Pawnbarian
Cheat Codes:
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Submitted by: David K.
-= Unlock all challenges - progress.json =-
1. Close Pawnbarian completely.
2. Press the Windows key, type %appdata%, and open the Roaming folder that appears.
3. Go to LocalLow\j4nw\Pawnbarian\ and open progress.json in Notepad (right-click,
Open with, Notepad).
4. Back up progress.json before editing so you can restore your real save.
5. Replace the entire file contents with the JSON under -= progress.json =- below,
then save (Ctrl+S).
-= progress.json =-
{"version":"1.2.11-230227439-102f0edc-WIN-MONO-STEAM","characters":
[{"id":"PlayerType/Pawnbarian","dungeons":[{"id":"Dungeon/Caves","chain":10},
{"id":"Dungeon/Fortress","chain":10},{"id":"Dungeon/Void","chain":10}]},
{"id":"PlayerType/KnightTemplar","dungeons":[{"id":"Dungeon/Caves","chain":10},
{"id":"Dungeon/Fortress","chain":10},{"id":"Dungeon/Void","chain":10}]},
{"id":"PlayerType/Shogun","dungeons":[{"id":"Dungeon/Caves","chain":10},
{"id":"Dungeon/Fortress","chain":10},{"id":"Dungeon/Void","chain":10}]},
{"id":"PlayerType/Berserker","dungeons":[{"id":"Dungeon/Caves","chain":10},
{"id":"Dungeon/Fortress","chain":10},{"id":"Dungeon/Void","chain":10}]},
{"id":"PlayerType/Cleric","dungeons":[{"id":"Dungeon/Caves","chain":10},
{"id":"Dungeon/Fortress","chain":10},{"id":"Dungeon/Void","chain":10}]},
{"id":"PlayerType/Nomad","dungeons":[{"id":"Dungeon/Caves","chain":10},
{"id":"Dungeon/Fortress","chain":10},{"id":"Dungeon/Void","chain":10}]}]}
6. Relaunch the game. All six characters should show Chain 10 cleared on Caves,
Fortress, and Void. If a game update changed the version field, export a fresh
progress.json after one manual win and swap only the version string in the payload
above.
Hints and Tips:
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-= Core loop =-
Turn-based puzzle runs use chess-piece cards on a 5x5 board: move the hero and
capture every enemy on the floor. Runs take about 15-30 minutes when you know the
systems. Windows, macOS, and Linux builds are on Steam; mobile ports exist but this
page covers the PC layout. Six heroes, three dungeons, and ten Chain modifiers make up
the main progression loop, plus an endless Gauntlet after a win.
-= Core turn loop =-
Each turn you draw a hand of piece cards and spend two actions (energy) to move and
attack. Landing on an enemy captures it like chess. After your actions, enemies move
and strike the squares marked with red damage ticks. One tick is one heart lost, two
ticks is two, and a skull icon marks four damage. Clear the floor by killing every
foe, then pick a shop reward or healing before the next encounter.
-= Reading enemy intent =-
Hover enemies or their intent icons to see which squares they will threaten next turn.
Plan so your final position is safe, or kill the biggest threat before it fires.
Because the board is tiny, one misread often ends the run.
-= Round rewards and damage boost =-
Above the board, reward icons sit left to right. You lose the rightmost reward after
each turn you spend on the floor. The leftmost reward heals one heart when the room
ends. If you still have that heal queued, taking one heart of damage to finish a turn
early often costs nothing because the room heal refills you anyway. This "damage
boost" trick saves time and gold on early Chains; after Chain 6 (two starting hearts)
it is riskier.
-= Shop upgrades ranked =-
Shield is the strongest card upgrade: it blocks one hit when you play that piece and
stacks with repeated Shield plays in one turn. Cantrip gives an extra action when you
play the piece, which pairs well with Shield for long kill chains. Diagonal Splash
hits one diagonal tile beyond your landing square and solves Brawler enemies that
shrug off cardinal adjacency attacks. Cardinal Splash is weaker because many bosses
and Brawlers ignore cardinal adjacency entirely. Extra Heart from the shop only heals
one per room and mostly acts like a single-use Shield; buy one before a final boss if
you are low, not multiple times per run.
-= Pawn promotion rules =-
The Pawnbarian promotes a pawn when you hold three pawns, when you start your turn on
the back rank, or when a pawn move ends on the back rank. The rightmost pawn in hand
promotes first. Enter the top row with a non-pawn move when you still have a pawn in
hand so the pawn promotes into the deck as a queen instead of burning a pawn step.
Top-rank camping with Cantrip pawns can clear whole boards quickly.
-= Economy and shops =-
You do not need to spend all gold every shop. Skip weak offers and save for Shield or
Cantrip on the next floor if your deck is already stable. Faster room clears keep more
reward icons and pay more gold. On Chain 4 and up, upgrade prices rise by one gold, so
prioritize high-impact buys and finish floors quickly.
-= Playable characters =-
Pawnbarian (starter) promotes pawns and uses standard chess pieces. Knight Templar
gains a bonus action after playing two knights in one turn. Shogun uses shogi pieces,
promotes the rightmost eligible card on the first play each turn, and builds Dragon
Drop stacks from kills for Shield, splash, and draw effects. Berserker, Cleric, and
Nomad add their own deck rules (rage, support, and ranged/Falcon movement). Each hero
needs a different shop priority on high Chains.
-= Chain modifiers overview =-
Chains stack difficulty after you beat a dungeon at Chain 0.
-= Even Chains add rules =-
Chain 2 leaves Blight on every square you exit, Chain 4 raises shop prices, Chain 6
starts you at two hearts, Chain 8 pre-Blights the edge columns, and Chain 10 doubles
final boss damage. Odd Chains mostly buff enemy floors. Expect the jump from Chain 7
to Chain 8 to feel sharp because Blight routing gets much tighter.
-= Brawler and Vigilant enemies =-
Brawler enemies are immune while you stand on a cardinally adjacent square, so
Cardinal Splash often fails and Diagonal Splash is preferred. Vigilant enemies (such
as Snakepacas) are immune when you are not adjacent; ending your turn next to them
both protects you and sets up a kill next turn.
-= Blight family traits =-
Blight Wake enemies paint Blight as they move; kill them quickly. Blight Blast enemies
Blight adjacent tiles when they die, so pick kill order by which squares you can
afford to lose. Blight Host spawns Blightsacks on empty diagonal neighbors on death;
surround them before the killing blow when possible. Spark Blight Blast combines Wake
and Cantrip punishment and should die first.
-= Spark enemies =-
Spark Walk moves after your Cantrip, Spark Aegis turns immune after Cantrip until next
turn, Spark Surge attacks after Cantrip, and Golem Soul triggers all Spark effects on
death. In the Golem Fortress, Cantrip-heavy builds fight Spark counters, so many
players skip Cantrip there and lean on Shield plus Diagonal Splash.
-= Void Grasp (Foul Shrine) =-
Void Grasp pulls your hero one step in the attack direction when the enemy dies, or
deals one damage per grasp if the pull is blocked. It only appears in the Foul Shrine
dungeon. Use it as a free reposition when the pull lands on a safe tile; avoid
multi-kills that trigger several grasps into Blight. Spawn effects resolve before Void
Grasp, so a Blightsack can block your escape pull.
Secrets:
--------
-= Webweaver and Nimble tricks =-
Webweavers cap your next draw at two cards when they die; kill several in one turn so
the debuff only triggers once. Check your remaining deck before popping one
mid-crisis. Nimble enemies dodge the first hit unless splash follows their dodge
direction, they are pinned against a wall, or another unit blocks their retreat.
Solutions:
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-= Compact route - First Pawnbarian run =-
1. Finish the tutorial island with Pawnbarian before other heroes.
2. On each floor, read all intent markers before spending your first action.
3. Prioritize killing Blight Wake or Spark Blight Blast enemies before slow tanks.
4. Take Shield or Cantrip in the first shop that offers either.
5. Save movement when you are already safe instead of padding damage.
-= Chain 2 Blight routing =-
1. Skip your entire turn when you have no safe kill and standing still is safe.
2. When you must move, use the fewest cards to reach your goal.
3. Path through high-Blight dead squares instead of raising Blight on useful tiles.
4. Prefer leaving Blight on edge files when both routes are otherwise equal.
-= Goblin Caves boss prep =-
1. Stack Shield on several pieces and add Cantrip on at least one pawn or queen line.
2. Enter the boss room with full hearts when possible.
3. Kill Blight-spawning adds quickly so the board does not fill with damage tiles.
4. Use Cantrip turns to stack multiple Shields before crossing Blight fields.
-= Golem Fortress build =-
1. Skip Cantrip upgrades in this dungeon because Spark enemies punish extra actions.
2. Buy Shield on every eligible piece you can afford.
3. Add Diagonal Splash to knights, pawns, or the king for Brawler-heavy floors.
4. Stay cardinally adjacent to the Chain 10 boss when possible so splash can reach
side adds without stepping into double-damage lines.
-= Foul Shrine build =-
1. Favor Shield plus Cantrip like the Goblin Caves, but limit Diagonal Splash to one
rook for precise tentacle hits.
2. Kill Demon Golems early when they would force bad Cantrip lines.
3. During the boss, plan multi-kills each turn because the boss spawns a Kraken
Tentacle after your first kill each turn anyway.
4. Keep corners relatively clean before the boss; wide boss attacks leave corners as
late safe zones on Chain 10.
Reference:
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-= Playable characters =-
* Pawnbarian - Starter; pawn promotion and standard chess deck.
* Knight Templar - Bonus action after two knight cards in one turn.
* Shogun - Shogi pieces, promotion, Dragon Drop kill stacks.
* Berserker - Aggressive melee-focused kit.
* Cleric - Support-oriented kit.
* Nomad - Ranged attacks; Falcon jumps two or three squares over blockers.
-= Dungeons =-
* Goblin Caves (Dungeon/Caves) - Blight-heavy goblin theme; Shield plus Cantrip boss
answer.
* Golem Fortress (Dungeon/Fortress) - Spark and Brawler focus; Diagonal Splash over
Cantrip.
* Foul Shrine (Dungeon/Void) - Void Grasp and Kraken boss; careful multi- kill
planning.
-= Chain milestones =-
* Chain 2 - Leave Blight on each square you exit.
* Chain 4 - Shop upgrades cost +1 gold.
* Chain 6 - Start runs with two hearts instead of four.
* Chain 8 - Edge columns begin with Blight.
* Chain 10 - Final bosses deal double damage.
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