So you’ve just picked up Megabonk and, like me, probably got flattened within the first few minutes. Don’t worry — that’s normal. This game looks silly on the surface, but underneath it’s a full roguelike with layered mechanics, stat systems, and unlocks that actually matter long-term.
I put this Megabonk Beginner Guide together to help new players understand how to survive their first runs, what to prioritize, and how all the little systems fit together. It’s not perfect (and I’ll keep updating it as I learn more), but it should save you from the “die instantly and have no clue why” problem most of us hit at first.
Megabonk Beginner Guide
The game is structured around runs. Each run drops you into a stage where your job is to survive, grab items, and eventually fight a boss. There’s a timer running down, and when it hits zero, the map fills with enemies that will swarm you until you either win or die.
Your early focus should be:
- Collecting items to grow stronger.
- Reaching the boss before the timer expires.
- Using shrines and interactables wisely.
Teleporters and Tiers
This part confuses a lot of beginners, so here’s how it works:
- In Tier 1, you can beat the boss, but you cannot teleport further.
- In Tier 2, defeating the boss unlocks the teleporter to the next stage.
- Higher tiers open up as you progress in future runs.
Think of it like checkpoints — the further your tier, the deeper you can push in one go.
Stats Explained
Megabonk tracks a surprising number of stats, and the game doesn’t always explain them clearly. Here’s what each one does (in beginner terms):
Max HP – Your health pool. Bigger = better.
HP Regen – How quickly you heal. Feels weak at first, but stackable with tomes and items.
Shield – A regenerating “second bar” that recharges if you avoid damage for a few seconds. Great for absorbing chip hits.
Armor – Reduces incoming damage. Keep in mind, the more armor you already have, the less each extra point helps.
Evasion – Chance to completely dodge an attack. Like armor, it scales worse the more you stack.
Lifesteal – Heals you when you land hits. Lifesteal tomes make this far more noticeable.
Thorns – Reflects damage back when you get hit.
Luck – Increases odds of rare item drops and higher-tier upgrades.
Don’t hyper-stack one stat (like only Armor). Balanced builds go further because you’ll always face mixed enemy types.
Important Interactables
You’ll see shrines and weird objects all over the map. Here are the key ones you’ll want to recognize:
Challenge Shrine – Spawns tough enemies. Beat them for loot. Risky but rewarding early.
Shrine of Succ – Pulls all XP on the map toward you when activated.
Boss Curse Shrine (Bloody Shrine) – Doubles the bosses you fight. Only for confident players.
Charge Shrine – Once charged, lets you choose between 3 stat boosts.
Golden Charge Shrine – Rare version with legendary-level stat options.
Moai Shrine – Gives you a free item choice. Always worth grabbing.
Greed Shrine – Provides money but permanently raises difficulty. Be careful stacking this.
Microwave – Lets you duplicate an item if you sacrifice another of the same rarity. Very powerful for scaling.
Shady Guy – Shop NPC. Offers items for gold. He disappears after a purchase, so pick carefully.
Boomboxes – Activate all of them in a run to unlock the Boombox. Only appears once.
Learning which shrines are worth the risk is a huge part of getting further each run.
Movement
Megabonk’s movement can feel clunky until you learn its quirks. Here’s what helps:
Slide (CTRL) – Builds momentum downhill, great for slow characters. Just don’t overshoot and miss loot.
Quick Restart (Hold R) – If your early rolls are bad, don’t waste time. Restart and try again.
Jumping & Dodging – Staying mobile is essential. Items like Feathers (higher jumps) and Slippery Ring (evasion boost) make a huge difference.
Movement mastery = survival. If you stand still, you’ll get surrounded fast.
Unlocks and Early Progression
Early runs aren’t about “winning” — they’re about unlocking permanent progression. The most important unlocks are:
- Third Weapon Slot – You’ll temporarily unlock this early. After your run ends, it becomes purchasable.
- Third Tome Slot – Same as weapons. Once unlocked, it massively expands your options.
- Shop Functions – Eventually lets you buy:
- Banish (remove items from your pool mid-run)
- Refresh (reroll choices)
- Skip (pass on an option safely)
Unlocks are what slowly make the game easier. Don’t be discouraged by early deaths.
Beginner-Friendly Items
There are dozens of items, but here are a few that feel amazing early:
- Gym Sauce – +10% damage. Straightforward and always good.
- Forbidden Juice – +10% crit chance. Scales super well with damage builds.
- Medkit – +3.5 HP regen. Helps you stay in fights longer.
- Slippery Ring – +15% evasion. Early survival tool.
- Golden Glove – +15% more gold. Snowballs your economy fast.
- Tactical Glasses – +20% damage to enemies above 90% HP. Helps burst down bosses.
Avoid items that don’t fit your playstyle. For example, Idle Juice (damage boost when standing still) is awful if you play a fast-moving character.
Megabonk is deceptively deep. At first you’ll die fast, but once you understand stats, shrines, movement, and items, runs start to click. Every unlock makes the game more manageable, and soon what felt impossible will just be your warm-up.
I’ll keep adding to this guide as I test more items and mechanics. In the meantime, if you’ve got tips I missed or figured out a weird synergy, drop it in the comments — sharing is how we all learn faster in games like this.