Hyper Light Breaker is an action-adventure roguelike set in the vibrant, ever-changing world of the Overgrowth. Developed by Heart Machine, the game combines fast-paced combat, dynamic traversal, and deep exploration in procedurally generated biomes. Currently in early access, the game is constantly evolving with new updates and improvements.
While the game provides some tutorials to get you started, many of its mechanics and strategies are left for players to discover on their own. This guide aims to fill in those gaps, offering essential tips and insights for anyone looking to better understand the game’s systems and set themselves up for success on their journey through the Overgrowth. Whether you’re new to roguelikes or a seasoned player, this guide will help you make the most of your adventure.
Core Concepts
The Cursed Outpost
Cursed Outpost is your one-stop shop for everything
The Cursed Outpost is the central hub and main base of operations in Hyper Light Breaker. True to roguelike progression, this is where you begin their journey and where they return after each death or completed run. While the Outpost starts with limited functionality, it gradually evolves into a fully equipped hub as you unlock features and upgrades. It offers essential services and resources, becoming a vital part of the gameplay loop.
Key Points of Interest
- Pherus Bit: Offers permanent upgrades in exchange for Golden Rations and Abyss Stones, crucial for long-term progression.
- Omen the Bladesmith: Sells Blades in exchange for Bright Blood and Materials, providing essential melee weapon options for your runs.
- Multiplayer Concierge Bot: Assists you in setting up co-op missions.
- Skeksis the Tinkerer: Sells Holobytes, Amps, and Armor in exchange for Bright Blood and Materials. New players must pay a one-time Materials fee to unlock this shop.
- Cobra Balta the Rail Mechanic: Offers a variety of Rail weapons in exchange for Bright Blood and Materials. New players must pay a one-time Materials fee to access this shop.
- The Telepad: Allows you to travel between the Cursed Outpost and the Overgrowth. This is where players begin their runs.
The Overgrowth
Being procedurally generated, this might not look like your version of the Overgrowth
The Overgrowth is the primary gameplay zone in Hyper Light Breaker, where you’ll explore procedurally generated biomes, battle enemies, and gather resources. Each run takes place in this ever-changing environment, with increasing challenges as the Danger Gauge rises.
Key Overgrowth Mechanics
- Traversal Tools: Use hoverboards, gliders, and wall-dashing to explore biomes and evade danger.
- Combat: Use close and long range weapons and other tools to defeat various enemies.
- Resources: Collect resources and loot from enemies and chests to upgrade your gear.
- Danger Gauge: A meter which increases as you explore and defeat enemies. A higher Danger Gauge spawns tougher enemies and greater challenges but also yields better rewards.
The Run
Every single run is an exciting and dangerous event
A Run is a single journey into the Overgrowth, where players explore, gather resources, and fight enemies to grow stronger. Runs end either when the Breaker Team is defeated or successfully extracts via an Extraction Pad. A Cycle represents one version of the Overgrowth. You can complete as many runs as needed to achieve Cycle objectives but are limited to four lives per Cycle. When the Cycle ends, the Overgrowth regenerates into a new version.
Cycle Objectives
- Explore the map to gather loot and become more powerful.
- Collect Prisms (marked by gold diamonds) through exploration or by defeating Elites.
- Unlock and defeat Boss Arenas (Crowns) to gain access to the Abyss and the Abyss King.
Prisms and Boss Arenas persist across runs within a Cycle, allowing you to plan when to tackle each challenge. While there’s no hard time limit, the increasing Danger Gauge and rising difficulty will pressure you to extract before taking on the next run. Extracting strategically can improve your chances of completing the Cycle successfully.
Combat and Gear
How Combat Works
The combat in HBL is a fast and often hectic affair
Combat in Hyper Light Breaker is fast-paced, dynamic, and requires both strategy and adaptability. With a variety of weapons, abilities, and defensive mechanics, you can craft builds that suit your playstyle. Success in the Overgrowth depends on understanding the basics of combat.
Combat Basics
- Blade Attack: Execute a series of melee strikes with your equipped Blade. Repeated presses unleash a Blade Combo, which varies depending on the Blade equipped.
- Secondary Blade Attack: Trigger your Blade’s special ability which are powerful attacks that have a cooldown.
- Charged Up Blade Attack: Charges your Blade for a heavy attack that deals significantly increased damage but root you in place.
- Flash Step: Combine dash and attack to close the distance and simultaneously attack your target.
- Rail Fire: Fires your ranged weapon, either firing from the hip or aiming down the sights.
- AMP attack: Trigger your equipped AMP ability to either attack enemies or defend yourself, depending on the specific AMP.
- Dash and Parry: Key defensive mechanics that help avoid or mitigate damage.
- Dash: Use stamina to evade attacks, reposition, or close gaps in combat.
- Parry: A high-risk, high-reward mechanic that deflects incoming attacks and staggers enemies, opening them up for counterattacks.
How Weapons Work
Weapons are varied and can cater to plenty of different playstyles
In Hyper Light Breaker, players can equip two weapons, allowing for a versatile approach to combat. While each run begins with your selected loadout, you’ll have the opportunity to exchange these weapons for others you discover during your journey through the Overgrowth. The types of equippable weapons fall into two categories.
Types of Weapons
- Blades: Melee weapons that excel in close-range combat. Blades can chain fast combos or deliver devastating charged attacks.
- Rails: Ranged weapons that consume battery energy to fire powerful shots. Rails vary from fast-firing compact weapons to high-damage long-range options.
How Gear Works
Different gear is the basis for different character builds
The rest of your gear – such as Holobytes, AMPs, and Armor – is crucial for creating diverse and effective builds. These items offer a wide range of enhancements, abilities, and bonuses, enabling synergies that can drastically improve your combat efficiency and survivability. The equippable gear and other relevant mechanics for character fals into a few categories.
Types of Gear
- AMPs: Active abilities that provide offensive or defensive effects, such as dealing damage, creating shields, or stunning enemies. Only one AMP can be equipped at a time, and they have to be recharged by damaging enemies.
- Holobytes: Passive upgrades that enhance stats, abilities, or weapons. Holobytes can amplify damage, improve survivability, or synergize with your build to create powerful combinations.
- Armor: Gear that boosts survivability and can provide additional effects, such as damage reduction or synergy with other gear. Armor types include Light, Medium, and Heavy, each with trade-offs between mobility and protection.
- Sycoms: Essentially the “classes” of Hyper Light Breaker, Sycoms are unique abilities tied to each Breaker. Each Breaker has access to 2–3 Sycoms, which cater to different playstyles.
Gear Rarity
It’s important to not that gear in Hyper Light Breaker comes in four tiers of rarity, which determine its power and additional buffs. Rarity is indicated by the color and the number of pips in the upper-left corner of the gear icon:
- Common (Gray)
- Uncommon (Blue)
- Rare (Orange)
- Hyper (Purple)
Also, picking up gear doesn’t mean you get to keep it forever. Gear deteriorates with use and becomes unusable when its durability reaches zero.
- Durability is shown by pips at the bottom of the gear icon.
- Each time a you die, one pip of durability is lost on every equipped item. Gear with zero durability is destroyed and cannot be recovered.
Gear also has a separate upgrade level and each piece can be upgraded up to five times by paying vendors in the Hub.
- Upgrading gear increases its damage output, making it more effective in combat.
- Gear is obtained by looting enemies during runs or purchasing it from Hub vendors.
Getting Stronger
While collecting better gear in the Overgrowth is a key part of getting stronger, the game’s procedurally generated nature means gear drops are unpredictable. For more consistent progression, you must fully utilize the Cursed Outpost and the resources provided by NPCs and vendors. Here’s how to maximize your potential:
Permanent Upgrades
EXE Skills
EXE skills aren’t plentiful but can have a significant impact on your playthrough
EXE Skills are permanent upgrades purchased with Gold Rations from Pherus Bit. These upgrades apply to all Breakers and improve core stats and abilities. Examples of EXE Skills include:
- EXE Slot Unlocker: Adds extra slots for equipping Holobytes.
- Adrenaline Dash: Regenerate stamina after successfully staggering an enemy.
- Extra Rez: Grants an additional life per run.
Breaker STAT Upgrades
Breaker upgrades are the most impactful permanent upgrades in the game
Breaker stats determine a character’s performance in combat and can be upgraded to improve survivability, damage, and utility. Here’s a streamlined list of upgradable stats:
- HP: Increases maximum health, allowing Breakers to survive more damage.
- BATT: Expands battery capacity for firing Rails.
- ARMOR: Reduces incoming damage from enemy attacks.
- STRIKE: Enhances melee damage with Blades.
- BLAST: Boosts damage output with Rail weapons.
- STAM: Improves stamina, increasing the number of consecutive dashes. Every 50 STAM adds 1 stamina pip.
- CRIT CHANCE: Increases the likelihood of landing Critical Hits.
- CRIT DMG: Boosts damage dealt by Critical Hits.
- OPS: Affects luck-related factors, such as the rarity of dropped items and maximum damage rolls.
Semi-Permanent Upgrades
Gear isn’t permanent, so learn to vary your play style
NPCs in the Cursed Outpost allow you to purchase, upgrade, and store gear:
- Gear Purchases: Vendors sell Blades, Rails, Holobytes, AMPs, and Armor in exchange for Bright Blood and Materials.
- Gear Upgrades: Use Materials to increase gear levels, improving stats like damage or durability.
- Vault Storage: The Outpost features a Vault where you can store purchased or found gear, allowing you to save powerful items for future runs.
To make the most of your runs and unlock the potential of your gear and upgrades, you’ll need to gather specific collectibles like Bright Blood, Materials, and more. Be sure to check out our comprehensive guide on resources to find out which does what and where each resource can be obtained.
