If you’re looking for that signature roguelite gameplay that Hades is famous for, then Cinderia is the game for you. The pace is slightly slower, but things can get just as crazy once you’ve accumulated enough upgrades.
The game does a decent job of explaining its mechanics, but some of the wording can be confusing, and certain abilities available from the start remain unclear. Here are some tips to keep in mind.
Cinderia is currently in early access, so the information presented may change.
By default, you have a Dash, a regular attack sequence, and a ranged attack. Different characters may have slightly different versions, but that’s the basis. You can have up to three skills, but you need to find them during a run.
However, once you choose a skill, it’s locked in for the current run. You can’t replace it. If you find a new skill when all three slots are already filled, it will convert into an upgrade for one of the existing skills.
Moreover, after receiving at least one skill, all subsequent found skills can be immediately converted into an upgrade if the offered options don’t suit you.
Unlock the Second Dash
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Upon first returning to the Refuge, talk to Ella. She’s the nun with a blue stone above her head. She unlocks access to the “Soul Flame” prayer, which gives various permanent upgrades.
The currency for this accumulates during runs and isn’t lost, so you can save up if you’re aiming for a specific upgrade.
However, the first thing you should strive for is the “Agility” upgrade. It gives you a second charge of Dash, which you can use immediately after the first or during its cooldown. This significantly increases your survivability, possibly even more than you think.
Control Your Erosion
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One of the systems the game doesn’t explain very well is Erosion. Its value is displayed in the top-right corner of the screen, and each skill you acquire has its own Erosion value.
Erosion can reach 100. Once you accumulate enough skills to reach or exceed 100, the counter resets to zero, and then adds the amount by which you exceeded the limit. At this moment, a curse is placed upon you.
After reaching 100 units of Erosion, a random curse is placed upon you, which lasts until the end of the run. All of them are exclusively negative: for example, you become weaker after taking damage, receive more damage when your health is low, and so on.
There are several ways to lift curses, but they are all random. It’s impossible to reduce Erosion itself.
Always Enter Mysterious Rooms
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After you first defeat the starting location and its boss, mysterious rooms will begin to appear in all subsequent areas (and upon re-running the first area). Even with the corresponding research, you’ll only be told that it’s a mysterious room, but not what’s inside.
However, they almost always bring benefits. Some give you the opportunity to fish to restore health or gain resources. Others may allow you to remove one random skill and replace it with another, fully upgraded. All of them are unique.
The best part is that they can be studied. They usually appear in specific locations and at specific times. If you remember where they appear, you can almost guarantee what you’ll find behind the door.
Arrange Your Skills for Enhanced Effects
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Each of your three skills is bound to a specific button. You can swap them around as you see fit, but in some cases, a specific arrangement can give you additional bonuses.
Some accessories have additional effects beyond increasing your stats.
For example, the Elegant Bookmark reduces the cooldown time of the skill in the middle slot. Suddenly, the choice of button to which the skill is bound becomes a tactical decision.
In the settings, there’s also an option to change the way skills are activated, if you find a button layout that makes it easier to track skills when rearranging them.
Invest in the Forge
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During your first run, you’ll likely encounter a person trapped and being attacked by enemies. By freeing them, you’ll bring them back to the Refuge. Upon returning yourself, you can talk to them.
They want to set up a workstation to apply their skills, but first, they need a stone from you. This resource can be found during exploration or sometimes bought in shops during a run.
After creating their workstation, you gain the ability to upgrade the rest of the Refuge. This hides a multitude of key features, such as the Kitchen, which gives you enhancements during runs, so it’s worth launching it as soon as possible.
Unlock More Playable Characters
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An interesting feature of the game that helps it stand out is the presence of multiple playable characters. All of them are unlocked as you progress through the game, which feels quite organic. However, the game doesn’t make it obvious when you’ve actually unlocked a new character.
At the beginning, you play as Ryu, but as you progress through the game, you’ll encounter other characters who return to the Refuge, and you can play as them as well. For example, the Blacksmith’s niece becomes a playable character after you find her.
To switch characters, you need to talk to them in the Refuge and choose the “Switch” option. All permanent upgrades are shared among all characters. However, all skills and abilities acquired during a run are unique to each character.
Pay Attention to Your Accessories
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One of the most interesting features of Cinderia is accessories. They occupy special slots and give direct boosts to your stats, as well as special effects that usually become stronger and more diverse as the item’s rarity increases.
Unlike skills and abilities, accessories are not locked in forever. You can disassemble them at any moment if you find something better. Moreover, it’s beneficial to do so, as the materials obtained from disassembling can be used to enhance other accessories.
In some rooms, especially after transitioning to a new region, you can upgrade one accessory using the purple equipment crystals that drop when disassembling. Always remember what you have with you, so you don’t miss the chance to get even more powerful equipment.
