Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate guide—how to make the most out of every run
11.6.2024
By Shaan Joshi, Contributor
To help you hit the ground running, we’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you make the most out of each of your runs and rescue Splinter from the clutches of the Foot Clan. Whether you’re a fan of roguelikes in general or a longtime Turtles junkie, there’s plenty to dig into and experiment with in developer Super Evil Megacorp’s latest game.
Don’t fear death… embrace it!
This likely isn’t news for anyone who’s logged plenty of time with other roguelikes, but for those who are new to the genre, here’s a bit of a rundown on what you can expect. Unlike other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games, Splintered Fate is built around the idea of runs. Instead of playing through levels with predetermined layouts, encounters, and bosses, each new gameplay session will be randomized, which means you’ll find different powerups and enemies each time you kick off a new run.
If this sounds a bit daunting, that’s because it can be. But don’t fret—while having to adapt to constantly changing level layouts might seem like an impossible task, TMNT: Splintered Fate follows the same path as many of its contemporaries, giving you a few tools at your disposal to help you get a little bit further on each run, as opposed to being stuck in an endless cycle of death.
Focus on Dragon upgrades early
One of the most important tools in your arsenal are Dragon coins. Thankfully, you’ll run across these during your very first run, so you won’t have to wait too long before you can get your hands claws on a few. As you continue playing, you’ll slowly begin to rack up more and more Dragon coins, either from clearing out rooms full of enemies or defeating bosses. You can also purchase them from the in-game shop, and Dragon coins occasionally pop up on the list of rewards you can choose from when clearing out a room.
Dragon upgrades can be incredibly powerful, especially during your first few hours of play, because each upgrade you purchase applies to all four Turtles. Not only that, but these upgrades are permanent, which means you can quickly buff up Leo, Donnie, Mikey, and Raph without a ton of trouble.
There are a lot of powerful Dragon upgrades to choose from, but here are a few that you should prioritize grabbing early on:
- Splinter’s Revive – While dying during combat would normally mark the end of a run, Splinter’s Revive offers you another chance to get back into the fight. It’s not a cure-all, seeing as how you’ll only come back to life with 25% of your max health, but a second chance at life can easily turn things around, salvaging a promising run that would otherwise be cut short.
- Dash Charge – While there are a few ways to block or negate incoming damage, the best method is to dash. Not only does dashing away from an enemy attack allow you to reposition yourself for a follow-up attack of your own, it also negates any damage by giving you a few frames of invincibility. Unfortunately, you can’t simply spam dashes to your heart’s content, as they are tied to dash charges that have their own cooldown. Thankfully, you can unlock additional charges by spending a few Dragon coins, which should keep your runs going longer.
- Attack and Health upgrades – They aren’t the most flashy of unlocks, but it’s worth spending some of your Dragon coins to unlock health and attack upgrades to boost your staying and fighting power. Since these upgrades apply to all four Turtles, it’s also a great way to make sure that each of them remains viable throughout the game, as opposed to one of them falling behind the pack. Speaking of which…
Experiment often and find the Turtle that’s right for you
While the four playable characters have plenty of similarities in how they control and fight, each one has their own unique set of passive and active abilities (dubbed Inspirations and Tools), which can drastically change the way they approach encounters and maneuver around the map. Each fighter has their own strengths and weaknesses, and it’s important to make note of what they excel at and struggle with so you can choose upgrades and tailor your builds accordingly.
- Michelangelo – As the lovable goofball of the family, you might be quick to write him off, but that would be a huge mistake. While Mikey does sport one of the lower HP pools right off the bat, he makes up for it with his focus on high hit-count damage and AoE attacks. His Inspirations give him the chance to increase his attack size, damage, and chances of landing a multi-hit.
- Leonardo – In many ways, Leo is a bit of an all-rounder, with his twin katanas offering up high damage output, which pairs nicely with his ability to tack on an additional blow if you successfully land a combo. He’s also the only character who can use his special attack twice before it needs to be recharged. However, for all of his strengths, he does have one glaring weakness—his health pool is the lowest in the game.
- Raphael – Easily sporting the most aggressive playstyle, Raph’s twin sais can dole out an overwhelming amount of damage thanks in part to his Inspirations, which boost his chance at landing a critical hit. His signature Turtle Line lets him close the gap when fighting a boss and can pull regular enemies towards him as well. With a sizable health pool, Raphael manages to avoid skirting into glass cannon territory, though his noticeable lack of ranged attacks make him a tough choice for those who prefer to pick off their prey at a distance.
- Donatello – If you’re still coming to grips with Splintered Fate’s combat, or find yourself running out of health too quickly, Donnie might just be the turtle for you. Aside from sporting the largest health pool in the game, he also regains a bit of health at the start of every combat encounter. His Hardened Shell gives him a brief period of immunity while damaging nearby enemies, and it recharges faster than most other tools thanks to one of his Inspirations. While he is a bit slower and less powerful than his brothers, he more than makes up for it with his longevity.
Teamwork makes the dream work
Of course, if you’re still having trouble fighting your way through the streets and sewers of New York City, you can always bring another companion (or two or three) along for the ride. Splintered Fate lets you team up with other Turtles, and it certainly makes the journey a bit easier knowing that someone else has your back when the going gets tough. Thankfully, there are plenty of ways to play with others, whether that be local couch co-op, or online with friends. There’s also matchmaking support and cross-platform play, which means that it won’t take too much work to find someone to team up with.
Keep your eye on Karai
Without veering too much into spoiler territory, you’ll eventually come across a boss encounter with Karai, the deadly ninja who serves as second-in-command to Shredder. It’s a bit tough to say how long it’ll take for you to run into her given the random nature of each run, but when you do fight her, you’ll want to pull out all the stops and do whatever it takes to defeat her. Beating her for the first time will give you access to an entirely new form of currency called Dreamer coins, which unlock a whole new tier of upgrades.
For those who are having trouble beating her, one strategy is to focus on a build that can deal damage from afar and put some distance between you and her deadly katana. It also helps to focus on upgrading your damage and health pools and team up with others to make quick work of her.
That about wraps it up for this Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate guide, which should leave you well-prepared for the first handful of runs through New York City. Don’t forget to try out new abilities, characters, and Turtle Powers, and make sure you make most out of the dash ability.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is available now on the Epic Games Store.