The Cursed Tome is basically the "hard mode" button in Megabonk. Instead of buffing you, it buffs the enemies. They come faster, hit harder and there are a lot more of them. The upside is that all this chaos gives you way more XP and loot if you can survive.
Overview
- Stat: Difficulty (Enemy Scaling)
- Base upgrade per level: +3.5% difficulty per level
- How to unlock: Beat a Stage Boss in under 5 minutes
- Max level: 99
- Category: Challenge Tome
Cursed Tome is for players who want to push their limits. It transforms every run into a brutal survival challenge, but compensates with significantly increased rewards. This is the ultimate "risk equals reward" Tome in Megabonk.
Difficulty Scaling
For the general Difficulty effect, XP distinction and current Final Swarm thresholds, see What Difficulty does in the Stats Guide.
See how enemy difficulty increases with each level:
+17.5% Difficulty
Level ~5
Noticeable increase. More enemies spawn, they move slightly faster and hit a bit harder.
Spawn Rate
+17.5%
Enemy HP
+17.5%
Enemy Damage
+17.5%
+52.5% Difficulty
Level ~15
Significant challenge. The screen fills with enemies quickly. You need solid AoE and survivability.
Spawn Rate
+52.5%
Enemy HP
+52.5%
Enemy Damage
+52.5%
+105% Difficulty
Level ~30
Hardcore mode. Enemy waves are relentless. Only optimized builds survive this level of chaos.
Spawn Rate
+105%
Enemy HP
+105%
Enemy Damage
+105%
+175%+ Difficulty
Level 50+ (EXTREME)
NIGHTMARE MODE. The screen is a constant sea of enemies. Enemies are nearly twice as strong in every way. Only god-tier builds with perfect synergies can handle this.
Spawn Rate
+175%+
Enemy HP
+175%+
Enemy Damage
+175%+
Effects
- Enemies spawn in bigger numbers and scale in health, speed and strength
- The harder it gets, the more XP and drops you can grab
- Runs feel way more intense once you start stacking levels of this Tome
- Rewards scale proportionally with difficulty increase
- Boss fights become significantly more challenging
- Screen becomes crowded with enemies at higher levels
The Reward Trade-Off
đ Increased Rewards
Higher difficulty = proportionally higher rewards:
More XP Orbs
Enemy kills yield significantly more experience. Perfect for power-leveling and faster progression.
Better Drop Rates
More enemies = more drops. Increased gold, silver, and item drops across the board.
The rewards scale proportionally with difficulty, making Cursed Tome the ultimate farming tool for skilled players!
How to Unlock
Boss Speed Kill Challenge
âąī¸ Under 5 Minutes
Requirement:
Beat a Stage Boss in under 5 minutes. This means you need solid DPS and good movement to clear fast.
Beat a Stage Boss in under 5 minutes. This means you need solid DPS and good movement to clear fast.
âī¸ Maximize Damage Output
Focus on damage-oriented builds. Stack Damage Tome, Cooldown Tome, and Precision Tome. Every second counts.
đ Prioritize Fast Weapons
Use high-DPS weapons with good boss damage. Multi-hit weapons or weapons with high base damage work best.
đ¨ Skip Add Management
Don't waste time clearing every add. Focus fire on the boss. Use movement to dodge while attacking continuously.
đ¯ Choose Easy Bosses
Pick stages with simpler boss mechanics. Early-stage bosses or bosses with predictable patterns are easiest to speed-kill.
⥠Use Strong Characters
Pick characters with high damage potential or boss-killing abilities. Glass cannon builds work great here.
Survival Requirements
â ī¸ Can You Handle Cursed Tome?
Before investing in Cursed Tome, make sure your build has:
High DPS: Strong offense to clear the increased enemy waves
Survivability: Armor, Shield, HP Regen, or Lifesteal to sustain through chaos
AoE Coverage: Area damage to handle massive enemy density
Mobility: Movement speed to dodge and reposition in packed screens
Pickup Range: Attraction Tome to collect XP orbs without risky movement
Experience: Game knowledge and skill to handle chaotic situations
Synergies
More enemies means way more XP. Perfect combo for power-leveling and snowballing.
Lets you scoop up all the extra orbs without wasting time or risking dangerous movement.
Extra sustain is key when waves get overwhelming. Passive healing keeps you alive.
More enemies = more lifesteal procs. Turn enemy density into healing power.
You'll need strong offense to keep up with buffed enemies. Essential for clearing speed.
Faster attacks = better crowd control. Attack speed is crucial for handling swarms.
More projectiles to handle more enemies. AoE coverage scales with difficulty.
Helps you dodge and reposition when the screen is packed. Mobility is survival.
Build Recommendations
â
Excellent for Cursed Tome
- AoE Spam Builds - High coverage, constant damage
- Lifesteal Builds - More enemies = more healing
- Tank Builds - Can facetank swarms with defense
- Fast Attack Builds - Rapid-fire weapons mow down hordes
- Balanced Builds - Mix of offense and defense
â Poor for Cursed Tome
- Glass Cannon Builds - Will get overwhelmed and die
- Single-Target Builds - Can't handle enemy density
- Slow Weapon Builds - Not enough DPS to clear waves
- Low Mobility Builds - Can't dodge in packed screens
- Experimental Builds - Needs optimization to survive
Strategy Guide
- Don't pick this Tome unless you're confident in your build
- Stack some defense and healing so you don't just melt
- It's a great farming tool if you can control the chaos
- Boss fights get scarier, so make sure you're killing them quickly
- Start with low levels (5-10) and gradually increase as you get stronger
- Combine with XP Tome for maximum power-leveling efficiency
- Always have an escape plan - mobility saves lives
Pro Tips
- At max level (99), provides 346.5% difficulty increase - absolute nightmare mode
- Feels like an endgame Tome for experienced players
- Some players love the challenge, others avoid it until they're stacked
- Amazing for farming, but brutal if your run is weak
- Test your build on lower Cursed levels before going all-in
- Perfect for speedrunners who want max XP/hour efficiency
- Rewards are worth the pain if you can survive
Important Considerations
- â ī¸ Not for beginners - requires solid game knowledge and build optimization
- Can turn winning runs into instant death if you're not prepared
- Boss fights become significantly harder and may require specific strategies
- Some builds simply cannot handle high Cursed levels - know your limits
- Farming efficiency drops to zero if you die - balance risk carefully
- Screen clutter at high levels can make it hard to see danger
- The ultimate "git gud" Tome - forces you to improve or fail