Dungeons

Learn how to navigate Darkest Dungeon dungeons. Understand goals, difficulty, length, map icons, and various curios and obstacles to succeed in your expeditions.

This guide covers the Dungeons section of Darkest Dungeon, explaining how to approach expeditions, understand objectives, and utilize map features.

Goals: Check your objectives in the "Activity Log". Upon completion, you can return to the Hamlet or continue exploring the current dungeon.

Difficulty: Prioritize green (Apprentice L1) dungeons for low-level heroes.

Length: Dungeon length dictates walking distance and enemy encounters, influencing the amount of food and torches needed. Longer dungeons offer more opportunities for camping, providing healing and buffs. Lengths and their corresponding camping amounts are: Short / 0, Medium / 1, Long / 2, Exhausting / 4.

Dungeon Levels:

1. Apprentice L1
2. Veteran L3
3. Champion L5
4. Darkest L6

Available Dungeons:

• Courtyard (Requires Crimson Court DLC)
• Cove
• Darkest Dungeon (Main type)
• Farmstead (Endless battle, requires The Color of Madness DLC)
• Hamlet (Available through Plot Quests)
• Ruins
• Warrens
• Weald

Map Features:

• Unexplored Areas: Black, explored areas are lighter. A blue double arrow indicates your team's movement direction.
• Checked Rooms: Marked with checked boxes. Unexplored rooms are big black squares.
• Entrance: Shown as a green door on the map.
• BATTLE: Encounter enemies here.
• BOSS BATTLE: Locate the boss here.
• CURIO: Map elements (light blue) offering items, boosts, or curses.
• LOCKED ROOM: Requires a key, often found by defeating enemies or from chests.
• OBSTACLE: Blocks the path, requiring a Shovel or bare hands to clear.
• ROOM BATTLE WITH CURIO: Battle enemies to access a curio.
• ROOM BATTLE WITH TREASURE: Fight enemies to access treasure chests.
• SECRET DOOR: Yellow cube with a black star; a hidden room accessible by pressing 'W' or clicking through walls. May contain locked boxes or imprisoned allies. Ancient Artifact boxes can yield 3xPuzzling Trapezohedron and 100 Gold with a Skeleton Key. Secret rooms are only found in Medium and Long dungeons.
• TRAP: Purple icon with a web. Advance slowly, spot, and click to attempt removal based on luck and hero abilities. A trap icon at the bottom of the hero UI indicates removal efficiency. Some traps may respawn.

Curios: Various interactive map elements offering different effects. Examples include:

• Altar of Light: Pray for a temporary boost (e.g., +20% DMG).
• Bags: Usually contain items.
• Beast Carcass: May yield Food.
• Bookshelf: Might scout ahead.
• Heirloom Chest: Opening may yield nothing, but using a Skeleton Key can provide drops.
• Holy Fountain: May drop items.
• Iron Maiden: May provide resources.
• Locked Sarcophagus: Requires a Skeleton Key for resources.
• Locus Beacon: Activate to progress in the Darkest Dungeon's final level.
• Mummified Remains: May drop valuables.
• Old Tree: Offers random results like stress reduction, combat boosts, or gold.
• Shallow Grave: Use a Shovel to dig for treasures.
• Shambler's Altar: Placing a torch may spawn powerful enemies like the Abhorrent Shambler.
• Stack of Books: Flipping through may scout ahead.
• Suit of Armor: Investigating may grant stat boosts.
• Torch holder: Grants a Torch.
• Troubling Effigy: May grant quest resolve XP.
• Traveler's Tent: Provides resources or scouts ahead.
• Wooden Box: Contains nothing or valuables.

Obstacles:

• Rubble: Stones and debris blocking the path.
• Shipwreck: An ancient vessel blocking the path.
• Thorny Thicket: Blocked by branches; clear with a Shovel or bare hands (risk of injury).

Camping: Activated using Firewood, camping has an Eating phase. Consuming 0 food results in a 20% damage penalty.