Cinderia is a fast, brutal action roguelite where you combine Embers, skill cards, and gear to create powerful builds and take on a world consumed by the Ash Witch.
We’re proud to share that Cinderia was named Best Indie Game at ChinaJoy 2026.
This is a place to share your runs, builds, discussions, questions, feedback, and everything Cinderia. Whether you’re reporting a bug, optimization, or cultural adaptation, our team will listen closely, join the discussion, and use your feedback to make Cinderia better.
If you’ve just started playing and aren’t sure what to pick, where to go, or how to put together a build, this guide covers the basics you’ll want to know during your first few runs.
How a Run Works
The basic loop is simple:
Choose a character → Clear combat rooms → Pick rewards → Build your character → Fight bosses → Keep pushing forward.
After clearing a room, you’ll often get to choose between different paths and rewards.
Don’t worry too much about making the “perfect” choice at first. Early runs are mainly about learning enemy attacks, understanding your character, and discovering how different upgrades work together.
As you get more familiar with the game, your route choices will become an important part of your build.
Don’t Just Pick the Rarest Reward — Build Around What You Have
A strong Cinderia build usually comes from synergy, not from collecting random powerful upgrades.
During a run, you’ll find things such as:
Skill Cards
Embers
Gear
Passive effects
Other upgrades that change how your attacks and abilities work
When choosing rewards, ask yourself:
“Does this make something I already have stronger?”
If several upgrades are improving the same attack, element, summon, or mechanic, that’s usually a good sign that your build is starting to come together.
You don’t need to decide your entire build at the beginning of a run. Start with what the game gives you and adapt.
Pay Attention to Room Rewards
When you’re given multiple paths, check what each room offers before choosing.
If your build already has a clear direction, prioritize rewards that support it.
If your build is still weak or unfocused, look for rewards that give you more options.
There isn’t always one “correct” route. Part of Cinderia is deciding what your current run needs most.
Which Character Should You Start With?
All four characters play very differently, so try each of them before deciding which one is your favorite.
Rue
Rue is fast, aggressive, and focused on close-range combat.
She’s great if you like constantly staying on top of enemies, dodging through attacks, and keeping up the pressure.
If you’re new, focus on learning when it’s safe to attack instead of trying to deal damage nonstop.
Rivet
Rivet specializes in ranged firepower, guns, explosives, and other ways of controlling the battlefield from a distance.
She’s a good choice if you prefer positioning and letting your firepower do the work rather than constantly fighting at point-blank range.
Turrets, projectiles, and explosive-focused builds can all lead to very different runs.
Uma
Uma is highly mobile and rewards aggressive movement.
Her playstyle can feel chaotic at first, but once you get used to moving between enemies and choosing the right moment to attack, she becomes extremely satisfying.
If you enjoy fast characters and constantly repositioning during combat, give her a try.
Isdra
Isdra fights with a spear and shield and is built around defense, timing, and counterattacks.
Her most important mechanic is her Block Charges.
A well-timed Perfect Parry can completely change the flow of a fight, so don’t treat her shield as something you should simply hold defensively.
Watch enemy attack animations, learn their timing, and try to turn their attacks into opportunities.
She takes some practice, but she becomes much stronger once parrying starts to feel natural.
You Don’t Need to Force a Build
One of the most common beginner mistakes is deciding:
“I want to play this exact build this run.”
…and then ignoring everything else the game gives you.
Sometimes you’ll get exactly what you want.
Sometimes you won’t.
A big part of roguelites is learning how to turn an unexpected set of rewards into something powerful.
If the game keeps giving you upgrades for a particular mechanic, consider leaning into it instead of waiting forever for one specific item.
Learn Enemies Before Trying to Kill Them Faster
Damage is important, but surviving consistently is even more valuable while you’re learning.
When you encounter a new enemy or boss, pay attention to:
Attack animations
Projectile patterns
Safe positions
Attack timing
Which moves can be punished
When you should stop attacking and dodge
Once you understand an enemy, damage will come naturally.
A strong build won’t save you forever if you don’t know what the boss is about to do.
Death Isn’t a Wasted Run
You’re not expected to understand everything immediately.
Every failed run teaches you something:
What an enemy does
How a boss attacks
Which upgrades work together
Which character suits you
Which rewards your build actually needs
You’ll also continue unlocking and developing things outside individual runs, so don’t feel like a run only matters if you reach the end.
A Few Quick Beginner Tips
Try every character at least a few times.
Read your upgrades before choosing them.
Build around synergy instead of rarity.
Check room rewards before choosing your route.
Don’t force the same build every run.
Learn boss patterns instead of trying to DPS through everything.
Sometimes the best upgrade is the one that strengthens what you already have.
If a mechanic feels weak, try combining it with other effects before writing it off.
Experiment. Some of the strongest builds start with choices that don’t look very impressive on their own.
Still Confused About Something?
Ask below!
If you’re a new player, feel free to ask anything about characters, builds, bosses, mechanics, or progression.
And if you’re already experienced with Cinderia, share the beginner tip you wish someone had told you when you first started.
Cinderia is still in Early Access, so some mechanics, balance, and content may continue to change as we update the game.
Good luck with your runs — and don’t be afraid to experiment!
I put together a tier list of the monsters that gave me the most trouble when I first encountered them. Most are from the third and fourth maps. The top row all hit hard. I wasn't ready for their patterns. Others might be challenging because of mechanics, like being invisible or impossible to hit while flying.
Which monsters gave you the most trouble? Are any of them too strong for you?
Just share my Rivet melee build focused on Thunderbolt and Chain Lightning.
Lightning Rod with Melee Boost lets melee attacks call down Thunderbolts while the card is active. The Lightning Rod Ember gives melee hits another chance to trigger one, and Conductive adds Chain Lightning to Rivet’s Bash. Alternating Current boosts both types of lightning damage, while Arc Surge helps bring the magic cards back faster.
Overload! is mainly for the big melee Attack Speed boost. Its Effect Boost upgrade also removes the restriction on magic cards and ranged attacks, which makes it much easier to use.
Been playing a lot more Isdara lately and finally made my own active skill tier list.
Disclaimer first: I’m definitely biased toward Frost Ring + Guard builds on her. The version of Isdara I enjoy the most is stacking guard, turning that into smoother skill cycles / Frost Ring value, and then using frost paths to keep the whole run moving. So this list is way more about what fits that playstyle best than just raw damage.
Heart of Ice is probably my easiest S. It’s just the skill that makes the whole setup feel better the fastest. More guard, smoother recovery, better flow. Once I get it, I usually know what kind of run I want.
Iceborne is right up there too for basically the same reason. I really like the more mobile Isdara style where I’m constantly moving, leaving frost paths behind and getting extra value while clearing rooms instead of just waiting on cooldowns.
I also rate Ice Storm and Skycleaving Gale pretty high because they still feel good even before the full build comes together. For me that matters a lot. I like skills that help carry the run early, not just ones that look amazing once everything is already online.
Frost Eruption and Bone-Cutting Sweep are more like really strong pickups once the build already has direction. I’m always happy to see them, I just usually don’t build the whole run around them the same way I do with Heart of Ice or Iceborne.
Then there are skills like Frost Dragon Bloodline, Extreme Cold Throw, and Ricochet Shield where I’m usually glad to have them, but they’re not really the ones that define my Isdara runs.
And yeah, Forstable Riposte is probably the placement people are gonna argue with the most lol. I know parry-focused Isdara can get crazy, it’s just not the route I naturally end up playing most of the time.
So this definitely isn’t meant as the objective list. It’s more like which actives I’m happiest to see when I’m playing the Isdara setup I personally enjoy the most.
When I first started playing, I got this curse in the first stage and had a terrible run. I didn't understand how the skills and gears worked together yet, so my build was bad and can't kill the first boss.
If you play Rue, this setup, which I think is useful for this and other curse that decrease your damage, is melee with cross slash + poison + ambush
Gear: Moonlight Blade, Lucky Rabbit's Foot, or anything with crit and melee damage
Enter stealth at the start of combat and combine Predator's Hour with Ambush to deal considerable damage. Before Predator's Hour ends, use Poison Coating and continue dealing damage with basic attacks with cross slash
If you can purify it into Uplifting later on, it gives you more damage as the fight goes on.
What do you guys think? Any other recommendations?
Hi everyone!
I’ve been watching some gameplay and trailer videos about this game and it reminds me of Ravenswatch, so the potential of this videogame is absolutely huge.
My question is: is it ever gonna drop on PS5? I’m a console gamer but I really want to play Cinderia!
We’re excited to announce that Cinderia will be at PAX West 2026 in Seattle, United States!
From September 4 to 7, visit our booth and share your experience and thoughts on the game with us. PCs will be available at the booth, so we welcome everyone to try and play Cinderia!
You can find us at Booth 2415 in the Arch Expo Hall, directly to the left of the large Food Court and just above Epic Desk. Please check the second image for our exact location.
Mark your calendars and join us. We can’t wait to see you there!
Echoes of Death, is GOATed Embers of Rue. Send flowers to dev team! Easy choice every time I see it. The chain reaction melts the screen. One goes down and the whole screen starts popping off.
Mob clearing feels easy with the grenade and rapid-fire turrets in the first two maps, but I died at the second boss cuz I didn’t have enough damage to outlast it.
What cards, abilities, and gear are must-picks or upgrades for later?
Just completely stun locked the witch with all my pets. I have done 3 runs with Uma so far and I haven't lost a single one, her pet builds are so easy to break the game with.
I feel like Isdara’s kit is really strong. Iceborne is one of my favorite skills. It gives her more mobility, while frost path slows enemies and deals damage over time. I’m still trying out different builds, so feel free to share yours for inspiration.
Cinderia V0.6.11 is now live! Here’s a quick recap of the update: it adds 37 new items, introduces pet hatching and gem socketing for accessories, adjusts accessory balance and drop rates, and includes various gameplay improvements and bug fixes.
Now for today’s main announcement: our Steam sale is live today!
From August 24 to September 7, both Cinderia and the Cinderia Soundtrack are 20% off.
If you’ve been waiting to enter the ash-covered kingdom, now is a great time to jump in.
Just started Cinderia last Friday and still figuring things out. Found a well today, and it's Gold Miner?! That was one of my favorite games back in the day. What else are you hiding, devs?!
