Completing the Game: What's Next?

Conquer Cuphead's post-game content after defeating the Devil. Uncover hidden secrets and tackle new challenges on the Inkwell Isles.

Beyond the Devil: Mastering Cuphead and Unlocking Its Secrets

Congratulations on vanquishing the Devil and securing your souls! This monumental achievement marks the end of your initial journey through Cuphead's treacherous Inkwell Isles. However, for those who crave ultimate mastery and a true test of their mettle, the adventure is far from over. Cuphead boasts a wealth of post-game content, hidden challenges, and a demanding difficulty curve that will push your skills to their absolute limit. This guide will illuminate the path to 100% completion, the intricacies of Expert difficulty, the delights of the DLC, and the secrets that lie beyond the credits.

The Path to 100% Completion: A Comprehensive Checklist

Achieving true 100% completion in Cuphead is a testament to your dedication and skill. It requires more than just beating the game; it demands perfection across all aspects of its challenging gameplay. Here’s a breakdown of what you need to accomplish:

• Defeat All Bosses on Normal Difficulty: This is the foundational step, requiring you to overcome every major antagonist in the game.
• Defeat All Bosses on Expert Difficulty: Once Normal is conquered, Expert mode unlocks, presenting significantly faster enemies, new attack patterns, and heightened aggression. This is a crucial step for 100% completion.
• Obtain 'A+' Rank on All Levels: This is arguably the most demanding requirement. It applies to all boss levels and all Run 'n' Gun levels. The criteria for an 'A+' rank are stringent and are detailed further below.
• Collect All Hidden Coins: Scattered throughout the game world and within certain levels, these coins are essential for purchasing all available items.
• Complete All Run 'n' Gun Levels Without Shooting: This specific challenge requires you to navigate the entirety of each Run 'n' Gun level, from start to finish, without firing your weapon. The final boss of each Run 'n' Gun level must still be defeated, but the preceding platforming sections must be completed without any offensive action.
• Purchase All Items from the Shop: This includes all weapons, charms, and any other purchasable goods.
• Unlock and Master All Super Arts: Ensure you have acquired and can effectively utilize all three Super Arts available in the base game and the DLC.

Mastering the 'A+' Rank: The Pinnacle of Performance

The 'A+' rank is the ultimate badge of honor in Cuphead, signifying near-flawless execution. To achieve this coveted rank on any given level, you must meet the following criteria:

• Time Limit: Complete the level within a specific, often tight, time frame. Faster completion generally leads to a higher score.
• Minimal Damage Taken: This is crucial. For most levels, taking no damage at all is ideal. Some boss fights might allow for one or two hits and still achieve an 'A+' if other criteria are met exceptionally well, but the target should always be a perfect run.
• Parry Count: A "good number" of parries is generally considered to be at least 3-5 parries per boss fight, depending on the boss's mechanics. Some levels may require more. Parrying pink objects is essential for building your Super Meter and often contributes to your score.
• All Phases Completed: You must successfully navigate through all phases of a boss fight or complete the entire objective of a Run 'n' Gun level.

Quantifying 'A+': While exact numerical thresholds can vary slightly between levels and are not explicitly stated by the game, the general principle is to aim for the highest possible score. This means prioritizing speed, avoiding damage, and maximizing parries. For Run 'n' Gun levels, completing them without shooting (as per the 100% checklist) will automatically fulfill the "no shooting" requirement, and then you'll need to focus on parries and speed for the remaining score components.

The Delicious Last Course DLC: A New Isle of Challenges

No post-game exploration of Cuphead is complete without diving into "The Delicious Last Course" DLC. This substantial expansion adds a brand-new island, Inkwell Isle IV, and introduces a wealth of new content:

• New Playable Character: Ms. Chalice: Play as the legendary Chalice herself, complete with her own unique abilities, including a double jump and a special invincible roll. Her presence also unlocks new interactions and secrets.
• Six New Bosses: These bosses are widely considered to be among the most difficult in the entire Cuphead experience, featuring intricate patterns and demanding multi-phase encounters.
• New Weapon: Crackshot: This homing projectile weapon is incredibly useful for players who struggle with aiming, allowing for consistent damage output.
• New Charm: Heart Ring: This charm grants Ms. Chalice an extra HP point but prevents her from using her Super Art.
• New Area: D.S. Sugarland Shimmy: This central hub on Inkwell Isle IV allows you to access the new bosses and purchase new items.

The DLC bosses are essential for achieving 100% completion, and their 'A+' ranks are just as challenging to obtain as those in the base game.

Expert Difficulty: The Ultimate Gauntlet

Upon completing the game on Normal difficulty, you unlock Expert difficulty. This mode is not merely a slight increase in challenge; it's a complete overhaul of the game's pacing and enemy behavior:

• Increased Enemy Speed: All enemies and bosses move significantly faster, demanding quicker reflexes and more precise timing.
• New Attack Patterns: Many bosses gain entirely new attack sequences or modify their existing ones to be more complex and unpredictable.
• Enhanced Projectiles: Projectiles often become faster, more numerous, or gain new properties, making dodging a constant struggle.
• Boss Phases: Bosses may have additional phases or their existing phases might be extended, prolonging the fight and increasing the potential for errors.

Conquering Expert difficulty is a rite of passage for true Cuphead masters and is a mandatory requirement for achieving 100% completion.

Beyond the Bosses: Secrets, Loadouts, and Replayability

Cuphead offers a surprising amount of depth and replayability even after you've conquered its toughest challenges:

• Experiment with Loadouts: With a wide array of weapons (Peashooter, Spread, Chaser, Lobber, Charge, Roundabout) and charms (Smoke Bomb, Whetstone, Coffee, P. Sugar, Twin Heart, Heart Ring) at your disposal, experiment with different combinations. Some bosses that were a nightmare on Normal might become manageable with the right strategy and loadout. For example, the Chaser weapon can be invaluable for bosses where precise aiming is difficult, while the Charge shot excels at dealing high burst damage.
• Secret Passages and Easter Eggs: Keep your eyes peeled for hidden pathways and subtle nods to classic Fleischer Studios cartoons and other pop culture references. These add flavor and reward observant players.
• Simple Difficulty: While not required for 100% completion, playing on Simple difficulty can be an excellent tool for learning boss patterns without the pressure of Normal or Expert. However, levels completed on Simple difficulty do not count towards your overall completion percentage.
• Revisit and Refine: Go back to bosses you struggled with and aim for better ranks. The skills you develop mastering Expert difficulty will make previous encounters feel significantly easier, allowing you to achieve S-ranks (the highest possible rank, requiring A+ on all criteria) on many levels.

Cuphead's true magic lies in its demanding yet rewarding gameplay loop. Embrace the challenge, explore every nook and cranny of the Inkwell Isles, and strive for perfection. The journey to mastering Cuphead is as exhilarating as it is difficult, offering a deeply satisfying experience for those who persevere.