Chained Together is a physics driven climbing game from Anegar Games, published by Secret Mode on 19 June 2024 and priced around five euros. One to four players are literally chained to each other and have to climb roughly 3,600 metres from The Hell Cliffs to The Garden, with a fully simulated chain that catches on geometry and drags teammates off ledges. Falling is shared, so one bad jump can undo everyone's last twenty minutes. The map runs through 10 named sections, gated by height rather than by loading screens, and there are three modes: Normal with no checkpoints, Beginner with three checkpoints, and Lava with rising flames chasing you. Leaderboard runs only count in Normal and Lava.
Starting Chained Together can feel overwhelming. This guide tells you exactly what to focus on during your first hours so you don't waste time on things that don't matter yet. For the full progression path, see our walkthrough.
What Kind of Game Is This?
Chained Together is a adventure game built around Simulated chain physics and Shared fall punishment. The core loop involves mastering these systems to progress through increasingly challenging content.
What to expect: Time investment in learning mechanics, experimentation, and gradual mastery. The game rewards patience and knowledge.
Choosing Your First Build
| Build | Beginner Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The Anchor | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| The Jumper | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| The Caller | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| Solo Climber | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
| The Fourth Weight | Excellent for beginners | Balanced approach |
Our recommendation: Start with The Jumper. It offers the most forgiving experience while teaching core mechanics.
Avoid The Fourth Weight as your first pick. It requires deep knowledge of game systems to use effectively. Once you're ready, check our classes guide for all options.
First Session Step-by-Step
Step 1: Learn Simulated chain physics
The chain is a real physics object, not a leash with a fixed radius. It catches on ledges, wraps over platform edges and can be used deliberately as an anchor, which means an experienced pair uses it as a tool while a new pair treats it as the enemy.
This is the foundation. Spend your first 15-30 minutes getting comfortable with how Simulated chain physics works before worrying about anything else. Our combat guide breaks this down further.
Step 2: Head to The Hell Cliffs
The opening zone and the burning bottom of the map. Short gaps and simple geometry, which makes it the place to learn chain behaviour before it starts costing you real height.
Clear the main content here before moving on. Everything teaches fundamentals you'll need later. See our maps guide for all locations.
Step 3: Get Your First Upgrade
Look for Long jump: it's the most accessible early upgrade. The running jump that covers real distance. Learning it in Solo mode before co-op is the single highest value thing a new player can do, because a failed long jump in co-op drags a partner down too.
Step 4: Understand Shared fall punishment
Because everyone is attached, a fall drags the whole group down with you. Losing 200 metres of climb because one player mistimed a jump is the standard experience, and it is why the game rewards one player waiting still while another moves.
This is the system most new players overlook. Invest time here early. It pays off throughout the entire game.
Step 5: Push to The Subway Station
The longest of the lower zones at 500 metres of climb. Enclosed geometry means the chain catches constantly, which is where most first attempts stall out.
Essential Mechanics Explained
Simulated chain physics
The chain is a real physics object, not a leash with a fixed radius. It catches on ledges, wraps over platform edges and can be used deliberately as an anchor, which means an experienced pair uses it as a tool while a new pair treats it as the enemy.
Shared fall punishment
Because everyone is attached, a fall drags the whole group down with you. Losing 200 metres of climb because one player mistimed a jump is the standard experience, and it is why the game rewards one player waiting still while another moves.
Height gated zones
The 10 sections appear based on your altitude rather than through doors, spaced roughly every 400 to 500 metres. The Hell Cliffs cover 0 to 300 metres, The Subway Station runs 600 to 1,100, The Harbor 1,600 to 2,100, and The Garden closes the climb at 3,200 to 3,600.
Three difficulty modes
Normal has no checkpoints and full difficulty. Beginner adds three checkpoints, at heights around 576 in The Whispering Vault, 1,675 in The Harbor and 2,757 in The Deities, and softens some obstacles. Lava mode adds rising flames that force pace. Leaderboards only accept Normal and Lava runs.
Launchers and swing points
Later zones add catapult launchers and grab points that fling the group upward. They save enormous time when used correctly and cost enormous time when the player behind you is not ready, so calling them out before triggering is mandatory.
Common Beginner Mistakes
1. Both players jumping at the same time, which removes any anchor and turns a small mistake into a fall for everyone
2. Starting on Normal mode for a first run, giving up all three checkpoints before you have learned a single zone
3. Triggering a launcher without warning the rest of the chain, sending the group into a hazard nobody was looking at
4. Treating the chain as a fixed length leash rather than a physics object that wraps over ledges and snags on geometry
5. Adding a third and fourth player early on the assumption it will be easier, when each extra player multiplies the coordination cost
First 5 Hours Checklist
- Understand Simulated chain physics and Shared fall punishment
- Choose The Jumper as starting build
- Clear The Hell Cliffs main content
- Acquire Long jump or equivalent upgrade
- Reach The Subway Station
- The map is 10 sections and roughly 3,600 metres, from The Hell Cliffs at 0 to 300 metres up to The Garden at 3,200 to 3,600. Knowing which zone you are in tells you roughly how far you have left.
- Beginner mode's three checkpoints sit near heights 576 in The Whispering Vault, 1,675 in The Harbor and 2,757 in The Deities. Nothing else in the game saves your progress.
Tips for New Players
- The map is 10 sections and roughly 3,600 metres, from The Hell Cliffs at 0 to 300 metres up to The Garden at 3,200 to 3,600. Knowing which zone you are in tells you roughly how far you have left.
- Beginner mode's three checkpoints sit near heights 576 in The Whispering Vault, 1,675 in The Harbor and 2,757 in The Deities. Nothing else in the game saves your progress.
- Checkpoints do not exist in Normal or Lava mode, and only those two modes count for leaderboards, so a checkpointed run is practice rather than a record.
- Play Solo mode first. Without a chain partner the game is a straightforward precision platformer, and route knowledge learned solo transfers directly to co-op.
- The anchor and jumper pattern is the whole game at two players. One person plants, the other jumps, and you swap roles rather than both moving.
- The chain catches on geometry rather than passing through it, so a partner standing on the wrong side of a pillar will stop your jump dead mid air.
- Check what is above a launcher before you use it. Launching into an obstacle throws the whole chain back down and can cost several hundred metres.
- Lava mode's rising flames make the climb a memory test, not an exploration one. Do not attempt it before you can clear the first 1,100 metres from memory.
- Four player runs are far harder than two player runs, not four times more fun. Move one player at a time and never let two people jump simultaneously.
- At five euros with 16 achievements, this is a short game by content and a long one by attempts. The frustration is the product, and the store page is honest about it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Chained Together be played solo?
Yes. Solo mode removes the chain problem and leaves a precision platformer, which makes it the best place to learn routes before bringing in a partner. The game supports 1 to 4 players.
How tall is the map?
Roughly 3,600 metres across 10 named sections, starting with The Hell Cliffs at 0 to 300 metres and ending in The Garden at 3,200 to 3,600 metres. Zones change based on height rather than through loading screens.
Where are the checkpoints?
Three, and only in Beginner mode: around height 576 in The Whispering Vault after the aqua maze, around 1,675 in The Harbor past the crane crossing, and around 2,757 in The Deities on the path to the temple.
Do Beginner mode runs count for the leaderboard?
No. Leaderboard placement is valid only in Normal and Lava modes, which is the trade off for using checkpoints.
Does it have split screen?
Yes. Local co-op with split screen is supported alongside online play and Steam Remote Play Together, so a couch pair does not need two copies.
More Chained Together Guides
- Chained Together Chained Together Overview
- Chained Together Best Builds
- Chained Together Tier List
- Chained Together Walkthrough
- Chained Together Tips & Tricks
- Chained Together Weapons Guide
- Chained Together Combat Guide
- Chained Together Boss Guide
- Chained Together Maps & Locations
- Chained Together Crafting Guide
- Chained Together Classes & Characters
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- Dredge Beginner's Guide: adventure game with similar mechanics
