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.
This walkthrough takes you from your first session to endgame content. Each phase has specific goals, priorities, and milestones. New to the game? Start with our beginner's guide first.
Quick Progression Summary
| Phase | Area | Focus | Build | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | The Hell Cliffs | Simulated chain physics basics | The Jumper | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | The Subway Station | Shared fall punishment mastery | The Jumper | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | The City | Height gated zones + gear | The Anchor or The Jumper | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | The Harbor | Build optimization | The Anchor | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | The Garden | Min-max | The Anchor or The Fourth Weight | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (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.
Level/Difficulty: 0 to 300 metres Key Rewards: Chain physics familiarity, basic jump and long jump practice
What to Do in The Hell Cliffs
- Learn Simulated chain physics. The chain is a real physics object, not a leash with a fixed radius. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick The Jumper as your starting build. See our builds guide for why.
- 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.
- Acquire your first equipment upgrade: Long jump or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Simulated chain physics fundamentals
- The Jumper selected and functional
- The Hell Cliffs main content cleared
- Ready for The Subway Station
Phase 2: Early Game (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.
Level/Difficulty: 600 to 1,100 metres Key Rewards: First real test of the anchor and jumper method, entry to The City
What to Do in The Subway Station
- Work on Shared fall punishment. Because everyone is attached, a fall drags the whole group down with you. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Long jump if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- 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.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to The City.
- Consider whether The Anchor might suit your playstyle better than The Jumper.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Shared fall punishment integrated into gameplay
- Long jump acquired
- The Subway Station fully cleared
- Ready for The City
Phase 3: Mid Game (The City)
A 500 metre urban stretch above the subway. More open than the station below it, with longer falls as the trade off for easier chain management.
Level/Difficulty: 1,100 to 1,600 metres Key Rewards: Access to The Harbor, the halfway psychological marker of the climb
What to Do in The City
- Master Height gated zones. The 10 sections appear based on your altitude rather than through doors, spaced roughly every 400 to 500 metres. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Standard jump. It's the best equipment and becomes accessible around now.
- 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.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Three difficulty modes for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Height gated zones mastered
- Standard jump acquired or in progress
- The City fully cleared
- Ready for The Harbor
Phase 4: Late Game (The Harbor)
Crane hooks and swinging sections dominate here, and the Beginner mode checkpoint sits at roughly height 1,675 on the far side of the crane crossing.
Level/Difficulty: 1,600 to 2,100 metres Key Rewards: Second Beginner checkpoint at height 1,675, entry to The Temple
What to Do in The Harbor
- Finalize your build. You should be running The Anchor or The Jumper with optimized gear.
- Standard jump should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- 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.
- Launchers and swing points optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into The Garden.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Standard jump upgraded to max
- The Harbor fully cleared
- Ready for The Garden
Phase 5: Endgame (The Garden)
The final zone and the top of the climb, the calm counterpoint to the bone and fire imagery at the bottom. Reaching it ends the run.
Level/Difficulty: 3,200 to 3,600 metres Key Rewards: Run completion, leaderboard time in Normal or Lava mode
What to Do in The Garden
- The Garden tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- 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 endgame loop: run The Garden, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with The Fourth Weight for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Launchers and swing points mastery separates good players from great ones. See our tips guide for advanced strategies.
Phase 5 Checklist
- Endgame content on farm
- Best-in-slot gear acquired
- The Garden fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Both players jumping at the same time, which removes any anchor and turns a small mistake into a fall for everyone.
- Starting on Normal mode for a first run, giving up all three checkpoints before you have learned a single zone.
- Triggering a launcher without warning the rest of the chain, sending the group into a hazard nobody was looking at.
- Treating the chain as a fixed length leash rather than a physics object that wraps over ledges and snags on geometry.
- Adding a third and fourth player early on the assumption it will be easier, when each extra player multiplies the coordination cost.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- 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.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More Chained Together Guides
- Chained Together Chained Together Overview
- Chained Together Best Builds
- Chained Together Tier List
- Chained Together Beginner's Guide
- 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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