FAQ

Yes. The game is free and will never be pay-to-win: no gear, gold or boosts for real money, and no loot boxes.

As a guest, your hero saves by itself in this browser, on this device. Clearing your browser data, or playing in a private window, removes it. So keep a copy: Settings → Download a backup file. When the login opens (once 100 players have signed up for it), your heroes are also saved online and your guest hero comes with you.

Please don't. A private or incognito window deletes everything when you close it, so your hero is lost. Play in a normal browser window. Already playing in one? Before you close it, open Settings → Play on another device, make a code and type it in a normal window.

Tap Play as guest and you can start right away, no sign-up. A guest plays up to 2 heroes all the way to level 60 (the second opens when the first reaches level 20): every zone, every dungeon and the Endless Tower. A guest hero lives only in this browser, so make a backup file in Settings (the game reminds you at level 5, and once more at level 30 if you have no backup yet). You can delete it to start a new one. Sign up in the game with Discord or email: when 100 players have signed up, the login opens for everyone. Then your heroes are saved online, you can have up to 4, and your guest hero comes with you.

Tap Sign up with Discord (or Sign up with email) in the game (on the login screen or under Heroes → Save). The button shows how many players have signed up, for example 37/100. When 100 players have signed up, the login opens for everyone by itself. Then log in with the same Discord account or email: your guest hero comes with you.

Yes. Tap Sign up with email on the login screen (or Log in → email in the game). We send a 6-digit code to your email; type it and you are in. No password. Email and Discord sign-ups count together for the 100 that open the login. We never show your address and do not store it, only a scrambled fingerprint. See the privacy page.

Only your Discord ID and display name. No e-mail, password, servers or messages. See the privacy page.

Yes. Open Settings → Play on another device and make a code. On your other device, scan the QR code, open the link or type the code. The code works once, for 15 minutes. Play on one device at a time: the old device keeps its old copy. With a login (Discord or email, opens at 100 sign-ups) your heroes are also saved online.

Yes. The game works in the browser on phones, tablets and PCs. On a PC the screen uses more space.

Yes. Open Settings → Theme. Auto follows your device, or pick Light or Dark and it stays that way on that device. Interface size makes the text bigger or smaller; Large is always bigger than Auto.

Safari on iPhone can clear a website's saved data when you don't visit for 7 days. Two ways to stay safe: download a backup file now and then ( Settings → Download a backup file), or put the game on your Home Screen. The Home Screen game starts empty, so first tap Play on another device → Make a code, then open the game from the new icon and type the code under "Have an account or played before?" → "I have a move code".

Realm of Embers runs in your browser at www.RealmOfEmbers.com, on a phone, tablet or PC. There is nothing to install.

Download a backup file now and then: Settings → Download a backup file. Keep it safe. If your save is ever lost, send that file to us on Discord (#help) and we restore it for you.

3 to 15 letters, no numbers, no spaces. Letters with accents (é, ö) are fine. Swear words (English and Dutch) are not allowed. On the website every name is unique, so pick it quickly before someone else does!

The game now lives at www.RealmOfEmbers.com. Played on realm-of-embers.pages.dev before? Open the game there and tap "Take my heroes to www.RealmOfEmbers.com": your heroes, gold and bank come along in one tap, and a copy stays on the old address as a backup. Logged in with Discord? Just log in again on the new address. The old address keeps working for a few weeks, then it sends you to the new one.

No, but coming back after a break gives a Campfire bonus: your next fights give +50% XP until the bonus is used up. The longer you were away (up to about 20 hours), the bigger it is.

Instinct (left of Brace, key A) makes a hasty move for you: one skill you can use right now, usually a strong one, sometimes a weaker one or Basic Attack, and it hits (or heals) for 80% of its normal power up to level 20, going down to 75% at level 60. It only heals when you are below half HP and never uses potions, Brace or Flee. Every Instinct move uses 1 charge (5 at most, the dots on the button): every move you pick yourself gives 1 back and every win gives 2. Pick at least half of your moves in a fight yourself and the win gives an own-moves bonus of +10% XP and gold. Instinct does not work in the Endless Tower, Ember Ascension and Ashfall dungeons: there every move counts.

Yes, like in the classic MMOs. Against an enemy of your level 5% of your attacks miss, 1% more for every level the enemy is above you (at most 9%). A miss gives back 80% of the cost. Accuracy on gear takes 1% off per 1%, down to 0%. Heals never miss. Your Stats tab shows your accuracy and miss chance.

You keep your hero, gear and XP. Below level 10 defeats are free. From level 10 the healers patch you up for a little of the gold you carry: 1 gold the first time, then a bit more for each defeat within the hour (1%, 2%, 4%, 6%, 8%, at most 10%, always at least 1 gold). After an hour without a defeat it is back to 1 gold. Gold in your bank is always safe, and defeats in the Endless Tower cost nothing. In Ember Ascension a failed run lowers that dungeon one level.

Every boss has its own mechanic, like Raise the Dead, Soul Siphon or Storm Volley. The fight starts with a warning that explains it, and the fight info shows when it comes next. Each dungeon has a Guide with all its bosses, their mechanics and the loot. The first time you enter a zone, a zone card shows its effect, its monsters and its boss; tap the book icon on a zone to read it again.

Ember Ascension opens at level 60. First clear a dungeon on Ashfall, then climb its Ember Ascension: every level the bosses grow stronger and the loot gets better. Each level gives 3 more Boss Marks, and a failed run lowers that dungeon one level. In Ember Ascension all your resistances are 10% lower and Instinct does not work: every move counts. Your best level shows on the leaderboard.

When a monster gathers power, a heavy blow lands next turn: tap Brace (key B) before it. Brace blocks 80% of that blow (Rogues dodge it completely), and each class gets a bonus on top. Warriors fill their Rage, Mages get an ice shield, Priests heal 10%, Paladins get a shield, Archers make their next shot hit ×2 and Rogues land a sure crit. Brace also blocks 80% of a caster's arcane bolt. It only works when a blow or bolt is announced.

Casters charge an arcane bolt that goes through armor. Tap Brace in time to block 80% of it. Melee damage dealers (Wrathkindle and Warmaster Warriors, all Rogues, Oathblade Paladins) can also strike the caster to break its focus: a skill has a 60% chance to cancel the bolt, Basic Attack 35%.

When a companion fights beside you (the Archer pet, the Mage's Kindle Elemental from level 25 or the Duskcaller Duskshade from level 45), you sometimes meet a pack of 2 or 3 monsters, like a wolf pack. They all attack, and you hit the front one until it falls. Pack monsters are weaker on their own, and each one gives XP, gold and a loot roll. Bosses, elites, rares, dungeons and the Tower never come in packs.

Win fights in a row and your Hunting streak grows: +1% XP and gold for every win against monsters of your level (Elites and rare monsters count 2, zone bosses 3), up to +15% at a streak of 15. You reach Warm at 5, Hot at 10 and Blazing at 15. Easy monsters far below your level keep your streak but do not make it grow. Going to camp or resting does not end it, but it fades after 10 minutes without a fight, and a defeat or fleeing ends it. It counts in the open world, not in dungeons or the Endless Tower.

Buy them in the Shop: they go into your bag (up to 10 of each). In a fight, tap the flask button next to Potion (key E) and pick one. Using it takes your turn, like a potion. Elixirs, wards and oils last 20 fights, scrolls 30 minutes. A new Weapon Oil replaces the old one.

Yes, on a computer: 1–9 for your skills, 0 basic attack, A Instinct, B brace, Q potion, E elixirs, F flee, Space next fight, C camp and R rest.

One boss the whole realm fights together, in the Battle tab from level 30. Every blow from every hero fills the same bar. You get 3 fights a day of 8 turns, and your points are scaled to your level, so a level 30 hero matters as much as a level 60. A fight costs nothing: full HP for the fight, and afterwards your HP is back to what it was. When it falls, everyone who helped claims a reward once. It lives on the website only; on itch.io you see a note.

Every Monday at 00:00 (Amsterdam time). Five bosses take turns, each with its own move. Below level 30 you can already follow it: from level 5 a small card on Home shows how far the realm has pushed it.

The week the World Boss falls, every fight on the website gives +10% XP and gold until the week ends. It reaches every hero, whatever your level, also if you did not fight the boss yourself.

At level 20 you choose one of three specs in the Talents tab. Every spec card shows its role (DPS, TANK or HEALER), its bonus, weapons, what makes it unique and its spec skills. When you choose, all your skill and talent points come back for free, and a short guide tells you how to build for your spec. Changing your spec later costs gold.

In Realm of Embers they are separate. Up to level 9 every level gives a skill point. From level 10, even levels give a talent point and odd levels a skill point: 34 skill points and 26 talent points at level 60. Skill points make your skills stronger, talent points buy talents and passives. You cannot max everything, so every hero becomes your own build.

A little, and every race is useful. Human: +10% XP while leveling and small bonuses to everything. Moon Elf: dodge, crit chance, darkness and ice resistance. Dwarf: HP, less damage taken, fire and poison resistance. Orc: damage, crit damage, lightning and darkness resistance. Not every race can play every class.

On purpose: gear should feel special. Normal monsters often drop nothing or junk (sell it for gold). When a monster drops an item it is 55% Uncommon, 32% Rare, 11% Epic and 2% Legendary, and it drops at your level. Elites, rares, bosses and dungeons drop better gear. Epic items start at item level 20, Legendary at 40 and Mythic only at 60. A set bonus only counts set pieces within 10 levels of you.

No. “Equip upgrades by itself” is on, so better gear goes on by itself. You can turn it off in Settings; empty slots are still filled, and after a fight an “Equip (n)” button puts your upgrades on.

They are the Forge materials. Scrap and Essence come from dismantling gear in your Bags, and daily quests also give Scrap. Spend them with Improve to make your gear stronger. Every Upgrade adds +5% to every stat of the item, up to +25% at +5, and an Enchant adds about 10% extra damage, armor or healing for your role. Upgrades to +3 and higher also need Cores. Make a Core in the Forge (400 Scrap + 20 Essence) or buy Cores with Boss Marks.

In the Forge you pick one bonus line of an item and reroll only that line; the other lines stay. 80% of the time you get a bonus for your role (damage, crit, accuracy... for damage dealers), the rest is another bonus, on armor often a resistance. About 1 in 10 rolls is a top value (★). Every reroll on the same item costs a bit more (×1.4).

Most monsters hit with an element: fire, ice, lightning, poison, darkness or light. Resistance to that element takes damage off, up to 75%. The zone list shows what each zone hits with and how much resistance you have to it. Resistance lines on new gear usually match the place where you found it. Wrong element? At the Forge (Gear tab) you can Retune a resistance line to another element for about 5 minutes of gold. The value stays the same. In Scorched fights and Ember Ascension all your resistances are 10% lower.

Zone bosses give 1 mark (Scorched 2), dungeons 5, 10 or 15 (Normal, Hard, Ashfall; Ember Ascension 3 more per level), and you get them from quests, the Tower and the weekly chest. Spend them in the Shop: an Epic item 120, Legendary 400, a set piece 900 and a Mythic item 1200. Set pieces are endgame gear from level 60: they also drop from the last boss of a dungeon on Hard or Ashfall and from the Endless Tower. The Wandering Merchant sells Legendary, Mythic and set items only for marks.

From level 30 you can turn on Scorched zones. A zone turns Scorched after you beat its boss. Monsters get +50% HP, +35% damage and an extra trait. You get +75% XP, +60% gold, loot that is always Rare or better (+3 item level), 1 Boss Mark per 10 kills and 2 marks from the Scorched zone boss. One catch: in Scorched fights all your resistances are 10% lower.

100 silver is 1 gold. Monsters drop a few silver; quests, dungeons and selling items give more. On a phone you see gold with one decimal (12.4g), on a computer gold and silver (12g 45s).

Yes, with the Mailbox in the Shop (needs a login with Discord or email, which opens at 100 sign-ups). Send gold (up to 100 gold × your level per mail, 3 such mails a day; a hero can receive up to 30,000 gold a day) and gear up to Legendary to another hero by name. Every mail costs a small fee of 2.5%. Mythic, Set and Relic items are soulbound and cannot be sent. Untaken mail goes back after 30 days.

Over 300 quests for every class (Archers get 9 more on the Hunter’s Path) and 74 achievements (one of them only for Archers). Some quests are marked Hard: you need good gear for them, and they give extra loot. Achievements include exploring every zone and a bestiary: defeat 10 of every monster kind in a zone.

With a login (Discord or email, opens at 100 sign-ups) every hero from level 5 joins by itself (Battle tab → Leaderboard). The server checks every score, so impossible scores do not count. It shows Level, Tower, Ember Ascension, the current Season, Ember Levels, and for fun the most Deaths and Flees, and updates every 2 hours. Reaching the Top 10, the Top 3 or #1 earns achievements, and #1 on a board earns its own title. Playing as a guest? Your hero joins the Guests board by itself from level 5 (up to level 60), and moves to the real leaderboard when you log in. The list shows the top 10 (tap "Show more" for up to 50) and always your own place. At the same level, the hero who got there first ranks higher: the date next to the level shows when. The very first hero of the realm to reach level 60 gets the title "First Flame", and the first of every class gets "First Flame" with the class name. For now only heroes with an account can get it; guest heroes can when accounts open.

Post it in the Discord with your class, spec, level and what you did. A screenshot helps a lot. Discord is for players 13 and older (16 in some countries, like the Netherlands and Germany). No Discord? Send it to [email protected].

To fix bugs faster, the game counts crashes anonymously: the type of error, the screen and whether it is a phone or a PC. No names, no IP addresses.

In our Discord, type /ask and your question in #help. The Ember Helper is an AI helper: it only answers from this FAQ and the patch notes, and shows where the answer comes from. If it is not sure, it does not guess: it calls a human. You can also right-click a message and choose Apps → Ask Ember Helper. Choose private: True if only you should see the answer. Up to 10 questions per day. How we handle your questions is on our Privacy page.

Yes, short ones: play fair (no cheating, bots or using bugs on purpose), pick a decent hero name, and supporting the game never gives power. Read them all in our Terms of Service. How we handle your data is in our Privacy page.

The music, most sounds, the gear icons and many sprites come from free CC0 packs by human artists: 0x72 (Dungeon Tileset II), Pixel-boy & AAA (Ninja Adventure), Clint Bellanger (Tiny Creatures), Kenney (Tiny Dungeon, RPG Audio) and the Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup team (gear icons). Since update 0.5 the heroes, weapons, pets and some monsters are drawn pixel by pixel in code with the help of AI, and I check and choose every piece. No AI image generator is used.

Partly, and I would rather say it myself. Realm of Embers is my game: every idea, design and decision is mine, and a lot of it comes from players in the Discord. I use AI as a tool: for the code, for testing the balance and for some pixel art that is drawn in code, never an image generator. I check and choose every piece. The music and many sprites come from human CC0 artists (see the question above). Once donations allow, a real pixel artist will draw our own hero style.