The end of a run
A run ends one of four ways: you die, you win, you turn back, or the free stair stops you.
Death
"YOU DIED". Your hero's ghost faces what landed the killing blow, with the blow named: who, which move, how much.
What a death takes: the run, its gear, its gems, and any treasure not yet carried out (it stays in the vault to find again). Where the gold goes: to the Dragon's Hoard. What stays: everything you have unlocked, and a row in the Ledger.
Why you died
Under the cause, a band offers the first thing to do differently. Tap it for the panel:
- A verdict. Against a boss: "Too little damage.", "Enough damage: health and armor ran out first.", or that your skill would have made the difference and you seldom cast it.
- "WHAT HIT YOU": the sources of the damage you took, as bars.
- "THE FIGHT": what you dealt, what their armor blocked, what they healed, how many Heavies you guarded, your best set.
- "WHAT TO TRY": up to three tips.
The tips are picked from what happened in that fight. These are the headlines the band can show:
| The band says | When |
|---|---|
| Wear more of one set. | Your biggest set had fewer than 5 pieces at a boss, or fewer than 3 elsewhere |
| Cast [your skill] when it glows. | Your skill was ready turn after turn and you seldom cast it |
| GUARD would have won it. | GUARD on your last turn, instead of what you did, wins the fight |
| GUARD halves a blow. | Two or more Heavies hit you unguarded and did a quarter of the damage |
| Pay the Tally. | The boss collected an unpaid Tally |
| Kill the healer first. | Enemies healed back 40% or more of your damage (against Mother Brine: "Kill her ghouls first.") |
| Get past their armor. | Enemy armor soaked 30% or more of your damage |
| End fights by turn 10. | The fight ran past turn 10 and a third of the damage you took came after |
| Drink the Green Draught. | Burn and poison did 30% or more of the damage, or enough to kill you on their own, and an undrunk Draught was in your bag |
| Carry a Green Draught. | The same, in the second depth or deeper, with no Draught carried |
| Wear more health. | The same, in the first depth, with no Draught carried |
| Spend your gold. | You died holding the price of two pieces or more |
| Get sturdier gear. | None of the above |
A death in the endless hoard shows no panel: that run had already won.
Victory
Beat Avarax on floor 30 and the reward panel reads "CURSE BROKEN", with "Claim victory" and "Go deeper". Either way the run is a win and every treasure you carry is yours. The victory screen is "THE HOARD BREAKS": your hero on a heap of gold in the gear they finished in, and six numbers counting up: FLOOR, KILLS, GOLD, BEST HIT, MERGES, TURNS.
Under "UNLOCKED" it lists what the win opened: a hero, a treasure, a Greed level, a border.
Turning back, and the free stair
"Abandon run" in the pause menu ends a run as "turned back". No gold goes to the dragon; the floor it reached still counts for your records and unlocks. The free descent's own ending, "CELLARS CLEARED", is on the free and full game page.
After any ending
"Descend again" starts a new run. "Board" opens the board, and the line at the foot carries the run's code and "REPLAY".
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Written from the game's own rules, version 2.9.4. Spotted something wrong? Tell us on Discord.