In a heavily saturated market, Roboquest stands apart from other roguelike shooters of its ilk thanks to its polished shooting and inspired weapon design. Taking a leaf out of the good book of Counter-Strike, Roboquest avoids ADS (aim-down-sights) on everything but sniper rifles and makes accuracy and spread control core considerations as you peel through its gorgeous cel-shaded levels, dunking on mechanical mobs and gradually upping your arsenal.

But beyond being an endless shooting gallery for wannabe competitive head-tappers, the side quests are what keep me coming back to this delightful roguelike. There’s so much to dig into, from unlockable classes to game-changing gadgets—and even secret levels hiding off the beaten track. Enamored with its metagame, Roboquest prompted me to grab a notepad and pen and start planning my runs, mapping out routes through the levels to hit certain criteria and make my mech stronger.

You’ll be sure to uncover your own mysteries (and I encourage you to do so), but in this guide I’ll highlight a few rewarding challenges, secrets, and side quests that will help you engage deeper with some of Roboquest’s most satisfying systems.

Buddy(bot) up

Roboquest allows you to pull in a co-op partner (or Brobot, in the game’s vernacular) to help you fight through its levels. But if you’re flying solo and find yourself in need of a chrome comrade, you should keep an eye out for a friend lurking in Roboquest’s first area.

During the Canyons level, you can come across a pacifist variant of a low-level mob. You’ll be able to tell it apart based on its red and blue paint job (as opposed to silver), plus a signature green eye. This is Buddybot, your new best friend.

You’ll be prompted to pick up Buddybot when you get closer, transforming the little guy into a weapon you can use and upgrade. As well as offering a left-click laser, you can right-click to place multiple Buddybots down and use them as sentry turrets.

Better still, if you shepherd Buddybot to the Oasis starting area, you can open the door behind the waterfall and speak to a robot smithy who will upgrade any starting weapon to the highest quality every time you visit.
 

Hunt down the Ranger

The Ranger is the easiest class to uncover in the early parts of Roboquest. It also quickly became my favorite bot of the bunch, guiding me to my first winning run. To find the Ranger, you need to be on the lookout for a Lost Javelin in the Oasis, which you can visit as soon as you make it to the safe room in the Canyons.

In the Oasis, explore every avenue until the minimap begins to turn orange. Once you hit a dead end, look around for a waterfall, and you’ll spot the javelin in the clearing beyond it. Pick up the javelin to unlock the Ranger class.

The Ranger’s Q-bound ability is Stealth, which ups your movement speed and blankets you in transparency so you can evade enemies—and certain death. You can also hurl two javelins with your secondary ability, and can restore the cooldown if you pick them back up. The Ranger’s passive is Awareness, which ups your critical damage the longer you last without taking a hit.

If you have a need for speed and appreciate the concept of playing a roguelike as a deadly robot ninja, then the Ranger is the class for you. There are few things more satisfying in Roboquest than building up your crit damage and launching a javelin from the shadows to dispatch an elite automaton in one fell swoop.

The Ranger’s associated level-up perks are enticing, too—I found one that allowed me to stay in stealth while attacking and prolong the effect by a second for every enemy I killed. Pair that with a Ricochet perk that bounces the critical damage between foes, and you quickly become an unstoppable hunter.

Reach for the sky

Hordes of Data-Logs are scattered around Roboquest, and Data-Logs are the easiest way to earn Wrenches, which you’ll use to upgrade your Basecamp. However, most of the Data-Logs are hidden up near the skybox, in alcoves and crannies that you can’t access without some sort of boost.

You can achieve altitude in Roboquest in multiple ways—you might be lucky and end up with a rocket jump if you roll the right gun—but if you want a reliable jumping ability, you need the Pogo Stick gadget. At the end of the opening mission, Canyons, you’ll find doors to the Oasis, Ruins and Quarry levels. To find the Pogo Stick you need to open the Quarry entrance, which requires a bit of level-hopping.

You’ll find the Ruins key at the midpoint of the Oasis. From here, head to the Ruins stage and look out for a laser corridor in the orange sector of the map. Dash through the lasers, and you’ll grab the Tech Room key. Complete either Ruins or the Oasis to enter the Fields. Then, when you reach the midpoint of the Fields, you can open the Tech Room door and pick up the Quarry key.

Enter the Quarry and look for the part of the level where the minimap is purple. Up above the purple door, you’ll see a little baby robot. Given the matching color scheme, I like to imagine this is Buddybot’s lost little brother. In any case, interact with the kid, and you’ll get the Pogo Stick, which allows you to charge a mighty jump if you hold the crouch button.

Now you can touch the sky and seek out those pesky Data-Logs!
 

Dig to win

All of the upgrades so far have been fairly grandiose, so how about a secret shovel for balance?

It sounds like a joke, but the humble shovel can be an incredibly powerful tool in Roboquest. As you make your way through Roboquest, you might spot some Animal Crossing-esque markings on the floor—big X-marks denoting treasures to be dug from the ground. The shovel lets you uncover all manner of helpful items from these spots, including perks and Data-Logs. It also doubles as a formidable weapon with which you can give your enemies a decisive bonk on the noggin.

To attain the coveted spade, you’ll need to get access to the Quarry, which involves the same level-hopping I outlined in the previous section. However, before you enter the Quarry from the Canyons’ endpoint, study the unique three-digit code to the left of the door. Write it down somewhere and explore the Quarry until you find the orange sector on your minimap. There’ll be a door there asking for the aforementioned code, and once you make it inside, you can grab your shovel.

The shovel counts as a starting weapon, so you can grab it at the beginning of every run. And if you take it to the waterfall cubby in the Oasis, you can upgrade it to the max level and add a rocket jump on right-click, which is pure mayhem.
 

Jet Set Rob-io

Roller blades are underrated. There, I said it. Video games love a skateboard, but inline skates rarely get any love.

Thankfully, Roboquest remedies this by kitting out its protagonist with the desert apocalypse equivalent of Soap Shoes and copious metal structures to test them out on. You can slap the space bar while airborne to start riding around combat arenas, leaping back and forth between rails to maintain momentum while tapping robot heads. It’s delightful stuff.

If you want to upgrade your rollerskating robot, you need to collect five Data-Logs. Easy enough if you’ve got access to the aforementioned Pogo Stick, though you shouldn’t have any trouble finding five without it.

Logs logged, head to the end of the Canyons and chat with the elderly postman to deliver the goods. You’ll receive the Roller gadget, which increases your movement speed by 12% while riding rails and for six seconds after, which will help you dodge projectiles and weave between deadly attacks during boss battles.

Midway through Roboquest, you’ll encounter a particularly fun boss battle where you chase a mechanical caterpillar around a giant rail, and you’ll thank yourself for putting the work in early.
 

Warp speed

Last but not least, let’s talk about Power Crystals.

On the way to the final boss of Roboquest, you can uncover a selection of secret levels that lead to special Power Crystals. Each Crystal adds a permanent upgrade back at Basecamp—and, in turn, makes the final level a little bit easier. For example, the green Power Crystal opens access to a special cache in the final level and permanently reduces your ability cooldowns.

One of the most exciting secret levels in Roboquest is Waste Station, a gauntlet speedrun where you’ll have to race through combat arenas to find and defuse a bomb before it explodes. To access the secret speedrun, you need to head to the Fields, which you’ll reach if you beat the Oasis or Ruins.

Once you’ve made it to the Fields, head to the purple area on your minimap. There’s a chance that a portal will appear, zapping you straight to the Waste Station. If you don’t want to risk it, you can also head to the Aqua Station level, which is accessible by completing the Quarry. Before you reach the midpoint, look out for a flora-covered outcrop on a ledge obscuring a secret area. Inside, you’ll find an entrance to the Waste Station that isn’t up to chance. Happy sprinting!

If you’re ready to buddy up with Buddybot and start exploring the Canyons and beyond, pick up Roboquest on the Epic Games Store.