Depth Spelunking Guides

Guide Hub Overview

Depth Spelunking offers minimal in-game handholding beyond John Depth Spelunking’s written lobby tutorial. That design choice rewards players who learn entity behaviors, task routing, and loadout synergies through experience—or through community resources like this wiki. Our guide section covers every major system from your first elevator ride to competitive Daily Mode rankings and late-game Black Market builds.

Whether you are solo or in a full squad, the same fundamentals apply: complete tasks efficiently, respect Mercer Danger Levels, manage the sixty-second reboarding window, and avoid triggering conditional spawns like the Sin of Sloth through prolonged inactivity. Guides here are written for the current v0.6.8 Daily Mode update and reference point-based entity spawning introduced in v0.6.5.

Recommended Reading Order

New Delvers should start with How to Play for a system-by-system breakdown, then read the Beginner Guide for practical first-run advice. Once you understand the core loop, explore Daily Mode Guide if you want competitive scores, Reboarding & Elevator for squad coordination, and Meta Progression for long-term unlock priorities.

Pair written guides with our video walkthroughs for boss fights including Sloth, Mannequins, and Envy. Entity and item pages complement these guides with deeper reference material on all twenty-nine Bestiary entries and forty-two starter items.

Guides vs Walkthroughs vs Video Guides

Guides explain systems—how reboarding works, how Daily scoring behaves, how Black Market unlocks. Walkthroughs apply those systems across floor bands: Floors 1–35 early, 35–70 mid, 70+ late. Video guides under guide/how-to-beat-* slugs focus on single high-difficulty encounters with embedded YouTube where available.

Cross-link freely: a beginner failing Floor 20 should read Beginner Guide, walkthrough/early-game, and guide/how-to-beat-envy in sequence. A veteran chasing Daily S+ should pair guides/daily-mode-guide with tools/daily-score-reference and guide/daily-mode-strategy.

Staying Current After Patches

Foxxive ships updates like v0.6.8 Daily Mode that change floor ranges, item qualities, and mode rules. When patch notes drop on Discord, revisit Meta Progression and tier lists before deep pushes. Shadow changes—Glacier now Floors 10–30, map pool adjustments—may not appear in headline patch bullets.

John Depth Spelunking’s lobby tutorial covers basics but not Daily modifiers or point spawning. Treat wiki guides as living documents updated after major releases while Discord remains the first announcement channel.

Related Guides

Frequently Asked Questions

Which guide should I read first?
Start with How to Play for mechanics, then the Beginner Guide for actionable first-run tips. Return to Daily Mode and Meta Progression guides once you can consistently reach Floor 15–20.
Does Depth Spelunking have an in-game tutorial?
John Depth Spelunking in the lobby provides a written tutorial. The video tutorial map was removed, so external guides fill the gap for visual learners.
Are guides updated for Daily Mode?
Yes. Daily Mode changed the competitive landscape in v0.6.8 with seeded runs ending at Floor 20. Our Daily Mode Guide covers scoring, modifiers, and one-attempt-per-day rules.
How do guides relate to walkthroughs?
Guides explain systems and strategy principles. Walkthroughs apply those principles floor-by-floor through early, mid, and late game depth ranges.
Can I skip meta progression guides?
You can, but you will unlock items and Black Market access slower. Meta Progression explains badge rewards, money farming, and Bestiary completion priorities.