Barony is a first-person roguelike dungeon crawler that combines classic dungeon crawling with 4-player co-op. You descend through procedurally generated levels fighting monsters, solving traps, and collecting loot with permadeath adding real stakes. The game's distinctive low-poly aesthetic and old-school dungeon crawler design recall classics like Ultima Underworld and Eye of the Beholder. With 5 classes, procedural dungeons, and co-op that makes challenging content accessible, Barony delivers classic dungeon crawling for modern players.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. Follow this path to avoid common traps that stall most players.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Mines | first-person dungeon crawling basics | Wizard | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Swamp | class skills mastery | Wizard | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Sand Labyrinth | co-op dungeon runs + gear | Warrior or Wizard | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Crystal Caves | Build optimization | Warrior | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Hell | Min-max | Warrior or Mechanic | Ongoing |
Phase 1: Getting Started — Mines
The starting dungeon levels with basic enemies and simple traps. Mines have open layouts and straightforward paths. Good for learning dungeon mechanics.
Level/Difficulty: Levels 1-5 (easy) Key Rewards: Basic loot, trap awareness training, first equipment upgrades
What to Do in Mines
- Learn first-person dungeon crawling. Grid-based movement through 3D dungeons with real-time combat. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Wizard as your starting build. It's the most forgiving option.
- Strength determines melee damage, invest early if playing Warrior or Cleric — hitting harder kills faster, reducing damage taken.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade — Crystal Staff or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand first-person dungeon crawling fundamentals
- Wizard selected and functional
- Mines main content cleared
- Ready for Swamp
Phase 2: Early Game — Swamp
Flooded levels with poison enemies and visibility-reducing fog. Swamp levels test poison resistance and navigation. Hidden paths through water conceal secrets.
Level/Difficulty: Levels 6-10 (medium) Key Rewards: Poison resistance items, swamp-specific loot, secret area access
What to Do in Swamp
- Work on class skills. Five classes (Warrior, Wizard, Archer, Cleric, Mechanic) have unique abilities. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Crystal Staff if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Potions are unidentified until tested — drink one of each unknown potion to identify them. Some heal, some poison, some buff. Knowledge persists within a run.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Sand Labyrinth.
- Consider whether Warrior might suit your playstyle better than Wizard.
Phase 2 Checklist
- class skills integrated into gameplay
- Crystal Staff acquired
- Swamp fully cleared
- Ready for Sand Labyrinth
Phase 3: Mid Game — Sand Labyrinth
A maze-like desert dungeon with sand traps and mummy enemies. Navigation is the primary challenge — getting lost wastes resources and increases danger.
Level/Difficulty: Levels 11-15 (hard) Key Rewards: Desert-themed loot, navigation challenges, mummy drops
What to Do in Sand Labyrinth
- Master co-op dungeon runs. 4-player online co-op allows class-diverse parties to tackle dungeons together. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Steel Sword. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- Secret walls hide treasure rooms — bump into suspicious walls to check. Secret rooms contain some of the best loot in the game.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in permadeath for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- co-op dungeon runs mastered
- Steel Sword acquired or in progress
- Sand Labyrinth fully cleared
- Ready for Crystal Caves
Phase 4: Late Game — Crystal Caves
Crystalline dungeon with reflected-light puzzles and elemental enemies. Crystal Caves have the most complex puzzles and varied enemy types. Some enemies reflect spells.
Level/Difficulty: Levels 16-20 (very hard) Key Rewards: Crystal equipment, spell-reflecting enemy encounters, complex puzzles
What to Do in Crystal Caves
- Finalize your build. You should be running Warrior or Wizard with optimized gear.
- Steel Sword should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Co-op allows 4 players for easier clearing — each player can specialize in a role, making the group stronger than the sum of individual characters.
- secret levels optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Hell.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Steel Sword upgraded to max
- Crystal Caves fully cleared
- Ready for Hell
Phase 5: Endgame — Hell
The final dungeon area with demon enemies and fire hazards. Hell is the climax — maximum difficulty with the best loot. The final boss awaits at Hell's deepest level.
Level/Difficulty: Levels 21-25 (final) Key Rewards: Endgame loot, final boss, game completion
What to Do in Hell
- Hell tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Permadeath means play carefully near traps — check floors for pressure plates, walls for dart traps, and ceilings for falling blocks. Traps kill more players than enemies.
- The endgame loop: run Hell, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Mechanic for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where secret levels mastery separates good players from great ones.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- Hell fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Rushing through rooms without checking for traps — traps are deadlier than most enemies and are invisible until triggered or detected.
- Playing Wizard without managing scroll inventory — running out of scrolls mid-dungeon leaves you nearly defenseless. Conserve scrolls for tough encounters.
- Splitting up in co-op — the dungeon is dangerous enough as a group. Splitting up means no healing, no tank, and no revive possibility.
- Drinking unidentified potions carelessly — some potions deal damage or inflict debuffs. Test one of each type in a safe situation before relying on them.
- Ignoring secret walls — secret rooms contain the best loot. Spending 30 seconds checking walls per room pays off enormously over a full run.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Strength determines melee damage, invest early if playing Warrior or Cleric — hitting harder kills faster, reducing damage taken.
- Potions are unidentified until tested — drink one of each unknown potion to identify them. Some heal, some poison, some buff. Knowledge persists within a run.
- Secret walls hide treasure rooms — bump into suspicious walls to check. Secret rooms contain some of the best loot in the game.
- Co-op allows 4 players for easier clearing — each player can specialize in a role, making the group stronger than the sum of individual characters.
- Permadeath means play carefully near traps — check floors for pressure plates, walls for dart traps, and ceilings for falling blocks. Traps kill more players than enemies.
For detailed build optimization, see Barony builds. For quick wins, check tips & tricks.
