Dead Cells: How To Access Every Area | Hidden & Optional Areas Guide

Dead Cells isn’t just a rogue-lite action-platformer, there’s also some Metroidvania DNA in this brutally difficult little game. Every area that you explore has one, two or three exit doors you can use. There’s a standard path, and then there’s a whole bunch of optional areas with totally new enemies — and in one particular case, all new mechanics.

You might not realize how many bonus areas there are in this game. There are a whole lot, and we’ve put together a quick guide explaining how to access each zone. You’ll need runes to access these optional areas — check the rune location guide in the link bank below for all the details. Search for a passage that uses the specific runes listed in this guide, and you’ll always find a door to one of the extra areas.

More Dead Cells guides on Gameranx:

• Dead Cells: How To Find Keys & Cash In The Promenade | Secrets Guide
• Dead Cells: How To Get The Vine, Teleportation, Ram & Spider Runes | Locations Guide
• Dead Cells: Want To Make Easy Progress? Equip Double Turrets | Powerful Build Guide

How To Access Every Area | Hidden & Optional Areas Guide

There are 13 areas (or biomes) in Dead Cells, and each tiered area usually has a standard exit, and an optional exit leading to a special location that isn’t required. The standard exit doesn’t require any runes, while the special, secret, or optional exits almost always require one of the four rune powers.

• Prison Quarters:
  • Leads To: Promenade of the Damned (Standard, No Runes)
  • Leads To: Toxic Sewers (Vine Rune)

• Promenade of the Damned:
  • Leads To: Ramparts (Standard, No Runes)
  • Leads To: Ossuary (Teleportation Rune)
  • Leads To: Prison Depths (Spider Rune)

• Toxic Sewers:
  • Leads To: Ramparts (Standard, No Runes)
  • Leads To: Ancient Sewers (Ram Rune)

• Ramparts:
  • Leads To: Black Bridge (Standard, No Runes, Concierge Boss)
  • Leads To: Insufferable Crypt (Requires 3 Boss Source Cells)

• Prison Depths:
  • Leads To: Ossuary (Standard, No Runes)

• Ancient Sewers:
  • Leads To: Insufferable Crypt (Standard, No Runes, Watcher Boss)

• Ossuary:
  • Leads To: Black Bridge (Standard, No Runes)

• Black Bridge: (Concierge Boss)
  • Leads To: Stilt Village (Standard, No Runes)
  • Leads To: Slumbering Sanctuary (Spider Rune)

• Insufferable Crypt: (Watcher Boss)
  • Leads To: Slumbering Sanctuary (Standard, No Runes)
  • Leads To: Graveyard (Spider Rune)

• Stilt Village:
  • Leads To: Clock Tower (Standard, No Runes)
  • Leads To: Forgotten Sepulcher (Teleportation Rune)

• Slumbering Sanctuary:
  • Leads To: Clock Tower (Standard, No Runes)
  • Leads To: Forgotten Sepulcher (Standard, No Runes)

• Graveyard:
  • Leads To: Forgotten Sepulcher (Standard, No Runes)

• Clock Tower:
  • Leads To: Clock Room (Standard, No Runes, Time Keeper Boss)

• Forgotten Sepulcher:
  • Leads To: Clock Room (Standard, No Runes, Time Keeper Boss)

• Clock Room: (Time Keeper Boss)
  • Leads To: High Peak Castle (Standard, No Runes)

• High Peak Castle:
  • Leads To: Throne Room (Standard, No Runes, Hand of the King Boss)