[TIPS] Spelunky

Improving at Spelunky, like many rogue-likes, is heavily based on learning.

Here's a rough list of things you learn as you go:

• You can throw just about anything (including damsels!) to kill enemies.
• Don't attack the shopkeeper- he'll be very angry and most likely kill you.
• You can step on many enemies (Mario-style) to kill them.
• If there is a stone block on top of a ledge, you can't grab hold of it.
• Snakes can be in pots- always attack it with your whip from a distance, then immediately attack again if there is one.
• Same advice for bones on the ground, which can animate into skeletons.
• Picking up the golden skull idol will trigger a giant rolling boulder that annihilates everything in its path as it goes through the level.  An easy way to avoid it is to fire a rope preemptively, then grab the idol and jump on the rope.  As long as you are higher than 2 squares you will be fine.
• The damsel can only take two "hits" (e.g. getting whipped) before she is knocked out for good, and unrescuable.
• Any object you can pick up can also be whipped to send it flying, which can damage enemies.
• Projectiles that bounce off walls can come back and injure you!
• As an alternative to carefully placing ropes through the level when you need to bring both an idol and a damsel to the exit, you can toss some bombs to make a hole through the level and throw them both down.
• Falling from high enough will damage you!
• If you take too long to complete a level, a giant ghost will appear that can pass through walls.  It will also slow you down while it's active.
• If you hold the arrow keys up or down, it will pan to show you more of the map in that direction after a brief pause.  You can use this to see how far a fall is!
• The stone block traps are triggered by ANY moving object.  Try to toss a pebble or a pot to trigger the trap, or bait an enemy into it.  In the worst case, you can throw a bomb as well.
• Also, those traps have a maximum range that they will trigger at.
• You can only jump two squares high.
• Cobwebs will stop arrows.
• You can walk through spikes (you can just can't land on them).
• Rescuing a damsel will restore one health for the next level.
• Weapons (like the machete and the shotgun) have to be held at all times like other items.  This makes them challenging to keep if you also need to bring damsels or idols around.
• You'd be surprised how much just walking (not running) improves your life expectancy.
• Bombs explode in a two square "cross".  That means two squares left, right, up and down, but only one square diagonally (up right, up left, bottom right, bottom left).
• When you teleport into something with the teleporter, it will injure it.
• Throwing or whipping objects in tight quarters is dangerous as they may ricochet and hit you.
• Thrown bombs can also be used as projectiles to hit and kill enemies.
• Throwing the damsel, regardless of whether she hits anything, will not harm her.
• Even ricochets of a trap arrow can harm you.
• Even if you haven't been hurt in a level, the damsel will still give you one more health.
• You can carry golden keys (that unlock chests) into the next level, and they'll still work!
• There will always be a path to the exit that does not require any items.  This can be useful when you're trying to find the fastest way to it (it will be the path of least resistance/difficulty typically).
• Ropes aren't only useful for going up- you can toss them to help you go down long falls.
• Even your rope being shot upwards can trigger arrow traps.
• The bloody empty altar can have the damsel placed upon it to give you a random item.
• If you don't have the key for a locked chest yet, remember you can pick up the chest and bring it with you!  You can't bring the chest with you to the next level though (unlike keys).
• You can pick and throw an opened chest.
• A giant spider landing on spikes will instantly kill it.

General strategy:

• The #1 goal is survival and progression.  You will get plenty of treasure as you go, no need to take crazy risks or consume a lot of resources to just get more gold or gems.
• The damsel should take precedence over any other side objectives you may have.  However, if it's too expensive or dangerous to save her, then you should ignore her and move on.
• Use bombs to skip areas that look scary (i.e. you will likely take damage moving through it).

Items:

Name	Description	Cost
Spike Shoes	Can kill enemies by jumping on them	4000
Spectacles	Allows you to see items in walls	3000
Spring Shoes	Allow you to jump one square higher (for a total of 3)
Pitcher's Mitt	Improves your catching and throwing skills.	4000
Climbing Gloves	Allows you to grab onto and climb any wall.  Extremely useful.	8000
Cape	Allows you to float in the air.	12000
Parachute	Deploys automatically if you would take falling damage.  One time use.	1000

Also, in case this game wasn't difficult enough, check out these videos:

• Pick up no treasure (Low Scorer) achievement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXJB3y8JoUs