Salt and Sanctuary is a brutal 2D action RPG where you'll navigate a treacherous, interconnected world as a shipwrecked sailor. You'll face challenging combat, master intricate weapon synergies, and explore a dark, atmospheric setting. It's a game that demands patience and rewards skill, perfect for those who relish a tough but fair challenge.
This guide will equip you with the knowledge to survive the game's toughest encounters. We'll cover everything from navigating the Shivering Shore to taking down formidable bosses like the Untouched Inquisitor. You'll find strategies for mastering combat, understanding weapon builds, and uncovering all the secrets this deep RPG has to offer.
About this Guide (Please Read)
Learn how this Salt and Sanctuary guide is written, including formatting for items, enemies, locations, and important notes. Understand the author's personal playstyle.
Hey there! Before we dive deep into the treacherous world of Salt and Sanctuary, I want to give you a quick heads-up on how this guide is put together. Think of me as your experienced friend, walking you through this tough game. You might have questions about why I've structured things a certain way, or why I suggest tackling a boss or a situation like I do. This section is all about explaining my choices!
To make things super clear, I've got a few formatting cues for you:
- If you see a word in bold, it's either a really important piece of info or it's an item you'll find in the game.
- If a word is _bold and in italics_, that's a heads-up that you're dealing with an enemy.
- And if a word is just in italics, it usually means it's a location name. I sometimes use it for bosses you've already defeated, too.
You'll also notice Blue Boxes scattered throughout the guide. These highlight key stuff – think opportunities for trophies, NPCs you should chat with, game-changing enemy details, and more. They're there to make sure you don't miss anything vital.
Now, a quick word on my strategies. Everything you read here is based on how I personally played through Salt and Sanctuary. This means my advice might not be your perfect fit, and that's totally okay! The game demands quick thinking and even quicker reflexes, and sometimes you'll have to adapt on the fly. I've beaten the game multiple times with different builds, and I try to explain what I was doing during boss fights. Sometimes I might say
About this Guide (Please Read) (2)
Learn how this Salt and Sanctuary guide is written! Understand bold text, italics, and blue boxes for items, enemies, and important info. Get the most out of the walkthroughs.
Hey there! Before we dive headfirst into the grim world of Salt and Sanctuary, it's super important to go over how this guide is put together. You might have some questions about why I've formatted things a certain way, why I suggest tackling bosses or areas in a particular order, or maybe you just disagree with my approach. Totally understandable!
To make things clear right off the bat:
- If you see a word in bold, it's either a key piece of information or it's an item you can find or use.
- If a word is _bold and in italics_, that's an _enemy_ you'll be facing.
- If a word is in italics, it usually means it's a location. I've also used italics a few times to point out bosses you've already defeated.
You'll also notice these handy Blue Boxes. Think of them as important call-outs. They might highlight a chance to snag a trophy, point out an NPC you should chat with, give you clutch intel on enemies, or other vital details.
Now, a quick heads-up: my strategies and suggestions are based entirely on how I personally played through the game. This means that what worked for me might not be the perfect fit for your playstyle, and that's perfectly okay! I approach guides the way I like to read them – as a source of ideas and suggestions for how to tackle a tricky situation. My goal is to share how I got through it, hoping it sparks some good ideas for you to approach the same challenges.
I'm not claiming my advice is the absolute best or foolproof. Salt and Sanctuary is a game that really demands quick thinking and reactions. Mess up, and you might find yourself on the receiving end of a boss's instant-death attack. Even after beating the game four times with different classes, many of my strategy sections are written from the perspective of what I was doing *during* the fight. So, while I might say something like "stay in melee range," it's a general suggestion. Depending on the boss's AI and what it decides to do, you'll likely need to adapt on the fly.
One last thing for the Archers out there: If you don't see a specific section for you in a boss fight, don't worry! It usually means the strategy isn't drastically different from what you've been doing. I actually think Archers are pretty versatile. By pairing a Pistol with a one-handed weapon, you can handle both close and mid-range combat effectively. The strategies I've written cover both melee and long-range approaches (since Casters often hang back), so all the advice should still be applicable – you just need to figure out how you want to engage.
Alright, that's the lowdown on how this guide works. I really hope it helps you enjoy your journey through this challenging world!
- Previous: Introduction
- Next: Controls
Controls
Learn the ins and outs of Salt and Sanctuary's controls. Master melee, magic, and item usage with this quick guide to button mappings and actions.
Alright, let's get you familiar with how to actually play Salt and Sanctuary. It's a bit different from other games, so knowing your buttons is key. We'll cover the main gameplay controls here; the menus have their own set of buttons, which we'll get to later.
Think of your controller like this:
| Button | Action | Notes |
| Square | Attack (Light) | This is your bread-and-butter attack. If you have a sword or axe, it's a quick swing. If you're using a staff, it's your first equipped spell. Bow users can hold Square to aim. |
| Triangle | Attack (Heavy) | This hits harder but uses more Stamina. For melee, it's a slower, stronger swing. For casters using a staff, it's your second equipped spell. You can hold Triangle to aim ranged attacks too. |
| Circle | Use/Interact/Confirm | This is your main interaction button. Use it to talk to people, open chests, and importantly, to reveal 'secret doors' – just walk up to one and press Circle. |
| X | Jump | Self-explanatory! Leap into the air. |
| Options | Open Menu | This brings up your main game menu, where you can check your stats, manage your gear, and look at the Bestiary. We'll dive deeper into the menu later. |
| Directional Pad (Left/Right) | Cycle Inventory | Quickly switch between your equipped items, weapons, and spells. |
| Directional Pad (Down) | Light Torch | Got a torch? Hold this button down until it lights up. Let go too soon and it won't work. You need a torch equipped to do this, obviously. |
| R1 | Use Item/Spell | This uses whatever item or spell is currently highlighted on your HUD, right under your health and stamina bars. |
| R2 | Roll/Slide | Your primary dodge move. Rolling is high-stakes for avoiding damage. Hold R2 on a ladder to slide down it quickly. If you press Square right after rolling, you'll do a special 'dodge attack' – super useful for getting out of sticky situations and hitting back immediately. |
| L1 | Swap Weapon Set | Quickly switch between your two different weapon/spell loadouts. Handy for adapting on the fly. |
| L2 | Block/Use Offhand | If you have a shield or a suitable weapon in your offhand, this is your block button. Like Square and Triangle, you can hold L2 to aim spells or ranged weapons equipped in your offhand. |
| L2 (Hold) + Square | Parry | This is a high-risk, high-reward move. You need to time it perfectly, pressing L2 and Square just as an enemy's attack is about to land. If you nail it, you'll deflect their strike and open them up for a counter-attack. Works with shields and some weapons. |
| Left Analog Stick | Movement | Standard movement control. Walk, run, strafe – it's all here. |
| Right Analog Stick | Camera Pan | Control your view of the world. Look around, scout ahead, and keep an eye on your surroundings. |
That covers the basics of how you'll be interacting with the world in Salt and Sanctuary. Get a feel for these, especially the roll and parry, and you'll be much better equipped to handle what comes your way!
Menu Interface
Navigate the Salt and Sanctuary menu to view character status, inventory, bestiary, and game options. Learn about equipment burden.
Press the Options button to bring up the Menu. The Menu shows two different windows, one on the right and one on the left.
Left Window: This is where you can view your current status. Pressing L2 or R2 will cycle through the different pages. The first (leftmost) is where you will see your attributes (level, strength, etc.). The middle page is your general status (current/max health, focus, stamina, etc.) as well as your current Creed you belong to, and its current Devotion level. The rightmost page is your defensive statistics.
- Pressing L3 while browsing the menu displays the percentage of your current equipment load, as well as your defense percentages in its respective tab. Similar to the Demon's Souls series, "equipment burden" affects stamina and how quick you are, including jumping ability. This correlates to different percentage thresholds, which increase in quarters: 25% and below is the fastest, and your character will get slower with every 25% increase. For example, 25.1% - 50% is the second fastest, 50.1% - 75% is the third, and so on.
Right Window: At the top of this window are three options - Inventory, Bestiary, and Menu (options).
- Inventory: This gives you an overview of all your items, including spells, equipment, keys, materials, and brands. Use L1 and R1 to cycle through the pages.
- Bestiary: This lists all the enemies encountered in the game, and enemies will be registered if you kill them or are killed by them. There is a short description of each enemy and the items they drop. If the list shows a "???" that means that they have not dropped that particular item yet (or you didn't pick it up). The two icons in the upper right indicate how many times you have killed them (the Sword icon), as well as how many times they have killed you (the Skull icon). Each entry can be cycled through with L1 and R1.
- Menu: There are only three options here. Audio allows you to adjust sound effects and music. Game allows you to view controls and toggle the vibration effect. End Game quits to the Main Menu; the game will save as you quit your game.
Read on to learn more about equipping items, weapons, armor, and spells.
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