=Game Mechanics

Weapon Proficiency and Skills

Each weapon has an affiliated skill that can be used while the weapon is equipped.

The user gains proficiency with any weapon based on the number of strikes given to objects and enemies. As proficiency rises, the damage dealt by the weapon increases by a significant amount.

At 100% proficiency, you permanently learn the equipped weapon's skill,and are able to utilize it without that weapon equipped. The curve of gaining proficiency resets. The curve from 100% to 200% is much sharper, but the damage dealt by the weapon is also on a sharper curve to its' maximum state.

Skills that amplify weapon damage stack.

Each active skill has a set amount of uses available between rests. Drinking a magic potion (highlighted skill), leveling up (all skills), dying to utilize an elixir (all skills) or touching a save statue refreshes the amount of uses available.

Passive skills have their effect active so long as they are equipped on the skillbar.

Spells

Spells are divided by 'tier'. Each 'tier' generally has a set amount of base casts (20,10,7).

Spells are further divided (with the exception of specific spells) into levels. The basic elemental spells have 3 levels. The middle tier elemental spells have 2 levels. The special spells have one level.

Spells and equipment available in the shops are updated per Crown boss kill. You can find most of the spells in the wild once the exploration items are found and the pathways to them are open.

Touching a save statue (all spells), upgrading a level one spell with a higher spellbook (only that spell), drinking a magic potion (only the highlighted spell), leveling up (all spells) all refresh the amount of available spellcasts.

Routing around killcounts, experience, and spellcasts between areas to refresh spell and skill uses between levelups and statues is a thing.

Passive Items

Items with a passive effect like the Ruby and the Gauntlets have their passive effect active only while they are equipped to the item bar. You need to swap out these items between the inventory and item bar based on your circumstances in order to progress.

Experience Gain

Each monster has a base amount of given experience. As your level approaches and exceeds their level, that given amount decreases, to a minimum of 1.

Guardian Spirits

Guardian cards level up, with each individual enemy death granting one experience. The card effect given increases per level of the card. The Flugel card grants an additional 10% experience given per card level(max card level 5), and the Sorcerian card grants an additional 3% magic damage per card level (max card level 5).

You can also get a flat level (no experience is carried over) from touching Guardian statues scattered about the island. Routing out killcounts in order to utilize these statues most efficiently is a thing.

Keys

The general store in towns sells the keys you will need for progression. You need roughly a hundred and fifty to complete the game.

As you purchase keys, the next key gets more expensive at a ludicrous rate. To keep the price of keys to a reasonable amount, you need to sell this shopkeeper monster bones.

Each monster bone sold reduces the cost by 5 keys worth, to a floor of 20. The first three keys buy for 20. Buying keys to 23 gp cost, then selling a bone and repeating is the most efficient method.

Monster bones sometimes drop from enemies, but Agnes (dungeon shopkeep) sells 2 for a price determined by your character level. You can fill up to 10 monster bones at her locations, then stock keys at the next available opportunity.

Agnes appears at set locations upon fully clearing the room and reentering.

Block Puzzles

Block puzzles are pretty straightforwards until the colored blocks (match 3) and the hover boots come into play.

Alternate puzzle solutions

The above video has alternate solutions to a few of the puzzles.

Backstabs, directional damage

When you attack an enemy from the front, it deals reduced damage. Attacking from the sides increases damage dealt slightly, and attacking from the rear (signified by red slashes appearing on the enemy and a 'critical hit' screenshake, very satisfying) increases damage significantly.

Directional damage and backstabs apply to the player as well, so watch your back.

Item drops

The final enemy killed on a screen will always drop a chest containing something pulled from that enemies' loot list. The final enemy must be killed with physical attacks in order for this to occur. You can accidentally destroy this chest.