Challenges

Challenges are an additional Arena mode added in the Downpour DLC, pitting the player against preset arenas with special goals.

Beating all 70 challenges will award the player with the achievement 'The Champion'. This cannot be bypassed by using cheats, as the option merely unlocks every challenge, as opposed to marking them as beaten.

Survivor Challenges (1-7)
These are the first seven challenges that feature the player character as the, including sandbox items seen within their story. These challenges are unlocked by default and require no in-game progress to complete.

1 - Outskirts

 * Win Condition: kill all creatures
 * Arena: Blocks
 * Creatures: 1, 1
 * Items: 3 s, 5
 * Time Limit: None

2 - Gathering

 * Win Condition: score 10 points
 * Arena: Frame
 * Creatures: 3 s, 1
 * Items: 12, 14
 * Time Limit: None

3 - Theft

 * Win Condition: score 13 points
 * Arena: Warehouse
 * Creatures: 3 s, 1
 * Items: None
 * Time Limit: None

4 - Centipede Maze

 * Win Condition: score 7 points
 * Arena: Chamber
 * Creatures: 3 s, 2 s
 * Items: 7
 * Time Limit: None

5 - Competition

 * Win Condition: score 15 points
 * Arena: Shafts
 * Creatures: 4 s, 4 s
 * Items: 1, 21
 * Time Limit: 120 seconds

6 - Bobbing and Popping

 * Win Condition: score 12 points
 * Arena: Cistern
 * Creatures: 2 s, 5 es
 * Items: 14
 * Time Limit: 130 seconds

7 - Hunting Grounds

 * Win Condition: score 7 points.
 * Arena: Islands
 * Creatures: 3 s, 1, 2 Nests
 * Items: None
 * Time Limit: 130 seconds

Monk Challenges (8-14)
The next seven challenges, featuring the player character as the, including a pool of items similar to the Survivor, with the objectives of challenges modified to better fit the play-style of the Monk. These challenges are unlocked by default and require no in-game progress to complete.

8 - Flying Feast

 * Win Condition: Befriend a creature
 * Arena: Frame
 * Creatures: 2, 1 , 1 , 3
 * Items: 4 s
 * Time Limit: None

9 - Fair Trade

 * Win Condition: Gain 5 points
 * Arena: Cistern
 * Creatures: 2
 * Items: 10
 * Time Limit: None

10 - Air Strike

 * Win Condition: Kill every Scavenger
 * Arena: Stoneheads
 * Creatures: 4 s, 1
 * Items: none
 * Time Limit: None

11 - Rescue

 * Win Condition: Rescue
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1, 1
 * Items: 1, 2 s, 4 , 1
 * Time Limit: None

12 - Shaded Banquet

 * Win Condition: Befriend a creature
 * Arena: Hive
 * Creatures: 6, 2 s
 * Items: 2 Spears
 * Time Limit: 120 seconds

13 - Little Bites

 * Win Condition: Gain 25 points
 * Arena: Cistern
 * Creatures: 2 s, 3 s
 * Items: 2 s, 6
 * Time Limit: None

14 - Full Stomach

 * Win Condition: Gain 24 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1, 2 , 1 , 1
 * Items: 3 Fruit, 2, 5 , 5 , 2
 * Time Limit: 180 seconds

Hunter Challenges (15-21)
These feature the character playing as the, including a pool of items reflected in their story, prominently featuring hardmode creatures, with the objectives of challenges modified to better fit the play-style of the Hunter. These challenges are locked by default and require the player to complete the Hunter's story or Hunter equivalent (e.g. Artificer- requires fact checking) in order to unlock. Challenges where the Creatures are marked with a '?' have a random pool of enemies that will spawn each time a the challenge is attempted.

15 - Suburban

 * Win Condition: Gain 30 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: ?
 * Items: 3 s, 1, 5.
 * Time Limit: None

16 - Linear Farms

 * Win Condition: Gain 30 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: ?
 * Items: 2 s, 8 s, 7.
 * Time Limit: None

17 - Limited Ammunition

 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1
 * Items: 2 s
 * Time Limit: 120 seconds
 * Notes: It is important to keep the Vulture on screen, as if it flies off and comes back, any spears that were embedded in it will be lost forever.

18 - Sky Islands

 * Win Condition: Gain 30 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: ?
 * Items: 5 s, 1, 7
 * Time Limit: None

19 - Deadly Traps

 * Win Condition: Gain 12 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 5 s, 4 s, 3 nests
 * Items: 13
 * Time Limit: 150 seconds

20 - Subterranean

 * Win Condition: Gain 30 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: ?
 * Items: 3 s, 1, 4 s
 * Time Limit: None

21 - Filtration System

 * Win Condition: Gain 30 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: ?
 * Items: 6 s, 10
 * Time Limit: None

Gourmand Challenges (22-28)
These feature the character playing as the, including a pool of items reflected in their story, prominently featuring hardmode creatures, with the objectives of challenges modified to better fit the play-style and unique abilities of the Gourmand. These challenges are locked by default and require the player to complete the Gourmand's story in order to unlock. Challenges where the Creatures are marked with a '?' have a random pool of enemies that will spawn each time a the challenge is attempted.

22 - Plummet

 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 3 s
 * Items: None
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: As no items spawn, the only way to win this challenge is to fall on the enemies from high up. This can be difficult, as the Caramel Lizard's spit will slow Gourmand's descent.

23 - Glimmering Buffet

 * Win Condition: Gain 22 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 3 s, 2 s, 2 s
 * Items: 5 s, 4 s
 * Time Limit: 90 Seconds

24 - Infinite Utility

 * Win Condition: Kill every Red Centipede
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1
 * Items: 1, 6
 * Time Limit: 90 Seconds
 * Notes: It is unmentioned in the description that s spawn in this arena. The intended method to beat this challenge is by utilizing Gourmand's item regurgitation and item crafting to create a . One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is to combine a with one of the bits of Rubbish that spawns.

25 - Babysitting

 * Win Condition: Survive for 150 seconds without letting a Slugpup die
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 8 s
 * Items: 3
 * Time Limit: None

26 - Noot Scoot

 * Win Condition: Gain 23 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 5, 3 , 1
 * Items: 6 s
 * Time Limit: 240 Seconds
 * Notes: This map spans more than one screen, unique to some of the challenge arenas.

27 - Incubation

 * Win Condition: Gain 18 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: None
 * Items: 3 s, 5, 1 , 4 s, 3 s
 * Time Limit: None

27 - Flushed

 * Win Condition: Gain 35 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: ?
 * Items: 2 s, 6
 * Time Limit: None

Artificer Challenges (29-35)
These feature the character playing as the, including a pool of items reflected in their story, prominently featuring hardmode creatures, with the objectives of challenges modified to better fit the play-style and unique abilities of the Artificer. These challenges are locked by default and require the player to complete the Artificer's story in order to unlock.

29 - Lamplighter

 * Win Condition: Gain 8 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1
 * Items: 1, 3 s, 8 es
 * Time Limit: None

30 - Surrounded

 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 5 s
 * Items: 1, 1
 * Time Limit: None

31 - Blast Fishing

 * Win Condition: Gain 5 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: None
 * Items: 5
 * Time Limit: 120 seconds

32 - Hard Boiled

 * Win Condition: Gain 12 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1
 * Items: 1
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: It is unmentioned in the description that s spawn in this arena. The intended method to beat this challenge is to load the Noodlefly Eggs into the Joke Rifle, shoot from the rifle, and eat them while avoiding the adult.

33 - Perfect Parries

 * Win Condition: Parry 4 attacks
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 6 s
 * Items: 6 s
 * Time Limit: 120 seconds
 * Notes: Artificer can parry spears by deflecting them with their concussive blast (performed by holding down and pressing jump and grab simultaneously), this is much easier to pull off under the effects of the Mushrooms.

34 - Patrol

 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 3 s
 * Items: 4 Spears, 2 s, 2 s, 7
 * Time Limit: None

35 - Sheep Dog

 * Win Condition: Survive for 120 seconds without letting a Lantern Mouse die.
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 4 s, 2 s, 1
 * Items: 1, 4 s
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: The intended method to beat this challenge is to load the Cherrybombs into the Joke Rifle and shoot around the Lantern Mouse to scare the Lizards off. However, an unintended and easier method is to simply grab ahold of the Lantern Mouse and travel in and out of pipes until the timer is up.

Rivulet Challenges (36-42)
These feature the character playing as the, including a pool of items reflected in their story, with the objectives of challenges modified to better fit the play-style and unique abilities of the Rivulet. These challenges are locked by default and require the player to complete the Rivulet's story in order to unlock.

36 - Submerged Superstructure

 * Win Condition: Gain 30 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: ?
 * Items: 2 s, 7 s
 * Time Limit: None

37 - Shocking Pursuit

 * Win Condition: Gain 20 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 4 s, 4 s
 * Items: 7, 4
 * Time Limit: 180 Seconds

38 - Wandering Lights

 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 2 s
 * Items: 7 s, 7
 * Time Limit: 300 Seconds
 * Notes: Since the aquapedes' movement are extremely limited on solid ground, a good strategy is to bait them in the central area, limiting their movement and making them way easier to kill.

39 - Electric Threading

 * Win Condition: Gain 10 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 3
 * Items: 12
 * Time Limit: None

40 - Relentless Leapers

 * Win Condition: Gain 3 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 3 s
 * Items: 4 s
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: It is unmentioned in the description that nests spawn in this arena.

41 - Snow and Ash

 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 4 s
 * Items: 6 s
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: This map spans more than one screen, unique to some of the challenge arenas.

42 - Daddy World

 * Win Condition: Gain 3 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 2
 * Items: 3, 1 , 4 s, 1
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: This map spans more than one screen, unique to some of the challenge arenas. Additionally, it has unique music that plays over the usual shuffled tracks. The specific song played is 'Qanda'.

Spearmaster Challenges (43-49)
These feature the character playing as the, including a pool of items reflected in their story, prominently featuring hardmode creatures, with the objectives of challenges modified to better fit the play-style and unique abilities of the Spearmaster. These challenges are locked by default and require the player to complete the Spearmaster's story in order to unlock. Challenges where the Creatures are marked with a '?' have a random pool of enemies that will spawn each time a the challenge is attempted.

43 - Claustrophobia

 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 3 s
 * Items: None
 * Time Limit: 60 Seconds

44 - Caustic Vats

 * Win Condition: Gain 25 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 2 s, 2 s, 2 s, 2 s, 2 s
 * Items:
 * Time Limit: None

45 - Target Practice

 * Win Condition: Pop every plant without letting a Squidcada die
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 7 s
 * Items:
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: It is unmentioned in the description that s spawn in this arena.

46 - Garbage Wastes

 * Win Condition: Gain 50 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: ?
 * Items: 4, 1 , 3 s
 * Time Limit: None

47 - Mudskipper

 * Win Condition: Kill every Eel Lizard
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 3 s, 5 s
 * Items: None
 * Time Limit: 150 Seconds

48 - Failed Inspection

 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1
 * Items: 5 s
 * Time Limit: None

49 - Descending Snips

 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 2 s
 * Items: 2 s, 5 s, 5
 * Time Limit: None

Saint Challenges (50-56)
These feature the character playing as the, including a pool of items reflected in their story, prominently featuring hardmode creatures, with the objectives of challenges modified to better fit the play-style and unique abilities of the Saint. These challenges are locked by default and require the player to complete the Saint's story in order to unlock. Challenges where the Creatures are marked with a '?' have a random pool of enemies that will spawn each time a the challenge is attempted.

50 - Endurance

 * Win Condition: Survive for 120 seconds and gain 5 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1
 * Items: 5
 * Time Limit: 118 Seconds

51 - Malevolent Pacifism

 * Win Condition: Kill every Blue Lizard
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 2, 4 s
 * Items: None
 * Time Limit: None

52 - Minefield

 * Win Condition: Gain 12 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 3, 13 s
 * Items: 12
 * Time Limit: 45 Seconds
 * Notes: The combination of an extremely tight timer and Saint's extremely negative reaction to Snail pops mean that the player's movement must be near perfect in order to eat all 12 Slime Mold in time.

53 - Opposition

 * Win Condition: Gain 15 Points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 4 s, 4 s
 * Items: 1, 12
 * Time Limit: 120 Seconds

54 - Flaming Pursuit

 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 4 s
 * Items: 7, 2
 * Time Limit: 180 Seconds
 * Notes: Saint can use the Flaming Spears that the Fire Bugs drop.

55 - Moving Target

 * Win Condition: Survive for 60 seconds and gain 2 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 2 s
 * Items: 4
 * Time Limit: None

56 - Stygian Depths

 * Win Condition: Gain 100 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: ?
 * Items: None
 * Time Limit: 240 Seconds
 * Notes: This challenge utilizes Saint in their Ascended state. Ascending itself does not grant any points, however, you can ascend a and use their eggs as weapons. Additionally, this map spans more than one screen, and includes unique music. The unique track that plays is the unused threat music for Rubicon. Stygian Depths was the original name for Rubicon.

Bonus Challenges (57-69)
These challenges feature an array of playable Slugcats and sandbox items sourced from all of their stories. These challenges are locked by default and require the player to complete 5 challenges to unlock the first one, 5 more to unlock the next, and so on.

57 - The Stash

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Put a Pearl in a den
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 5 s
 * Items: 9 s, 3 s, 1
 * Time Limit: None

58 - Corridor Patrol

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Gain 8 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 3 s, 3
 * Items: 8
 * Time Limit: None

59 - Swing to survive!

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Gain 1 point
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 3 s, 2
 * Items: 6
 * Time Limit: 20 Seconds
 * Notes: This challenge has the shortest timer out of any of the challenges, the player must utilize the Grapple Worm to make it across multiple screens to eat a fruit at the end.

60 - Precarious Danglefruit

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Gain 6 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: None
 * Items: 6 . 2 s, 3
 * Time Limit: None

61 - Dragon Slayer

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1, 1 , 1 , 1 , 1 , 1
 * Items: 2 s, 4 s, 8
 * Time Limit: None

62 - No Turning Back

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Gain 10 points without letting a Slugcat die
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: None
 * Items: 4, 6 es
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: This challenge requires the player to control four different versions of Artificer at the same time, platforming over a few pools of acid. If even one of the Artificer clones die, the Challenge is failed.

63 - Acidic Popcorn

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Gain 50 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: None
 * Items: None
 * Time Limit: 80 Seconds
 * Notes: It is unmentioned in the description that s spawn in this arena. Spearmaster gains 5 points for each Popcorn Plant that they hit, meaning that they need to hit all 10 Popcorn Plants before the timer is up.

64 - Lizards Reloaded

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Gain 12 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 2 s, 3 s, 2 s
 * Items: 2 s, 15
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: It is beneficial to target the two Cyan Lizards, as they pose the biggest threat due to being able to propel themselves. Another good strategy is to eliminate an orange lizard and eat it, granting enough point to rest in a shelter and complete the challenge. This map spans more than one screen, unique to some of the challenge arenas.

65 - Armor Piercing Rounds

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Destroy all armored plates
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1
 * Items: 6 s
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: This Red Centipede is uniquely invincible. Spears will stun it as normal, but it cannot die through normal means. Enabling the Centipede Pipe Protection option is recommended.

66 - Hyper Light Transfer

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Gain 1 point
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: None
 * Items: 1, 1
 * Time Limit: 70 Seconds
 * Notes: It is unmentioned in the description that strings of s spawn in this arena. This challenge requires the user to use the Joke Rifle's knockback. When a Pearl is loaded into the gun, it has infinite ammo and slightly propels Slugcat away from the direction it faces. This propulsion is the only way to cross the gaps present in this challenge.

67 - Extreme Multitasking

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Kill all creatures without letting a Slugcat die
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 1, 1 , 1
 * Items: 8, 4 s
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: Similar to Challenge 62, this requires the player to control four versions of The . The Challenge will not be lost if a Slugcat is bit by a Lizard, the player can still save any captured player and will only fail if the Lizard reaches its den.

68 - Toxic Distillery

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Survive for 60 seconds
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: None
 * Items: 1
 * Time Limit: None
 * Notes: This challenge requires the player to outrun a vat of continuously rising acid using the Rarefaction Cell. There are many dead ends and wrong paths, so care must be taken when planning a route. Though the timer states you have to survive for 60 seconds, the acid continues rising after that. This map spans more than one screen, unique to some of the challenge arenas.

69 - Microecology

 * Class:
 * Win Condition: Gain 50 points
 * Arena:
 * Creatures: 4  nests, 2 s, 1, 2 , 1 , 1 , 1 , 1 , 5 s, 2 s, 3 s
 * Items: 15, 2 s, 3 s, 1 , 3 s, 2 s
 * Time Limit: 600 Seconds
 * Notes: The longest and largest of the arena Challenges, Microecology has multiple fully designed rooms and a large amount of creatures and items placed around. Failure of this Challenge is punishing, as upon dying the player loses any progress made and must start from the very beginning. Luckily the time limit for this challenge is very lenient, at 600 seconds, or around 10 minutes.

Challenge 70


This is the final challenge, unlocked by completing all other challenges and as a result most of the base game Slugcat stories and all of the downpour Slugcat stories.

Challenge 70 features a surprise boss fight against, the Iterator known for sending out a Triple Affirmative, as the ascended.

To begin the fight, the player must attempt to use Saint's ascension ability on Sliver of Straw. After hitting her once, she begins vocalizing and charging up her attacks. The fight consists of six main phases, each ending with her gravity field fading out, indicating another opportunity to attempt an ascension.

The fight is also generally considered non-canon, including by the developers, though nothing in the game explicitly states as such.

Phase 1
Sliver of Straw will shoot energy beams at the player. Despite what it looks like, if the player is in the middle of the beam when it goes off, the attack does not kill. Instead, it will push the Saint into the wall. If Saint is hit by the laser while against a wall, it creates a blast that will kill them.

Phase 2
Sliver of Straw will draw a large grid throughout the chamber, creating a square that generally lands somewhere on the middle. On each of the four corners of the square, a large version of the ten karma symbol pops up. If the player is not in the radius of the symbol, nothing will happen but a small pop. If the player is caught in the middle of one, a loud pang will sound and Saint will be killed. (It should be noted that these effects are near identical to Saint's own ascension abilities, including the sounds made upon success or failure.)

Phase 3
Sliver of Straw surrounds the arena in a circle of lasers that radiate outwards from her body. While they are initially harmless, after a few seconds they will rapidly fire off one after the other, requiring the player to keep up and outrun these. She will do this four times.

Phase 4
This phase combines the first and second phase. Both the karma symbols and beams are slower to appear than in their individual phases, but attempting to avoid them both while keeping the Saint powered up enough to ascend Sliver of Straw at the end of this phase is difficult.

Phase 5
Sliver of Straw fills the arena with orbs of electricity that form a safe circle in the middle. Slowly at first, this safe zone will begin to shift in a figure eight pattern (top left, bottom right, top right, bottom left). The pace quickens, and at the same time the safe zone gets smaller and smaller, requiring the player to anticipate the pattern before the circle actually begins changing directions. Unlike the other phases, when her gravity field goes down the attack does not stop.

Phase 6
Sliver of Straw will utilize the electric orbs, having them cover the top and bottom third of the chamber. Lasers similar to phase three will slide in from either the right or left, and activate after a short time. This phase increases in difficulty as the orbs form a wavelike pattern, requiring the player to manage vertical movement while avoiding the incoming lasers.

Ending
After all six phases have been passed, Saint must perform two more ascensions. The first one ends phase six, and Sliver of Straw will continue vocalizing, with red sparks emanating from her body. Upon ascending her one last time, the chamber goes pitch black, and Sliver of Straw's puppet falls to the floor.

From here, the entrance turns into a shelter symbol, and Saint is able to exit.