Beginner's Guide: First Steps in Sephiria

What is Sephiria?

Sephiria is a pixel-art action roguelite developed by TEAM HORAY (the studio behind Dungreed). You play as a rabbit warrior climbing the Tower of Sephiria, fighting through 6 unique chapters against 10+ bosses. The game supports 1-4 player co-op and has earned a Very Positive rating on Steam.

1.0 is live now (launched July 31, 2026) — this guide covers everything you need to get started in the full release.

Core Gameplay Loop

Every run in Sephiria follows the same cycle:

Select a weapon — Pick from 6 weapon branches (200+ upgrades total). The Starting Weapon Choice inscription lets you pick freely; otherwise your starting weapon may be limited
Climb the tower — Fight through procedurally-arranged rooms across 6 chapters
Collect artifacts — Artifacts modify your stats and abilities and define each run; tablets in your inventory grid empower the artifacts around them
Equip inscriptions — Socket permanent bonuses into your gear for passive progression
Defeat the chapter boss — Each chapter ends with a unique boss encounter
Die or reach the top — Roguelite permadeath means you restart, but keep permanent upgrades

What's New in 1.0

The 1.0 full release (July 31, 2026) adds a lot on top of the Early Access loop:

Chapter 6 — the final chapter — The story's endgame arc with 2 bosses, 1 mini-boss, and a full ending with credits (the game ends at Chapter 6; see the Chapter 6 & Final Boss Guide)
200+ weapon upgrades — Across all six weapon branches
New items — 3 miracle abilities, plus new artifacts, tablets, potions, and costumes
Hard Mode expanded to 60 levels — With 6 new modifiers for veterans
New features — Side Bag for spare items, and a Mystic Pot rework (converts artifacts by rarity)

New players can ignore most of this for now — the base loop below is unchanged. Veterans should read the Full Release Guide for the complete picture of the launch.

Choosing Your First Weapon

As a beginner, weapon choice matters less than you think — all six are viable. However, these are the most forgiving:

Weapon	Difficulty	Why It's Good for Beginners
---	---	---
Sword & Shield	Easy	Balanced stats, straightforward combos, and a reliable block. The community's default recommendation
Crossbow	Easy-Medium	Ranged attacks let you observe enemy patterns from safety
Staff	Medium	Powerful AoE and safe range, but it needs element support to shine

Avoid the Dagger on your first few runs — it requires precise positioning and aggressive play that rewards game knowledge.

First Few Chapters: What to Expect

Chapter 1 — The Rooted Depths

The easiest chapter. Enemies are slow and attack patterns are telegraphed. Take your time exploring every room and collecting 2-3 artifacts before the boss.

Chapter 2 — The Whispering Halls

Introduces ranged enemies and traps. The difficulty step is moderate. This is where you should start thinking about your build direction — what kind of damage type or playstyle you're leaning into.

Chapter 3 — The Mirrored Library

Boss difficulty spikes here — it's the community's "newbie wall." You should have a coherent artifact setup and an upgraded weapon before attempting the chapter boss. Enemy density increases substantially.

Tip for new players: Don't be afraid to die and restart. Permanent upgrades (unlocked via Inscriptions, Talents, and artifact unlocks) make subsequent runs significantly easier. Dying is learning.

Essential Survival Tips

Tip	Details
---	---
Block AND dodge	Blocking is a core answer to attacks, not a last resort — hold block during telegraphed attacks and dodge through gaps in patterns
Explore every room	Artifacts and weapon upgrades are hidden in side rooms and secret rooms
Read artifact descriptions	Some artifacts have synergies. An artifact that seems weak alone might be great with the right tablet arrangement
Save healing items	Don't chug potions after every hit. Save them for boss rooms and emergency situations
Teamwork in co-op	In co-op, stick together. The game scales enemy health and damage per player. Splitting up makes dealing with packs much harder

Permanent Progression

Even when you die, you keep:

Unlocked inscriptions — Permanent bonuses socketed into your gear
Talents — Permanent talent points across the Combat / Resilience / Utility trees
Artifact unlocks — Some artifacts unlock permanently through achievements and join future run pools
Weapon mastery — Using a weapon raises its mastery level, unlocking unique perks

This means every run, even failed ones, makes you stronger.

Weapons Guide — Full breakdown of all 6 weapons and upgrade trees
Builds Guide — Best builds and artifact synergies for each weapon
Chapter Guide — Detailed walkthrough of all 6 chapters and hidden secrets
Artifacts Guide — The ~300 per-run items
Solo Guide — Strategies for climbing the tower alone
Full Release Guide — Everything new in the 1.0 launch