How to escape in Dark and Darker

Dark and Darker is a game all about risk and reward, with players needing to survive, loot, and kill others before finally getting out of the dungeon using the escape feature.

But if you’re a new player heading out on your first adventure, finding out how to get out of there when you survive isn’t made clear to you. So how do you do it? Luckily the escape methods are the same whether you play the team or new single-player escape modes.

To extract, brave the depths within and look for a certain headstone to make your quick getaway.

How to extract in Dark and Darker

Blue Portals

Depending on which game mode you play, there are different ways to extract in Dark and Darker.

In most modes, to exit a level, you need to find a Blue Headstone that appears from the ground at random after a certain amount of time has passed and the darkness creeps in. These will usually appear in the center of the map and only a limited amount of them spawn.

These will usually spawn in various locations at the center of the map and will be highly contested by the players and groups remaining in the session. Be aware only one member can leave, so look for multiple exits if you’re playing in the standard area.

To interact with them when they appear, hit F on the keyboard. A blue portal should appear. You then need to walk into this portal before you get killed to successfully escape with all the items and loot you have found.

Staircases and Lifts

There are also blue staircases and lifts you can sometimes find in dungeons that allow one person to escape per match. You can tell if it’s been used if the light beside it has gone out.

To access these, you sometimes need to pull a lever and pray no one kills you before you can ascend to freedom. You can find these areas by looking for blue squares on the mini-map in the bottom right corner or different colored stair tiles.

Don’t go down the red ones if you’re trying to escape; it’ll instead take you to a stronger section of the dungeon with more loot and tougher enemies to face.

Goblin Caves

The Goblin Caves are a bit more unique in how they handle extraction. There are no Blue Headstones here, and instead, it’s a race to the center of the map before time runs out to get out with anything you might have found.

You’ll see a pool of water when you reach the center area. After a few minutes, a platform will descend, lifting whoever is on it out and into safety. You are completely defenseless on this platform, so be cautious of other players and monsters that might kill you before you can get away.