Hold the circle
Stand within the Shrine's radius until the charging action completes. Enter with enough space, defense, or crowd control to avoid being forced out.
Quick Answer
Shrines are randomly distributed stage interactables. Charge Shrines trade time and positioning for a stat choice; Greed Shrines add 5% Difficulty for an economic reward; Boss Curse adds another boss copy and another chest if you win. Identify the type first, then compare its reward with your build's current margin.
Charge vs Greed vs Boss Curse
| Shrine | How it activates | Reward | Cost or danger | Default advice |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charge Shrine | Remain inside its radius until charging completes. | Choose one of three offered stat upgrades. | You must hold position while enemies continue attacking. | Usually worth using when the area can be controlled. |
| Golden Charge Shrine | Charges like the regular version. | Offers legendary stat upgrades. | Same positioning commitment. | High priority if the build can safely finish the charge. |
| Greed Shrine | Interact with the Shrine. | Economic reward. | Adds 5% Difficulty per activation. | Take only when clear speed and boss damage have spare margin. |
| Boss Curse | Interact with the bloody altar. | An extra boss can produce an extra chest. | Adds another boss copy to the encounter. | Skip when a normal boss is already dangerous. |
How Charge Shrines Work
Choose one of three stats
After a regular Charge Shrine completes, select one of three offered stat upgrades. Pick the stat that fixes the build's current bottleneck rather than the one with the flashiest number.
Golden Charge Shrine
The Golden version uses the same charging idea but offers legendary stat upgrades, making a safe completion especially valuable.
Clear, then commit
Approach with cooldowns ready, clear immediate pressure, and position the character so persistent or area damage continues while charging.
Current reward pool: Silver Gain was removed from Charge Shrine rewards in v1.0.49. Do not plan a current run around receiving Silver Gain from a Charge Shrine.
Choosing the reward
| Run problem | Reward function to prioritize | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Enemies survive and accumulate | Damage or attack output | Restores clear speed before taking more risk. |
| You are forced out of position | Defense, health, movement, or control | Protects damage uptime and makes later Shrine charges safer. |
| The build already clears comfortably | Scaling or boss-focused stat | Turns existing stability into a stronger late-stage margin. |
How Greed Shrines Work
A Greed Shrine is a permanent risk decision for the run: each activation adds 5% Difficulty and gives an economic reward. The important question is not whether more currency is useful; it is whether the build can still clear the harder run after taking it.
Build is ahead
Ordinary waves disappear quickly, boss damage is strong, and survival has room for error.
Build is behind
Enemies already survive too long, movement is mostly retreat, or the current boss is a serious threat.
After major upgrades
A Greed Shrine that was unsafe earlier may become reasonable after a chest, stat spike, or completed Charge Shrine.
Do not judge Greed only by the current wave. The extra Difficulty also matters when the stage reaches its boss and dense late pressure.
How Boss Curse Works
Boss Curse adds another boss copy to the encounter. Beating the extra boss creates another chest, so the altar converts boss-fight difficulty into more loot.
Judge the normal boss first
If one copy already takes too long or forces repeated mistakes, do not multiply the problem.
Check overlapping attacks
Extra copies can make otherwise manageable patterns arrive together. Defense and mobility matter as much as raw damage.
Match the activation to the goal
Use one activation for optional extra loot only when safe. For the Speed Boi unlock, the target is clearing a stage with two or more Boss Curses active.
Protect the clear
The reward matters only if the stage is completed. Stop stacking once the next copy threatens the run's real objective.
For boss-specific loadouts and detailed combat preparation, continue to the Boss Curse guide.
Shrine Distribution and Map Routing
Shrines belong to the random stage layout. Use this table to plan the route without treating any coordinate, discovery order or total count as universal.
| Map or situation | Distribution concern | Route decision |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | Random placement across the explored stage. | Use wide scouting loops and return to risky Shrines after the build improves. |
| Desert | Sandstorms reduce the usefulness of ordinary visual scouting. | For the Tornado unlock, preserve a Charge Shrine until the required Sandstorm window. |
| Graveyard / Crypt | Crypt Keys and secret-room objectives are separate from Shrine interactions. | Follow the Graveyard route for Crypt objectives; use this page only for Shrine risk and rewards. |
| After taking Beacon | Each copy adds two Charge Shrines to future stages. | Allow more scouting time and do not use an old fixed-count route. |
Use wide scouting loops
Explore new ground while maintaining access to XP and enemies. Repeatedly crossing cleared space costs time without improving discovery.
Mark, then return
A Greed Shrine, Boss Curse or exposed Charge Shrine may become safe after a chest, stat spike or improved crowd control.
No fixed-coordinate promise: route from the visible stage layout. The Maps Guide handles Forest and Desert progression; this page remains the source for Shrine types, rewards and unlock rules.
Shrine Decision Helper
Select the Shrine, the current build state, and the run goal. The result is a conservative recommendation, not a guarantee.
Beacon and Wrench
Beacon
Completing a Charge Shrine creates a healing zone. Beacon also adds two more Charge Shrines to future stages per copy, increasing future stat-upgrade opportunities.
Choose it when: the run expects to continue through later stages and can consistently finish Charge Shrines.
Wrench
Charge Shrines charge 4% faster and grant 7.5% more Shrine rewards. Its value rises with the number of Shrines you can safely complete.
Choose it when: routing and charging are already part of the run plan.
Shrine-Related Unlocks
| Unlock | Requirement | Planning note |
|---|---|---|
| Tornado | Charge a total of five Charge Shrines during Sandstorms on Desert. | Leave an appropriate Shrine unused until the weather window appears. |
| Sucky Magnet | Complete every Charge Shrine on a map. | Scout thoroughly and avoid ending the stage before the map's Charge Shrines are completed. |
| Speed Boi | Complete a stage with two or more Boss Curses active. | Build for overlapping boss patterns before activating the second curse. |
Other Common Shrine Interactions
Challenge Shrine
Starts a combat challenge. Defeat the summoned enemies to earn a chest.
Shrine of Succ
Pulls uncollected XP toward the player, making it useful after a wide farming loop.
Moai Shrine
Provides a selection of power-up or item rewards without the same combat risk as Boss Curse.
Common Shrine Mistakes
Charging under full pressure
Clear nearby threats and prepare persistent damage before standing in the Charge Shrine radius.
Taking Greed while behind
Currency does not repair a run if the additional Difficulty causes the build to collapse before it can spend the reward.
Stacking Boss Curse for pride
Extra chests are irrelevant after a failed stage. Stop at the number required by the run goal.
Breaking an unlock route
Using every Charge Shrine immediately can remove the weather window needed for Tornado or make a full-map completion harder to audit.
Shrines FAQ
What does a Charge Shrine do?
Remain inside its radius until the charge finishes, then choose one of three stat upgrades. Golden Charge Shrines offer legendary stat upgrades.
What does a Greed Shrine do?
It adds 5% Difficulty per activation and provides an economic reward. Take it only when the build has enough clear and boss margin for the harder run.
Does Boss Curse give better rewards?
It adds another boss copy; defeating that additional boss creates another chest. The reward is conditional on surviving the harder encounter.
Are Shrine locations fixed?
No reliable fixed coordinates should be assumed. Shrines are distributed randomly, so route through unexplored parts of the stage.
Does Wrench affect Shrine rewards?
Yes. Wrench makes Charge Shrines charge 4% faster and grants 7.5% more Shrine rewards.
How does Beacon change Charge Shrines?
Completing a Charge Shrine creates a healing zone, and each Beacon adds two more Charge Shrines to future stages.