelet
• Loki’s Bargain

Movement Passive

Responds to movement, sprinting, jumping or landing.

Examples:

• Poison Boots
• Aslög’s Clogs
• Boots of Rock
• Spacewalker

Proximity Passive

Works when valid enemies or hostile objects are close enough.

Example:

• Mind Flay from Seiðr’s Hat

Active Equipment

Requires the control displayed beneath the equipment slot.

Examples:

• Adventurer’s Fedora
• Masquerade
• Angelic Boots
• Megingjord

An active item made permanent through a Prestige altar can no longer be manually activated.

7. Complete Stat Guide

Ability

Ability improves compatible secondary and ultimate abilities.

It does not provide one universal bonus. Depending on the ability, it may increase:

• Projectile count
• Explosion count
• Duration
• Healing
• Coins created
• Chest quality
• Damage
• Defensive duration

Examples:

• Rhythm Burst fires Ability plus two projectiles.
• Njord’s Riches creates three coins plus one for each Ability point.
• Celestial Drumroll creates more explosions.
• Sigyn’s Help can produce better chests.
• Block may last longer at particular thresholds.

Trigger: Ability contributes when a compatible ability is activated.

Priority: Take Ability when your equipped abilities have useful scaling. It may do very little for a build whose abilities do not scale meaningfully.

Damage

Damage increases ordinary weapon damage and compatible attacks using the Damage modifier.

Each Damage increase adds approximately 13.636 percent of base weapon damage.

Approximate calculation:

Final damage = Base damage × [1 + (0.1363 × Damage increases)]

Equipment multipliers and critical-hit multipliers are applied separately.

Trigger: Automatically applied when a compatible attack deals damage.

Priority: Damage is the most dependable general stat.

Luck

Luck improves compatible random reward calculations.

It can influence:

• Enemy resource drops
• Chests
• Slot machines
• Certain shrines
• Random reward quality

Luck does not directly increase combat damage.

Trigger: Checked automatically when a compatible random reward is created.

Priority: Luck is strongest early in the run.

Precision

Precision increases critical-hit damage.

It does not simply reduce weapon spread or make ordinary shots more accurate.

Trigger: Applied when a recognised enemy weak point is hit.

Priority: Most valuable with accurate weapons, Deadeye Lens and critical-trigger equipment.

Range

Range increases effective weapon distance and the distance at which natural auto-aim can connect.

Trigger: Constantly active while aiming and firing.

Priority: Particularly useful with pistols, shotguns and short-range automatic weapons.

Speed

Speed increases movement speed.

Trigger: Constantly active while moving.

Priority: Helps with strafing, traversal, reaching cover and accessing secrets. Excessive Speed can be difficult to control.

Maximum Health

Heart Containers add 25 maximum health up to the normal cap of 400.

A Heart Container does not fill the newly created health.

Shield

Shield is normally lost before health.

A Shield consumable grants 25 shield.

Clip Size

Clip Up adds one round to the run-wide magazine bonus.

The bonus transfers when the current weapon is replaced.

There is no small ordinary cap comparable to the six displayed stats.

8. Resource Guide

Coins

Coins are used for:

• Huginn’s Shop
• Muninn’s Armoury
• Blessing altars
• Angel Altars
• Slot Machines
• Reroll Rooms
• Prestige Altars
• Tribute Altars
• Banking
• The Dish
• Certain abilities

Keys

Keys open:

• Treasure Rooms
• Libraries
• Locked chests
• The Asgard Crypt entrance
• Other key-based objects

Keys are also offered to Devil Altars.

Skeleton Key

Skeleton Key provides unlimited key use for the rest of the run.

It also permits repeated Devil Altar offerings.

Bank

Bank deposits persist across runs, characters and difficulties.

You can normally deposit up to 10 coins per floor. Withdrawals are not restricted by the same floor limit.

A balance of at least 100 coins opens access to a Bank Chest.

Dish

The Dish appears in Helheim II.

Deposited coins persist across runs.

Reaching 100 deposited coins:

• Contributes to unlocking Herfjötur
• Causes Giant Slayer Boots to appear in Helheim II on qualifying runs

9. Complete Headwear Guide

Circlet of the Serpentine

Named passive: Vamp Health on Damage
Trigger: Deal damage to an enemy
Effect: Restores approximately one to three health per damaging hit.

Gunnr’s Bracer increases compatible healing.

Do not use it casually with Skuld. It overrides Skuld’s stronger natural on-hit healing.

It does not provide ordinary healing to Odr or Herfjötur.

Ymir’s Crown

Named passive: Echoes Your Attacks
Trigger: Hit an enemy
Effect: Fires an additional projectile at that enemy.

The exact damage of the echoed projectile is not fully documented.

Helm of Rage

Named passive: Increased Damage with Perfect Rhythm
Trigger: Current score multiplier
Effect: Increases damage as the multiplier rises, reaching approximately double damage at ×4.

The bonus falls when the multiplier is lost.

Deadeye Lens

Named passive: Autoaim
Trigger: Always active while aiming
Effect: Greatly increases natural auto-aim and enlarges the targeting area.

Useful for precise weapons and critical-hit builds.

Helm of Precision

Named passive: Critical Multiplier
Trigger: Hit a critical weak point
Effect: Increases critical-hit damage.

It provides no special bonus to ordinary body shots.

Hat of Madness

Named passive: Timed Explosives
Trigger: An enemy damages you
Effect: The attacker explodes approximately one beat later.

The explosion can still occur at the enemy’s body if it dies during the delay.

Hermóðr the Messenger

Named passive: Speed Multiplier
Trigger: Current score multiplier
Effect: Increases movement speed as the multiplier rises.

Be prepared for abrupt speed changes after a mistake.

Horned Shot

Named passive: Explosive Shots
Trigger: A compatible shot impacts
Effect: Creates a small explosion dealing approximately 50 additional damage.

Useful against grouped enemies.

Equity

Named passive: Reflect Damage
Trigger: Take damage from an enemy
Effect: Reflects the received amount to the attacker.

Enemy health pools are usually much larger than the player’s, so reflected damage is not equivalent to instant retaliation.

Adventurer’s Fedora

Named effect: Rotate Ability Slots
Type: Active equipment
Trigger: Press the control displayed beneath the Fedora’s current slot
Effect: Rotates equipment and abilities clockwise, including the Fedora itself.

How to use Adventurer’s Fedora

1. Equip the Fedora.
2. Enter a cleared room.
3. Press its displayed activation control.
4. Watch every equipment item and ability move.
5. Find the Fedora in its new position.
6. Check its new activation control.
7. Continue rotating until the original category slot you need is free.
8. Pick up another item from that category.

Why it is powerful

The Fedora allows equipment to occupy slots it could not normally use. This allows multiple items from the same category to be carried.

For example, an armour item can be rotated away from the armour position, allowing a second armour item to be collected.

Important Fedora warnings

• It rotates secondary and ultimate abilities as well as equipment.
• The Fedora’s own activation button changes when it moves.
• Always inspect the HUD after each rotation.
• Test every ability and active item before entering combat.
• The Fedora is not a permanent fifth slot.
• Do not prestige the Fedora while you still need its rotation effect.

The Secret Chord

Named passive: Opening Mega Shot
Trigger: Clear a room
Effect: Charges an empowered next shot with additional area damage.

Do not waste the charged shot in an empty room.

Seiðr’s Hat

Named passive: Mind Flay
Trigger: Valid enemies or hostile objects are within range
Effect: Automatically sends damaging circles outward around the player.

Mind Flay can:

• Damage nearby enemies
• Kill weak melee attackers
• Destroy certain flying Dragon Head projectiles
• Destroy Explosive modifier skulls

Mind Flay has no ability button, book, scroll or conventional cooldown. Equip Seiðr’s Hat and move near valid targets.

Ogre’s Helm

Named passive: Spread Shot
Trigger: Fire a compatible weapon
Effect: Splits projectile attacks into multiple projectiles and changes hitscan attacks into shotgun-like spreads.

Projectile attacks may divide into approximately six projectiles.

Possible disadvantages include:

• Reduced individual projectile damage
• Reduced bullet range
• Reduced precision

It has an extremely strong interaction with Giant Slayer Boots because every pellet or projectile can trigger the percentage-health bonus.

Fluffy

Named passive: Reload Empowers Next Shot
Trigger: Perform a reload
Effect: Strengthens the next shot.

The ammunition display changes when the empowered shot is ready.

The weapon does not always need to be empty before reloading, and the magazine does not always need to be filled completely.

Helm-Heim

Named passive: Enemies Fragment on Death
Trigger: An enemy dies
Effect: Releases approximately 16 horizontal projectiles around the body.

Kill enemies near one another to create chain damage.

Mani

Named passive: Chance to Freeze Enemy on Hit
Trigger: Damage an enemy
Effect: Has a chance to freeze the target briefly.

Rapid-fire and multi-hit weapons provide more chances to trigger the freeze.

Short Horned

Named passive: Luck Up on Floor Completion
Trigger: Enter a new floor while wearing it
Effect: Permanently adds one Luck for the current run.

The gained Luck remains after replacing the item.

10. Complete Armour Guide

Storm

Named passive: Cleaving
Trigger: Hit an enemy
Effect: Damages nearby enemies and can penetrate shields.

Strong against groups and with rapid-fire weapons.

Berserker’s Arm

Named passive: Critical
Trigger: Hit a normal enemy’s critical weak point
Effect: Instantly kills the enemy.

It does not normally instantly kill bosses.

Lion Heart

Named passive: One More Life
Trigger: Receive otherwise fatal damage
Effect: Prevents death once, restores approximately 50 health and is consumed.

Gunnr’s Bracer improves compatible restoration.

It can provide Odr or Sanngriðr with one additional survivable hit.

Dragon’s Skin

Named passive: Shield Regeneration
Trigger: Shield falls below 25
Effect: Provides a regenerating 25-point shield.

It regenerates gradually after damage.

The shield can absorb many ordinary costs that would otherwise remove health, including compatible Damocles interactions.

It does not function normally for Odr, Sanngriðr or Herfjötur.

Richeous Sun

The in-game name is spelled “Richeous Sun.”

Named passive: Solar Flares
Trigger: Fire a compatible weapon
Effect: Adds four spreading fire projectiles.

The additional projectiles:

• Ignite enemies
• Penetrate shields
• Increase the number of possible hits

Face of Death

Named passive: Double Damage
Trigger: Always active
Effect: Doubles outgoing player damage.

This is one of the strongest universal offensive items.

The Best Defense

Named passive: Infinite Ammo
Trigger: Always active with compatible weapons
Effect: Removes the ordinary need to reload by providing an effectively infinite magazine.

It does not remove the Raygun’s energy and overheating mechanics.

Battle Lion Shield

Named passive: Cooldown Reduction
Trigger: Always active
Effect:

• Reduces compatible ability cooldowns by approximately half
• Allows compatible firing on quarter beats
• Allows compatible reloading on quarter beats

The item can double the practical action frequency of some weapons.

Skjaldmeyjar’s Plate

Named passive: Armour
Trigger: Receive compatible damage
Effect: Reduces each damage instance by approximately 10.

It is most effective against frequent low-damage hits.

It does not reduce Herfjötur’s coin loss.

Springhel

Named passive: Jump Up
Trigger: Jump
Effect: Greatly increases jump height.

Useful for combat, secrets and traversal.

Svalinn

Named passive: Generate Shield When Still
Trigger: Remain completely still
Effect: Rapidly generates or restores up to 25 shield.

Moving interrupts regeneration.

It does not function normally for Odr, Sanngriðr or Herfjötur.

Cursed Iron

Named passive: Damage Up, Health Turns to Steel
Trigger: Equip the item
Effect:

• Adds a large flat damage bonus
• Reduces incoming damage slightly
• Gradually converts maximum health into shield

Community testing commonly describes the bonuses as approximately 50 damage and five damage reduction.

For Skuld, the conversion can stop ordinary health degeneration, but it also disables her normal healing-on-hit behaviour.

Triquetra

Named passive: Fortify Magic Ability
Trigger: Activate a compatible ability
Effect: Improves the ability according to its own rules.

Documented examples include:

• Hermóðr’s Enchantment lasts longer.
• Celestial Wave deals more damage.
• Steal Life restores more health.
• Block remains active longer.
• Barter reduces prices further.
• Geri’s Audit receives little or no benefit.

Gungnir’s Partner

Named passive: Range Increase
Trigger: Fire a weapon
Effect: Approximately doubles effective weapon range.

Masquerade

Named effect: Cast Ultimate
Type: Active equipment
Trigger: Press the armour activation control
Effect: Casts the currently equipped ultimate ability.

Masquerade has its own cooldown of approximately one cleared room.

It can therefore provide an additional ultimate activation independently of the ultimate’s ordinary cooldown.

Loki’s Shield

Named passive: Slow Enemy Projectiles
Trigger: Hostile projectiles are created
Effect: Slightly reduces their movement speed.

This provides more reaction time during dense patterns.

11. Complete Handwear Guide

Powershot Glove

Named passive: Shots Penetrate Walls and Enemies
Trigger: Fire a compatible hitscan weapon
Effect: Allows attacks to penetrate:

• Enemies
• Shields
• Walls

Projectile weapons still normally explode on impact.

Spacewalker

Named passive: Take to Flight
Trigger: Press jump while airborne
Effect: Allows unlimited additional jumps.

Repeated jump inputs provide controlled flight.

Midgard Bracelet

Named passive: Pure Goodness
Immediate trigger: Equip the item
Floor trigger: Enter a new floor while wearing it
Effect:

• Temporarily adds one to every stat while worn
• Temporarily adds maximum health
• Permanently adds one to every stat after each qualifying floor transition

The permanent floor gains remain after replacing the Bracelet.

Its temporary health interaction can behave inconsistently.

Gunnr’s Bracer

Named passive: Increases Healing Effects
Trigger: Receive compatible healing
Effect: Doubles most healing.

Compatible sources include:

• Healing potions
• Odin’s Blessing
• Elli’s Touch
• Steal Life
• Circlet of the Serpentine
• Lion Heart
• Skuld’s natural healing

It does not provide ordinary healing to characters that cannot receive health.

Sigrdrifa’s Bracer

Named passive: Penetrating Shots
Trigger: Fire
Effect: Allows shots to pierce enemies and shields.

Quaternote

The in-game name is spelled “Quaternote.”

Named passive: Double Shots
Trigger: Fire a compatible weapon
Effect: Fires twice for each attack input and consumes twice the ammunition.

Documented incompatibilities include:

• Minigun
• Energy Cannon
• Charge Pistol

The Best Defense removes the ordinary ammunition disadvantage for compatible weapons.

Golden Bracelet

Named passive: Find More Gold
Drop trigger: Enemy reward calculations
Attack trigger: Fire a weapon
Effect:

• Increases enemy coin drops
• Allows attacks to penetrate enemies and shields

Asp’s Whisper

Named passive: Shots Slow Enemies
Trigger: Damage an enemy
Effect: Slows the target.

Useful against fast enemies and bosses that can be affected by slowing.

Go Faster Glove

Named passive: Speed Up
Trigger: Move
Effect: Greatly increases movement speed.

It does not stack normally with Odin’s Sneakers.

Memento Mori

Named passive: Cleaving
Trigger: Hit an enemy
Effect: Damages nearby enemies.

Both the original attack and the cleaving effect can penetrate shields.

Loki’s Bargain

Named passive: Sacrifice Slot for Stats
Immediate trigger: Equip the item
Floor trigger: Enter a new floor while wearing it
Effect:

• Adds one to every stat while worn
• Permanently adds one to every stat after a qualifying floor transition

Dwarven Braclet

The in-game name is spelled “Braclet.”

Named passive: Reveal Map
Trigger: Equip the item
Effect: Reveals every room on the current minimap.

Dwarven Ring

Named passive: Transforms Projectiles
Trigger: Fire a compatible weapon
Effect: Converts attacks into powerful explosive fireballs.

The fireballs:

• Follow an arc
• Can home after target lock
• Produce explosions
• Can create rocket jumps

Raven God

Named passive: Super Range
Trigger: Fire
Effect: Gives weapons nearly unlimited effective range.

Six-Shooter

Named passive: Double-Time Reload
Trigger: Reload
Effect: Allows reload inputs on quarter beats.

Practise the faster reload rhythm in a safe room.

Megingjord

Named effect: Carry Two Weapons
Type: Active equipment
Collection trigger: Pick up a second weapon while equipped
Active trigger: Press the weapon-switch control
Effect: Stores and switches between two weapons.

Njord cannot use it because Njord cannot replace Hands.

Do not prestige Megingjord. Prestiging removes its switch activation and can leave one weapon inaccessible.

12. Complete Footwear Guide

Rhythmic Chaos Boots

Named passive: Strike to the Beat
Trigger: Enter a combat room
Effect: Damages nearby enemies on each beat for approximately four beats.

After the opening sequence, the effect periodically attacks an enemy until it dies before changing targets. Some details of the continuing targeting behaviour remain uncertain.

Enemy shields can block the effect.

Tampling Boots

The documented in-game name is “Tampling Boots.”

Named passive: Finishes Off Low-Health Opponents
Trigger: An enemy falls below the execution threshold
Effect: Automatically kills the enemy.

The precise threshold is not publicly documented.

Poison Boots

Named passive: Lay Creep
Trigger: Move
Effect: Leaves a poisonous trail that damages enemies touching or hovering above it.

Circle enemies and guide them through the trail.

Tumbler’s Boots

Named passive: Tumble When Firing
Trigger: Successfully hit an enemy
Effect: Automatically performs a small movement or dash.

Rapid-fire weapons can produce nearly constant movement.

Giant Slayer Boots

Named passive: Deals Percentage Damage
Trigger: Every individual hit
Effect: Adds damage equal to approximately three percent of the enemy’s current health.

The bonus is calculated separately for each pellet or projectile.

It is strongest:

• Early in boss fights
• With shotguns
• With Ogre’s Helm
• With Quaternote
• With rapid-fire weapons
• With other multi-projectile effects

The Boots appear in Helheim II after 100 total coins have been deposited into the Dish.

Skates of Strafe

Named passive: Speed Multiplier
Trigger: Current score multiplier
Effect: Increases movement speed as the multiplier rises.

At a high multiplier, movement can become extremely fast.

Boots of Rock

Named passive: Explode on Landing
Trigger: Land after being airborne
Effect: Creates an explosion around the landing point.

Repeated jumps can trigger the effect frequently.

Angelic Boots

Named effect: Activate Jump
Passive trigger: Press jump while airborne
Passive effect: Allows a triple jump
Active trigger: Press the footwear activation control
Active effect: Performs a powerful super jump.

Odin’s Sneakers

Named passive: Speed Up
Trigger: Move
Effect: Increases movement speed.

It does not stack normally with Go Faster Glove.

Spurs of Justice

Named passive: Critical Hits Deal Damage Over Time
Trigger: Hit a critical weak point
Effect: Applies continuing damage.

Seiðr’s Blessing

Named passive: Enemies Die Over Time
Trigger: Enemies are alive in the room
Effect: Automatically damages enemies one after another.

You can continue attacking normally while the passive works.

Hermod’s Greaves

Named passive: Speed and Range Up
Trigger: Always active
Effect: Increases Speed and Range.

The exact amounts are not fully documented.

Aslög’s Clogs

Named passive: Sprinting Explodes
Trigger: Sprint or move above the required speed
Effect: Leaves small bombs behind the player.

High-Speed builds can trigger the effect during very fast ordinary movement.

Njord’s Greaves

Named passive: Enemies Drop Coins
Trigger: Hit an enemy with a weapon
Effect: Has a chance to make the target drop one coin.

Rapid and multi-hit weapons provide more triggering opportunities.

13. Complete Consumable Guide

Coin

Collect to add one coin.

Coin Bag

Collect to receive approximately three to five coins.

Key

Collect to add one key.

A key is consumed when an ordinary locked object is opened.

Skeleton Key

Collect to gain unlimited key use for the remainder of the run.

Clip Up

Collect to add one round to the run-wide magazine bonus.

Small Healing Potion

Interact to restore 25 health.

It does not provide ordinary healing to Odr, Sanngriðr or Herfjötur.

Large Healing Potion

Interact to restore 50 health.

It does not provide ordinary healing to Odr, Sanngriðr or Herfjötur.

Heart Container

Collect to add 25 maximum health.

It does not fill the added health.

It does not benefit Odr, Sanngriðr or Herfjötur normally.

Shield

Collect to add 25 shield.

It does not function normally for Odr, Sanngriðr or Herfjötur.

Lucky Dice

Collect to add four Luck.

The Lucky Dice has a rough appearance and lies relatively flat.

Shield Converter

Interact while carrying shield.

It converts shield into both maximum and current health up to the 400-health cap.

Excess shield remains after the cap is reached.

Speed Up

Collect to add one Speed.

Ability Up

Collect to add one Ability.

Range Up

Collect to add one Range.

Damage Up

Collect to add one Damage.

Precision Up

Collect to add one Precision.

The Precision Up object resembles a smooth, angled white die.

Luck Up

Collect to add one Luck.

Explosive Skull

Appears from enemies on Explosive floors.

Touch it to create an explosion that damages nearby enemies without damaging the player.

Geri’s Audit can convert it into coins.

14. Weapon Mechanics

Hitscan

A hitscan attack applies immediately when fired.

Projectile

A projectile travels through the room and may require leading the target.

Explosive Projectile

An explosive projectile damages an area when it detonates.

Shotgun

Shotgun damage is divided across several pellets.

The listed maximum assumes enough pellets connect at an effective distance.

Standard Reload

Requires a fixed sequence of timed reload inputs.

Hand Reload

Requires:

1. One reload input to begin
2. One additional input for every missing round

A six-round weapon reloaded from empty therefore needs seven inputs.

You may stop after loading one or two rounds.

Pump or Cycle

Requires a separate action after firing before the next shot becomes available.

Delayed Weapon

Fires after the original input rather than immediately.

Aim where the target will be when the attack appears.

Rocket Jumping

Explosive weapons can push the player.

Jump, aim toward a nearby surface and fire to create movement.

The amount of movement depends on the weapon, angle, gravity and modifiers.

15. Complete Weapon Guide

Pistol

• Magazine: 8
• Fire rate: One shot per half beat
• Reload: Two half beats
• Damage: Approximately 50
• Type: Hitscan
• Weakness: Short range

Use deliberate half-beat shots. Range upgrades noticeably improve it.

Shotgun Pistol

• Magazine: 4
• Fire rate: One shot per half beat
• Reload: Three half beats
• Damage: Approximately 160 close, much less at range
• Type: Hitscan shotgun

Fight close enough for several pellets to connect.

It is especially useful for Skuld because individual pellets can trigger healing.

Revolver

• Magazine: 6
• Fire rate: One shot per half beat
• Reload: Hand loaded
• Damage: Approximately 100
• Type: Hitscan

Use partial reloads rather than waiting until completely empty.

Haunted Revolver

• Magazine: 4
• Fire rate: One shot per half beat
• Reload: Three half beats
• Damage: Approximately 250 close
• Type: Explosive hitscan

Aim at grouped enemies.

Burst SMG

• Magazine: 21
• Fire rate: One three-shot burst per half beat
• Reload: Two half beats
• Damage: Approximately 50 per bullet
• Type: Hitscan burst

Every bullet consumes ammunition.

Quaternote can turn each attack into a six-shot burst.

Pump Shotgun

• Magazine: 6
• Fire rate: One shot per full beat
• Reload: Three half beats
• Damage: Approximately 240 close
• Type: Hitscan shotgun
• Mechanic: Pump action

Typical pattern:

• Full beat: fire
• Half beat: pump
• Full beat: fire

Sawn-Off Shotgun

• Magazine: 2
• Fire rate: One shot per half beat
• Reload: Approximately two functional half beats
• Damage: Approximately 288 close
• Type: Hitscan shotgun

Use both rounds at close range and begin reloading immediately.

Lever Action

• Magazine: 6
• Fire rate: One shot per full beat
• Reload: Hand loaded
• Damage: Approximately 135
• Type: Hitscan
• Mechanic: Cycle after firing

It requires both cycling and individual round loading.

Grenade Launcher

• Magazine: 6
• Fire rate: One shot per full beat
• Reload: Three half beats
• Damage: Approximately 250
• Type: Arcing explosive projectile

Grenades detonate automatically after a short delay.

Lead targets and aim near groups.

Rocket Launcher

• Magazine: 6
• Fire rate: One shot per full beat
• Reload: Hand loaded
• Damage: Approximately 300
• Type: Explosive projectile

Rockets can home after target lock.

The weapon provides a moderate rocket jump.

Gauss Cannon

• Magazine: 3
• Fire rate: One shot per full beat
• Reload: Three half beats
• Damage: Approximately 450
• Type: Hitscan

Shots penetrate walls and shields.

Ogre’s Helm does not affect it normally.

Energy Cannon

• Magazine: 1
• Fire rate: One attack per full beat
• Reload: Hand loaded
• Damage: Approximately 2,000
• Type: Delayed explosive hitscan

The attack has a firing delay and a delayed explosion.

It provides a powerful rocket jump.

Quaternote does not affect it normally.

Minigun

• Magazine: 30
• Reload: Three half beats
• Damage: Approximately 50 per bullet
• Type: Hitscan automatic

The weapon begins slowly and increases its firing rate while firing continues.

Avoid interrupting the stream after it reaches full speed.

Quaternote does not affect it normally.

Raygun

• Ammunition: Regenerating energy
• Fire rate: One shot per half beat
• Damage: Approximately 350
• Type: Projectile

Each shot consumes energy.

Energy regenerates while not firing.

Repeated uninterrupted firing causes overheating.

The Best Defense does not remove this energy system.

Charge Pistol

• Magazine: Infinite
• Fire rate: One shot per full beat
• Damage: Approximately 350
• Type: Delayed explosive projectile

The attack appears after a delay.

Lead moving targets.

Quaternote does not affect it normally.

Fireball Launcher

• Magazine: Infinite
• Fire rate: One shot per full beat
• Damage: Approximately 200
• Type: Arcing explosive projectile

Fireballs travel slowly and do not ordinarily home.

The weapon produces very strong recoil and rocket-jump movement.

Hands

• Character: Njord only
• Magazine: Infinite
• Fire rate: One projectile per half beat
• Damage: Approximately 50
• Type: Projectile

Hands cannot be replaced.

Giant Slayer Boots do not work with Hands normally.

Bolt-Action Rifle

• Magazine: 4
• Fire rate: One shot per full beat
• Reload: Three half beats
• Damage: Approximately 150
• Type: Hitscan
• Mechanic: Cycle the bolt

Use the half beat after firing to cycle the weapon.

Garand

• Magazine: 3
• Fire rate: One shot per half beat
• Reload: One half beat
• Damage: Approximately 90
• Type: Hitscan

Its extremely short reload supports an aggressive three-shot pattern.

Double-Tap

• Magazine: 6
• Fire rate: One two-shot burst per full beat
• Reload: Two half beats
• Damage: Approximately 240 per shot
• Type: Shotgun
• Mechanic: Pump after each burst

Each burst consumes two rounds.

Quaternote can create a four-shot burst.

Golden Pistol

• Magazine: 4
• Fire rate: One shot per half beat
• Reload: Two half beats
• Damage: Approximately 300
• Type: Hitscan
• Weakness: Short range

It is much more powerful than the ordinary Pistol but retains limited effective distance.

16. Ability Cooldown Types

Beat Cooldown

Recharges after a number of musical beats.

Room Cooldown

Recharges after qualifying rooms are cleared.

Kill Cooldown

Recharges after enough enemies are killed.

Resource Cost

Consumes health, coins or another resource instead of using an ordinary cooldown.

17. Complete Ultimate Ability Guide

Elli’s Touch

• Cooldown: 64 beats
• Activation: Press the ultimate control
• Effect: Restores 25 health

Use while injured.

It does not provide ordinary healing to Odr, Sanngriðr or Herfjötur.

Jarnbjorn

• Cooldown: 1 room
• Activation: Aim and activate
• Effect: Launches a heavy explosive orb in an arc

Aim above distant targets.

The Quest

• Cooldown: 12 rooms
• Activation: Activate when ready
• Effect:
  • Permanently adds one to every stat
  • Temporarily increases Speed
  • Provides temporary health regeneration until the next floor

Use it early enough to benefit from the temporary effects.

Odin’s Blessing

• Cooldown: 1 room
• Activation: Activate while injured
• Effect: Restores approximately 51 health over time

The healing is gradual, not instant.

Celestial Drumroll

• Cooldown: 3 rooms
• Activation: Use while enemies are present
• Effect: Creates repeated targeted explosions

Ability increases the explosion count.

Barter

• Cooldown: 4 rooms
• Activation: Use inside Huginn’s Shop
• Effect: Reduces that shop’s prices, normally by half

It does nothing useful outside the shop.

It does not ordinarily discount Muninn’s weapons or the Prestige altar.

Repeated uses can reduce the same shop’s prices further.

Cursed Luck

• Cooldown: None
• Activation: Press the ultimate control
• Cost: 25 health
• Effect: Permanently adds one Luck

Check health and protection before each use.

Hermóðr’s Enchantment

• Cooldown: 1 beat
• Activation: Press the ultimate control
• Effect: Greatly increases Speed for approximately eight beats

Triquetra increases the duration.

Njord’s Riches

• Cooldown: 2 rooms
• Activation: Use on a wide, level surface
• Effect: Creates three coins plus one for each Ability point

Coins can move into inaccessible locations.

Valkyrie’s Call

• Cooldown: 20 kills
• Activation: Use during combat
• Effect: Summons a floating helper that attacks until the room is clear

Use early in a difficult encounter.

Mjolnir

• Cooldown: 1 room
• Activation: Aim and activate
• Effect: Fires a powerful spread of projectiles for approximately one beat

Use close enough for several projectiles to connect.

Freyr’s Blessing

• Cooldown: 5 rooms
• Activation: Press the ultimate control
• Effect: Grants 25 shield

It does not function normally for Odr, Sanngriðr or Herfjötur.

Sigyn’s Help

• Cooldown: 16 kills
• Activation: Use in an open area
• Effect: Creates a random chest

Ability can improve chest quality.

Banking

• Cooldown: 1 half beat
• Activation: Press the ultimate control
• Effect: Withdraws one coin from the persistent Bank balance

Each use removes one saved coin.

Geri’s Audit

• Cooldown: 2 rooms
• Activation: Use while convertible objects are present
• Effect: Converts compatible objects into coins

It can convert:

• Unpurchased shop items
• Damocles rewards
• Explosive Skulls
• Certain room objects

Collect anything important before using it.

18. Complete Secondary Ability Guide

Fire Bolt

• Cooldown: 4 beats
• Activation: Aim and activate
• Effect: Ignites the target and causes continuing damage

It penetrates shields.

Mortal Curse

• Cooldown: 4 beats
• Activation: Aim and activate
• Effect: Marks the target for continuing damage until death

Multiple curses can stack on one target.

Cursing another enemy does not remove earlier curses.

Broken Burst

• Cooldown: 1 beat
• Activation: Aim and activate
• Effect: Fires approximately 10 widely spread projectiles

Use close to large targets.

Valkyrie’s Veil

• Cooldown: 10 kills
• Activation: Use before damage arrives
• Effect: Absorbs one source of damage

It can block:

• Enemy attacks
• Lava
• Fall damage
• Pain barriers
• Damocles costs

It does not stack and disappears on entering a new floor.

Celestial Wave

• Cooldown: 8 beats
• Activation: Face valid enemies and activate
• Effect: Damages enemies visible on the screen

It does not interact normally with Ymir’s Crown.

Thunderclap

• Cooldown: 2 beats
• Activation: Use near enemies
• Effect: Creates an explosion centred on the player

Frost Bolt

• Cooldown: 4 beats
• Activation: Aim and activate
• Effect: Freezes the target briefly

Use the frozen period to reload, reposition or target a weak point.

Block

• Cooldown: 4 beats
• Activation: Use immediately before damage arrives
• Effect: Blocks all incoming damage for a short duration

It can block:

• Enemy attacks
• Lava
• Fall damage
• Pain barriers
• Damocles costs

Ability and Triquetra can increase the duration.

Steal Life

• Cooldown: 2 beats
• Activation: Aim at an enemy and activate
• Effect: Restores a small amount of health while dealing little enemy damage

Gunnr’s Bracer and Triquetra improve the healing.

Teleport

• Cooldown: 1 beat
• Activation: Aim at a destination and activate
• Effect: Moves the player to the targeted point

Crossing a damaging barrier along the teleport path can still cause damage.

Sacred Sapper

• Cooldown: 1 beat
• Activation: Press the secondary control
• Effect: Places an explosive barrel

Up to approximately 10 barrels can exist.

Shoot a barrel to detonate it.

Some penetrating attacks may pass through without triggering the explosion.

Undying Strength

• Cooldown: 16 beats
• Activation: Use before receiving fatal damage
• Effect: Prevents death for approximately six beats and leaves the player at one health

It does not protect Odr, Sanngriðr or Herfjötur normally.

It may not prevent certain Cursed Luck deaths.

Rhythm Burst

• Cooldown: 4 beats
• Activation: Aim and activate
• Effect: Fires Ability plus two burning projectiles over a short sequence

Keep aiming after activation because the projectiles do not all appear instantly.

The burning damage can stack and penetrates shields.

Snipe

• Cooldown: 8 beats
• Activation: Aim and activate
• Effect: Fires a fast projectile dealing approximately 750 damage

It can push enemies and create a small rocket jump.

Ogre’s Helm and Deadeye Lens do not affect it normally.

Burning Coin

• Cooldown: 1 beat
• Activation: Aim and activate
• Cost: One carried coin
• Effect: Fires a projectile dealing approximately 1,000 damage and applying burning damage

Never use it carelessly when Herfjötur has only one coin.

19. Complete Character Guide

Göll

Starting loadout:

• 100 health
• Pistol
• Jarnbjorn
• Fire Bolt

Göll has no unusual passive rule and is the most direct character for learning the game.

Freyr

Starting loadout:

• 0 ordinary health
• 150 armour
• Revolver
• Freyr’s Blessing
• Block

Heart Containers can create ordinary maximum health later.

Hildr

Starting loadout:

• 50 health
• 25 armour
• Shotgun Pistol
• Hermóðr’s Enchantment
• Fire Bolt
• One key
• Five Speed

Her Speed is immediately active.

Fight close enough for the Shotgun Pistol to remain effective.

Njord

Starting loadout:

• 50 health
• Hands
• Odin’s Blessing
• Valkyrie’s Veil
• Seven coins

Njord cannot replace Hands.

Clip Up does not appear normally for him, and related armoury positions are adjusted.

Prioritise Damage, Ability and projectile-enhancing effects.

Odr

Starting loadout:

• Sawn-Off Shotgun
• Barter
• Teleport
• One Luck
• One-hit-death rule

Flight

Press jump repeatedly while airborne to gain height.

Hold jump to glide.

Survival

Any unblocked damage kills Odr.

Useful protections include:

• Block
• Valkyrie’s Veil
• Lion Heart
• Careful Teleport use

Skuld

Starting loadout:

• 150 health
• Garand
• Sigyn’s Help
• Mortal Curse

Fading

Skuld continuously loses health.

Healing

Skuld restores health whenever her weapon hits an enemy.

Each shotgun pellet can trigger healing separately.

Floor Transition

Skuld receives healing when entering a new stage.

Important warning

Circlet of the Serpentine replaces her stronger natural healing and is usually a harmful pickup for her.

Shield interactions can also change how her health degeneration behaves.

Geri

Starting loadout:

• 25 health
• Pistol
• Banking
• Burning Coin
• Three coins

Geri has a lower camera position but ordinary jumping capability.

Banks are heavily associated with Geri’s route and economy.

Herfjötur

Starting loadout:

• Bolt-Action Rifle
• Geri’s Audit
• Snipe
• Three coins
• Coins used as health

Taking damage

Damage removes approximately half of the carried coins, rounded up.

Spending coins

Reaching zero coins kills Herfjötur.

This includes:

• Buying an item with the final coin
• Using Burning Coin with only one coin
• Losing all coins to certain trial effects

Useless or limited resources

Ordinary healing, maximum health and shield effects generally do not help Herfjötur.

Banking can provide emergency survivability by withdrawing saved coins.

Rún

Rún begins with a random combination of:

• Health
• Armour
• Weapon
• Secondary ability
• Ultimate ability
• Statistics
• Coins
• Keys
• Equipment
• Movement traits

Inspect the complete HUD before entering the first combat room.

Sanngriðr

Starting loadout:

• Pistol
• No starting abilities
• One-hit-death rule

Any unblocked damage kills Sanngriðr.

The boss room remains unavailable until the required rooms on the floor have been visited.

Optional Challenge Rooms do not normally need to be completed.

20. Character Unlock and Ability Progression

Characters are unlocked through objectives such as:

• Reaching or completing particular zones
• Defeating Nidhogg
• Completing Hard difficulty
• Defeating enemies
• Depositing coins
• Spending coins
• Completing the game with another character

For most characters:

• Defeating Nidhogg with that character unlocks the character’s starting secondary ability.
• Defeating Nidhogg on Hard unlocks the character’s starting ultimate ability.

Rún and Sanngriðr follow different progression rules.

21. Zones and Main Route

The standard route contains four main zones with two stages each.

Asgard I

Boss: Draugr

Asgard II

Boss: Ymir

Optional Asgard Crypts

Boss: Fafnir

The Crypt entrance appears in Asgard I and requires a key.

Vanaheim I

Boss: Vétt

Vanaheim II

Boss: Gullveig

Svartalfheim I

Boss: Alvis

Svartalfheim II

Boss: Mistcalf

Helheim I

Boss: Surt

Helheim II

Final boss: Nidhogg

Each main zone is guaranteed access to one Muninn’s Armoury.

22. Boss Preparation and General Strategy

Exact attacks vary by boss and modifier, but the following preparation applies to every boss.

Before entering:

1. Restore health and shield.
2. Learn the current weapon’s fire and reload rhythm.
3. Confirm all ability controls.
4. Check whether an active equipment item has moved.
5. Charge The Secret Chord when possible.
6. Reload Fluffy’s empowered shot.
7. Spend coins that will not remain useful.
8. Use Barter before leaving a shop.
9. Confirm whether room-based abilities are ready.
10. Test quarter-beat equipment before combat.

During the fight:

• Keep moving unless using Svalinn deliberately.
• Watch the rhythm warning bar.
• Jump early for jump warnings.
• Dash only when the warning requires it.
• Break line of sight for hide warnings.
• Use defensive abilities before the attack lands.
• Prioritise survival over score.
• Use high-damage room cooldowns early enough to recharge later when possible.

Draugr

Treat Draugr as the introductory test of rhythm, movement and warnings.

Do not become stationary simply because the boss is an early encounter.

Ymir

Ymir is a large target, making multi-projectile and close-range attacks easier to connect.

Remain alert for attacks that require cover, jumping or directional movement.

Fafnir

Fafnir is optional and should not be attempted automatically when the current build is weak.

Projectile-clearing effects such as Mind Flay can be valuable against compatible attacks.

Vétt

Maintain distance and avoid allowing a fast target to control your position.

Slowing and freezing effects can be useful where applicable.

Gullveig

Prioritise movement and line-of-sight management during dense magical or projectile patterns.

Alvis

Smaller or faster targets reward accurate weapons, Deadeye Lens and careful target tracking.

Mistcalf

Large targets are vulnerable to shotguns, Ogre’s Helm and Giant Slayer Boots, but close positioning remains dangerous.

Surt

Expect heavy area pressure and avoid remaining in hazardous zones.

Defensive abilities are often more valuable than preserving the multiplier.

Nidhogg

Nidhogg tests the entire run:

• Damage output
• Reload discipline
• Movement
• Warning recognition
• Ability use
• Defensive timing
• Resource management

Do not save every ability for an imagined later phase if using it earlier would prevent damage.

23. Enemy Archetypes and Target Priority

Enemies vary between zones, but most fit recognisable roles.

Melee Rushers

These enemies close distance quickly.

Useful responses:

• Move continuously
• Jump over or around them
• Use Thunderclap
• Use Mind Flay
• Leave Poison Boots trails
• Freeze or slow them

Projectile Enemies

These enemies fill the room with ranged attacks.

Useful responses:

• Strafe
• Break line of sight
• Use Loki’s Shield
• Use Block
• Use Valkyrie’s Veil
• Kill them before slower melee enemies

Flying Enemies

Flying enemies can be difficult for ground-based effects.

Use:

• Hitscan weapons
• Range upgrades
• Deadeye Lens
• Auto-aim
• Celestial Wave
• Seiðr’s Blessing

Shielded Enemies

Enemy shields can block ordinary attacks and certain passive damage.

Useful counters include:

• Storm
• Memento Mori
• Sigrdrifa’s Bracer
• Golden Bracelet
• Fire Bolt
• Rhythm Burst
• Richeous Sun

Spawners or Summoners

Kill these early to prevent the room from becoming more crowded.

Explosive or Death-Effect Enemies

Do not stand beside them when they die.

Use range, knockback or movement to control where the death effect occurs.

High-Health Targets

Useful tools include:

• Giant Slayer Boots
• Face of Death
• Damage upgrades
• Mortal Curse
• Burning effects
• Snipe
• Burning Coin
• Celestial Drumroll

24. Complete Room Guide

Normal Combat Room

Combat begins when enemies appear.

Doors remain locked until every enemy is dead.

Search:

• Outer walls
• Corners
• Elevated ledges
• Balconies
• Behind room geometry

Normal rooms contain a shrine or Secret Chest and may contain another hidden reward.

Bank

Map icon: Scales
Use: Deposit or withdraw coins
Persistence: Across runs, characters and difficulties
Deposit limit: Normally 10 coins per floor
Withdrawal limit: Not restricted in the same way
Special reward: Bank Chest at 100 or more deposited coins

Boss Room

Map icon: Skull
Trigger: Enter
Use: Defeat the boss and use the portal to continue

Challenge Room

Map icon: Crossed swords
Trigger: Pull the lever
Waves: Up to three

Each wave is harder.

The third wave provides the important Challenge Chest.

You are not required to start every wave.

Boss Challenge Room

Map icon: Crossed swords with a helmet
Trigger: Pull the lever
Use: Defeat the miniboss to receive a Challenge Chest

Well Room

Contains one item from each equipment category.

Taking one removes the other three.

Inspect every pedestal before choosing.

Prestige Room

Map icon: Four diamonds
Cost: 30 coins
Use: Interact with the Prestige altar

It converts equipped items into permanent effects for the current run and frees their slots.

Active effects can no longer be manually used.

Avoid prestiging:

• Adventurer’s Fedora
• Megingjord
• Masquerade
• Angelic Boots when the active jump is needed

Treasure Room

Map icon: Golden chest
Cost: One key
Reward: Golden Chest

Some versions contain another reward behind a damaging barrier.

Remember that leaving may require crossing the barrier again.

Warp Room

Contains destination portals.

Entering one moves the player to the indicated zone and may skip part of the normal route.

Optional Boss Room

Pull the lever to summon the optional boss.

Defeat it to receive the reward.

Huginn’s Shop

Map icon: Banner
Currency: Coins

Possible inventory includes:

• Healing
• Keys
• Shields
• Heart Containers
• Equipment
• Stat upgrades
• Lucky Dice
• Shield Converter
• Skeleton Key

Spending coins across runs improves shop loyalty and expands inventory.

Use Barter inside the shop.

Library

Map icon: Book
Cost: One key
Reward: One ultimate book or secondary scroll

Taking a new ability replaces the current ability of the same category.

Some room layouts allow the ability to be identified through a window before spending the key.

Muninn’s Armoury

Map icon: Anvil
Currency: Coins

Weapon pedestals draw from tiered pools.

Spending coins across runs improves armoury progression and unlocks additional offerings such as stat-related purchases.

Njord receives altered offerings because Hands cannot be replaced.

Crypt Entrance

Map icon: Stairs
Location: Asgard I
Cost: One key
Destination: Asgard Crypts

Tribute Room

Appears in the Asgard Crypts.

Contains the Tribute altar.

Gambling Room

Map icon: Poker chip
Use: Insert coins into the Slot Machine

Black Market

Map icon: Downward dagger
Use: Take items from Damocles sword pedestals in exchange for damage

Typical normal-difficulty costs are approximately:

• 25 damage
• 50 damage
• 75 damage

Protection can reduce or block these costs.

Reroll Room

Spend one coin to generate or reroll an item.

Continue until:

• You take an item
• The room reaches its limit

Miniboss Room

Contains an automatically encountered stronger enemy.

No lever is required.

Dish Room

Location: Helheim II
Use: Deposit persistent coins into the Dish

Reaching 100 contributes to major unlocks.

Pit Room

A traversal challenge.

Use:

• Jumping
• Speed
• Spacewalker
• Angelic Boots
• Teleport
• Rocket jumps

Tower or Castle Room

A vertical challenge associated with the Castle floor modifier.

It can contain a Cutthroat and an elevated Weapon Chest.

25. Complete Chest Guide

Plain Chest

Appears after a room clear with mistakes.

Possible contents include:

• Coin
• Coin Bag
• Key
• Small Healing Potion

Flawless Chest

Appears after a flawless clear.

Its basic reward pool is similar to the Plain Chest but reflects the flawless result.

Wide Chest

An uncommon room-clear chest.

Possible contents include:

• Multiple basic resources
• Lucky Dice
• Stat upgrades
• Equipment

Midas Chest

Appears on Midas floors.

Provides coin-focused rewards.

Golden Chest

Appears in Treasure Rooms and can rarely replace ordinary room-clear chests.

Possible contents include:

• Shield
• Equipment
• Stat upgrades
• Lucky Dice
• Shield Converter
• Skeleton Key
• Heart Container

Weapon Chest

Contains a weapon.

When the selected weapon cannot appear again, the chest may provide Clip Up instead.

Secret Chest

Appears in concealed or elevated positions.

Possible contents include:

• Weapon
• Ability
• Equipment
• Stat upgrade

Pain Chest

Appears behind damaging barriers in certain Treasure Rooms.

Possible contents include:

• Shield
• Weapon
• Ability
• Equipment
• Clip Up
• Stat upgrade

Boss Chest

Appears after a standard floor boss.

Contains:

• Stat upgrade
• Clip Up

Challenge Chest

Appears after:

• The third Challenge Room wave
• A Boss Challenge

Possible contents include:

• Weapon
• Ability
• Equipment
• Stat upgrade
• Skeleton Key

Bank Chest

Appears when at least 100 coins are stored in the Bank.

Contains several:

• Coins
• Coin Bags
• Keys

Cursed Chest

Acts partly like an altar.

Possible outcomes include:

• An enemy Fly
• Healing
• Shield
• Equipment
• Ability
• Stat upgrade

The enemy outcome is common.

26. Complete Altar and Shrine Guide

Ability Blessing

• Cost: One coin
• Effect: Adds one Ability

Damage Blessing

• Cost: One coin
• Effect: Adds one Damage

Luck Blessing

• Cost: One coin
• Effect: Adds one Luck

Precision Blessing

• Cost: One coin
• Effect: Adds one Precision

Range Blessing

• Cost: One coin
• Effect: Adds one Range

Speed Blessing

• Cost: One coin
• Effect: Adds one Speed

Angel Altar

Accepts coins one at a time, up to its limit.

Possible rewards include:

• Stats
• Keys
• Equipment
• Books
• Scrolls

Devil Altar

Accepts keys.

Its reward pool is generally stronger.

Skeleton Key permits repeated offerings.

Damocles Sword

Interact to accept damage and take the displayed reward.

Possible methods of avoiding or reducing the cost include:

• Block
• Valkyrie’s Veil
• Dragon’s Skin
• Svalinn
• Damage reduction

Slot Machine

Insert one coin.

Possible outcomes include:

• Nothing
• Enemy
• Coin
• Coin Bag
• Key
• Small Healing Potion
• Shield
• Machine jam

Luck reduces certain bad outcomes but does not guarantee success.

Tribute Altar

Accepts many coins individually.

Each coin attempts to raise a random stat.

When the selected stat is already full, Clip size may increase instead.

Prestige Altar

• Cost: 30 coins
• Effect: Converts currently equipped items into permanent run-long effects and empties their slots

Barter does not ordinarily reduce the price.

Active effects become unusable.

The Dish

Accepts persistent coin deposits.

Reaching 100 unlocks associated progression and Giant Slayer Boots availability.

27. Complete Trial Altar Guide

Trial Altars can appear in Asgard I for characters that have already completed the game.

Activating a Trial increases difficulty and can increase score.

Trial: Bleeding

Continuously removes health.

Damage multipliers can make the loss more severe.

Trial: Fabled

Increases enemy and boss health while increasing score rewards.

Trial: Fragile

Doubles incoming damage.

It stacks with other damage multipliers.

Trial: Gambit

Provides coins immediately and on future floors.

Taking a hit removes all carried coins.

Block and Valkyrie’s Veil do not necessarily prevent the coin loss.

It is fatal for Herfjötur.

Trial: Godlike

Reduces Damage-modifier attacks against bosses.

Some ability-based damage-over-time effects are not reduced in the same way.

Trial: Mania!

Increases player Damage-modifier attacks and adds more enemies.

Some bosses or encounters can also be duplicated.

Trial: Poverty

Removes most future Huginn shops.

A late exception may still appear.

Trial: Runner

Adds a 20-minute run limit.

It also increases Damage-modifier attacks.

Trial: Twitch

Speeds up hostile projectiles and increases score.

Trial: Want

Reduces base magazine size.

Clip Up still adds one normally.

The Best Defense is removed or disabled for the run.

28. Complete Floor Modifier Guide

No Modifier

The floor follows ordinary rules.

Barren

• Enemies do not drop normal coins or keys.
• Ordinary room-clear chests do not appear.

Bountiful

Higher-value chest types can appear after room clears.

Castle

Adds a unique vertical Castle room.

Associated with Asgard I.

Dark

Greatly reduces visibility.

Use the flashlight and listen carefully.

Explosive

Enemies drop Explosive Skulls instead of ordinary resources.

Touch the skulls to damage nearby enemies.

Mind Flay can destroy them.

Frozen

Floors become slippery.

Momentum continues after movement inputs stop.

Avoid excessive Speed unless you can control it.

Glass

Both the player and enemies take increased damage.

Play aggressively but avoid every unnecessary hit.

Infested

Adds more enemies to rooms.

Area damage and cleaving become more valuable.

Inverted

Flips the camera and changes visual control orientation.

Slow down until the new orientation becomes manageable.

Midas

• Enemies drop coins.
• Room-clear rewards become coin-focused.
• Boss rewards may also change toward coins.

Pitted

Adds a special traversal room.

Associated with Vanaheim II.

Retro

Pixelates the presentation and centres the weapon.

Primarily associated with the Retro challenge.

Space

Reduces gravity and increases recoil movement.

Rocket jumps and recoil-based flight become much stronger.

Shopless

Removes Huginn’s Shop and the Black Market from the floor.

Muninn’s Armoury can still appear.

29. Complete Boss Modifier Guide

Several boss modifiers can appear together.

Burning

Creates a damaging fire aura around the boss.

Avoid remaining close without protection.

Champion

Increases boss health and strengthens certain attacks.

Cloned

Creates two reduced-health copies.

Both must be killed.

Crazed

Speeds up the boss.

Warnings may feel later because the attack occurs sooner.

Dwarf

Makes the boss smaller and faster.

Precise weapons become more valuable.

Electric

Creates an electrical field and repeated marked lightning strikes.

Keep moving out of targeted areas.

Giant

Makes the boss larger and greatly increases health.

Large bosses are easier to hit with shotguns and multi-projectile attacks.

Hidden

Makes the boss translucent or difficult to see while reducing health.

Use movement, projectile origins and the targeting reticle to track it.

Lethal

Restricts the boss toward more dangerous attacks and may remove certain warnings.

Prioritise defensive abilities.

Poisonous

Boss attacks apply continuing poison damage.

Avoid trading hits.

Vengeful

Damaging the boss causes retaliatory projectiles.

Rapid-fire weapons can create many retaliation events, so movement becomes essential.

30. Complete Challenge Mode Guide

Retro Run

• Pixelated presentation
• Centred weapon
• Maximum starting Speed

Boss Rush

• Continuous sequence of bosses
• Little or no ordinary dungeon progression
• Bosses do not provide standard run loot

Full Auto

• Weapons become automatic
• Battle Lion Shield’s timing benefits are permanently active
• Another Battle Lion Shield can improve cooldowns further

The Floor Is Lava

• Ordinary surfaces rapidly damage the player
• Odr-style flight mechanics are provided

Stay airborne.

Supertime

Player and enemy movement become rhythm-restricted.

Plan movement actions as carefully as shots.

No Shop or Treasure

Removes shops and Treasure Rooms.

Resource management becomes much stricter.

Pistol Only

Prevents the use of weapons other than the Pistol.

Damage, Range and strong equipment become especially important.

Fixed Seed Random Items

Dungeon generation remains fixed while rewards can vary.

Fixed Seed Fixed Items

Dungeon generation and rewards remain fixed.

Useful for practice and route learning.

Mega Boss Rush

Boss Rush with one-hit-death rules similar to Odr.

31. Difficulty Modes

BPM includes multiple difficulty levels, including Easy, Normal, Hard and Hellish.

Higher difficulties generally increase pressure through combinations of:

• Greater enemy health
• Greater enemy damage
• Harder room compositions
• Less forgiving survival
• More demanding boss encounters

Hard difficulty is particularly important because defeating Nidhogg on Hard unlocks starting ultimates for most characters.

Hellish should be attempted after weapon rhythms, bosses and equipment interactions are familiar.

32. Shop and Armoury Progression

Huginn Loyalty

Spending coins in Huginn’s Shop across runs expands the shop.

Possible progression benefits include:

• More pedestals
• Better inventory variety
• Additional consumables
• Stat-related items
• Utility items
• Free healing at high loyalty

Muninn Progression

Spending coins in Muninn’s Armoury across runs expands armoury offerings.

Progression can add:

• More weapon options
• Higher-tier weapon access
• Clip Up
• Damage Up
• Character-specific substitutions

Why Persistent Progression Matters

A weak early run can still contribute by:

• Depositing coins in the Bank
• Depositing coins in the Dish
• Spending coins in shops
• Spending coins in the armoury
• Completing character objectives
• Unlocking starting abilities

33. Equipment Synergies

Mind Flay Area-Control Build

Use:

• Seiðr’s Hat
• Seiðr’s Blessing
• Poison Boots
• Storm or Memento Mori
• Defensive armour
• Speed that remains controllable

Mind Flay damages nearby enemies and destroys compatible hostile objects.

Seiðr’s Blessing automatically attacks remaining enemies.

Poison Boots punishes enemies that follow your movement path.

Giant Slayer Multi-Hit Build

Use:

• Giant Slayer Boots
• Ogre’s Helm
• Quaternote
• Richeous Sun
• Shotgun
• Double-Tap
• Burst SMG

Every pellet and projectile can trigger current-health percentage damage.

This can remove the early portion of a boss’s health extremely quickly.

Infinite-Ammunition Build

Use:

• The Best Defense
• Quaternote
• A powerful low-capacity weapon
• Face of Death
• Damage upgrades

The Best Defense removes reload and ammunition limitations from compatible weapons.

Critical-Hit Build

Use:

• Deadeye Lens
• Helm of Precision
• Berserker’s Arm
• Spurs of Justice
• Precision upgrades
• Accurate hitscan weapon
• Range

Ability Build

Use:

• Battle Lion Shield
• Triquetra
• Masquerade
• Ability upgrades
• Strong room-based ultimate
• Secondary with documented Ability scaling

Defensive Build

Use:

• Dragon’s Skin
• Skjaldmeyjar’s Plate
• Lion Heart
• Gunnr’s Bracer
• Block
• Valkyrie’s Veil
• Healing ability

Economy Build

Use:

• Golden Bracelet
• Njord’s Greaves
• Short Horned
• Luck upgrades
• Njord’s Riches
• Barter
• Banking
• Geri’s Audit

Floor-Scaling Stat Build

Use:

• Short Horned
• Midgard Bracelet
• Loki’s Bargain
• The Quest
• Blessing altars

Carry floor-trigger items through portals before replacing them.

Fedora Duplicate-Slot Build

Use Adventurer’s Fedora to rotate equipment away from its original position and collect another item of the same category.

Possible combinations include:

• Face of Death and The Best Defense
• Battle Lion Shield and Triquetra
• Dragon’s Skin and Skjaldmeyjar’s Plate
• Quaternote and Megingjord
• Giant Slayer Boots and Seiðr’s Blessing
• Several multiplier-based movement items

Always rotate in a cleared room and inspect the HUD afterward.

34. Harmful or Risky Interactions

Circlet of the Serpentine and Skuld

Circlet replaces Skuld’s stronger natural healing and is usually harmful.

Cursed Iron and Skuld

Cursed Iron can stop health degeneration after conversion but disables normal on-hit healing.

Megingjord and Prestige

Prestiging Megingjord removes its weapon-switch control and can trap a weapon.

Adventurer’s Fedora and Prestige

Prestiging the Fedora removes its manual rotation.

Masquerade and Prestige

Prestiging Masquerade removes the extra ultimate activation.

Active Angelic Boots and Prestige

The passive jumps may remain, but the active super jump becomes unavailable.

Go Faster Glove and Odin’s Sneakers

Their Speed effects do not stack normally.

The Best Defense and Raygun

The Best Defense does not remove Raygun energy or overheating.

Quaternote Incompatibilities

Quaternote does not function normally with:

• Minigun
• Energy Cannon
• Charge Pistol

Giant Slayer Boots and Njord’s Hands

The percentage-health bonus does not function normally.

Burning Coin and Herfjötur

Using the final coin kills Herfjötur.

Trial: Gambit and Herfjötur

Taking damage removes all coins and is fatal.

Cursed Luck

Repeated activation can kill the player when insufficient health or protection remains.

35. A Reliable Beginner Run

At the Start of the Run

1. Confirm the weapon rhythm.
2. Check health, shield, coins and keys.
3. Identify both abilities.
4. Inspect equipment controls.
5. Confirm the floor modifier.

In Every Combat Room

1. Move continuously.
2. Use one deliberate timed action at a time.
3. Kill summoners and projectile threats early.
4. Use jump warnings early.
5. Use defensive abilities before damage lands.
6. Search the room after combat.

Before Spending a Key

Compare:

• Library
• Treasure Room
• Crypt entrance
• Locked chests

Do not spend the final key without checking the alternatives.

Before Spending Coins

Consider:

• Healing
• Weapon upgrade
• Damage or stat altar
• Equipment
• Bank deposit
• Dish deposit
• Prestige
• Later shops

Before a Boss

1. Reload fully.
2. Prepare Fluffy.
3. Preserve The Secret Chord.
4. Restore health and shield.
5. Confirm ability cooldowns.
6. Test active equipment.
7. Spend unnecessary resources.
8. Stop Fedora rotation in a familiar layout.

36. Advanced Combat Principles

Partial Reloading

A hand-loaded weapon does not need to be completely refilled.

Load one round and return to combat when necessary.

Reload During Safe Attacks

Use the enemy’s recovery period to reload.

Do not begin a long reload immediately before a warning attack.

Movement Is Continuous

Normal movement is not tied to the beat.

Strafe constantly while timing shots separately.

Jumping Is Defensive

Jumping can avoid:

• Ground waves
• Melee pressure
• Certain projectiles
• Arena hazards

Dashing Is a Limited Decision

Do not dash on every beat.

Reserve it for:

• Warning indicators
• Emergency repositioning
• Crossing danger
• Maintaining distance

Use Abilities Early Enough

A room-based ultimate used early may recharge later.

An unused ultimate provides no benefit.

Protect Strong Synergies

Do not replace an item merely because the new item is rare.

Judge how the new effect interacts with the current build.

37. Common Beginner Mistakes

Treating BPM Like an Ordinary Shooter

The rhythm is the combat system, not a visual theme.

Spamming Buttons

Multiple inputs on one beat cause failed actions and mistakes.

Forgetting to Pump or Cycle

Pump Shotgun, Lever Action, Bolt-Action Rifle and Double-Tap require a separate cycling action.

Waiting Until Empty

Hand-loaded weapons can be partially reloaded.

Assuming Precision Means Accuracy

Precision increases critical damage.

Assuming Ability Means Cooldown Reduction

Ability affects each ability differently.

Battle Lion Shield provides general cooldown reduction.

Ignoring Range

Short-range weapons can lose most of their practical damage at distance.

Taking Every Item

Some equipment breaks existing synergies.

Attempting Every Challenge Wave

The third wave is optional.

Do not risk a strong run without sufficient health and damage.

Spending Every Coin

Coins may be more valuable later or as persistent progression.

Using Barter Outside Huginn’s Shop

Barter only affects the shop where it is activated.

Using Geri’s Audit Too Early

Collect wanted items before converting the room.

Forgetting Floor Triggers

Keep Short Horned, Midgard Bracelet or Loki’s Bargain equipped while entering the next floor.

Forgetting Active Equipment Controls

Look beneath each equipment slot.

Losing Track After Fedora Rotation

The Fedora moves its own control and both abilities.

Prestiging Active Equipment

Prestige removes manual activation.

38. Glossary

Ability

One of the six stats, or a secondary or ultimate power depending on context.

Armour

A protective blue resource, often described as shield.

Beat

A musical timing point at which actions can occur.

Crit or Critical Hit

An attack against a recognised weak point.

Full Beat

A primary musical pulse.

Half Beat

A timing point between full beats.

Quarter Beat

A hidden faster timing point enabled by particular items.

Flawless

Completing a room without mistakes.

Hitscan

An attack that applies immediately rather than travelling.

Passive Effect

An equipment effect that activates automatically.

Active Equipment

An equipment effect requiring its displayed control.

Hand Reload

A reload requiring one opening input and one input per missing round.

Pump or Cycle

A required action between attacks for certain weapons.

Room Cooldown

An ability recharge measured through cleared rooms.

Kill Cooldown

An ability recharge measured through kills.

Floor Trigger

An effect activated by entering another floor.

Run

One attempt beginning with a character’s starting loadout and ending in victory or death.

Persistent Progression

Bank deposits, Dish deposits, loyalty and unlocks that remain after a run ends.

39. Final Checklist

Before leaving any floor, verify:

• Every accessible room has been checked.
• Hidden ledges and wall shrines have been inspected.
• The shop has been visited.
• The armoury has been visited.
• Locked rooms have been compared.
• Spare healing has been considered.
• Floor-trigger items are equipped before using the portal.
• Spare coins have been deposited or spent intelligently.
• Active equipment controls are understood.
• The current weapon rhythm is known.
• The boss reward has been collected.
• The portal destination is correct.

Conclusion

BPM becomes manageable when every mechanic is understood as a trigger followed by a result.

Mind Flay activates because Seiðr’s Hat is equipped and valid targets are nearby.

Fluffy activates because a reload was performed.

Helm-Heim activates because an enemy died.

Short Horned activates because a new floor was entered.

Svalinn activates because the player stopped moving.

Giant Slayer Boots activate on every individual hit.

Spurs of Justice activate on a critical hit.

The Secret Chord activates after a room clear and is spent by the next shot.

Adventurer’s Fedora, Masquerade, Angelic Boots and Megingjord require their displayed equipment controls.

The same logic applies to weapons and abilities. Hand-loaded weapons need one input to open the reload and another for each round. Pump weapons must be cycled. Delayed weapons fire after the input. Beat abilities recharge with music, room abilities recharge through room clears and kill abilities recharge through defeated enemies.

The most important skill in BPM is not pressing buttons quickly. It is knowing which action belongs on each beat, which effects are waiting for a trigger and which resources should be preserved for the next room. Once those rules are understood, every weapon, item, passive effect, ability and room becomes part of one predictable system rather than a collection of unexplained mechanics.