Biomes are the different areas within Dead Cells which players must progress through.[1] There are currently seventeen biomes, with plans to add more.[2]
Within each run, biomes are procedurally generated within the confines of that biome's set parameters. This puts the focus of gameplay on adaptation rather than memorization, while maintaining each biome's distinct feel.[3] The order in which you'll encounter biomes, and the general location of their exits, are predetermined.
With the exclusion of the Black Bridge, the Insufferable Crypt, the Clock Room, the Guardian's Haven and the Throne Room, each biome always contains a shop and at least one treasure chest.
After exiting each biome, the player will enter the Collector's room. Here, they can turn in blueprints, spend cells, enter Timed and Perfect Doors if they met the requirements and replenish their health and health potions. Time spent near treasure chests and within shops and the Collector's room does not count towards Timed Doors.
Note: scaling of enemy and trap stats with tiers operates somewhat differently compared to scaling of player damage and health with Stats - though damage and health initially scale exponentially using bases of 1.09 and 1.08, respectively, there are also additional factors in the code called "scale multipliers per tier" with values of 0.55 and 0.12 for damage and health, respectively. It is not yet known how these modify the exponential formulas to produce final enemy and trap stats.
You will also find in many Biomes a set of doors with up to four circles on them, in random spread-out locations. These can only be unlocked once you have obtained the necessary number of Boss Stem Cells that are only obtained by doing a complete run, and unlock further challenges.
See Biomes Table for condensed view.
First Stage: The Prisoners' Quarters
- Enemy Tier: 1
- Gear Level: 1
- Scrolls of Power: 2
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 0
- Enemies: Zombies, Shield Bearers, Grenadiers, Undead Archers; Inquisitors (1+ BSC, replace Undead Archers); Bombardiers (4 BSC, replace Grenadiers).
- Exits: Promenade of the Condemned, Toxic Sewers
- Cell doors: none
Second Stage
The Promenade of the Condemned
- Enemy Tier: 3
- Gear Level: 2
- Scrolls of Power: 1
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 2
- Enemies: Zombies, Grenadiers, Runners, Bats, Protectors, Bombardiers (1+ BSC, replace Grenadiers), Kamikazes (1+ BSC);
- Exits: Ramparts, Prison Depths, Ossuary
- Timed Door: 2 minutes (Assault Shield blueprint)
- Traps: Spikes, spiked balls
- Cell doors: 1 cell - Weapon/Skill shop; 2 Cells - Cell Container ; 3 Cells - Treasure Chest; 4 Cells - Treasure Chest
- Runes: Vine Rune
The Toxic Sewers
- Enemy Tier: 3-5
- Gear Level: 2
- Scrolls of Power: 1
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 2 (Brutality/Survival) (Tactics/Survival)
- Enemies: Zombies, Scorpions, Disgusting Worms, Undead Archers; Grenadiers (only while 1+ BSC are active); Bombardiers (only while 4 BSC are active, replace Grenadiers), Purulent Zombie (Sewers) (only while 4 BSC are active, replace Zombies).
- Exits: Ramparts, Ancient Sewers
- Timed Door: 2 minutes (Frenzy blueprint)
- Traps: Poisoned water.
- Cell doors: 1 cell - Treasure Chest; 2 cells - Cursed Chest; 4 cells - Cursed Chest
- Runes: Teleportation Rune
Third Stage
The Ramparts
- Enemy Tier: 6-8
- Gear Level: 3
- Scrolls of Power: 2
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 2
- Enemies: Zombies, Undead Archers, Flying Biters, Inquisitors, Shield Bearers; Slashers (only while 1+ BSC are active); Cannibals (only while 4 BSC are active, replace Slashers), Zombies and Undead Archers stop to appear (only while 4 BSC are active).
- Exit: Black Bridge; Insufferable Crypt (only while 3 BSC are active)
- Timed Door: 8 minutes
- Traps: Gaps between towers, water
- Cell doors: 2 cells - food shop; 3 cells - exit to The Insufferable Crypt, cursed chest; 4 cells - cursed chest
Ancient Sewers
- Enemy Tier: 7-10
- Gear Level: 3
- Scrolls of Power: 4
- Enemies: Zombies, Purulent Zombies (Sewers), Corpse Worms (spawned by Purulent Zombies (Sewers)), Shield Bearers (rare), Flying Biters, Scorpions, Disgusting Worms, Kamikazes, Spikers (with 1+ BSC, Kamikazes spawn in packs of 2-3).
- Exit: Insufferable Crypt
- Traps: Poisoned water, spiked balls, spikes.
- Cell doors: 1 cell - Cursed Chest; 2 cells - Treasure Chest; 3 cells - Cursed Chest; 4 cells - 2-choice item altar
Ossuary
- Enemy Tier: 8-10
- Gear Level: 4
- Scrolls of Power: 3
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 1
- Enemies: Zombies, Shield Bearers, Slashers, Shockers, Lacerators, Thornies, Spawners, Corpse Juice (spawned from Spawners); Dark Trackers, reduced Zombie spawns (only while 1+ BSC are active).
- Exits: Black Bridge
- Timed Door: 8 minutes (Marksman's Bow Blueprint)
- Runes: Ram Rune
- Cell doors: 1 cell - Food seller, 2 cell - Cursed Chest, 4 cell - Cursed Chest
Prison Depths
- Enemy Tier: 7-9
- Gear Level: 3
- Scrolls of Power: 1
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 0
- Enemies: Zombies, Slashers, Foggers, Hammers, Kamikazes, Lacerator, Corpse Biters (spawned by Hammer)
- Exit: Ossuary
- Traps: Spiked balls, spikes, and some slowing water.
- Cell doors: 1 cell - Ancient Sewers exit, 2 cell - Treasure Chest, 4 cell - Cursed Chest
First Boss
The Black Bridge
- Enemies: The Concierge
- Enemy Tier: 11
- Exit: Stilt Village, Slumbering Sanctuary
- Timed Door (after the fight): 15 minutes (Root Grenade blueprint)
- Perfect Door (after the fight): Flawless fight (Legendary item)
- Runes: Challenger Rune
Insufferable Crypt
- Enemies: Conjunctivius
- Enemy Tier: 11
- Perfect Door (after the fight): Flawless fight (Legendary item)
- Exit: Slumbering Sanctuary, Graveyard
Fourth Stage
Stilt Village
- Enemy Tier: 11-13
- Gear Level: 4
- Scrolls of Power: 3
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 1
- Enemies: Purulent Zombies (Sewers), Corpse Worms (spawned from Purulent Zombies (Sewers)), Weaver Worms (spawns from worm eggs), Pirate Captains, Kamikazes, Zombies; Maskers (only while 1+ BSC are active); Inquisitors, no more Zombie spawns (only while 2+ BSC are active); Runners (only while 4 BSC are active)
- Exit: Clock Tower, Forgotten Sepulcher
- Cell doors: 1 cell - Treasure Chest; 2 cells - Cursed Chest; 3 cells - Cursed Chest
Graveyard
- Enemy Tier: 12-14
- Gear Level: 4
- Scrolls of Power: 1
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 3
- Enemies: Purulent Zombies (Graveyard), Inquisitors, Catchers, Bats, Kamikazes, Corpse Flies (Purulent), Maskers, Slashers (rare); Protectors, Kamikazes appear in packs of 2-3 (1+ BSC); Cannibals (4 BSC).
- Exit: Forgotten Sepulcher, Cavern
- Timed Door: 19 minutes, 30 seconds
- Traps: Spikes, spiked balls, and water.
- Cell doors: 1 cell - chained items; 2 cells - cells; 3 cells - cells; 4 cells - chained items
Slumbering Sanctuary
- Enemy Tier: 12-14
- Gear Level: 4
- Scrolls of Power: 3
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 1 (Brutality/Survival)
- Enemies:
- Before activating AT switch: Zombies, Catchers, Foggers, Casters; Cannibals (only while 4 BSC are active).
- After activating AT switch: Grenadiers, Inquisitors, Protectors (already spawned), Kamikazes (already spawned), Golems (3+ BSC, Kamikazes spawn in packs of 2-3 rather than singly); Bombardiers (2+ BSC, replace Grenadiers).
- Exit: Clock Tower, Forgotten Sepulcher
- Traps: Spikes, spiked balls
- Cell doors: 1 cell - Cursed Chest, 2 cell (2) - Food Seller, Cavern exit, 3 cell - Treasure Chest
- Runes: Spider Rune
Fifth Stage
Forgotten Sepulcher
- Enemy Tier: 15-17
- Gear Level: 5
- Scrolls of Power: 5
- Enemies: Trackers, Inquisitors, Lacerators, Cleavers, Kamikazes, Shockers (3+ BSC, Kamikazes spawn in packs of 2-3), Shield Bearers (1+ BSC), Inquisitors appear more often (4 BSC).
- Exit: Clock Room
- Timed Door: 26 minutes
- Traps: Spikes, breaking lamps
- Cell doors: 1 cell - cursed chest; 2 cells - chained items; 3 cells - cursed chest; 4 cells - chained items
Clock Tower
- Enemy Tier: 16-18
- Gear Level: 5
- Scrolls of Power: 2
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 3
- Enemies: Dark Trackers, Cannibals, Bombardiers, Bats, Undead Archers (1+ BSC Dark Trackers spawn more frequently and in pairs).
- Exit: Clock Room
- Traps: Spikes, and spiked balls
- Cell doors: 1 cell - Weapon/Skill Shop, 2 cells - Cell Container, Bell, 3 cells - Treasure Chest
- Bell Tower Key: Look for the 4 Bells and hit them once from low to high pitch.
Cavern
- Enemy Tier: 14-18
- Gear Level: 7
- Scrolls of Power: 2
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 3
- Enemies: Ground Shakers, Inquisitors, Demons, Lacerators, Slammers
- Exit: Guardian's Haven
- Traps: Lava, magnetic bombs, spikes, rotating spiked balls, electric fields
- Cell doors: 1 cell - Treasure Chest; 2 cells - Treasure Chest; 3 cells - 2-choice item altar; 4 cells - cursed chest; Festive Outfit
- Garland Key: Look for a vine passage in the ceiling, often near a shop.
Second Boss
Clock Room
- Enemies: The Time Keeper
- Enemy Tier: 21 (the Time Keeper's Brutality and Survival tiers are set to 17)
- Perfect Door (after the fight): Flawless fight (Legendary item)
- Exit: High Peak Castle
Guardian's Haven
- Enemies: The Giant
- Enemy Tier: 21 (0 BSC), 44 (5 BSC)
- Perfect Door (after the fight): Flawless fight (Legendary item)
- Exit: High Peak Castle
Sixth Stage: High Peak Castle
- Enemy Tier: 22-24
- Gear Level: 6
- Scrolls of Power: 1
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 2
- Enemies: Guardian Knights, Lancers, Catchers, Inquisitors.
- Exit: Throne Room
- Traps: Spikes and spiked balls
Third Boss: Throne Room
- Enemies: The Hand of the King
- Mobs summoned by The Hand of the King (1 or 2 will be Elites): Zombie, Inquisitor, Grenadier, Lacerator, Scorpion, Disgusting Worm, Cleaver. Slasher
- Enemy Tier: 26
- Exit: The Fountain (Prisoners' Quarters) and the Astrolab (5 BSC required)
Seventh Stage: Astrolab
- Enemy Tier: 44
- Gear Level: 10
- Dual-Stat Scrolls: 2
- Enemies: Bombers, Defenders, Failed Experiments, Magistrates of Death, Slammers
- Exit: Observatory
- Traps: Electric field, projectiles, spikes, pits, lava
Fourth Boss: Observatory
- Enemies: The Collector
- Mobs summoned by The Collector: Grenadier, Lancer, Runner, Undead Archer, Cleaver
- Enemy Tier: 47
- Exit: Prisoners' Quarters
Scrapped biomes
Repository of the Architects
Technically inaccessible stage. The entrance was behind the door that required 5 boss cells to open in the Graveyard. Upon altering the number of inoculated boss cells and entering the stage it could be seen that it had the same 'darkness' mechanic as the Forgotten Sepulcher. Only enemies present in the stage appeared to be Cannibals, which were a lot stronger than usual. The majority of the stage was locked behind a door that required the 'Key' key to open.
The Pier
An old ending point of a run that persisted until the 1.0 update came around. It would be accessed after defeating the final boss of the game, which at first was Conjunctivius, then The Time Keeper, and finally, the Hand of the King. It used to have a fisherman NPC right next to a boat, who would impale the Beheaded with a tentacle to let the player start a new run. Later that was changed to a "Work in Progress" sign and a tube, through which the Beheaded would crawl to go back to the Prisoners' Quarters.
References
- ↑ The development of Dead Cells is really moving on. Twinold. December 23, 2016.
- ↑ Dead Cells is AVAILABLE NOW! Steam. May 10, 2017.
- ↑ Building the Level Design of a procedurally generated Metroidvania: a hybrid approach, Gamasutra. March 29, 2017.