Surviving in a real-time roguelike like Tangaria isn’t just about having strong gear or high stats – it’s about using your environment, understanding enemy behavior, and mastering the art of tactical retreat. This guide covers some practical, time-tested strategies that will help you navigate dangerous encounters, handle overwhelming odds, and stay alive just a bit longer.
Choke Point Defense
When you’re getting swarmed by multiple enemies, retreat to a narrow corridor to force them to fight you one by one. This can save your life by turning a chaotic melee into a series of 1v1 fights.
####### #.....# #.ooo.# #oooo.# ##o#### #@#
Instead of getting surrounded, you’re holding a tight position where only one enemy can reach you at a time.
If the nearest entrance is too wide to defend properly, use a digger to make your own choke point. The best place to dig is usually in a corner, since you only need to remove one tile to create a narrow passage.
####### #.....# #...oo# #..ooo## ##..##@# #..####
However, in this setup, enemies standing behind their frontline can still shoot or cast through the line. To reduce incoming ranged damage, it’s better to dig one tile deeper, like this:
####### #.....# #...oo### #..ooo#@# ##..##o## #..#####
Now only one enemy can attack you at a time — and ranged enemies are blocked by their own allies.
The Kill Hole
A kill hole is a small alcove dug into a wall with only one narrow entrance. It’s a safe firing position where you can pick off enemies one by one, while staying protected from flanks or ranged attacks.
This setup is especially powerful if you’re using ranged weapons or spells. Melee enemies are forced to funnel in from a single direction, and if things go wrong, you can retreat deeper into the alcove.
### ######@# #.....## #..o..# #.o...# ##o#### #o#
Simple to make, extremely effective — especially when you’re low on HP or outnumbered. Just be sure nothing sneaks up behind you while you’re focused on the front.
Anti-summoning corridors
When you’re standing in the open, enemy summoners can flood the area by casting on the tiles around you, like this:
............ .......xxx.. ..Q....x@x.. .......xxx.. ............
The (x) tiles are valid summon spots — and as you can see, there are a lot of them.
To prevent this, you can dig anti-summoning corridors — tight tunnels that severely limit where summons can appear:
####### #.....# #.....###### #.....#.#@## ##..##.#.### #..#####
In this setup:
– Enemies have limited line of sight, so they can’t summon as many allies.
– You’re protected from mass breath attacks or AoE spells.
– You control the fight by choosing when and how enemies approach.
Downsides:
– Fewer enemies = smaller loot potential (not enough space to drop hoards of loot).
– Be careful: some undead or demons can phase through walls and still surround you.
Anti-summoning corridors are a life-saver when dealing with high-level casters.
Safe Spots
Create a network of cleared, secure areas connected by explored paths for resource management. The central area is your “safe corridor” connecting multiple cleared rooms where you can retreat to regenerate, manage inventory, or escape when in danger.
Your central hallway becomes a “safe corridor” connecting multiple rooms you’ve already cleared. This way, when things get dangerous, you always have an escape route.
####### ###### #.....# #....###### #...D.#######...D.#.#@# #.....#.#.#.#..D.#.#.## ##.D##.#.#.#.....###### #DD##############
The Ds here are dragons — not something you want to stumble into while sorting potions. You can duck into one to rest, regroup, or lose enemies. If things go bad deeper in the dungeon, falling back to your safe corridor gives you breathing room and better control.
Just remember: safe spots don’t stay safe forever — wandering monsters, teleports, or summons can still mess up your plans. Recheck your zones now and then.
Pillar Dancing
When facing a melee-only enemy that moves at the same speed as you, use pillars or other obstacles to maintain distance while regenerating or using ranged attacks. Circle around the pillar, keeping it between you and the enemy. The monster will always try to move toward you in a straight line, forcing it to take longer paths while you can attack safely.
####### #.X...# #..#@.# #.....# ##.#### #.#
If you are fast – you can “dance” even without pillar. Exploit diagonal movement to gain extra attacks against slower enemies, especial at corners. When a monster approaches, move diagonally away. Diagonal movement counts as 1 turn but covers more distance, allowing you to maintain safe positioning while attacking.
Monster Separation
When facing mixed groups of enemies, use corridors to separate fast monsters from slow ones. After moving into the corridor, wait a few turns. The faster enemies will reach you first, allowing you to deal with them before the slower threats arrive.
################################ #........o..........o.......o.@. #...oo########################## #.ooo.# ##o#### #@#
Area Denial with Elements
Use water and lave to control space.
############ #..........# #...~~~~...### #..~####~..... #..~#@.#~..### #..~###.~.o# #...~~~~~oo# #.......ooo# ############
In this example, ~ represents harmful terrain (water, lava, etc.). Enemies must path through the hazard to reach you, taking damage in the process. Some can’t pass it and you will be able to shoot them from the distance.
Line of Sight Breaking aka Corner Tanking
Use L-shaped corridors and corners to break line of sight with ranged attackers and spellcasters. When you move around a corner, enemies lose visual contact and must walk into melee range before they can target you again. This gives you the upper hand in tight spaces
#..#
#########..#
#.......#..#
#..........#
#......oo..#
#.....oo#@.#
#....ooo#..#
#########..#
#..#
In this setup, you’re using the walls to prevent ranged enemies from attacking you from afar. They’ll have to step into view — and right into your blade.
Safer Door (and Vault) Opening
It’s much safer to open doors from a diagonal tile instead of standing right in front. You never know what’s behind them — sometimes it’s a pit full of enemies, like this:
####### #m,mj$# #,$m,j# #jmmjm# ##+#### ..@
Opening the door from the front would immediately expose you to most of the monsters inside. But opening it from a diagonal position lets you peek in with a lower chance of being seen or targeted — especially if enemies are waiting in formation.
This is also important for Vaults. Lure strong monsters from dangerous vaults into narrow corridors or dug-out kill zones. Never fight powerful enemies inside. Pull them out to control LOS and summons.
####### #A#AAA# #A#A#A##### #AAA#A#.#@# ######.#.## ###########
React, Retreat, Repeat
Preemptive Buffing and Luring Buff before you enter danger, not in the middle of it. If you suspect a strong enemy nearby (like from noise or detection spells), cast resistances, haste, or protection first. Then lure the enemy to a favorable position instead of charging in.
Noise Luring Monsters are attracted to sound (e.g., melee combat, spellcasting, walking). Use this by creating noise near a corridor, then retreating to a killzone (choke point or corner). This way you control the approach instead of being swarmed.
Feign Retreat Run around a room to pull monsters out of formation or clump them together — then nuke them. This is especially useful vs groups with dangerous backliners (e.g., casters behind tanks). Retreating is a valid form of control.
Stairdancing When a level is too dangerous, use stairs to strategically clear enemies. Go down, attract some enemies, then return up. Wait for health/mana to regenerate, then repeat. This dilutes enemy density and creates more manageable encounters. As stairs are disconnected it’s not so easy in Tangaria, but possible.
Sleep and Detection Abuse Some monsters stay asleep if you don’t make noise or shine light. Combine detection + silence + stealth to bypass or backstab powerful foes instead of frontal assault. You don’t have to kill everything.