Game Tips

Game Tips for Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove

General Tips

• Game Selection Matters: Each campaign (Shovel of Hope, Plague of Shadows, Specter of Torment, King of Cards) has unique mechanics. Play Shovel of Hope first to learn core shovel mechanics; it’s the most balanced introduction.


• Always Check for Hidden Walls: Many stages have breakable walls (often with a subtle visual crack or different color). Tap them with your shovel to reveal secret rooms, relics, or money.


• Save Often: The game auto-saves at checkpoints and after clearing a stage, but you can manually exit to the map. Use this to retry boss fights without replaying the whole level.


• Listen to NPCs: The townsfolk in the hub area give hints about secret levels, relic usage, and weaknesses of Order of No Quarter members.


• Challenge Modes Unlock After Beating Campaigns: Don’t skip the main story; there are additional modes (e.g., Body Swap, Custom Knight) that add huge replay value.




Combat Tips



• Shovel Bounce (Pogo) Is Your Best Move: Jump and press down+attack to bounce on enemies and hazards. This deals damage, allows multi-bounces on single enemies, and lets you cross spike pits safely. Master it immediately.


• Downward Thrust for High Damge: When falling, press attack to perform a downward stab. It destroys many projectiles and hits enemies below you. Great for descending pits with precision.


• Use the Shovel’s Range: Shovel Knight’s basic swing has a wide arc. Use it to clear multiple enemies in front of you (e.g., in tight corridors). The upward swing (holding up+attack) hits flying enemies directly overhead.


• Relic Management: Relics like the Flare Wand (fireball) or Phase Locket (invincibility) consume magic. Magic refills when you defeat enemies or destroy candles. Save magic for bosses or tough platforming sections.


• Throwing Anchor (a relic) is a Game Changer: It sticks to enemies and can be pulled back, dealing extra damage. Excellent against slow bosses. Combine with Shovel Bounce for hit-and-run tactics.


• Plague Knight’s Bomb Jumping: If playing Plague of Shadows, you can detonate bombs to propel yourself upward or sideways. Use this for vertical exploration and attacking enemies from above.


• Specter Knight’s Dash Slash: In Specter of Torment, holding attack while dashing performs a powerful dash slash that can kill multiple enemies in one go. Time it after a jump to hit flying foes.


• King of Cards’ Shoulder Bash: King Knight can charge his shoulder bash to break through shields and walls. Use it to access secret areas, but be careful—it leaves you vulnerable if you miss.




Exploration Tips



• Check Every Corridor Before Leaving a Room: Many secrets are in dead ends or after tricky platforming. If a path seems possible but has spikes, try Shovel Bounce on spike blocks (you can bounce on them!).


• Destroy Candles and Torches: They drop money, sometimes relics or health. Even in secret rooms, always smash them.


• Use the Propeller Dagger (a relic) to Reach High Ledges: When you acquire it, revisit previous stages to find chests you missed. This is essential for 100% completion.


• The Troupple Pond: After beating a boss, check the world map for a small pond icon. There you can trade Troupple Chalices for permanent upgrades: health, magic, or temporary boosts. Save them for hard levels.


• Secret Levels: Some stages have hidden exits (e.g., the Explodatorium’s secret room behind a breakable wall after the first checkpoint). These lead to bonus levels like the mysterious “Boss-Only” challenges or the “Plague Knight” secret ending.


• Mess with the Environment: Push blocks, pull levers, and light braziers. Some puzzles require timing (e.g., hitting a switch while on a moving platform).




Resources & Economy Tips



• Gold Management: You lose some gold when you die (unless you buy the Golden Gavel relic which protects it). Spend gold on health/magic upgrades early: they make later stages much easier.


• Buy Relics in Order: Prioritize the Flare Wand (offensive), Phase Locket (survival), and Propeller Dagger (mobility). Shovel Blade upgrades (damage) are good but expensive; buy when you have surplus.


• Collect Music Sheets: They are hidden in each level and can be traded to the Bard in the hub for a permanent item (e.g., the Game Genie code that lets you play as a recolored knight).


• Fishing: In the hub village, you can fish for money. Cast your line where bubbles appear. Some rare fish give gems worth 500 gold. Fish after each boss to stockpile.


• Don’t Hoard Relics: You can hold up to 9 relics. Sell duplicates you find (relics respawn in some stages) to the Relic Merchant for quick cash.




Boss Battle Tips



• Learn Patterns: Each member of the Order of No Quarter has a distinct attack cycle. Watch for telegraphing: e.g., King Knight’s shoulder charge has a long wind-up; jump over him and strike from behind.


• Boss Weaknesses: Use the correct relic. For example, the Flare Wand deals extra damage to Red (the fire-shooting boss). The Alchemy Coin stuns Specter Knight. Experiment or read hints from townsfolk.


• Pogo on Bosses: Many bosses can be stun-locked with repeated Shovel Bounces (e.g., Treasure Knight). This is riskier but deals heavy damage if you time your bounces.


• Use Phase Locket: When a boss summons minions (like the Tinker Knight’s summons or the Propeller Knight’s wind attacks), activate the Phase Locket to become intangible and avoid damage while still moving.


• Practice Parrying (Specter of Torment): Specter Knight can parry attacks by pressing attack just before being hit. This creates a window to counter-attack. Master this for harder bosses like the Enchantress.




Platforming Tricks



• Bounce off Walls: You can wall-jump on certain surfaces (usually marked with a pattern). In Shovel of Hope, only specific walls are climbable; in Specter of Torment, you can wall-slide indefinitely.


• Shovel Bounce on Spikes: Yes, you can pogo on spike blocks without taking damage. Use this to cross spike pits or climb vertical spike corridors.


• Use the Anchor to Pull Yourself: After throwing the Throwing Anchor, you can pull yourself toward the point you hit (including walls). This gives extra distance in jumps.


• Crouching to Slide: In Shovel of Hope, you can slide under low obstacles by pressing down while running. This is critical in tight tunnels and some boss rooms.


• Plague Knight’s Double Jump: Plague Knight can activate a bomb mid-air to double jump. In Plague of Shadows, you can chain bomb jumps to reach seemingly impossible heights.




Upgrade & Build Strategies



• Health vs Magic Upgrade: Always buy health first (up to 5 hearts). Then magic (up to 5 bars). Only then invest in Shovel Blade damage. Survival trumps all.


• Relic Loadout: For general exploration: Flare Wand + Propeller Dagger + Phase Locket. For bosses: swap to Throwing Anchor + Alchemy Coin (if applicable) + a damage relic.


• Troupple Chalice Strategy: Save your chalices for stages with no health refills (like The Lich Yard) or for boss rushes. If you have multiple, use one for permanent health (Green chalice) early, then one for magic (Red) later.


• Crossover Gear: If you own multiple campaigns, you can unlock crossover relics like the “Shovel of Destiny” (from Shovel Knight: Showdown) which double damage. Not strictly needed but fun.




Advanced Optimizations



• Speedrun Techniques: Use Shovel Bounce cancelling to maintain momentum. You can also use the Phase Locket to skip certain enemy encounters by becoming intangible and dashing through.


• No Damage Run Tips: If attempting a no-hit run, equip the Phase Locket and learn enemy spawns. Use the Propeller Dagger to avoid ground hazards. Practice each level until you can clear it without taking a single hit.


• Steam Achievements: There is an achievement for not buying any upgrades (except the mandatory ones). For that, rely on relics found in chests and avoid spending gold. Use the Alchemy Coin to solve puzzles without upgrades.


• Multiplayer Co-op Tips: In co-op mode, Shovel Knight and Shield Knight have complementary moves. Use Shield Knight’s projectile to cover your approach, and Shovel Knight’s pogo to clear tight spaces. Coordinate relic use – one takes offensive relics, the other defensive.


• Body Swap Mode Mastery: In Body Swap mode, you control a different character (e.g., Plague Knight with Shovel Knight’s moves). This changes jump height and attack range dramatically – adjust your timing accordingly.




Economy & Fishing Detailed



• Fish for Big Cash: The fishing minigame in the hub gives random fish sizes. Small fish give 20g, medium 50g, large 200g, and legendary 500g. After each boss fight, fish until you get a large or legendary – it’s a quick 500g.


• Buy the Golden Gavel First: In the Relic shop, the Golden Gavel costs 3000g but prevents gold loss on death. It pays for itself after a few deaths. Buy it as soon as you can afford it.


• Sell Duplicate Relics: When you acquire a relic you already own (from hidden chests), you can sell the duplicate for half its buy price. This is a good way to get extra money mid-game.




Secrets & Easter Eggs



• The Bank in the Village: You can deposit money with the Banker. If you deposit enough, he will give you a special item (the Scrooge’s Bag). However, if you die too much, he may run away with your money. Keep a backup stash.


• Secret Boss: There is a hidden boss called the Reaper Knight in a secret room in the Explodatorium. To access it, you need to break a wall near the first checkpoint and then defeat a series of enemies. The reward is a powerful relic.


• Knight Gallery: After beating each campaign, you unlock a gallery of character art. There are hidden gallery pieces in each stage (e.g., a portrait of the developers). Check every corner.


• New Game Plus: After beating the game once, you unlock New Game Plus where enemies are tougher and you keep your upgrades. This is the real test of skill.




Final Pro-Tip



• Use the Pogo Everywhere: It’s the most versatile move in the game. Practice bouncing on different surfaces until it becomes muscle memory. Once you master pogo, the game becomes significantly easier.

By following these tips, you’ll not only complete Shovel Knight but also discover its many secrets and challenges. Happy digging!