Game Guides

Master MIO's abilities and conquer The Vessel

Getting Started

5 min

Beginner's Guide

Essential tips for new players starting their journey on The Vessel.

Beginner

Mechanics

4 min

Understanding the Nacre System

Learn how to manage nacre, the game's primary currency.

Beginner

Progression

3 min

How to Unlock the Map

The map is not available from the start. Here's how to obtain it.

Beginner

Combat

6 min

Combat Mechanics

Master MIO's combat abilities to survive encounters with hostile machines.

Intermediate

Bosses

5 min

Secret Boss: Sol & Vin

Guide to finding and defeating the secret dual boss encounter.

Advanced

Progression

5 min

Ability Progression Path

Recommended order for unlocking and upgrading MIO's abilities.

Intermediate

Progression

4 min

Exploration & Secrets

Tips for finding hidden areas and secrets in The Vessel.

Intermediate

Bosses

4 min

Boss Fight Preparation

How to prepare for major boss encounters.

Intermediate

Getting Started

Beginner

5 min

Beginner's Guide

Essential tips for new players starting their journey on The Vessel.

Starting Out

MIO begins with limited abilities but can chain aerial attacks to stay airborne. Use this to your advantage when navigating dangerous terrain. The game doesn't hold your hand - exploration and experimentation are key to success.

Save Your Nacre Often

Find crystallization machines to permanently store your nacre. Death means losing all uncrystallized nacre, so manage your resources carefully. Look for these machines after exploring new areas or before attempting difficult sections.

Embrace Getting Lost

The Vessel is designed to make you feel slightly lost. Pay attention to landmarks and visual cues rather than relying solely on the map. This is intentional - the sense of discovery is part of the experience.

Combat Basics

Enemies don't show health bars by default - consider using a modifier for this. Learn enemy patterns and use your aerial mobility to avoid damage. Don't be afraid to retreat and heal if a fight isn't going well.

Ability Unlocks

New abilities open up previously inaccessible areas. When you get stuck, explore other paths - you might find the ability you need to progress in a different area entirely.

Mechanics

Beginner

4 min

Understanding the Nacre System

Learn how to manage nacre, the game's primary currency.

What is Nacre?

Nacre is a crystalline currency used for healing, upgrades, and progression. It drops from defeated enemies and can be found in the environment. Think of it as experience points and currency combined.

Risk vs Reward

When you die, you lose all uncrystallized nacre. Find crystallization machines throughout The Vessel to make your nacre permanent. This creates tension - do you push forward for greater rewards or backtrack to safety?

Donation Pool

When you die, your lost nacre fills a pool with a robotic life form named Shii. You can donate nacre directly to this pool. After accumulating around 500 nacre worth of deaths or donations, you'll unlock the map feature.

Spending Nacre Wisely

Use nacre for healing at crystallization machines, purchasing modifiers from merchants, and upgrading your abilities. Prioritize health and movement upgrades early, then invest in combat enhancements.

Progression

Beginner

3 min

How to Unlock the Map

The map is not available from the start. Here's how to obtain it.

Unique Map System

Unlike traditional metroidvanias, MIO doesn't provide a map immediately. This design choice encourages careful observation and creates a stronger sense of exploration and discovery.

Unlock Method

Die approximately 5-10 times to fill the donation pool at Shii/creature with enough nacre (roughly 500 total). Alternatively, you can donate non-crystallized nacre directly to speed up the process. Find Shii in the Severed Spine area.

Map Features

Once unlocked, the map won't auto-update as you explore. You'll need to pay attention to your surroundings and use the map as a reference tool rather than a real-time tracker. This maintains the exploratory feel while providing orientation.

Navigation Tips

Even with the map, rely on visual landmarks: distinctive architecture, color schemes of different biomes, and memorable environmental features. The map shows general layout but won't mark your exact position.

Combat

Intermediate

6 min

Combat Mechanics

Master MIO's combat abilities to survive encounters with hostile machines.

Aerial Combat

Perform an aerial attack to jump afterwards and stay airborne. Chain attacks to maintain air time, avoid dangerous terrain, and keep combat fluid. This is your most important combat technique.

Core Combat Abilities

Hook (Hairpin): Evade and grapple, can be used offensively with modifiers. Orbs: Ranged projectiles for distant enemies. Clone: Create decoys to strike from unexpected angles. Shield: Defensive option that can be sacrificed for damage boost.

Enemy Patterns

Over 30 enemy types have unique attack patterns. Study their movements: sluggish robots with staff swings (dodge after their windup), flying robots with projectiles (use your grapple to close distance), diving mosquito-like enemies (time your dodge as they commit to the dive).

Combo System

Chain your attacks together for fluid combat. Example combo: Aerial attack → Jump → Orb projectile → Grapple to enemy → Ground slam → Clone for escape. Experiment to find what works for your playstyle.

Defensive Techniques

Your shield blocks most attacks but has limited uses. The Hairpin can evade attacks with proper timing. Use your aerial mobility to stay out of danger zones. Sometimes retreating is smarter than fighting.

Bosses

Advanced

5 min

Secret Boss: Sol & Vin

Guide to finding and defeating the secret dual boss encounter.

Location

Sol & Vin are hidden bosses that require exploration to find. First, locate Lura's Seal in the Severed Spine area, then discover the Tuning Chamber to access the fight. This is one of the most challenging encounters in the demo.

Boss Description

A challenging duo boss fight featuring two paired robots. Sol and Vin attack in coordination, requiring you to manage threats from multiple angles simultaneously. This encounter tests your mastery of all MIO's abilities.

Phase 1 Strategy

Focus on learning their attack patterns first. Sol tends to use melee attacks while Vin provides ranged support. Use your aerial mobility to avoid being cornered. The grappling hook is essential for repositioning quickly.

Phase 2 Strategy

Under Construction - Full strategy guide coming soon as more players defeat this boss. Join the community Discord for player tips and strategies. Key tip: Save your healing nacre for the second phase.

Recommended Build

Bring extra health modifiers and enhanced evasion. The Deadly Lasso modifier can help with burst damage. Avoid the Shield Sacrifice modifier unless you're very confident in dodging.

Progression

Intermediate

5 min

Ability Progression Path

Recommended order for unlocking and upgrading MIO's abilities.

Early Game Priority (0-3 hours)

Focus on movement abilities like wall climbing and basic grappling hook (Hairpin). These open up more areas for exploration and let you escape danger quickly. Get the aerial attack chain down - it's fundamental to everything else.

Mid Game Priority (3-6 hours)

Unlock Glide ability to reach higher platforms and cross larger gaps. Improve your combat abilities with orb projectiles. Start investing in your first modifiers - Enemy Health Bar is extremely helpful for learning.

Late Game Priority (6+ hours)

Maximize modifier slots through Old Modules. Customize your build to match your preferred playstyle - aggressive, defensive, or balanced. Unlock Clone ability for advanced combat tactics.

Optional Abilities

Some abilities are hidden or optional. Explore thoroughly to find upgrade stations. Talk to NPCs for hints about hidden ability locations. The Vessel rewards thorough exploration.

Progression

Intermediate

4 min

Exploration & Secrets

Tips for finding hidden areas and secrets in The Vessel.

Visual Cues

Look for subtle environmental hints: cracks in walls, slightly different colored panels, platforms that seem just out of reach. The Vessel often hides secrets in plain sight.

Backtracking is Essential

When you gain new abilities, revisit old areas. That platform you couldn't reach before might now be accessible. Mark areas in your mind (or on paper) that seem incomplete.

Hidden Paths

Some paths are hidden behind breakable walls or require specific abilities to reveal. Experiment with all your abilities in suspicious areas. The Hairpin can sometimes reveal hidden grapple points.

Shortcuts and Loops

The Vessel features excellent interconnected design. Many shortcuts loop back to earlier areas. Unlocking these makes traversal much faster and often reveals new perspectives on familiar locations.

Bosses

Intermediate

4 min

Boss Fight Preparation

How to prepare for major boss encounters.

Before the Fight

Always crystallize your nacre before boss attempts. Stock up on healing at crystallization machines. Make sure your preferred modifiers are equipped. Scout the boss arena if possible.

Learning Phase

Don't expect to win on your first try. Spend your first 1-2 attempts learning attack patterns without worrying about damage. Identify safe zones in the arena. Notice the boss's tells before each attack.

Execution Phase

Once you know the patterns, focus on consistency. Don't get greedy with attacks - take safe openings only. Save your healing for emergency situations, not casual damage.

Build Adjustments

If you're stuck, consider swapping modifiers. More defensive for learning, more offensive once you've mastered dodging. There's no shame in using more health modifiers.