Undergarcade Tutorial Guide By Undergrowthgames

You’re stuck.

Not dead (just) confused.

Undergarcade dropped you in the middle of something wild and didn’t say a word.

No tutorial. No tooltips. Just noise, movement, and that sinking feeling like you’re missing the point.

I’ve been there. Spent way too long staring at the screen wondering why my character won’t jump right or why that door won’t open yet.

This isn’t your fault. The game doesn’t explain itself.

So I played it. A lot. Hours.

Took notes. Broke down every system until it clicked.

This is the Undergarcade Tutorial Guide by Undergrowthgames (the) manual the game forgot to include.

You’ll learn what each button does. What you’re actually supposed to do. And how the whole thing fits together.

No fluff. No assumptions. Just what works.

By the end, you won’t be guessing anymore.

You’ll be playing.

First Steps: Menu, HUD, and Your First 30 Seconds

I opened Undergarcade and stared at the main menu like it owed me money.

New Game. Options. Quit.

That’s it. No fluff. Good.

Start with Options. Not later, not after you die twice. Hit it first.

Check controls. Rebind jump if it’s set to “Z” (why is it ever “Z”?). Turn VSync off if your screen tears.

You’ll thank me.

New Game drops you into a character select. Pick the Scout. Fast.

Light armor. Lets you learn the map without getting flattened.

HUD pops up: red bar = health, yellow bar = stamina, ammo counter top-right, minimap bottom-left. The minimap shows doors, not enemies. That’s intentional.

You’re supposed to listen.

You spawn in a concrete hallway. No music. Just dripping water and distant static.

Go left. Not right. Right leads to a locked door and wasted time.

In the first 30 seconds: find the green backpack on the floor. It holds your first weapon. Don’t skip it.

The Undergarcade Tutorial Guide by Undergrowthgames assumes you’ll panic. I did too.

Pro tip: Press Tab to pause and study the HUD labels. They don’t explain themselves.

Now move.

Mastering the Controls: Dodge, Swing, and Don’t Die

I press W and my character moves forward. That’s it. No fluff.

Here’s what the keyboard and mouse do by default:

• WASD: Move
• Spacebar: Jump
• Left mouse button: Primary attack
• Right mouse button: Block
• Shift: Sprint (holds stamina)
• Q: Dodge left
• E: Dodge right
• R: Reload (if using a weapon that needs it)

Gamepad controls are simpler but tighter:

• Left stick: Move
• A button: Jump
• X button: Primary attack
• Y button: Secondary attack
• Left bumper: Block
• Right bumper: Dodge
• Right stick click: Sprint

The dodge isn’t just movement. It gives you invincibility frames (about) 12 frames. Enough to slip through most attacks if timed right.

But it drains stamina fast. And no, holding sprint doesn’t make your dodge faster. I tried.

It just makes you gasp louder.

Combat is built around rhythm, not spam. Your primary attack is fast but short-ranged. Secondary attack is slower, hits harder, and stuns light enemies for half a second.

Blocking stops damage but drains stamina. Parrying? That’s not a thing here.

Don’t look for it.

You can cancel most attack animations with a dodge. That’s your lifeline.

Pro-Tip: Always dodge out of your heavy attack. Not after it finishes. Do it mid-swing and you’ll avoid getting punished while staying aggressive.

The sprint button isn’t for running away. It’s for closing distance before a combo. Or escaping a crowd.

Or getting behind someone who’s too busy blocking.

This isn’t Dark Souls. It’s not Elden Ring. You won’t win by reading tells or memorizing patterns.

You’ll win by moving smart and dodging early.

I’ve seen new players stand still and swing until they die. Then they blame the game. Nope.

You can read more about this in Undergarcade Updates From Undergrowthgames.

It’s the dodge. Use it.

The Undergarcade Tutorial Guide by Undergrowthgames walks through this step-by-step. But honestly, just try the dodge in the first safe zone. Feel the timing.

Then do it again. And again.

The Gameplay Loop: Clear Rooms or Die Trying

Undergarcade isn’t about high scores. It’s about clearing rooms. Every time you kill everything in a room, the exit opens.

That’s it. No cutscenes. No lore dumps.

Just kill, move, repeat.

You don’t level up in the traditional sense. You get stronger by finding gear and relics mid-run. Some relics let you skip rooms.

Others change enemy behavior. None of them make you invincible (thank god).

Progression is physical. You walk to the next room. You find stairs.

You go down. There’s no map unless you buy one with in-game currency. And even then, it’s half-erased and wrong on purpose.

Let’s talk enemies.

The Shambler is your first real threat. Gray skin. Lurches.

Swings slow but hits hard. Dodge into its swing (then) stab. Don’t wait.

The Spitter hides behind crates. Shoots acid in arcs. Stay mobile.

Use cover, then close fast. Its reload is loud. You’ll hear it.

The Crawler drops from ceilings. Fast. Silent.

Only shows up in dark rooms. Keep your torch lit. If it lands behind you, don’t turn.

Roll forward and counter.

The Husker doesn’t appear until floor three. Tall. No arms.

Charges headfirst. It breaks doors. It breaks walls.

It breaks your confidence. You must bait it into narrow hallways (then) trap it with a collapsing ceiling relic.

This is a roguelike. You die. You restart.

Permadeath is real.

You keep one thing after each run: a single upgrade slot unlocked permanently. That’s it. No gold carryover.

No weapons. No relics. Just that one slot.

Everything else resets. Including your muscle memory (which sucks at first).

I died 17 times before I stopped panicking when the Husker charged.

Check the Undergarcade Updates From Undergrowthgames page if you’re stuck on floor two. They just patched the Spitter’s arc timing.

The Undergarcade Tutorial Guide by Undergrowthgames exists. But skip it. Play instead.

You learn faster by losing.

Trust me.

Items, Power-Ups, and Upgrades: What Actually Matters

I pick up stuff in Undergarcade. You do too. Let’s cut the fluff and talk about what works.

Weapons let you hit harder. Passive buffs stick with you. Like +2 max health or faster reload.

Active-use items? You press a button. A shield burst.

A slowdown field. Done.

Early-game? The Copper Coil gives +1 dodge per run. The Rusty Canteen refills 30% stamina on use.

The Glowcap Mushroom lets you see traps through walls for 8 seconds. That last one saved my life in Basement 2.

You get items three ways: enemy drops (low chance), chest spawns (guaranteed but random), or the Shopkeeper (who only stocks two things per visit). No grinding. No menus full of junk.

Permanent upgrades exist. You earn Sprout Coins during runs. Spend them between levels at the Root Bench to lock in bonuses (like) +5% crit chance or extra item slots.

It sticks. Even after you die.

Does it feel meaningful? Yes. Most games fake progression.

Undergarcade doesn’t.

The Undergarcade site has the full breakdown (though) honestly, just play for 20 minutes. You’ll get it.

Undergarcade Tutorial Guide by Undergrowthgames.

You’re Ready: Go Conquer the Undergarcade

I know how it feels. That first time in the Undergarcade (lights) flashing, enemies swarming, controls fighting you.

It’s not chaos. It’s just unfamiliar.

Now you know the real rhythm. The controls click. Enemy patterns make sense.

Power-ups aren’t random. They’re your use.

This Undergarcade Tutorial Guide by Undergrowthgames answered what you typed into Google. No fluff. No filler.

Just what you needed to stop guessing.

You don’t need more theory. You need to move.

So close this tab.

Launch the game.

And run. Right now. With your head up and your thumbs ready.

That first boss won’t know what hit it.