| “ | Opens locks. Single Use. | ” |
Keys are a very important resource in Shovel Knight Pocket Dungeon, and in Shovel Knight Dig.
Use[]
Pocket Dungeon[]
Sometimes, among the various, obstacles, bombs, potions, and enemies that constantly rain down from above the screen, these simple, shimmering golden skeleton keys will also appear. Such is their importance, that a section of the character status screen is fully dedicated to keep track of the number of Keys currently in possession, next to the number of Gems currently owning.
Without Keys, it is impossible to open the precious few Treasure Chests that can appear inside dungeons. Treasure Chests can either contain Gems, limited-time power-ups, that will make easier to take down enemies, or, in blue chests, Chester's shop; the shop will randomly contain three Relics that grant more semi-permanent and very useful upgrades, which will instead last until returning back to the campsite, either through death or retreating.
But even more crucially, the exit door of the dungeon cannot be opened without a Key. As, after a set amount of time the exit has appeared, the dungeon will begin to shrink, with a lowering ceiling that will eventually crush everything underneath, securing at least one Key in order to escape before it is too late becomes vital.
A special relic, the Super Skeleton Key, introduced in the Puzzler's Pack DLC, can be used as a substitute for regular keys, which becomes explosives.
Furthermore, the toll needed to open the first of the four locked gates guarded by the Shrinemaster Super Skeleton is a set of 3 keys. Usually by then, some treasure chest had already previously appeared in the dungeon before the Shrinemaster, baiting the more reckless explorers into wasting some of the limited-number of keys on them. What lies behind the four gates of the Shrinemaster is said to be pieces of something of fundamental importance if one hopes to escape the Pocket Dungeon, the very Key of it.
Dig[]
Keys once again reappear in Shovel Knight Dig, as Follow Items. Keys can be found in various ways, inside treasure chests, dropped by defeated monsters, or inside dirt. There are three variants of Keys:
- Glass Keys are the most fragile variants of keys as, once they are picked up, they shatter into pieces if Shovel Knight receives a hit instead of being dropped, or if they immediately fall on spikes and drills.
- Wooden Keys are dropped on the floor after receiving a hit, unless said hit was fire based, in which case, the key will be burned away, or they fall on spikes and drills.
- Metal Keys are dropped on the floor after receiving a hit, but unlike the two previous variants, they are indestructible, save from the Omega Saw.
- Knightmare Keys are exclusive to Knightmares. They have the same resistance as Glass Keys. When they break, they release a spirit that chases Shovel Knight and deals 1 damage point, It cannot be defeated but can be escaped by entering a different room.
When hurt, all following Knightmare Keys are lost regardless of their order in the inventory. The spirits deal 1 damage point, cannot be defeated but can be escaped by entering a different room.
Each of these key variant can be seamlessly used to open locked chests and doors to siderooms.
There is also another, special key variant, the Relic Key. Bought exclusively from Hoofman, these horseshoe-shaped golden keys are essential to open Relic courses, which unlocks new relics to be randomly found inside The Well. Just like Metal Keys, they are dropped on the floor after receiving a hit, and are indestructible with the exception of the Omega Saw.
There is one last important variant, and that is the Skeleton Key. This special skull-shaped purple key can only be obtained after offering an Accessory or Shovel Blade Techniques in each of the three Sacrifice Shrines, and it can open any lock, including Relic locks, without being consumed in the process. Like Wooden Keys, the Skeleton Key is dropped on the floor after receiving a hit, but it can be destroyed by spikes and drills. Normally, the Skeleton Key is required to open the Triple Locked Door, behind which lies the Omega Driver, but said door can also alternatively be opened if Shovel Knight is able to simultaneously use three regular Keys of any type when he reaches the gateway.
Initially only one object, be it a key or an egg, can be carried around by Shovel Knight, but after buying from Hoofman the necessary Follow Slot Upgrades, up to three different ones can be stored. If multiple objects, be they Keys or Eggs are being stored at the same time, they will be dropped on the floor (or shatter) in the same order in which they were picked up.