ULTRAKILL is a retro-styled FPS inspired by Quake, Devil May Cry, and classic arcade shooters. Set in the layers of Hell, you play as a machine fueled by blood, meaning aggressive play literally heals you. The style ranking system (D through ULTRAKILL) rewards varied combat, weapon swapping, and creative kills. Every weapon has multiple variants with distinct alt-fires, and the coin-flipping mechanic lets you redirect shots for trick kills. Currently in Early Access through Act 2, it's already considered one of the best boomer shooters ever made.
This guide covers everything you need: core mechanics, the best characters, weapons worth investing in, location progression, and the tips that actually make a difference.
Core Mechanics
style ranking system
Every kill and action adds to your style meter from D to ULTRAKILL rank. Varied attacks score higher — using the same weapon repeatedly tanks your multiplier. Fresh Weapon bonuses trigger when swapping to unused weapons. Higher style ranks increase point gains and are required for P-ranking levels.
blood healing
As a machine powered by blood, you heal by being splashed with enemy blood. Killing enemies at close range, punching them, or standing in blood pools restores health. This creates the core loop: aggression heals you, passivity kills you. Hard damage (gray health) can only be healed through blood.
coin flipping
The Marksman Revolver's alt-fire tosses a coin. Any projectile that hits the coin auto-redirects to the nearest enemy's weak point. Shooting a coin with a railcannon or another revolver shot creates devastating trick shots. Coins can chain into other coins for multi-redirect kills.
weapon swapping combos
Switching weapons mid-combat is essential for maintaining style rank and maximizing DPS. Core Eject Shotgun into swap-cancel lets you fire again immediately. Nailgun overheated magnets into shotgun blasts combo for massive damage. The weapon wheel has no swap cooldown.
movement tech
Bunny hopping, slam jumps (ground pound for height), dash chaining, and whiplash grappling form the movement system. Slam jumping off enemy heads gives massive height. Rocket surfing (shooting a rocket at your feet mid-air) provides emergency mobility.
Characters Overview
| Role | Tier | Playstyle | Key Stats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shotgun Main | S | Grapple in with Whiplash, Core Eject into swap-cancel loops, punch for extra blood. | Close-Range DPS, Swap Speed, Blood Healing |
| Railcannon Specialist | A | Open with railcannon on the biggest threat, coin-redirect for precision, swap to other weapons during cooldown. | Burst Damage, Cooldown Management, Target Priority |
| Coin Trickshotter | A | Toss coins constantly, chain shots through them for auto-aim headshots, maximize style rank. | Coin Accuracy, Style Meter, Multi-Target Damage |
| Nailgun Shredder | B | Tag enemies with magnets, shred with nails, detonate overheat nails with shotgun blasts for explosions. | Sustained DPS, Area Coverage, Combo Damage |
| Rocket Surfer | B | Stay airborne with rocket jumps, rain down Firestarter rockets for area denial, shotgun for close encounters. | Air Mobility, Area Denial, Rocket Accuracy |
Shotgun Main (S-Tier): Focuses on the Core Eject and Pump Charge shotgun variants for close-range devastation. Core Eject swap-canceling produces the highest sustained DPS in the game. The bread-and-butter approach that works on every encounter.
Railcannon Specialist (A-Tier): Uses Malicious and Electric railcannon variants to delete priority targets instantly. Railcannon shots bounced off coins deal double damage. Requires good target prioritization since railcannons have long cooldowns.
Coin Trickshotter (A-Tier): Maximizes the coin mechanic for style points and guaranteed weak-point hits. Tossing multiple coins and shooting through them chains damage across the arena. The flashiest playstyle and the path to ULTRAKILL rank on style meter.
Nailgun Shredder (B-Tier): Uses Attractor and Overheat nailgun variants for sustained area damage. The Attractor nailgun's magnet pulls all nails toward a target, concentrating damage. Overheat nails create explosions when detonated by other weapons.
Rocket Surfer (B-Tier): Incorporates rocket launcher movement tech into combat. Rocket surfing provides unmatched air mobility while Firestarter rockets leave persistent fire zones. The most mobile build but requires precise rocket aim to not self-damage.
For full build breakdowns with gear and stat priorities, see our ULTRAKILL builds guide.
Weapons Guide
| Weapon | Why It Matters | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Piercer Revolver | Charged shot that pierces through all enemies in a line. | Coin Trickshotter, Railcannon Specialist |
| Core Eject Shotgun | Fires normally, then alt-fire ejects the heated core as a bouncing explosive. | Shotgun Main |
| Attractor Nailgun | Alt-fire places a magnetic point on any surface or enemy. | Nailgun Shredder |
| Malicious Railcannon | Fires a beam that deals massive damage and creates an explosion at the point of impact. | Railcannon Specialist |
| Firestarter Rocket Launcher | Rockets leave a trail of fire on surfaces, creating persistent damage zones. | Rocket Surfer |
Piercer Revolver: Charged shot that pierces through all enemies in a line. Fully charged deals 3.5x normal revolver damage. Hitting a coin with a Piercer shot creates a beam that auto-targets and pierces through every enemy in sight. The ultimate room-clearing tool.
Core Eject Shotgun: Fires normally, then alt-fire ejects the heated core as a bouncing explosive. The core deals 5x shotgun damage on direct hit. Swap-canceling after the first shot lets you fire again immediately, producing absurd DPS. The highest skill-ceiling weapon.
Attractor Nailgun: Alt-fire places a magnetic point on any surface or enemy. All subsequently fired nails curve toward the magnet, guaranteeing hits on mobile targets. A magnet on a boss means every nail hits regardless of your aim. 200 nail capacity.
Malicious Railcannon: Fires a beam that deals massive damage and creates an explosion at the point of impact. One-shots most standard enemies and deals 30% of a boss's health bar. 16-second cooldown between shots. Bouncing it off a coin adds a damage multiplier.
Firestarter Rocket Launcher: Rockets leave a trail of fire on surfaces, creating persistent damage zones. Direct hits deal 80 damage plus afterburn. The fire zones last 8 seconds and stack with multiple rockets. Excellent for controlling arenas against swarm enemies.
Location Progression
| Location | Level Range | Key Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Limbo | Layer 1 (Beginner) | Core weapon unlocks, basic movement tutorials, Cerberus boss fight |
| Lust | Layer 2 (Easy-Medium) | Nailgun variants, Minos Prime secret fight, water combat mechanics |
| Gluttony | Layer 3 (Medium) | Railcannon unlock, Gabriel boss fight, poison enemy variants |
| Greed | Layer 4 (Medium-Hard) | Rocket Launcher, V2 rematch boss, Mindflayer encounters, numerous secrets |
| Wrath | Layer 5 (Hard) | Final weapon variants, Leviathan boss, endgame challenges, P-rank attempts |
Limbo: The first layer of Hell serving as the game's tutorial and early levels. Introduces basic enemies like Filth and Strays. The Cerberus boss at the end tests your dodging fundamentals. Clean, geometric environments with clear sightlines.
Lust: Second layer introducing water mechanics that affect nailgun behavior and electrical hazards. The Minos Prime secret boss is one of the hardest fights in the game. Egyptian-themed architecture with tighter corridors.
Gluttony: Third layer with poison hazards and the introduction of tanky Cerberus variants. Sewer environments limit movement options. The Gabriel boss fight tests your entire arsenal and is widely considered the first major skill check.
Greed: Fourth layer set in a massive Egyptian-themed city with open arenas and vertical combat. Introduces Mindflayers — the most dangerous standard enemy. Their projectiles must be parried or dodged. Contains extensive secret areas.
Wrath: Fifth layer with the most intense combat encounters and the toughest standard enemies. Lava hazards force constant movement. The Leviathan boss fight takes place inside its body. Peak difficulty that demands mastery of all mechanics.
Tips That Actually Matter
- Core Eject swap-cancel: fire the shotgun, immediately switch weapons and switch back, fire again. This bypasses the pump animation and doubles your fire rate.
- Punching enemies with the Feedbacker (default arm) parries most projectiles back at the sender. Parried Mindflayer beams one-shot them.
- Toss a coin, then shoot it with the Malicious Railcannon — the redirected beam deals 2x damage and auto-targets the nearest enemy's weak point.
- Slam (crouch in mid-air) then jump immediately on landing for a slam jump that gives 3x normal jump height. Essential for reaching secrets.
- The Whiplash grapple has zero cooldown. Use it to pull yourself toward enemies constantly — staying in the air makes you harder to hit.
- Overheat nailgun alt-fire heats the nails. Heated nails stick to enemies and can be detonated by any explosive or shotgun blast for bonus damage.
- Fresh Weapon bonus gives +50% style points. Cycle through all weapons in a fight rather than sticking to your favorite for maximum style rank.
- Coins stay in the air for 4 seconds. Toss 4 coins, then shoot the chain — each coin redirects to a different enemy for multi-kills.
- Ground slamming onto enemy heads deals 200 damage and bounces you upward. Chain head-slams in crowds for style points and blood healing.
- P-ranking a level requires S style rank, no deaths, under time limit, and finding all secrets. Focus on one requirement per attempt rather than all at once.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Playing passively and trying to dodge at range — ULTRAKILL heals through blood, meaning staying back slowly kills you while aggression sustains you.
- Never using coins because they seem gimmicky — coin shots are the highest-damage single-target attacks and are essential for P-ranks.
- Ignoring the punch/parry mechanic — the Feedbacker arm parries projectiles, breaks blue health bars, and splashes extra blood for healing.
- Sticking to one weapon the entire level — the style system actively punishes weapon repetition and rewards constant swapping.
- Not exploring for secrets — ULTRAKILL levels are packed with hidden areas containing weapon variants, challenge rooms, and lore.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ULTRAKILL finished?
It's in Early Access with Acts 1 and 2 complete (Layers 1-6 plus the Prelude). Act 3 is in development. The available content already offers 30+ levels with P-rank challenges, secret bosses, and a Cybergrind endless mode.
How hard is ULTRAKILL?
The base difficulty (Violent) is challenging but fair. It's designed to be learned through repetition — deaths are instant restarts with no loading. Brutal and ULTRAKILL difficulties exist for masochists. Harmless and Lenient modes make it accessible to all.
What is Cybergrind?
An endless wave-based survival mode with online leaderboards. Enemies scale in difficulty each wave. It's the primary endgame content for testing builds and competing for scores. Custom maps can be imported.
Can I remap the weapon wheel?
Yes, every weapon slot and variant can be bound to individual keys. Most competitive players bind each weapon to a specific key (1-4) and each variant to a modifier key for instant access without the wheel.
What to Read Next
- Best ULTRAKILL Builds — Detailed breakdowns with gear, stats, and playstyle guides
- ULTRAKILL Tier List — Current meta rankings
- ULTRAKILL Walkthrough — Step-by-step progression from start to endgame
- ULTRAKILL Beginner's Guide — First session essentials
- ULTRAKILL Tips & Tricks — Advanced strategies and hidden mechanics
