DDraceNetwork is a free, open source cooperative 2D precision platformer built on the Teeworlds engine, and it arrived on Steam on 17 August 2020. Up to 64 players share one server and drag each other through thousands of community maps using a grappling hook and a hammer. Official servers run across 14 countries, and every finish feeds a single global points table holding over 33,000 points.
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 | Role | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Start | Novice | Grappling hook movement basics | Rank chaser | 1-2 hours |
| 2. Early | Moderate | Freeze and deep freeze tiles mastery | Rank chaser | 3-5 hours |
| 3. Mid | Brutal | Hammer unfreezing + gear | Novice runner or Rank chaser | 5-10 hours |
| 4. Late | Insane | Build optimization | Novice runner | 5-10 hours |
| 5. Endgame | Solo | Min-max | Novice runner or Map maker | Ongoing |
See our maps guide for detailed area breakdowns.
Phase 1: Getting Started (Novice)
The entry category and the largest one, meant to be finished by a group rather than a soloist. Star ratings run from 0 to 5, paying 1 point up to 6 points per map.
Level/Difficulty: First 20 hours Key Rewards: Low risk points, hook fundamentals, a feel for team play
What to Do in Novice
- Learn Grappling hook movement. The hook reaches roughly 11 blocks and accelerates you toward whatever it grabs until you hit the cap of about 20 blocks per second. Spend your first session getting comfortable with this.
- Pick Rank chaser as your starting role. See our builds guide for why.
- Bind the dummy toggle to a single key before doing anything else. Almost every solo technique, from deepfly to dummy hammer parts, assumes you can swap control between two tees without pausing to open a menu.
- Acquire your first weapons upgrade: Hammer or whatever's available.
- Clear all main content before moving on.
Phase 1 Checklist
- Understand Grappling hook movement fundamentals
- Rank chaser selected and functional
- Novice main content cleared
- Ready for Moderate
Phase 2: Early Game (Moderate)
The step where parts stop forgiving sloppy hook timing. A 0 star Moderate map already pays 5 points, which is more than any Novice map.
Level/Difficulty: After roughly 100 Novice finishes Key Rewards: 5 to 15 points per map, first real hookfly and shotgun parts
What to Do in Moderate
- Work on Freeze and deep freeze tiles. A freeze tile disables movement keys, jumping, the hook and every weapon for a few seconds. This system becomes critical from here on.
- Farm for Hammer if you haven't already. It's the key upgrade for this phase.
- Learn the /r rescue command on your first evening. It teleports you back out of freeze to the last safe position, which turns a dead run into a five second setback rather than a restart from the start line.
- Complete all objectives before pushing to Brutal.
- Consider whether Novice runner might suit your playstyle better than Rank chaser.
Phase 2 Checklist
- Freeze and deep freeze tiles integrated into gameplay
- Hammer acquired
- Moderate fully cleared
- Ready for Brutal
Phase 3: Mid Game (Brutal)
Long maps with sections that assume you can hammerfly and rocket jump on demand. A 3 star Brutal map pays 24 points, so a handful of finishes moves your global rank noticeably.
Level/Difficulty: Several hundred hours in Key Rewards: 15 to 30 points per map, save code discipline, reliable partners
What to Do in Brutal
- Master Hammer unfreezing. The hammer is short ranged melee that instantly releases any tee it touches from freeze. This unlocks a new layer of gameplay.
- Start working toward Hook. It's the best weapon and becomes accessible around now.
- Hook the wall before you jump, not after. Beginners jump first and then hook, which wastes the jump, while the correct order lets the hook add its own acceleration on top of your existing upward speed.
- This area is the main skill check. If you can clear it, you're ready for late game.
- Start investing in Team system with save codes for the tactical depth you'll need going forward.
Phase 3 Checklist
- Hammer unfreezing mastered
- Hook acquired or in progress
- Brutal fully cleared
- Ready for Insane
Phase 4: Late Game (Insane)
The hardest team category, where single parts can take a week of attempts. These maps sit at the top of the points table and many have only a few dozen finishers worldwide.
Level/Difficulty: Veteran only Key Rewards: 30 to 50 points per map, a name on leaderboards most players never touch
What to Do in Insane
- Finalize your build. You should be running Novice runner or Rank chaser with optimized gear.
- Hook should be your primary. If you don't have it yet, prioritize getting it.
- Download the top 5 demo for any map that is beating you. DDNet stores replays of the fastest finishes, and watching a 200 point player route a part is worth more than an hour of blind attempts.
- Points scaled by map difficulty optimization starts here. Small improvements compound into massive advantages.
- Farm this area for the resources needed to push into Solo.
Phase 4 Checklist
- Build fully optimized
- Hook upgraded to max
- Insane fully cleared
- Ready for Solo
Phase 5: Endgame (Solo)
Maps designed to be completed alone, with no teammates and no dummy interference, though chat stays open. This is the category to use when nobody else is online in your region.
Level/Difficulty: Any, difficulty varies map to map Key Rewards: Points without needing a group, plus clean practice for movement technique
What to Do in Solo
- Solo tests everything. Come prepared with your best build and gear.
- Use /save after every hard section on a long Brutal map. The code stores your whole team state, so a disconnect or a dinner break costs nothing instead of erasing two hours of progress.
- The endgame loop: run Solo, optimize gear, push harder content.
- Experiment with Map maker for a fresh take once you've mastered the standard builds.
- This is where Points scaled by map difficulty 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
- Solo fully cleared
- Ready for challenge content
Common Progression Mistakes
- Treating DDNet as a solo game. Most Novice through Insane maps have parts that physically cannot be passed without a second tee to hook or hammer you.
- Hammering a deep frozen teammate over and over. Deep freeze ignores the hammer completely and only an Undeep tile releases it.
- Skipping the Novice category because it looks easy. The category teaches hook release timing, and players who jump straight to Moderate usually stall out for weeks.
- Forgetting to save a team code on long maps. One disconnect on a Brutal run wipes an entire evening of coordinated progress.
- Chasing speed before consistency. A part you clear one time in ten will fail somewhere in a twenty minute run, so drill it to near certainty first.
Key Tips for Smooth Progression
- Bind the dummy toggle to a single key before doing anything else. Almost every solo technique, from deepfly to dummy hammer parts, assumes you can swap control between two tees without pausing to open a menu.
- Learn the /r rescue command on your first evening. It teleports you back out of freeze to the last safe position, which turns a dead run into a five second setback rather than a restart from the start line.
- Hook the wall before you jump, not after. Beginners jump first and then hook, which wastes the jump, while the correct order lets the hook add its own acceleration on top of your existing upward speed.
- Download the top 5 demo for any map that is beating you. DDNet stores replays of the fastest finishes, and watching a 200 point player route a part is worth more than an hour of blind attempts.
- Use /save after every hard section on a long Brutal map. The code stores your whole team state, so a disconnect or a dinner break costs nothing instead of erasing two hours of progress.
For more advanced strategies, see our tips & tricks guide.
More DDraceNetwork Guides
- DDraceNetwork DDraceNetwork Overview
- DDraceNetwork Best Builds
- DDraceNetwork Tier List
- DDraceNetwork Beginner's Guide
- DDraceNetwork Tips & Tricks
- DDraceNetwork Weapons Guide
- DDraceNetwork Combat Guide
- DDraceNetwork Boss Guide
- DDraceNetwork Maps & Locations
- DDraceNetwork Crafting Guide
- DDraceNetwork Classes & Characters
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