Every chronosphere is assembled from one or more biomes — themed environments that determine which enemies you fight, which weapons and items you find, and what hazards litter the floors. The five major biomes you will encounter are Outerback, Clockwork, Mole Mines, War Monkeys, and Bellusect.
When a chronosphere generates, it picks biomes and assigns them to abstract map slots. The resulting mix decides what you encounter on each floor. A sphere can blend multiple biomes, so don’t be surprised to see Clockwork corridors open into a Mole Mines cavern in the same run.
How Biomes Affect Your Run
Each biome controls:
- Enemies — the roster of hostiles that spawn on biome-themed floors.
- Weapons — a pool of weapons you can find as rewards. You also start with the biome’s default equipped weapon on floors belonging to that biome.
- Items and gear — passive items, active gadgets, and abilities themed around that biome’s playstyle.
- Hazards — environmental dangers placed during floor generation.
- Sphere naming — biome-specific word pools contribute to the generated chronosphere name, weighted by how much of the sphere that biome occupies. Seeing a word like “Wasteland” in a sphere name is a hint that War Monkeys content is part of the mix.
Outerback
The frontier. A sun-scorched outback full of cowboys, miners, and things that shouldn’t be cows. Outerback leans into revolvers, shotguns, dynamite, and the kind of ricochet trickery that rewards patient aim.
Default weapon: Old Pistol
Enemies
| Enemy | Threat | HP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cow | 1 | 16 | Passive fodder |
| Barrelman | 2 | 1 | Explosive on death |
| Powder-Fed Cow | 2 | 12 | Volatile cow variant |
| Spicy Cow | 2 | 12 | Another volatile cow variant |
| Cow…? | 2 | 100 | Suspiciously durable |
| Cowboy | 3 | 4 | Basic gunslinger |
| Scrub | 3 | 12 | Common ranged enemy |
| Miner | 4 | 28 | Tosses dynamite |
| Ghillie | 5 | 32 | Camouflaged shotgunner |
| Longgun Sniper | 5 | 44 | Long-range threat |
| Outlaw | 5 | 38 | Dual-wielding outlaw |
| Shotgunner | 5 | 16 | Close-range blaster |
| Desperado | 8 | 120 | Elite dual-wielder with a knife |
| Bushranger | 21 | 116 | Armored elite with shotgun and pistols |
| Obsidius | 21 | 1,000 | Mini-boss; blocks traversal |
| Spicy Rustler | 52 | 200 | Biome mini-boss |
Weapons
Weapons found in the Outerback:
| Weapon | Flavor | Clip |
|---|---|---|
| Revolver | Six shooter. | 6 |
| Barfight Knife | You call that a knife? | 1 |
| TNT | A stiff breeze will set it off. | — |
| Wild Pair | It takes two hands to tango. | 12 |
| Ricochet Rifle | ”Watch this!“ | 5 |
| Pocket Pistol | Last ditch defence. | 4 |
| Trickshooter | See you space cowboy! | 9 |
| Lever Action Shotgun | Reloads when you move. | 1 |
| Super Shotgun | Twice the fun. | 2 |
| Bayonet Carbine | Ammo runs out, bayonet runs through. | 5 |
| Dynamite | Better hope no-one shoots it. | — |
| Sawn-off Shotgun | Surprise. | 2 |
| Ol’ Sputters | What it lacks in reliability, it makes up for in heart. | 21 |
| Iron and Steel | If the left one don’t get you, then the right one will. | 6 |
| Saucy Mule | When in doubt, give ‘em the old saucy mule! | 1 |
| The Highwayman | Steals ammo with every hit. | 5 |
Other rare or specialized weapons associated with the Outerback include Big Iron, Blunderboss, Good Hunting, Hammerdown, Pepperbox, and The Double Double.
Notable Items
| Item | Effect |
|---|---|
| Bad Coffee | Move 35% faster |
| Big Bandolier | Double max ammo |
| Bushranger Armor | Deflect all hits; cooldown after taking damage; slows you |
| Cool Head | 50% chance to negate damage while waiting or reloading |
| Cowboy Boots | Reload on move |
| Dead Eyes | Gain grit on kill |
| Die Hard | Fast while suffering ailments; powerful when hit; grit at low HP |
| Lucky Coin | Projectiles try to hit a nearby enemy on bounce |
| Ranger’s Holster | Reload weapons as you holster them |
| Trick Shot | Projectiles ricochet +1 and deal triple damage afterward |
| Tumbleweed | Everyone takes 100% more damage; stacks up to 300% |
Hazards
- Weak Barrel — small explosive barrel.
- TNT Barrel — large explosive barrel; bigger boom.
Sphere Name Clues
Outerback-flavored name words: Arid, Barren, Desolate, Rustic, Bushwhack, Outerbush, Dustrock, Wilderness, Abode, Dune.
Clockwork
Gears and blades. A mechanical labyrinth of wind-up soldiers and razor-edged contraptions. Clockwork weapons often have unusual ammo mechanics like cranks, nails, and ricocheting shurikens. It also rewards timing and positioning.
Default weapon: Ballbearer
Enemies
| Enemy | Threat | HP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clockworker | 2 | 8 | Basic melee automaton |
| Clockwork Soldier | 3 | 16 | Armored ranged soldier |
| Accelerando Turret | 5 | 28 | Stationary; blocks traversal; fires nails |
| Rollerstakes | 5 | 42 | Mobile blade unit |
| Steady Gear | 5 | 20 | Defensive gear enemy |
| Clockwork Assassin | 13 | 110 | Fast, deadly ambusher |
| Sidewheeler | 13 | 22 | Low HP but high threat |
| Clockwork Dervish | 21 | 170 | Whirling elite |
| Nadja, Fated Assassin | 52 | 250 | Biome mini-boss |
Weapons
Weapons found in Clockwork:
| Weapon | Flavor | Clip |
|---|---|---|
| Boltcrank | Crank it. | 12 |
| Nailgun | Nail it. | 66 |
| Splitter | Not inaccurate, just accurate twice. | 90 |
| Clockwork Rifle | Wind it up, mow them down. | 36 |
| Clockwork Shotgun | Perfection takes time. | 6 |
| Kunai | Perfectly weighted. | — |
| Porber | ”It’s porbing time!“ | 12 |
| Clockwork Slugger | Return to sender. | — |
| Whirligun | Always twirling, twirling, twirling towards freedom. | 90 |
| Reverse Gun | Retrieves bullets from a dimension in which you shot them. | — |
| Shurigun | Sometimes you can’t decide between shurikens and shotguns. | 6 |
| Shurikens | Show them your moves. | — |
| Rivet | Riveting. | — |
| Clockwork Fan | This blows. | — |
| Cardinal | You’re surrounded, you can attack in any direction. | 64 |
Other rare or specialized weapons associated with Clockwork include Clockwork Thunder, Jitterbomb, Molecular Katana, Sword of Judgement, Tri-Kunai, and Vacuum Grinder.
Notable Items
| Item | Effect |
|---|---|
| Absolute Stopwatch | Freeze all bullets within 12 meters; destroyed 12 turns later |
| Autoflail | Swing chain around you on move after attack |
| Battle Pendulum | Fast after attack; powerful after move |
| Clockwork Army | Spend charges to summon clockwork minions |
| Deathclock | Fling a nova of knives |
| Killing Time | Gain powerful every third turn |
| Overclock | Extreme accuracy; take damage on stabilizer use |
| Perpetual Loading | Auto-reload for three turns after weapon swap |
| Portable Future | Items cooldown twice as fast |
| Power Cycle | Gain accurate and powerful every four turns |
| Slasher Shot | Next weapon attack projectiles slash a nearby enemy each turn |
| The Winding Way | Consecutive quickdraw attacks gain +power |
| Wheels within Wheels | Reduce damage by 1 per cooling-down gadget/gear |
Hazards
- Knife Wheel — spinning blade trap.
- Pin Totem — fires projectiles when disturbed.
Sphere Name Clues
Clockwork-flavored name words: Windup, Coiled, Mechanica, Pendulut, Escapement, Automata.
Mole Mines
“You’ve heard of rocks, meet the hard place.”
Industrial tunnels dug by moles. Mole Mines is all about explosions, drilling through walls, and turning the environment into a weapon. Many weapons and items interact with destructible terrain.
Default weapon: Molestone
Enemies
| Enemy | Threat | HP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Factory Drilldrone | 2 | 14 | Weak drone from factories |
| Drilldrone | 3 | 14 | Standard drilling drone |
| Moledrone | 3 | 14 | Spawns in pairs |
| Mole Mech | 5 | 120 | Large mechanical mole |
| Tunnelguard | 5 | 20 | Tunnel patrol unit |
| Section Chief | 8 | 64 | Mid-tier leader with launcher |
| Molefactory | 13 | 180 | Stationary spawner; blocks traversal |
| Roarer Borer | 13 | 116 | Heavy driller; blocks traversal |
| Union Breaker | 21 | 170 | Devastating elite |
| Mizza, Mud Maverick | 52 | 150 | Biome mini-boss |
Weapons
Weapons found in Mole Mines:
| Weapon | Flavor | Clip |
|---|---|---|
| Drillkit | Drills bullets, walls, people. | 6 |
| Longbore | Walls are no defense. | 3 |
| Crumbler | For those mining on a deadline. | 10 |
| Pilebunker | Drive the point home. | 1 |
| Faultliner | Meets safety standards, now that they’re gone. | — |
| Surveyor | For the miner that hates surprises. | 1 |
| Bootleg Boomstick | Basically a blunderbuss with bite. | 2 |
| Mining Laser | Sustained lasers solve many problems. | — |
| Junkgun | Trash or treasure? | 12 |
| Mole-Tov | All you need is a bottle of molebrew and righteous indignation. | — |
| Excavator | Strike the earth. | — |
| Mineral Processor | Process this! | 12 |
| Fuel Injector | What did you expect? It injects fuel. | — |
| Fracture Rifle | Mining sites offer plenty of cover. Best to ignore it. | 3 |
| Rocket Pistol | A sidearm can be the main event. | 7 |
Other rare or specialized weapons associated with Mole Mines include Dual Rocket Pistols, Heavy Mining Laser, Orebreaker, Rocket Man, and Rocket Shotgun.
Notable Items
| Item | Effect |
|---|---|
| Ablator | Specialized mining equipment |
| Anarchist | Gain grit and fast when destroying hazards, walls, or doors |
| Auto Shield | Deploy a defensive barrier on attack |
| Biofuel | Reload when something dies within aura |
| Booster Pack | Propel yourself forward with fire |
| Company Policy | Anything you kill emits a seismic shockwave |
| Explosive Penetration | Projectiles explode inside targets instead of piercing |
| Hold My Molebrew… | Next explosion is much more intense |
| Knock Knock | Projectiles/melee gain +power when destroying walls or doors |
| Molesign | Consecutive movement triggers a delayed earthquake |
| Patent 66 | Explosion size increased |
| Plunger | On wait, bombs instantly explode with +2 power |
| Safety Standards | No damage from your own explosions |
| Tunnelbuster | Fires a drilling projectile; massive delayed explosion |
Hazards
- Molestone Vein — spits molestone when hit; only damaged by explosions.
- Weak Barrel — explosive barrel (shared with Outerback).
Sphere Name Clues
Mole Mines–flavored name words: Pneumatic, Compressive, Superheated, Factori, V’alv, Tectonicus, Diaphragm, Engine, Refinery, Repository.
War Monkeys
A ruined warzone. War Monkeys is a militarized biome full of soldiers, turrets, and heavy ordnance. Expect radiation, toxins, and overwhelming firepower. The weapon pool is the most conventionally “military” of any biome — assault rifles, rocket launchers, and a literal chainsaw.
Default weapon: Pistol
Enemies
| Enemy | Threat | HP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mr. Stim | 1 | 4 | Stationary stim dispenser; blocks traversal |
| Flamelobber Turret | 3 | 41 | Stationary incendiary turret |
| Grenadier | 3 | 8 | Tosses grenades |
| Radgunner | 3 | 14 | Irradiating ranged attacker |
| Purifier | 5 | 70 | Flamethrower-equipped trooper |
| Murderjack | 8 | 80 | Chainsaw-wielding maniac |
| Artillery Base | 13 | 160 | Stationary heavy artillery; blocks traversal |
| Hovertank | 21 | 250 | Armored vehicle with chainsaw and guns |
| The Big Boy | 52 | 600 | Biome mini-boss; blocks traversal |
Weapons
Weapons found in War Monkeys:
| Weapon | Flavor | Clip |
|---|---|---|
| Chainsaw | ”Who’s laughing now?” | — |
| Double Pistols | ”Give ‘em two and they think they’re God!“ | 24 |
| Flamer | Sometimes nothing else will do. | 90 |
| Gatling | Slow to get going, but boy does it go. | 100 |
| Precision Shotgun | Simple shotgun. Simple, but effective. | 8 |
| Radstar | Melts bullets, and more. | 3 |
| Rocket Launcher | High explosive. | 3 |
| Machine Pistol | You’ll hit something. | 32 |
| Assault Rifle | Many like it, but this one is yours. | 30 |
| Battle Rifle | Make every shot count. | 24 |
| Sniper Rifle | Lead your shots. | 2 |
| Overstimulator | Exceeds the recommended dose of combat stimulants. | 16 |
| Radwave | Why let bullets reach you? | 9 |
| Mr. Blitz | Army of one. | 100 |
| Gyrosaw | Let’s gyrosaw! | 10 |
Other rare or specialized weapons associated with War Monkeys include Assault and Battery, Gniltag, Grenades, Hellspitter, Smuggler Sidearm, and Tankbuster Rifle.
Notable Items
| Item | Effect |
|---|---|
| Airburst Shot | After gadget/ability use, next weapon projectiles explode at end of turn |
| Ammo Dump | Spend charges each turn to reload both weapons |
| Artillery Beacon | Throw a flare for a delayed artillery strike |
| Black Market Stims | 50% faster + constantly powerful; inaccurate |
| Chainsaugment | Deploy trio of chainsaws while moving or attacking for 6 turns |
| Enfilade | Fire bullets in all directions on attack with half ammo or less |
| Field Commander | Larger aura; minion attacks in aura gain +power |
| First Aid | Remove ailments on wait |
| Gas Mask | No damage from weak poison |
| Hot Shot | First projectile each turn inflicts burning |
| Meltdown Rounds | Bullets cause radiation novas on kill |
| Mr. Stim Special | Gain fast and powerful |
| Requisitions | Weapon attacks spend charges for maximum power |
| Tactical Flexibility | Gain fast on weapon swap |
| War Crimes | On hit, ailment-afflicted enemies gain a random ailment |
Hazards
- Toxic Waste — poison pool.
- Weak Barrel — explosive barrel (shared with Outerback/Mole Mines).
Sphere Name Clues
War Monkeys–flavored name words: Plagued, Ravaged, Guerilla, Militius, Toxicis, Wasteland. Special name formats include USC_00{int}{int}{let} and Former {name} Homeworld.
Bellusect
An alien hive. Bellusect is a parasitic insect biome full of larvae, cocoons, and evolving horrors. Its weapons are biological, its items revolve around minions, poison, and parasites, and everything seems to be alive. Bellusect is an elusive, late-stage threat. It rarely appears in standard early chronospheres, instead manifesting in specialized anomalies, deep dives, or specific challenge runs.
Default weapon: Bugs
Enemies
| Enemy | Threat | HP | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fertile Larva | 1 | 2 | Smallest Bellusect enemy |
| Larva | 2–3 | 2 | Appears in groups or hordes |
| Pupa | 2 | 3 | Evolving larval form |
| Bellusect Scout | 3 | 12 | Flying scout |
| Bellusect Worker | 3 | 21 | Melee worker |
| Infested Host (small) | 3 | 5 | Parasitized creature |
| Cocoon | 4 | 6 | Stationary; blocks traversal; hatches |
| Infested Host (large) | 4 | 30 | Larger parasitized creature |
| Bellusect Soldier | 5 | 34 | Armored melee/ranged soldier |
| Chrysalis | 5 | 70 | Stationary blocker; evolves |
| Egg Host | 5 | 16 | Spawns eggs on death |
| Failed Bellusect Soldier | 5 | 18 | Unstable variant |
| Pyrocrystal | 13 | 90 | Fire-based crystal enemy |
| Demiqueen | 21 | 300 | Elite hive commander |
Weapons
Weapons found in Bellusect:
| Weapon | Flavor | Clip |
|---|---|---|
| Acid Sac | Squeeze it and see. | — |
| Droneswarm | Bellusect drones lay eggs in seconds. | — |
| Giga Swat | Swats bugs, disregarding size. | — |
| Ovipositor | Can’t spell disgusting without sting. | — |
| Shotgrub | You don’t know where it’s been. | — |
| Stinger | With lightning speed, plunge into enemies. | — |
| Wasps | I hate them. | — |
Other specialized weapons associated with Bellusect include Needle and Thread.
Notable Items
| Item | Effect |
|---|---|
| Acid Parasite | Extra poison spit on attack |
| Apex Contempt | Larger aura, but enemies within are alerted |
| Broodmother | Melee hit in aura transplants quadrupled eggs |
| Claw Parasite | Extra melee claw on attack |
| Emesis | Poison expelled as a beam while moving |
| Experience Share | A weak larva follows you; it evolves at charge thresholds |
| Frenzy Musk | Release pheromones to inflict frenzy on nearby enemies |
| Gestating Parasite | Melee kills build charge; at max, equip a random parasite |
| Good Genes | Minions have +max health |
| Grapple Bugs | Release an explosive bug that grapples to enemies |
| Hardened Carapace | Take 2 less damage from projectiles |
| Horror Survival | Minions have 50% chance to negate damage |
| Inert Eggs | Summon an inert egg |
| Juggermite | Huge beetle that pursues enemies, burrows through walls, blocks attacks |
| Lumpy | Summon Lumpy, a buggy companion |
| Needle Parasite | Extra needle attack on attack |
| Overclocked Bug Zapper | Inflict burning to enemies and projectiles in aura |
| Terror Rush | On kill within aura, nearby enemies are knocked back |
| Toxic Blood | When damaged, inflict poison on enemies within aura |
| Venom Glands | Killing a poisoned enemy creates a poison explosion |
Hazards
- Squirming Mound — a living hazard unique to Bellusect floors.
Sphere Name Clues
Bellusect-flavored name words: Writhing, Skittering, Scuttling, Swarming, Overgrown, Parasitic, Nest, Hive, Infestation, Hatchery, Colony, Metabolis, Chondria, Ruins.
Anomaly & Deep-Space Biomes
Beyond the five primary environments, chronospheres occasionally manifest specialized, deep-space, or anomalous biomes during boss encounters and exterior navigation:
| Biome / Environment | Overview |
|---|---|
| Chronosphere Core | The primordial interior of a chronosphere, encountered during deep dives and core floors. Default weapon: Pistol. Defended by strange entities like Bullet Head, Magma Diver, Mazeman, Mockery, Orb of Porb, Scatterbomber, and Voider. Hazard: Eyemouth. |
| Gezstar | A deep-space environment visible during chronosphere navigation. Associated with advanced energy armaments including Disintegrator, Gigaton, and Lightcarver. |
| Oblicom | A sleek, high-tech sector visible during exterior navigation. Associated with the Railgun. |
| Trinary | A trinary star system environment. Associated with unique tactical armaments like Angler and Enemy EconoBlast. |
| Experimental Zone | An unstable, anomalous sector. Default weapon: Assault Rifle. |
While you cannot select these as primary starting biomes, their defenders and signature armaments frequently bleed into boss arenas and anomalous floors.
Encounter Modifiers
Chronospheres can manifest encounter modifiers that introduce biome-specific invading forces on top of the normal floor population:
| Modifier | Associated Biome |
|---|---|
| Longgun Encampment | Outerback |
| Clockwork Chaos | Clockwork |
| Mole Patrol | Mole Mines |
| Artillery Incursion | War Monkeys |
| Larva Outbreak | Bellusect |
These modifiers are separate from the sphere’s biome composition. A Clockwork-dominant sphere could still roll an Artillery Incursion modifier, adding War Monkeys units to certain floors.
Themed Encounters & Anomalies
During a run, standard floors are occasionally replaced by rare, highly specialized encounter zones. These anomalies feature concentrated, bespoke challenges themed around specific biomes:
| Encounter Zone | Associated Theme |
|---|---|
| Cows and Effect | Outerback |
| Imposter Pastures | Outerback |
| Such is Life | Outerback |
| Accelerando Lockdown | Clockwork |
| Deadly Dancers | Clockwork |
| Have a Knife Time | Clockwork |
| Factory District | Mole Mines |
| Roaring Boring | Mole Mines |
| This is Fine | Mixed / Fire |
| Chainsaw Maniacs | War Monkeys |
| Artillery Battery | War Monkeys |
| Firing Lines | War Monkeys |
| Bellusect Hatchery | Bellusect |
| Larvapalooza | Bellusect |
| Barrels of Fun | Mixed / Hazard |
These encounter zones feature hand-crafted tactical scenarios rather than standard procedural layouts, offering unique environmental hazards and ambushes.