Guide / Pixels and perks
Pixels and perks
A Pixel is the character you play as. Each one has a perk, and picking the right one changes how the whole climb feels.
The starter
Everyone begins as Unit 734, free and with no perk. Every other Pixel is bought with gems or rented for an hour; climbing never unlocks one.
The menu's ‹ › arrows step through the Pixels you own; SHOP sells the rest. The shop has three tabs along the bottom: RENT for this hour's Rental, PIXELS for the gem shop, and BOOSTERS for hearts and 2X GEMS. PIXELS shows one Pixel at a time with every perk spelled out; switch it to LIST to see them all at once, grouped by tier.
Sold in the gem shop
Every shop Pixel is stronger than the starter. Prices run from 75 gems to 120,000, each tier about two and a half times the one before.
| Pixel | Price | Perks |
|---|---|---|
| Nebula Drifter | 75 | +50% move speed |
| Chrome Unit | 200 | +30% jump height |
| Solar Flare | 500 | +25% move speed. -30% gravity (floatier) |
| Obsidian | 1,200 | +25% jump height. Power-ups last 2x as long |
| Prism | 3,000 | +25% move speed. Always has a double jump |
| Pulse Warden | 7,000 | +25% jump height. Every 5s, destroys all drones on screen, for the whole party in co-op |
| Crystal Hoarder | 16,000 | +25% move speed. Always pulls in nearby gems. Gem pickups are worth 2x |
| Aegis | 40,000 | +25% jump height. Drones and bots die when they touch you. Bullets, lasers, meteors and bosses still hurt. Immune to ice and black-hole pull |
| Ninja | 50,000 | +30% move speed. The screen edges are walls: jump off them, up to 2 times between landings. No screen wrap: the edges are walls (downside) |
| Rocket | 65,000 | Power-ups last 2x as long. Every power-up you pick up is a JETPACK. -15% move speed (downside). Holds at most 2 hearts in a run (downside) |
| Bulwark | 80,000 | +20% jump height. Can hold up to 5 hearts in a run. Drones and bots die when they touch you. Bullets, lasers, meteors and bosses still hurt |
| Overclock | 120,000 | +30% move speed. +30% jump height. Power-ups last 2x as long. Always pulls in nearby gems |
Which to buy, and when
- Nebula Drifter (75) comes within your first few runs. The speed takes getting used to, so expect to overshoot for a while.
- Chrome Unit (200) is the better early buy for most players. A higher jump reaches platforms you would otherwise have to wait for.
- Obsidian (1,200) doubles how long every power-up lasts. A doubled Jetpack or Safety Net covers a lot of bad luck.
- Prism (3,000) always has a double jump, the single most useful power in the game, and so never wastes a power-up on rolling it.
- Crystal Hoarder (16,000) pays for the two above it: double gems and a permanent magnet.
- Aegis (40,000) ignores ice and the pull of black holes, and smashes drones. It is built for the upper biomes.
- Overclock (120,000) is the end of the shop and the one Mythic Pixel: faster, higher, longer power-ups and a permanent magnet.
Don't save for the top from the start. The middle tiers make gems come faster, so buying your way up is quicker than hoarding.
What the perk tags mean
| Tag | What it does |
|---|---|
| SPEED | Faster movement left and right. |
| JUMP | A stronger jump. The gain in height is bigger than the number: +30% jump is about 1.7 times as high. |
| GRAVITY | Lower gravity. Jumps go higher and you fall more slowly. |
| POWER | Power-ups last longer. |
| MAGNET | Always pulls in nearby gems. This Pixel never rolls the Magnet power-up. |
| 5 HEARTS | Can hold up to five hearts in a run instead of three. |
| SMASH | Drones and bots die when they touch you. Bullets, lasers, meteors and bosses still hurt. |
| NINJA | The screen edges are walls you can jump off, twice between landings. Downside: no screen wrap. |
| ROCKET | Every power-up you pick up is a Jetpack. Downside: holds at most two hearts. |
| AIR JUMP | Always has a double jump. This Pixel never rolls the Double Jump power-up. |
| EMP | Every few seconds, destroys all drones on screen. In co-op it clears them for the whole party. |
| GEMS x2 | Gem pickups and the boss's bounty are worth double. Stacks with the 2X GEMS booster. |
| SHIELDED | Immune to ice and the pull of black holes. Meteors, lasers, drones, a black hole's centre and every kind of platform still count. |
Rentals
Every hour, on the hour, a different patterned Pixel is on offer. There are 24, one for each hour of the day by your own clock, and they are the only Pixels with two colours. The RENT tab shows the current one: rent it and you can equip it until the next hour begins, for 500 to 6,000 gems, depending on its tier, or by watching an ad where ads are offered. If the hour ends while you are mid-run, you keep it until that run is over.
They are rented, not owned, so they don't count toward achievements. Their perks sit around the middle of the shop, which makes them a good way to try a perk before you buy the Pixel that has it for good.
| Pixel | Perks |
|---|---|
| Sunset Strip | +25% move speed. +50% power-up duration |
| Mint Condition | +20% jump height. Always pulls in nearby gems |
| Arcade Cabinet | +20% move speed. Always has a double jump |
| Lava Lamp | +25% jump height. Drones and bots die when they touch you. Bullets, lasers, meteors and bosses still hurt |
| Glacier | -25% gravity (floatier). Immune to ice and black-hole pull |
| Bubblegum | +20% move speed. Gem pickups are worth 2x |
| Toxic Waste | +20% jump height. Every 6s, destroys all drones on screen, for the whole party in co-op |
| Royal Flush | +25% move speed. Can hold up to 5 hearts in a run |
| Circuit Board | +15% move speed. Power-ups last 2x as long |
| Dusk Walker | -20% gravity (floatier). Always has a double jump |
| Static Zebra | +25% jump height. Immune to ice and black-hole pull |
| Candy Corn | +30% move speed. Always pulls in nearby gems |
| Deep Sea | -25% gravity (floatier). +50% power-up duration |
| Ember | +25% jump height. Every 6s, destroys all drones on screen, for the whole party in co-op |
| Aurora | +20% move speed. Gem pickups are worth 2x |
| Cherry Cola | +20% jump height. Power-ups last 2x as long |
| Neon Tiger | +20% move speed. Immune to ice and black-hole pull |
| Frostbyte | +20% jump height. Always has a double jump |
| Sakura | -20% gravity (floatier). Always pulls in nearby gems |
| Hacker | Power-ups last 2x as long. Every 7s, destroys all drones on screen, for the whole party in co-op |
| Plasma Core | +25% move speed. +10% jump height |
| Copper Top | +20% jump height. +50% power-up duration |
| Midnight Oil | -25% gravity (floatier). Power-ups last 2x as long |
| Key Lime | +25% move speed. Always pulls in nearby gems |