Your first run

VAEL is an extraction dungeon crawler. Every run you leave the Sanctuary, enter the Cursed Forest and work your way down through four depths, each grown fresh from the run's seed. Everything you pick up is at risk until you reach a way out and hold it.

#The loop

1. Enter. Walk out of the Sanctuary through the forest gate. The run is generated from a new seed: new paths, new rooms, new vaults.
2. Descend. Find the way down. Each depth below has a guardian standing before it on the first three; the portal stays sealed until it falls. See bosses.
3. Take. Weapons, armour, jewellery, keys, materials and gold. Your backpack only holds so much (12 slots to start; see the Satchel-Wright).
4. Decide. Push one room further, or turn back. Deeper depths pay better and hit harder, and from the Crypt down corruption builds the longer you stay.
5. Escape. Reach a way out and hold it while the dead come for you. See Death and extraction.

#Five things worth knowing

• Insure one item at your stash before you go (hover it, press B). It survives your death.
• Read the glint. A red glint at the start of a swing means you can parry it; orange means you can't, so block or dodge.
• Campfires heal. Stand by one without being hunted and you win back health, stamina and mana. See The Cursed Forest.
• Crouch (hold Ctrl) and enemies only notice you at about half their usual range, and not from behind.
• Skills are never lost. Gear goes when you die; your Skills stay.

New to the controls? The full list is on Controls.