Runes and Permanent Upgrades
Runes in Dead Cells are permanent upgrades that significantly impact gameplay by unlocking new movement abilities, alternate paths, and game modes. These upgrades are crucial for exploration and progression, allowing access to previously unreachable areas and enhancing player capabilities.
Runes are permanent upgrades for the player. Some runes unlock alternate paths throughout the island, enabling the player to travel to new Biomes and take different routes to reach the end. Other runes enable the use of objects found on the island, enhance the player with a new movement option or ability, or unlock alternate game modes.
One example of a permanent upgrade is the High Jump, acquired in Richter Mode. Pressing up while jumping performs this move.
| Icon | Name | Description | Cell cost | Requirements | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Health Flask I | Unlocks a health potion that can be used at any time. | 5 | Must be unlocked first. | Heals 60% of your health over a few seconds. Each use removes 150 points (3 bars) of Malaise. |
Blueprints are items used to unlock new Gear, Mutations, upgrades, and outfits. They are found by killing enemies, in secret areas, or behind keys, rune requirements, puzzles, or timed doors. Some blueprints are limited by Boss Stem Cells, meaning they may not drop on lower difficulty levels or require specific difficulty levels to access their sources.