How To Level Up XP Fast In Dark and Darker

Not every run you embark on in Dark and Darker will end in a successful extraction. As a new player, you'll get quickly accustomed to getting wiped out by geared high-level players before you even get a glimpse at a blue portal. While you might not leave your game with fancy new weapons, you will always be a little closer to levelling up your character. To help you maximise these benefits, we've put together this guide on how to quickly earn XP in Dark and Darker. 

This will include a brief rundown of the leveling system, so you'll know what you're working towards. We'll also explain the distinction between your Triumph level and your Character level. After that, we'll get into all game actions that earn XP, and some that surprisingly don't. Let's get to it. 

How Much XP Do You Need to Level Up in Dark and Darker?

Levelling up in Dark and Darker gives you an expanded perk loadout with up to four perks equipable at level 20. In the game's current state, levelling up has no impact on your character's stats or abilities. However, as seen in the 'Training' tab in your Class menu, this aspect of the levelling up system is still in development.

This table shows the total XP required to achieve each level:

What is Triumph Level in Dark and Darker?

If you've had your eye on any of the cosmetics or emotes in the Dark and Darker 'Store' menu, you will have seen that they can be purchased with an in-game currency called Bluestone Shards. You gain one of these Shards each time you up your Triumph level. 

Your Triumph level progression carries across all of your characters. The only way to increase your Triumph Level is to successfully extract from a dungeon. The amount you receive scales with the difficulty of the dungeon map you're on as well as how deep you were in the dungeon when you teleported out. 

What Actions Earn XP in Dark and Darker?

In order from most to least valuable, these are what to do to earn XP:

• • Killing bosses (50 XP in standard dungeons, 125 XP in High Roller)
  • Killing mini-bosses (4-25 XP depending on monster and difficulty)
  • Killing PvE enemies (2-15 XP depending on monster and difficulty)
  • Opening chests (1-5 XP, rarity dependent)
  • Opening bookshelves (3 XP)
  • Using shrines or reviving a player (2 XP)
  • Using red portals to descend deeper into the dungeon (2 XP)
  • Interacting with blue portals (2 XP)

What Actions Don't Earn XP in Dark and Darker?

There are some activities that while being important to gameplay, hold no XP or Triumph Level benefits. These are:

• • Killing spider mummies
  • Killing PvP enemies
  • Assisting a party member's kill 
  • Destroying pots, barrels, etc. 
  • Looting open containers or loose items

That covers just about everything you need to know about how to earn XP in Dark and Darker. As the game is still in early access, this information is liable to change over time. Though you can catch up with all the updates through the patch notes.

While you're here, why not check out our other Dark and Darker guides? We have guides for all eight classes from Barbarian to Wizard.