The goal of Downwell is to beat the boss after the end of the 4th area. After every level in Downwell, you get three (or four) upgrades to choose from, unless you’re playing using the Handstand Style in which you get no upgrades. Choosing the right upgrades along with keeping your combos up, is the best way to beat the boss.

The best upgrades are Blast Module, Gunpowder Blocks, and Safety Jetpack. Good upgrades with synergy are Gem Attractor with Gem Powered and Popping Gems.

Why are these upgrades the best?

To succeed at Downwell, you’ll be bouncing atop enemies a lot to keep your combo up. With Blast Module, you’ll give yourself a bit of space to breathe after landing on an enemy especially if below you are enemies that damage you on touch.

Gunpowder Blocks is indispensable because of the fact that it clears obstacles quickly. In the first two areas, Caverns and Catacombs, stray blocks are aplenty.

Safety Jetpack gives you some leeway to keep your combo going after you’ve run out of gunboot charges.

Full List of Upgrades

Upgrade	In-game Description	Additional Details
Apple	gain 4 hp
Blast Module	stomping on enemies causes a blast
Candle	longer state of invincibility when taken damage
Drone	beep boop hello i’m a drone	You get a drone that follow you around and shoots when you shoot
Gem Attractor	sucks in nearby gems
Gem Powered	getting gems recharges gunboots
Gem Sick	gemhigh lasts for longer duration
Gunpowder Blocks	blocks shoot out bullets when destroyed
Heart Balloon	pretty balloon	You get a balloon that’s tethered to your character that explodes enemies on contact
Hot Casing	bullet casings deal damage
Knife and Fork	consume some dead bodies to gain health	After “eating” ten enemies, you’ll gain 1 health
Laser Sight	increase range + accuracy	Accuracy is a bit misleading, as it just adds a laser sight, however range does increase
Member’s Card	shops at start + 10% discount	At the start of a level there will always be a shop and you get a 10% discount
Popping Gems	getting gems causes a bullet to shoot up
Rest in Pieces	shooting dead bodies causes them to explode
Reverse Engineering	shoot a gun module to reshuffle it once
Rocket Jump	lift off	Jumping off when grounded causes an explosion
Safety Jetpack	jetpack for use when out of charge	When you run out of charge, you’ll be able to stay in air using jump for a bit
Timeout	creates timevoid when damaged
Youth	more upgrades to choose from + gain 1HP	You’ll be able to choose from four upgrades instead of three and you gain 1 health

What are some other good upgrades?

Gem Attractor is good when you combine it with Gem Powered and/or Popping Gems. This is one of the best synergies in the game.

Drone is always good for the extra damage. When coupled with a weapon with a fast rate-of-fire, like a Machine Gun, you’ll have a killing machine.

Laser Sight is good for certain weapons, like Noppy, and overall a good pick.

Of course all upgrades are viable, but some are just not that good in certain situations or for your own benefit of getting better at the game.

Situational Upgrades

You should avoid Candle early on, because you don’t want to rely on invincibility after getting hit. To get better at the game, you’ll want to learn to avoid enemies and learn their movement patterns and attacks. Once you get better at the game, you’ll want to avoid this in the later levels as well.

On the flip side, avoid Member’s Card later on, because the worth of this upgrade is proportional to how many shops you can encounter and how much you can save. In later levels you’ll encounter fewer shops than you would early on. One can argue that shop items are more expensive in later levels so it might actually be useful to you, so use at your own discretion.

Reverse Engineering is best when the player is able to find weapon caves. When using the Arm Spin Style, this upgrade definitely increases in value, otherwise, in later levels it’s best to opt for a different upgrade.

Gem Sick is not super useful because if you’re trying to keep up your combo, chances are your default Gem High will not run out faster than you’re going down. In the boss level, however, there are times where your Gem High may run out, so this may actually be useful.

Upgrades to Avoid

Avoid Knife and Fork simply because you don’t want to be relying on health. Also, it’s not useful in later levels where enemies (that become corpses) are sparse. Definitely avoid combining this with Rest in Pieces and Blast Module because you’ll get the opposite of synergy. For similar reasons, avoid Apple.

Of course, you’re not guaranteed never to get hit, so if you’re in dire need of health (you’re at 1HP) grab that Apple and Knife and Fork.

I find that Rocket Jump is not really useful to me, because I’m always constantly looking for combos, so landing isn’t a priority for me.

Conclusion

The upgrades you choose, ultimately depend on your playstyle. This is what I found to be the best for me, but perhaps you have your own way of playing. Slow and steady, maybe. Chances are if you’re reading this article, you haven’t beaten the game, so I hope I’ve helped you a little.