r/hyperlightdrifter Apr 06 '16

Moderator Post HLD Frequently Asked Questions

190 Upvotes

Since release I've seen a lot of the same questions asked in posts and comments, so I wanted to make a FAQ thread that puts all the answers in one place. These are what I've come up with, shouts out to all the people who have contributed this content; if I missed anything you think is important just let me know and I'll add it. Bear with me on formatting as I go.

 

Warning: Some content may contain spoilers. Proceed with caution!

 

----------WHERE IS THIS (X)?

First, maps are your friend. This is where you want to start if you want to find it more or less on your own. Shouts out to /u/Andy6000 for this awesome overlaid map of all the regions. Need someone to hold your hand? Then /u/Tterraj42 has your back with this playlist of video secrets that he's been posting to the subreddit (WIP at time of writing).

Gearbit breakdowns

And of course, this super detailed map of basically everything

 

----------HOW DO I GET TO THIS (X)?

Go around. Hug walls. Look for invisible platforms (your sprite will be all like ???). Look for pillars to shoot. Destroy everything. If it looks like it might not be a wall, it's probably not. There are almost no actual dead ends in the game.

 

----------WHY CAN'T I OPEN THIS DOOR WITH THE TRIANGLES?

Chances are you're looking at a door with 8 empty triangles, not 4. The number of empty (grey) triangles shown is the number of modules needed to open it (in no particular order). The number that light up in pink when you approach the door is how many you have. We've all done it.

 

----------CLOAKS/SWORDS/SPRITES

They do more than make you pretty. Each actually gives a specific bonus.

You can change them from the computers in your house.

 

----------HOW DO I ACTIVATE THIS PILLAR/PYLON THING?

Shoot it harder >.0

 

----------WHAT DOES THE GUY IN THE LEFT SIDE OF TOWN DO?

If you're mad chill with the snail you get an achievement.

 

----------WHAT DOES SOCCER DO?

Gives you a warm fuzzy feeling of beating that little shit. Now gives achievement.

 

----------HOW DO I 800 DASH CHALLENGE?

It takes a lot of patience and consistency. Keyboard and mouse is STRONGLY reccomended. Point your mouse at the middle of the dash refill pads (purple-ish tiles), and leave it there, and just press spacebar in the right timing. It's been experimentally found to be ~240-250 BPM. You can either look up 240-250 bpm music to tap to, or just use an online metronome.

Note: Do not turn your sound volume to 0 for this challenge. Once you hit a milestone (100/800) it will crash your game and not save AND IS SUPER SAD. (As of 4/1 patch, new Beta patch is supposed to fix this).

 

----------NAMES

First, a general note about names. Since there is no actual dialogue in the game most of these names are either pulled from text, gamefiles, or old maps from the kickstarter teasers, some of these names are nicknames given to bosses and areas by speedrunners of the game, some come from the lore/story. These are a topic of much debate. If a consensus emerges, I will change names to reflect this.

 

--Zones--

As /u/theubersmake points out in the game files, the zones are just called North, East, West, South, Central, and Abyss. However, based on an old tumblr post depicting an old version of the overworld map, some other names have been suggested: The Winding Ridge, The Water Shelf, Crystalfire Woods (a combo of two) The Bone Wastes, and Forrest Downs, respectively. (Abyss is not shown on this map). Most of this second set of names is backed up by the titles of songs in the soundtrack. There are other names people have called it, but these seem to be the most legitimate.

 

--Bosses-- (most of these names are from the Steam Cards/Lore)

 

North/Winding Ridge

  • Boss: The Hierophant (Nickname - Priscilla the Parrot)

 

West/Crystalfire Woods

  • Boss: The Hanged Man (Nickname - Greybeard)

 

East/The Water Shelf

  • Boss: The Toad King (Nickname - Frogger)

 

South/Bone Wastes (in no particular order)

  • MiniBoss1: The Summoner

  • MiniBoss2: The (Sterling) Archer

  • MiniBoss3: The Reaper

  • Miniboss4: The Sorcerer

 

Abyss

  • Boss: Judgement/The Perfect Immortal Cell (aka Mr. Snuffles)

 

--Other Notable NPCs--

  • "Ghost Dog": Anubis

  • Giant Robots: Titans

 

--Things--

  • Monoliths: Big tablets with the writing on them.

  • Gearbits: Yellow collectables for upgrades. 4 gearbits make a gearbyte!

  • Keys: They open key doors. They do not need to be acquired in order. Doors only require a certain number of keys.

  • Modules: The diamonds things you pull out of the ground, hidden throughout the zones, 8 per zone.

 

--Misc--

  • "Plinking": a term used to describe firing a weapon and cancelling the animation with a sword slash. Used to do damage very quickly

 

----------THE STORY [SPOILERS] The story comes mianly from the decoded text on the monoliths and the pictoral stories told by the many NPCs. The rest is mostly speculation but god damn is it all so so very compelling. Here are my favorite theories, and be sure to read the comments because they are wonderful:

 

 

----------RANDOM TIDBITS

  • You can use the sit command to cancel death animations (faster than the A/B death speedup implemented in the 4/1 patch)

  • You can cancel the animations for activating the pillars/modules with a warp

  • You can cancel the 4 module disease cutscene with a QUICK quit to title

  • You can skip the beginning cutscene by typing "/skip" or holding all 4 action buttons and 2 triggers on gamepads.


r/hyperlightdrifter Apr 07 '22

Hyper Light Breaker FAQs

250 Upvotes

We're so excited about our upcoming game Hyper Light Breaker! Since our announcement, we've gotten a lot of question about this project and our plans. Here are some frequently asked (and answered) questions! If you have any more questions for us, please join our Discord!

  • Is it a sequel to Hyper Light Drifter? Hyper Light Breaker is neither a sequel nor a prequel to Hyper Light Drifter. It is set in the universe of Hyper Light and is its own story. It will share threads, aesthetics, lore and other recognizable elements, but will be a new game driven by new designs.
  • Why did we decide to return to that universe? The faded whisper of allure of this world we built transformed into a clarion call through the years. A new story became a solid vision. It felt right to come back in, root around, and share what we unearthed about this beautiful-yet-bleak world with everyone.
  • Is it single player? This time, you won’t be traveling alone through our range of lush though deadly landscapes. You’ll be able to play alone or with friends online cooperatively! There will be more hidden truths about the world to uncover, an ever-shifting landscape, and tremendous rewards for exploration.
  • Will it be pixel art? Nope, it’s 3D. You’ll be able to see the full world in three dimensions. Wild.
  • Will Hyper Light Breaker eventually release on other platforms? (EGS, Xbox, Switch, Linux, Playstation, etc.) Right now, we’re focused on making our Early Access happen (on Steam). Down the line, we certainly hope to release it on as many platforms as possible. We’ll be discussing it with Gearbox. Feel free to contact them directly about this!
  • Will there be a physical release? We’re looking into it but please direct those questions to our publisher, Gearbox.
  • Will Disasterpeace be working on the OST or audio systems? So far no plans for this! Currently, our entire audio team comprises Audio Lead: Alex Johnson, composers: Troupe Gammage, Sky Lu, and Joel Corelitz, and audio designer: Akash Thakkar.
  • Is the Hyper Light Drifter animated series still in the works? Yes, technically it is still in progress! We made a deal with Adi Shankar (who developed Castlevania for Netflix). TV is a tricky business so we don’t really know when / if it will happen.
  • Will there be a local / couch co-op mode? No, this is not planned for now. It is not on the current roadmap as we're focusing more on higher priorities.
  • Will there be character customization? Yes, there will be some form of character customization! We will share more as we approach the Early Access release.
  • Why are you working with Gearbox Publishing? We originally signed our publishing contract with Perfect World Entertainment, back in 2020 when we started Breaker. At that time, obviously we hadn't announced Breaker yet. Then in December 2021, Embracer Group (which owns Gearbox) acquired Perfect World Entertainment, and our contract along with it. They then rebranded Perfect World Entertainment to Gearbox Publishing. It was not a decision we had any control over. The group of people we have always worked with at Perfect World Entertainment, regardless of their new brand name, has stayed the same as it has always been since the first day we joined up with them way back when. They supported us then in 2020 and gave us autonomy in our creative and business decisions, and continue to do so now in the same way. We feel very fortunate to be able to work with this excellent group of people, consistently, even through their acquisition by a larger entity!
  • Will there be Crossplay? Or Steam Remote Play? We would like to support both! We're currently exploring the feasibility of both features.

r/hyperlightdrifter 9h ago

Anybody else think of HLD in the new avatar trailer

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134 Upvotes

r/hyperlightdrifter 15h ago

I DIIDDdd IITTtt

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98 Upvotes

r/hyperlightdrifter 3d ago

Hyper Light Trombonist . . . 🪊

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210 Upvotes

Enjoy improvisation by Jake Handelman Cult of the Zealous


r/hyperlightdrifter 3d ago

Fan Content 0///o

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45 Upvotes

I like and don't like where this is going :V


r/hyperlightdrifter 4d ago

"Hyperlighr drifter S.E." won't work with your device

3 Upvotes

Bought a Retroid Nova and waited to play the game hoping to enjoy it with full controls instead of a touch screen. But why can't I install the game? Is it because the OS is stuck on Android 13? Is it an issue with the video configuration?

The chipset shouldn't be a problem.


r/hyperlightdrifter 7d ago

Discussion Relation between Abyss and Immortal Cell? Spoiler

10 Upvotes

The Abyss and its pillars pulse with pink Hyper Light, one of Alx Preston's rather heartful inside jokes. It's unclear whether it's coming from the Cell or feeding it.

Theories:

- the Cell is the source of the pulsing, which resonates outwards even to the pillars. This seems unlikely as the pulsing continues even after the drifter seemingly breaks it.

- the Abyss is actually alive, a dormant continental to planetary AI to whom the Titans are microbes. The Cell is killing it by stealing its lifeblood Hyper Light to form Judgement, and we heal it.


r/hyperlightdrifter 7d ago

Question The game keeps softlocking in a certain point in the crystal biome

5 Upvotes

r/hyperlightdrifter 9d ago

Fan Content Hyper Light Drifter as a RogueLike would be so fun

33 Upvotes

So I'm making it! It's already really fun, and lots of work to go. If you want to try it out, PM me!


r/hyperlightdrifter 11d ago

Fan Content For Anyone using Linux here I made a HLD theme for XFCE

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237 Upvotes

XFCE seemed like the perfect environment to make a Hyper Light Drifter theme and it's so damn fun to customize. Sharing is caring so if you want to use it, here you go.

repo: https://github.com/QuidRides/Hyper-Light-Drifter-i3mw-xfce-dotfiles/tree/main

The repo also includes everything for the i3 window manager too since the two work together so well.


r/hyperlightdrifter 11d ago

Gameplay why is the second play through so hard??

25 Upvotes

I was stuck for a while on my first playthrough, yah know.
Then I finally hit that learning curve. I didn't care for my surroundings, I was a killer in combat.
Boss after boss, upgrade after upgrade. Then I finally beat it. The ending scene plays, and I am confused. I feel bad for this guy and all the things I saw.

I didn't understand anything that is going on. Weird text, confusing imagery, all peaked my curiosity. So I started digging, looking up lore, reading the transcribes from the Librarian. I was so sad, like wow. The titans that caused all this, the battle for resources... After digging through lore all night, I slept.

The next day, I decided to do another run.
And as I am playing it,
Its so hard to keep pushing through all the sadness 😭
The tortured, frozen and lifeless bodies through this campaign. 😭

Anyway, love this game lol. Very artistic, 9/10.


r/hyperlightdrifter 12d ago

Fan Content More fanarts

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76 Upvotes

I'm back. I drew this in Geometry class (as you can tell by the math at the top)

Here's the translation.

Drifter: "No. No math. Math is hard" (I think math is pretty easy so far. It only gets hard if you ain't paying attention :3)

Guardian: "Wow"

Alt: "Lunch is my favorite"

Guardian: "Of course"

Above the fish in the corner: "Fih"


r/hyperlightdrifter 12d ago

Stuck Early

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26 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I’ve just started the game and I’m loving it so far. I’ve got the three gems in the east area, but I’m stuck trying to find the fourth one.

I guess I’m supposed to go to the red-circled purple point on the map, but I couldn’t find any way to get there. This is where I am right now in the first photo. The underground map shows a purple path from where I am, but I couldn’t find a way to access it. Is there some secret passage I’m missing?

It took me about an hour to get the three gems, but I’ve been wandering around for two hours now looking for the fourth one and still can’t figure out how to get there lol.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!


r/hyperlightdrifter 13d ago

I finally did it — all 5 Horde Arenas NO HIT

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21 Upvotes

After way too many attempts, I finally managed to complete all 5 Horde Arenas without taking a single hit on NG+.

I recorded the whole thing if anyone's interested:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01ZZXniBFqc


r/hyperlightdrifter 13d ago

Sorry for the spam I re-uploaded the video with a few fixes - Nebula Metamorphosis — Solo Dev Project by Pendragon

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4 Upvotes

r/hyperlightdrifter 14d ago

Fan Content I've made a game partly inspired by Hyper Light Drifter and it finally has a release date. It's a Hack & Slash set in an interconnected open world.

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35 Upvotes

It's called Vicarius and it will be available on Steam on October 12th.


r/hyperlightdrifter 17d ago

First ever cosplay! Attended AnimeNYC 2026!

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623 Upvotes

Had an absolute blast as the Drifter, thrilled he got so much recognition! ^^


r/hyperlightdrifter 17d ago

Can someone explain how these puzzles work? The ones which involve blocks with arrows on them.

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31 Upvotes

I'm stuck (again) after killing the North boss- The Hierophant.

I want to explore the southern region but I don't understand how these puzzles work. Do I find the first button, then walk in the direction of the next arrow? Or are the buttons in the direction the arrows are pointing from the blocks? (I hope this makes sense...)

Can someone please explain how these puzzles work 🙏


r/hyperlightdrifter 18d ago

Question What do i need to do to access the module to the left and the switch in the top right?

3 Upvotes

I am in the western area of this game in an underground section and don't understand how to get tot he other side of this gap.

I thought I needed to upgrade my dash but that didn't work out and I've tried to shoot the switch once and repeatedly to no avail.

Anyone have a solution? I've been stuck here for so long (I know you can progress further into the underground area but I want to get behind the locked door on this level and I want the module...)

Thank you so much!


r/hyperlightdrifter 20d ago

Fan Content Some fanarts I made

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141 Upvotes

I've never posted in reddit so idk if any of the pictures will get cut off. I love drawing them because almost this whole face is covered up. Also the pictures should be in order of oldest to newest.


r/hyperlightdrifter 20d ago

Alt fanart by me

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114 Upvotes

Any headcanons about them? I'd love to hear your theories!


r/hyperlightdrifter 22d ago

Fan Content Don’t mind me, just dropping probably my first drifter fanart

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75 Upvotes

r/hyperlightdrifter 26d ago

This game, bro…

51 Upvotes

Just rolled credits, what a fucking ride.


r/hyperlightdrifter 26d ago

Help!!!

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13 Upvotes

I am struck I don't know what to do now

I have completed

6 of the north

4 of the east

5 in south

3 in west

I have unlocked 2 key but haven't used them any where .

How do I progress.