VAULTREAVE Beginner Guide

VAULTREAVE is a Dark and Darker-style pixel dungeon built around three actions: dive, loot, extract. This ten-minute guide explains the full run loop.

① What kind of game is this?

You play as an adventurer exploring a randomly generated dark dungeon. Loot treasure and gear, then find a way to extract alive. Extract successfully and everything you carry out is yours. Die in the dungeon and all your carried equipment drops—only items in your stash are safe. This risk-versus-reward choice is the heart of extraction gameplay.

② Core loop

1. Camp: choose a class → build your skill tree and equip 2–3 active skills → choose a run difficulty → choose a biome → equip your gear. If you have none, starter gear is issued automatically and is free to replace after death.
2. Dive: enter the dungeon, use your torch to see through the dark, explore rooms, open chests, fight monsters and avoid traps.
3. Extract or descend: take the blue gate to bank your loot, or enter the red gate and risk another floor for better drops.
4. Back at camp: sell loot, upgrade gear, claim bounties, advance the season and prepare for the next run.

③ Controls

Desktop (keyboard and mouse)

• WASD Move · J / Space Attack · K / L Skill 1 / 2
• Q Use potion · E Interact (open / extract / coat) · B Backpack · M World map · Esc Pause
• You can also click the action bar at the bottom center; your mouse direction controls facing and target selection.

Mobile (touch)

• Move with the left virtual stick. Use the circular buttons on the right to attack, cast skills, drink potions and interact; targeting is automatic.
• For fullscreen play, add the page to your home screen.

④ What to do in the dungeon

• Loot: open chests, collect gold piles, break barrels and crates, and unlock vaults with keys dropped by elite monsters.
• Combat: tap to use a basic attack, or hold to charge for a much stronger heavy hit (see Advanced Mechanics for exact values). Melee weapons can switch between slashes and thrusts. Elite monsters have a purple aura, hit harder, drop better loot and often carry random affixes.
• Use terrain: fire ignites oil, ice freezes puddles and water conducts electricity. Lure monsters into hazards to turn the room against them. Physical classes near fire, ice, lightning or poison terrain can coat their weapons for temporary elemental damage.
• Watch for hazards: spikes, rolling boulders, lava, poison fog and trap vents can hurt you—or the monsters chasing you.
• Choice Shrine: every map has one. Choose one of three run-only buffs, such as attack, movement speed, cooldown reduction or lifesteal; it expires when you extract.

⑤ Extract or go deeper

• Blue gate: extract with everything you carry and gain bonus XP. Bank the run while you are ahead.
• Red gate: descend to the next floor for tougher enemies and richer loot, with a longer path and more risk.
• Closing darkness: the safe zone contracts in waves. White dashed lines on the mini-map and world map preview the next safe area; do not let the darkness overtake you.

⑥ Death and insurance

Death drops all equipment you are carrying; your stash and banked gold remain safe. At camp, you can buy Death Insurance for about 8% of your equipped gear's value. If you die, your most valuable equipped item returns to your stash. Starter gear is always reissued for free, so a failed run never leaves you unable to fight.

⑦ Beginner tips

• Start with Rookie or Normal runs until the controls and extraction rhythm feel natural, then try High-Yield and Nightmare runs.
• Do not get greedy. One clean extraction pays better than ten empty-handed returns.
• Read the Class Codex to compare skill trees and find a build that suits you.
• Follow the current season and complete seasonal trials to unlock more classes for free.

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