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There is a learning curve to the game, but it is not insurmountable, and learning a few tips about the game itself will surely help things along. Like other rogue-lite games, it is all about enjoying the journey and improving for the next run.
10 Prioritize Damage Dealers
In Dome Keeper, there are multiple enemy types. In the beginning, players will likely see only one or two enemies per wave. These enemies are also slow and deal low damage. As the game progresses, players can expect much tougher enemies and will need to target the high-damage dealers.
Flying creatures deal heavy damage, are fairly weak, and are easy to kill. The flying mobs should be dealt with first. Players will see Flyers, Butterflies, and Divers. As nice as they sound, these flying pests will soon cause problems. That being said, there are plenty of ground-type enemies that hit hard. Learn which enemies do the most damage and target those first!
9 Return To The Dome Early
Players will be forgiven for taking in the atmosphere and beautiful pixel art that Dome Keeper offers, but time management is crucial to succeeding in Dome Keeper. Players will often lapse in concentration when looking for loot buried deep in the mineshaft, but it is important to keep an eye on the time.
With the hostile proximity meter, players will see a countdown to the next alien wave. This information is key. Arriving late to an alien assault can mean the difference between winning and losing.
8 Players Can Repair The Dome Mid-Fight
Players can briefly exit the battle to repair the dome but, be warned, the aliens do not stop attacking. When in the battle screen pressing Q will mean players can move freely inside the dome and quickly pressing D will enter the upgrade screen. From here players can purchase the repair upgrade by spending cobalt.
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This is a risky play and should only be used if the dome is about to be destroyed. But if there is ever an emergency press Q and D and spend that cobalt!
7 Don’t Panic In Combat
Half of Dome Keeper is a peaceful experience; the other half is frantic and stressful. When players are digging their mine shafts, it is almost easy to forget that there are hordes of aliens amassing above ground.
Just like in any good rogue-lite game, players will need to make quick decisions under lots of pressure. The combat half of the game is where this becomes tricky. Dome Keeper has a lot of enemy types and when they are all on the screen, it can be mentally jarring. Keep calm, prioritize the damage dealers, and don’t panic!
6 Mine Efficiently To Save Time
Mining is straightforward enough, but there are some tips to keep in mind. Players can see one tile above and below when mining. This means that if players mine down and create two horizontal strip mines, they should then skip two tiles down their main shaft before starting any other horizontal offshoots.
Then consider the hardness level of the rock. If players come across tightly knitted patterns, the wall is harder to break down. Any loose patterns will be easy to break through. In the early game, prioritize clearing the upper levels as the rock hardness will be easier to break through. Dome Keeper is one of those games that will test players’ time management skills.
5 Center The Weapon Between Waves
The best roguelikes will always have mechanics that can hinder or help players. One tip for Dome Keeper is that the enemies can come from any direction. Whether choosing the sword dome or laser dome, players will need to bring the weapon to the center of the dome before exiting the battle.
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This ensures that when the next wave appears, players will avoid having to lose seconds readjusting the weapon. For example, if the weapon is left all the way to the left side of the dome and the enemies start from the right-hand side players will lose precious seconds just to aim the weapon.
4 Spend Resources Wisely
Resources are limited, and players will have to make the right decisions to progress in Dome Keeper. Iron is plentiful and used to buy upgrades, but the upgrade costs soon mount up. Water is used to upgrade gadgets and can be found beneath the dome, or made with a condenser. Cobalt is the rarest resource and is used to repair and strengthen the dome. Cobalt can be found by mining or players can choose to scrap a gadget and gain 2 cobalt.
Managing these resources is key to succeeding. While upgrading the weapon is tempting, more movement speed or carrying capacity may be more efficient. Use cobalt sparingly, only heal when necessary.
3 Focus On Defense
There is only one way to lose in Dome Keeper and that is when the dome is broken. So, the priority must be defense. Try to mitigate as much damage as possible by taking out the high-damage-dealing enemies first. The dome will take damage, that’s just a fact of the game, but the limit of the damage comes down to careful preparation.
Use the hostile proximity meter and never be late back to the dome, the resources won’t vanish. Focus on upgrading the dome’s defensive properties. Buffing the health and toughness of the dome means that players will spend less cobalt on repairs. Defend the dome at all costs!
2 Find A Comfortable Play Style
A big decision to make is between choosing the sword dome or the laser dome. Most players will agree that the sword dome is harder to learn and less forgiving than the laser dome. With that said, a lot of veteran rogue-lite players do prefer playing with the sword dome.
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However, this is something players need to test and try out themselves. This also is the case for gadgets and upgrades. Some players will prefer to pick up Drillbert, because who doesn’t want a cute dino-drill pet? Other players will prefer the lift gadget for increased efficiency. There are so many combinations to explore; which is part of the fun!
1 Make Good Use Of Gadgets
The gadgets in Dome Keeper are unique objects that help with certain aspects of the game, be it mining or defending the dome. This is a common trait for rogue-lite games and new players to the genre should play a few rounds to understand how the gadgets work. There are around 11 gadgets in total, each come with a helpful trait.
Players will only be able to choose from a select few gadgets, so it is important to try to choose gadgets that will synergize well. For example, choosing the lift and upgrading the drill is a good combination as they synergize well together. Or, the stun laser and weapon upgrades will make light work of alien waves!
Dome Keeper is available on PC.
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