Which version does this cover?
These conditions were checked in the fixed browser source 1fada46. They are source-verified rules, not a claim that every perk was earned in a full playthrough. Mobile and other editions can differ.
This is a mechanics reference and contains progression spoilers. The late location-specific perk has its own closed section. The checklist at the end is a personal note, not a connection to your game save.
The three unarmed perks use cumulative counts
The punch counter increases when a fists attack is attempted, before the hit check. Count punch actions, not only successful hits.
The milestones are 50, 150 and 300 total punches. You do not need another 150 after Boxer or another 300 after Martial artist. On a normal progression, the damage multipliers stack.
| Perk | Unlock | Effect in the normal browser rules |
|---|---|---|
| Boxer | 50 cumulative punch actions | Doubles unarmed damage: the base 1 becomes 2. |
| Martial artist | 150 cumulative punch actions | Multiplies unarmed damage by 3; with Boxer, 2 becomes 6. |
| Unarmed master | 300 cumulative punch actions | Doubles it again to 12 and halves the fists cooldown from 2 seconds to 1. |
Scroll across the table if any columns are off screen.
The Wandering Master: three different lessons
The Master can visit while you are in the room after the world has been unlocked. Boarding the Master costs 100 cured meat, 100 fur and 1 torch. A teaching choice offers one remaining lesson; already learned options are removed.
The choice depends on how you fight. Force improves melee weapons but does not improve fists or ranged weapons. Evasion reduces enemy accuracy. Precision improves your own base hit chance.
The rules do not promise when the event will arrive, so waiting a particular number of minutes is not an unlock condition.
| Lesson | Perk name | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Force | Barbarian | Melee weapon damage becomes floor(damage × 1.5). Unarmed and ranged attacks are excluded. |
| Evasion | Evasive | Multiplies the enemy’s hit chance by 0.8. An enemy with 80% accuracy falls to 64%; other starting values differ. |
| Precision | Precise | Adds 0.1 to the player’s base hit chance, from 0.8 to 0.9. |
Scroll across the table if any columns are off screen.
Scout and Stealthy change exploration
The Scout visit becomes available in the room after the world is unlocked. Learn scouting costs 1,000 fur, 50 scales and 20 teeth. It doubles this version’s map sight radius from 2 to 4; the reveal shape is not a full square.
Stealthy comes from choosing spare him in the thief event. Once the normal step conditions for an encounter check are met, it halves the random encounter chance from 20% to 10%. It does not remove combat from the map.
The sight-radius numbers here come from the browser source constant. A guide using a default radius of 3 is not describing the value used by this fixed edition.
Slow metabolism and Desert rat
Slow metabolism is granted after at least ten recorded starvation deaths. It doubles the steps between food consumption, from 2 to 4 in the standard rules.
Desert rat uses at least ten recorded dehydration deaths. It doubles the steps between water consumption, from 1 to 2.
These are unlock conditions, not a recommendation to sacrifice a valuable expedition. A death loses that trip’s temporary exploration state. Keep a backup and understand the return-to-village save rule before deciding how to pursue them.
The eleventh perk: a location spoiler
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Gastronome is obtained at the cabin in the Swamp by choosing talk and spending 1 charm.
It doubles cured meat’s healing base from 8 to 16. Healing is still limited by your maximum health, so eating at nearly full health will not display the full increase.
Your perk checklist
Mark perks you have earned, or use the list to plan your next goal. These marks stay in this browser and are separate from A Dark Room’s save. Importing or restarting the game does not automatically change the checklist.
Your personal checklist. It does not change your game save.
Go back with one goal in mind
You do not need to pursue every perk at once. Pick the condition relevant to your current run, check its cost or consequence, and return to the game.
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