Falling off a cliff, getting swooped at the head by a Flying Golem, being engulfed by a Slime — those are just some of the dozen encounters that can cause your untimely death in Moonlighter. You may find yourself in a fight-or-flight situation where you become surrounded by hordes of enemies while having a dangerously low health bar. At times, you will have no choice but to flee rather than seeing yourself collapse and lose all your loot. But what if I tell you there is more than one way to exit dungeons in this game?
Moonlighter is one of those indie gems that does not overwhelm you with wordy tutorials, which may cause a bit of confusion to some new players. Instead, the game will show you some images printed on scrolls that detail how the controls work or how items function.
The only time it becomes heavy on tutorials is when Zenon, Will’s old friend, and parental figure, gives you tips on surviving in the dungeon and making it to the business world. Zenon would then advise you to use the Merchant Pendant whenever you get in a bind.
The Pendant
This lovely piece of accessory will be your ticket to safety. If enemies are nearby, you can not access the pendant as you are blocked from using the Inventory menu during combat mode, but you can hold the “L” key to activate it.
Use the Merchant Pendant whenever you want to escape from foes with a portal — for a price. The pricing will depend on which dungeon and level you’re currently at.
| Dungeon | 1st Floor | 2nd Floor | 3rd Floor |
| Golem Dungeon | 200 gold | 300 gold | 400 gold |
| Forest Dungeon | 800 gold | 1,200 gold | 1,600 gold |
| Desert Dungeon | 3,200 gold | 4,800 gold | 6,400 gold |
| Tech Dungeon | 12,800 gold | 19,200 gold | 25,600 gold |
The Mirror
If you’re unable to gather enough gold to activate the Merchant Pendant, getting stuck in the dungeon is within the bounds of possibility. One way you can prevent this dilemma from happening is by using the Merchant Mirror.
You can drag items to the mirror on the bottom left of the Inventory menu. Selling the items will not earn you much, but at least it will give you enough gold to make a portal back into town.
Unfortunately, exiting the dungeon this way will reset your level progress, which means you will have to start at the beginning of the dungeon if you decide to explore once again.
The Catalyst
Another way you can leave dungeons is by using the Catalyst, which you can obtain on the 3rd Floor in the Golem Dungeon.
Like the Merchant Pendant, a fee is required if you want to activate the portal. It will cost you a lot of gold since it will allow you to resume at the dungeon level you are in before escaping.
| Dungeon | 1st Floor | 2nd Floor | 3rd Floor |
| Golem Dungeon | 1,000 gold | 1,500 gold | 2,000 gold |
| Forest Dungeon | 4,000 gold | 6,000 gold | 8,000 gold |
| Desert Dungeon | 12,000 gold | 18,000 gold | 24,000 gold |
| Tech Dungeon | 40,000 gold | 60,000 gold | 80,000 gold |
Use the Catalyst right before entering the Boss’ room. You can get yourself transported back into town and save your items in your Chest before you head back into the dungeons, just in case you get defeated by the Boss.
There are a few conditions you will have to remember to keep the portal from disappearing. Will must not collapse before using the portal, the player must not use the main entrance to any dungeons, and the player must not use the Merchant’s Pendant by accident.
Exit Dungeons for Free
There is a way to leave the dungeon without spending a considerable amount of gold, and that is by surviving until the end of the third level of any dungeon. A portal of egress will appear after you successfully defeat the third Boss.
Just like any other Action RPG, your chances of survival will gradually increase as you make progress in the game. As you become tougher than nails and wiser in combat, escaping to safety will become the least of your concerns.
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