Character Unlocks and Build Guides

Here is the classic Dungeon Clawler character problem: you unlock a shiny new weirdo, grab the biggest prize pile in the machine, and then watch one bad tumble turn your clever build into arcade confetti. The fix is simple, but not boring. Each character wants a different kind of grab. Read the perk first, then build the item pool around grabs that are easy to repeat. A lucky paw is the reward you earn the first time you clear the full 20-stage run with a character, and it can let another character borrow that style later. That is where the game gets spicy: one messy claw pull can become a combo engine if the character, item material, and paw all agree.

For new players, start with safe characters before chasing the circus builds. Sir Bunalot is the clean lesson: his Health is increased by 10, and he starts each turn with 5 Block. Block is your shield; it soaks incoming damage before health. Build him like a normal roguelike deckbuilder run. Keep a mix of small weapons, small shields, and one or two strong upgrade targets. If your first claw misses damage, use the second claw to grab shields instead of forcing a hero pull from the corner. The machine loves punishing greed. Let it be dramatic by itself.

Unlock Plan

Clear runs to earn paws. Beating the full run with a character unlocks that character's paw as a future build piece. Treat each first clear as both a win and a new toy for later runs.
Follow visible character goals. Some unlocks have clear conditions. Bernie, for example, wants you to amass over 500 coins in one run. When a character asks for a resource goal, stop spending like the prize counter is closing and build around that goal early.
Do not unlock by accident and then play blind. Before starting the new character, read the starter deck and perk. The first two floors are for learning what their claw can reliably grab.

Build Cheat Sheet

Scrappy: Scrappy loves Metal items. His second claw is always a big magnet, and collecting at least 5 Metal items at once gives him Strength, which is bonus attack damage. Add Metal weapons and useful Metal support, but keep a few non-Metal shields or potions for the normal claw. If the magnet is pulling junk into the mouth of the machine, pause and aim for the densest clean cluster, not the flashiest item.
Squiddy: Squiddy builds around liquid and a tentacle claw. Filling the machine with liquid gives Squiddy Strength, and the tentacle spreads when it is submerged. Pick items that help fill the machine with liquid, then aim for wet clusters near the center. If the liquid items roll to the wall, use the other claw for Block and wait one turn instead of whiffing into the glass like a brave little mistake.
Count Clawcula: Count Clawcula cannot block, but heals for part of the damage dealt. That means small, steady hits are safer than one giant swing that might miss. Poison, repeat hits, and easy-to-grab weapons are your friends, since Poison damage ignores Block. Skip Block perks and shield-heavy rewards. If a boss turn is coming, your defense is damage now, so grab the most reliable damage pile even if it looks less fancy.
Dolly: Dolly turns self-damage into the same damage on the nearest enemy. Dolly also has more Health, but weaker Block. Build controlled pain, healing, and steady offense. Healing Flask style items matter more here than on safer characters. Avoid hiding behind pure Block every turn, because Dolly wants to take some damage and cash it in. The recovery move is simple: if your health drops too low, spend one whole turn fishing for healing and safe damage instead of doubling down on spikes.
Benny Beaver: Benny starts each fight with a Beaver Dam and 4 Strength, but less Health. Wood feeds the dam, so small Wood items are much better than huge awkward prizes. Strength items are strong because they improve both your hits and how much value the dam gets from Wood. Upgrade Strength pieces early. In boss fights, keep the dam alive first, then attack. A dead dam turns Benny from builder to snack.
Felina: Felina fights through Cream Puff, her pet. Strength goes to the pet, so pet-friendly Strength scaling is the plan. Do not judge her by normal attack turns. Grab Strength items, then keep enough Block in the machine so enemy turns do not erase the setup. If your damage feels low, stop adding random weapons and upgrade the pieces that boost the pet.
Bernie: Bernie doubles coin gains but has a 3-second claw timer. Set game speed to normal if you need more control, then pre-pick the drop spot before your turn starts. Build around coins, Gold Dagger style damage, Golden Armor style defense, Piggy Bank, and other money payoffs. Avoid huge items that need careful aim. Bernie is not here for a slow museum tour of the prize pit.
Garbage Greg: Greg gains damage from deck size, while half of the items in the machine leave after your turn. Add more useful items to the deck, then use effects that clear or group the machine so your claws still find value. Magnets, cleanup tools, sticky grouping, and small items keep him moving. If the pit looks empty after a bad turn, recover by grabbing coins, shields, or setup items instead of forcing damage from scraps.
Anne Bunny: Anne is the clean harpoon lesson. Her second claw is always a harpoon, items collected by that harpoon are used twice, and single-item grabs add Block. Pick high-value single items, then aim like you mean it. A center-lane upgraded weapon or shield is better than a corner pile of maybes.
Hare L. Quinn: Treat Hare as a trickier tempo pick, not just Anne with a different hat. Her current kit can roll between claws and temporarily upgrade items, so read her perk before drafting. Keep the deck small enough that any claw roll can still hit something useful. If the run hands you a clean harpoon setup from another source, use Anne-style single grabs; otherwise, build for flexible value.
Chief Bunner: Chief Bunner keeps 50% of his Block between turns and gains Charge from saved Block. Charge is a one-turn attack boost, so shields are not just survival here. They are fuel. Upgrade shields, grab Block before enemy attacks, and let the next turn hit harder. If you are behind, one defensive turn can restart the whole engine.
Cuddline Floofington: Cuddline starts with 15 extra Fluff, and collecting enough Fluff builds Tantrum stacks at the end of the turn. Fluff is usually soft filler, but here it becomes the plan. Grab Fluff in clumps, use support items like Teddy when offered, and look for effects that turn extra machine clutter into damage.

The best character runs are not about forcing one perfect item. They are about making the claw's normal chaos useful. Before each drop, ask three questions: what does my character reward, what material is easiest to grab right now, and do I need Block before the enemy turn? If two answers line up, take the grab. If all three line up, congratulations, you have just robbed the arcade with strategy.

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