Halls of Torment First Runs: Survive, Level Up and Unlock the Next Hall

Choose a quest before choosing a build

Halls of Torment uses quest-based progression. The quest board tells you which character, hall or condition a task needs and what it unlocks. Read those requirements before entering: surviving longer on the wrong character does not complete a character-specific task. A requirement marked for one run also cannot be assembled from several shorter attempts.

For an opening session, choose a task compatible with normal play on the Swordsman and the hall you can enter. Avoid stacking a difficult restriction onto a run whose basic movement you are still learning. When the task unlocks an item or ability, inspect what became available afterward; unlocking a reward is different from receiving a fully equipped starting loadout.

Choose a goal you can check after the run. “Make progress” is hard to check. “Attempt the displayed boss objective, collect gold, then inspect its quest entry at camp” gives you a definite next action whether or not you survive to the end.

Collect experience without doubling back into danger

Experience left behind is not helping your current level. At the same time, crossing enemies to reach every pickup can cost more HP than the level is worth. Clear a patch, move through the space you opened, and circle back only when the path remains usable. Look ahead to the exit from that space rather than steering directly toward the nearest gem.

With Swordsman, keep enemies in the area your main attack can reach. If you keep moving while enemies survive behind you, a long line of enemies can build up behind you, leaving too little room to turn. A broader turn through cleared ground is a safer practice pattern than a sudden reversal into that line.

Check the aiming and automatic-attack settings before blaming a weak weapon. Watch whether your attacks are connecting while you move. When a boss telegraphs an attack, preserving an escape direction matters more than collecting a pickup at its feet. Use this to practice movement; no single circular route works against every enemy.

Pick Traits for a problem you can see

Level-up Traits change the current run. Read which weapon, ability or statistic an offer affects before taking it. A damage increase for the wrong effect does not repair weak crowd clearing. The Trait options for your hero and chosen abilities also have branches and tier requirements, so a late-game screenshot is not a list of choices a new save will see immediately.

If enemies survive in your attack area, consider relevant damage or attack-speed options. If you cannot escape as a gap closes, consider movement and positioning. If gradual hits are wearing you down, compare available health, regeneration or other defense with the offensive option. These are conditional priorities: they are not a fixed ranking for every character.

When you acquire an ability from a scroll, choose supporting Traits that help it do its job. Adding several abilities also adds more possible choices to manage. You can learn faster by following one main source of damage and one supporting ability than by copying a finished build whose equipment or mastery unlocks are missing.

Separate camp upgrades from temporary strength

Back at camp, review the gold and quest progress you earned. The Shrine of Blessings provides persistent upgrades; the Traits chosen inside the hall do not become your next run’s full starting build. Check which Blessings your quests have unlocked instead of assuming the whole menu is available from the beginning.

Spend toward the repeated failure you identified. Movement can help a run that loses its escape space; appropriate offensive upgrades can help one that cannot keep up with the horde. Keep the budget for another immediate purchase in view, including equipment you have sent to the Wellkeeper. There is no need to put every coin into a generic stat simply because it is available.

If a collected piece of equipment is absent from your next loadout, follow the separate retrieval process. Finding and wearing a drop during a run does not by itself permanently add it to the stash. The linked Wellkeeper guide covers the rescue, sending and camp purchase steps.

Know what opens the next hall

Defeating Imp Chieftain in Haunted Caverns unlocks Ember Grounds. You need to defeat that boss; you do not need a particular hero level or a prior win against the final Lord. Once that unlock is available, choose whether your next run pursues a remaining Haunted Caverns quest or a new Ember Grounds objective.

If progress seems stuck, check the exact hall and character requirement, whether the goal is cumulative or single-run, and whether you actually completed it. If your immediate problem is survival, change one movement or upgrade decision and compare the next attempt. If the quest is already complete, move to its reward or the next displayed requirement instead of repeating the same target.

Make equipment carry over

• Wellkeeper rescue and permanent equipment

Questions and answers