Shovel Knight Dig: How To Get The True Ending (Walkthrough)

There are three possible endings in Shovel Knight Dig, but players who want to unlock the game’s True Ending are in for an intense roguelite challenge. While Yacht Club Games confirmed that the 16-bit roguelite serves as a prequel to the Shovel Knight series so far, Shovel Knight Dig’s main story doesn’t make itself apparent when players dive into their first dig. Instead, the True Ending quest requires players to embark on a treacherous run that will put their spelunking skills to the ultimate test.

In order to unlock Shovel Knight Dig’s True Ending, the blue knight must collect all six of the Hexcavator’s Gems in a single dig. While this feat is a significant undertaking in and of itself, players must also complete a series of challenging main story quests that can easily jeopardize the run. Reaching the end of this prequel story unlocks the Thorough Victory achievement, which puts the player one massive step closer to reaching 100% completion of the Shovel Knight series’ action roguelite.

Related: How To Beat Scrap Knight in Shovel Knight Dig

In Shovel Knight Dig’s Normal Ending, players can only explore three of the game’s six biomes in a run before reaching Drill Knight’s Castle at the bottom of the Well. Fortunately, the True Ending’s quest line unlocks the remaining two worlds along the way, allowing players to collect all six Gems as they progress. Additionally, a Secret Ending can be unlocked if players battle Drill Knight without facing every boss, but they’ll have to restart their True Ending run.

Knock Altius Into The Well

In order to set Shovel Knight Dig’s True Ending into motion, players must start by knocking Altius into the Well. Shield Knight’s purple owl sits on the sign outside of Hoofman’s shop, and Shovel Knight can, indeed, pet him any time he visits the Surface and its NPC vendors. Striking Altius with the shovel causes him to fly into the air, giving Shovel Knight the chance to shovel and drop him into the pit below.

Find Altius in Mushroom Mines

Once Altius has entered the Well in Shovel Knight Dig, players will have to locate him inside Mushroom Mines to continue the True Ending quest line. Altius will be perched on a treasure chest in one of the biome’s side rooms, which players must open to send him flying off again. If players cannot find him in any of the world’s three stages, Shield Knight will appear outside Spore Knight’s boss room to ask about him, at which point players should restart their True Ending run.

Buy Chester’s Cog On A String

After players find Altius and beat Spore Knight in Shovel Knight Dig, the True Ending quest line continues in the first stage of the second biome. Here, Shovel Knight must find Chester’s Accessories shop somewhere within the first stage and purchase the Cog on a String. Players will also have to collect all three Golden Cogs in the stage to complete this section of the quest. If Shovel Knight reaches the end of the stage with all four Cogs in tow, Altius will appear to jam the Cog on a String into the drill. With this step complete, players can complete the rest of the biome and move on to the next.

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Sacrifice Three Accessories

Shovel Knight will encounter Shield Knight at the end of the second biome, at which point players must follow her path down the well to continue Shovel Knight Dig’s True Ending quest. Here, players must find a hidden Sacrifice Chamber in each biome’s three stages and place one of their Accessories on the Altars inside. Upon making the third sacrifice, Shield Knight will recover a purple skeleton key before falling deeper into the Well. At this point, Shovel Knight must survive the rest of the biome and its boss before reuniting with Shield Knight in the next area.

Find The Omega Driver

Shield Knight will hand over the skeleton key once Shovel Knight shows up in Shovel Knight Dig’s fourth biome, which means the player is responsible for carrying this special key safely to its destination. Shovel Knight will have to reach the purple Triple Locked Door below without breaking or losing the skeleton key, but hitting spikes will cause the key to shatter. Once Shovel Knight opens the Triple Locked Door, Altius will retrieve the Omega Driver required to unlock the True Ending at the end of the run. The skeleton key can be reused on any lock in the Well as long as players manage to keep it safe.

Escort Shield Knight’s Bomb

At the start of the next biome, Shield Knight will give the player a massive bomb to escort, requiring players to figure out the best Shovel Knight Dig strategies to proceed without flubbing the run. The bomb will explode after 60 seconds, but if Shovel Knight takes damage and drops it, they’ll only have 3 seconds to retrieve it before it blows. Altius will be flying around a passageway blocked by a large pile of rubble, at which point players can strike the bomb to clear the path. Inside, Altius will use the Omega Driver to open the route to Drill Knight’s Castle.

Face Drill Knight & The Omega Saw

Altius will give Shovel Knight the Omega Driver once players descend into Drill Knight’s Castle. This special Relic must make it the entire way to the end of the final battle, so players must be certain not to use it to beat Shovel Knight Dig’s boss. Instead, Shovel Knight must wait until the Omega Saw appears near the end of the fight, at which point he can use the Omega Driver to dismantle it. Doing so will cause the Omega Saw to fall and crash through Drill Knight’s floor, revealing the vault below. After the Hexcavator’s Gems unlock the door, Drill Knight will dive in to collect his prize below.

Beat The True Ending’s Final Boss

Following Drill Knight into the vault at the bottom of Shovel Knight Dig’s roguelite Well leads to the secret Crystal Core biome below Drill Knight’s Castle. There are no enemies in this world, but there are spikes and traps that players must avoid to reach the final task of their True Ending run. Shovel Knight will run into Drill Knight and the Hexcavators just as they claim their prize, initiating the final boss fight at Shovel Knight Dig’s True Ending finale.

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