Cryptmaster is a first-person dungeon crawler where you fight by typing words. Your party of four undead heroes has forgotten their abilities — you rediscover them by guessing words letter by letter through descriptive clues from the snarky, omnipresent Cryptmaster narrator. Combat uses typing speed and word knowledge as your primary weapons, while exploration plays like a classic dungeon crawler with puzzles and secrets. The narrator responds dynamically to almost anything you type, creating hilarious emergent dialogue. It's part dungeon crawler, part word game, part improv comedy show.
Your choice of equipment defines your damage output and playstyle. This guide ranks every major option, explains what makes each one strong, and tells you which builds they pair best with.
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Tier | Best For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sword | S | Warrior for increasing combat word damage output | The Warrior's equipment that determines base melee damage. |
| Daggers | A | Thief for stealth and utility ability improvements | The Thief's equipment boosting stealth and utility word effectiveness. |
| Spell Scroll | A | Mage for maximizing spell word damage | The Mage's equipment that increases spell word damage. |
| Lute | B | Bard for stronger party buffs and healing | The Bard's equipment that increases buff and heal word effectiveness. |
| Shield | B | Warrior for passive damage reduction during combat | A defensive equipment slot available to the Warrior that reduces incoming damage. |
S-Tier: Sword
The Warrior's equipment that determines base melee damage. Better swords found in dungeons increase all Warrior combat word damage. The sword quality acts as a damage multiplier for typed combat words.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | S |
| Best For | Warrior for increasing combat word damage output |
| Key Mechanic | typing combat |
| Recommended Build | Warrior |
How to get it: Available from mid-game onward. See our walkthrough for the exact progression point.
Best builds using Sword: Pairs naturally with Warrior thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Daggers
The Thief's equipment boosting stealth and utility word effectiveness. Better daggers increase steal success rate and backstab damage. Daggers also improve lockpick speed for faster treasure room access.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Thief for stealth and utility ability improvements |
| Key Mechanic | word discovery |
| Recommended Build | Thief |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Daggers: Pairs naturally with Thief thanks to stat scaling synergies.
A-Tier: Spell Scroll
The Mage's equipment that increases spell word damage. Higher-tier scrolls multiply the damage of typed spell words. Finding the best scroll dramatically increases the Mage's already-high damage potential.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | A |
| Best For | Mage for maximizing spell word damage |
| Key Mechanic | character abilities |
| Recommended Build | Mage |
How to get it: Accessible in the early-to-mid game. Check our maps guide for the location.
Best builds using Spell Scroll: Pairs naturally with Mage thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Lute
The Bard's equipment that increases buff and heal word effectiveness. A better lute means stronger party buffs and more effective healing words. The lute quality determines how impactful the Bard's support role is.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Bard for stronger party buffs and healing |
| Key Mechanic | dungeon exploration |
| Recommended Build | Bard |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Lute: Pairs naturally with Bard thanks to stat scaling synergies.
B-Tier: Shield
A defensive equipment slot available to the Warrior that reduces incoming damage. Finding shields in dungeon chests provides passive defense that doesn't require typing to activate.
| Attribute | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tier | B |
| Best For | Warrior for passive damage reduction during combat |
| Key Mechanic | humor dialogue |
| Recommended Build | Party |
How to get it: Found in later areas. Our walkthrough covers when you can access this.
Best builds using Shield: Pairs naturally with Party thanks to stat scaling synergies.
Equipment Progression Path
The order you should acquire equipment as you progress:
- Starting gear → Enough to clear Graveyard
- Daggers → Your first real upgrade, available early
- Spell Scroll → Mid-game upgrade with good scaling
- Sword → Best-in-slot, aim for this by late game
- Upgrade to max → The power spike from max upgrades is enormous
Equipment Tips
- Always upgrade your primary equipment before diversifying — one strong option beats three mediocre ones.
- Match your equipment to your build's stat priorities for maximum scaling.
- Longer words deal more damage — when typing combat words, use the longest ability word available. An 8-letter ability word deals roughly 3x the damage of a 3-letter one.
- Check our tier list for how equipment rankings affect overall build effectiveness.
More Cryptmaster Guides
- Cryptmaster Cryptmaster Overview
- Cryptmaster Best Builds
- Cryptmaster Tier List
- Cryptmaster Walkthrough
- Cryptmaster Beginner's Guide
- Cryptmaster Tips & Tricks
- Cryptmaster Combat Guide
- Cryptmaster Boss Guide
- Cryptmaster Maps & Locations
- Cryptmaster Crafting Guide
- Cryptmaster Classes & Characters
Similar Games
If you enjoy Cryptmaster, check out these related guides:
- Elden Ring Weapons Guide — rpg game with similar mechanics
- Baldur's Gate 3 Weapons Guide — rpg game with similar mechanics
- Cyberpunk 2077 Weapons Guide — rpg game with similar mechanics
