Important Notes

Important Notes for Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

This section covers critical warnings, pitfalls, irreversible choices, missable content, difficulty spikes, grinding traps, and common regrets. Knowing these from the start will save you frustration and lost progress.

1. Irreversible Choices & Permanent Missables

• Campaign Order: You can play campaigns in any order, but Shovel of Hope is designed as the first story. Playing others first may spoil narrative reveals and introduce mechanics that are not present in the original campaign. No save file is shared between campaigns.


• Save File Slots: The game uses three save slots per campaign. Once you save over a slot, the previous data is lost. Always keep a backup slot if you want to test something risky.


• Collectibles: Music Sheets (for the bard), Feats (achievements), and Health/Magic Upgrades are permanently missable if you leave a level without collecting them. Some areas become inaccessible after the final boss of the campaign. The Troupple King’s items (e.g., the Troupple Acolyte) are only available in specific overworld locations and cannot be returned to after certain story events.


• Merchant Items: Once you purchase a Relic or an item from the traveling merchant, it’s yours forever. But there is no way to sell back unwanted items. Plan your relic purchases (especially expensive ones like the Propeller Dagger or Phase Locket) to avoid wasting gold.


• Fairy Quest (Plague of Shadows): Mona has a side-quest that requires giving her specific ingredients. Missing one ingredient means you cannot complete the quest for that playthrough. Reload an earlier save or restart the campaign.




2. Difficulty Spikes & Boss Tips




• Each Campaign Has Unique Difficulty Curves:

- Shovel of Hope: Steady ramp, with a significant spike at the Propeller Knight airship stage and the final boss (The Enchantress). The Tower of Fate ascent is grueling.
- Plague of Shadows: More complex movement (bomb jumping) makes early levels harder. The Final Trial gauntlet is brutal.
- Specter of Torment: Faster, air-dash centric. The Lich Yard and Reize’s fight require tight timing.
- King of Cards: Card-based mechanics and a heavier emphasis on exploration. The Joustus challenges can be tricky, and the Final Castle is lengthy.

• Recommended Preparation: Before tackling any boss, ensure you have at least 3 Health Upgrades and the Relic that counters the boss’s pattern (e.g., Phase Locket for invincibility frames, Alchemy Coin for range).


• Boss Rush Mode: Unlockable after clearing a campaign. Extremely challenging; save all health/ magic upgrades for the final boss.




3. Grinding Traps & Economy




• Gold is Scarce Early On: Avoid spending gold on cosmetic items or unnecessary upgrades before you have max health. The Big Chest (costs 1500 gold) in each level only contains a Feat, not a permanent upgrade.


• No Experience System: There is no grinding for levels—upgrades come only from collectible items. If you lose a lot of gold from dying, consider replaying earlier levels to farm safely.


• Money Loss on Death: Dying costs you roughly half your current gold (unless you have the Greedy Feat active, which worsens it). Always spend gold before tough sections. The traveling merchant can be found before most bosses and in some hidden rooms; buy there.


• Relic Upgrades: Upgrading relics costs gold and often takes priority over buying potions or temporary boosts. Prioritize the Phase Locket (invincibility) and Mobile Gear (health recovery) first.




4. Missable Content & Secrets




• Secret Levels: There are hidden levels that are not marked on the map. For example, the Strike the Earth! segment in Shovel of Hope requires a specific relic (the Troupple Acolyte?) Actually, the entrance to the Lost City is behind a breakable wall in the Pridemoor Keep level. Search thoroughly.


• Feats (Achievements): Many feats are missable per playthrough. Examples:

- No Relic: Finish a level without using any relic.
- Manic Miner: Break all checkpoints in a level (cannot be done after clearing the level without replaying).
- Checkpointless: Complete a campaign without ever activating a checkpoint (requires perfect play).
- Feats are tracked per save file, but you can replay levels in “New Game+” to attempt missed feats.

• Secret Boss Fights: In Specter of Torment, there is a hidden Reize fight if you collect all his remains. In Plague of Shadows, defeat a hidden boss after collecting all ingredients for Mona.


• Joustus Cards (King of Cards): Some cards are only obtainable by beating specific opponents at Joustus. If you skip optional Joustus players in a town, you can return later, but some are missable after story events (e.g., the card given by the King of Cards himself).




5. Save Management Advice




• Manual Save Only: Shovel Knight uses checkpoint systems within levels (which can be broken for money), but saving the game is only done manually via the pause menu. Always save before quitting, especially after acquiring a major upgrade or after a boss.


• Multiple Save Slots: Use separate slots for each campaign to avoid confusion. Consider keeping one slot for a “clean” playthrough and another for experimentation.


• Backup Save: On PC, you can find save files in the game’s local folder (usually `%APPDATA%\Shovel Knight\` on Windows). Back them up occasionally to prevent corruption or loss from crashes.


• New Game+: When you clear a campaign, you unlock New Game+ which keeps your Relics and upgrades but makes enemies tougher and gold scarcer. You cannot revert to a normal save if you start NG+ – it creates a separate save slot.




6. Common Regrets & Tips to Avoid Them




• Not Buying the Phase Locket Early: Many players regret ignoring this relic because it grants invincibility frames. Purchase it as soon as the merchant offers it (after the first two levels).


• Breaking Checkpoints for Money: While it’s tempting to smash checkpoints for immediate gold, you will miss the ability to resume from that spot after death. Only break checkpoints when you are confident you can clear the section without dying.


• Skipping the Hub Village: The Village(town) in each campaign has NPCs who give lore and some side-quests. Talking to everyone unlocks feats and occasionally items (e.g., the Bard’s song).


• Not Using the Map Scroll: In the overworld, you can buy a map that reveals hidden paths. Without it, you might miss secret rooms or alternative routes.


• Thinking the Game is Linear: The order of levels is mostly open after the first two. It’s wise to tackle easier levels (like Lich Yard or Iron Whale) before harder ones (like Flying Machine).




7. Online Etiquette & Anti-Cheat Notes




• No Online Multiplayer: Shovel Knight has no online features. There is no anti-cheat system, and no leaderboards to worry about. Mods are allowed on PC but can corrupt save files if improperly installed. Use mods at your own risk.


• Local Multiplayer: In Showdown mode (local multiplayer), all players must be on the same screen; no online netcode exists. Settings for custom matches are straightforward.


• Speedrunning: If you intend to speedrun, note that the community uses specific version 4.2 for consistency. Avoid using cheats or external tools that modify game memory, as they will break the leaderboard rules for official submissions.




8. Platform-Specific Notes




• Nintendo Switch: The game runs at 60 fps in both handheld and docked. Save backups are not easily accessible; use multiple in-game save slots.


• PlayStation/Vita: Trophies are tied to Feats. Some trophies are missable (e.g., “No Checkpoint Clear”). Reload saves before completing level if you think you missed one.


• PC: Keyboard controls have preset layouts; you may want to remap to controller for comfort. Cloud saves (Steam) can occasionally conflict; manually sync when switching computers.


• Apple iOS / Android: Touch controls are noticeably less precise. Consider using a controller. Save files are not interchangeable with PC.




9. Final Warnings




• Do Not Delete Your Save File Randomly: The menu has a “Delete Save” option. Accidentally selecting it will wipe all progress without confirmation on some platforms. Always double-check.


• The Final Boss of Each Campaign Has a Second Phase: Do not use all your healing items in phase 1. The phase switch is signaled by the boss transforming or dialogue. Keep at least 2-3 healing vials for phase 2.


• Propeller Knight’s Level (Flying Machine): This level removes your Relics temporarily. Do not rely on Relics for survival; practice basic platforming before entering.

By paying attention to these notes, you can ensure a smoother and more complete playthrough of Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove. The game is generous with its checkpoints and saving system, but knowledge of missable content and optimal relic purchases will greatly enhance your experience.