How to unlock Astral Stair stage in Vampire Survivors

Vampire Survivor’s latest patch is aptly named ‘The Overwhelming One’ and adds a fantastic new challenge stage called the Astral Stair. Like most things in the game, its prerequisites and unlock methods are shrouded in mystery. With that in mind, let me show you how to unlock the Astral Stair stage in Vampire Survivors.

How to unlock Astral Stair stage in Vampire Survivors

To unlock the Astral Stair, you need to reach at least level 80 in the Inverse Inlaid Library. Depending on how much you’ve played, this will either be easy or horrendously difficult. I’ll explain how to unlock the Inverse Inlaid Library first, then a strategy to reach level 80 in one piece. If you’re just getting started with Vampire Survivors and are trying to figure out which characters are the strongest, check out our tier list.

How to unlock the Inverse Inlaid Library

There’s a surprising amount of prerequisites to access Inverse stages. First, you must collect every standard Relic from each stage. These items can only be collected once and are visible on each map. Beware, they usually spawn a long way from where you start on each map, so the best strategy is to focus on leveling up a little before you make the journey. If you rush to the Relics, you’ll usually die on the way, so take your time.

Once every Relic has been obtained, you’ll unlock a new stage called Eudaimonia M. There are no enemies here, and you’ll be given the choice of 2 items; Gracia’s Mirror or the Seventh Trumpet. The Mirror unlocks Inverse Mode, while the Trumpet unlocks Endless Mode, where the Reaper will never spawn.

Don’t fret if you’ve already picked the Trumpet. Start and quit an Endless run, and you can return to Eudaimonia M. for the Mirror. Now you can access the Inverse Inlaid Library; here’s how to beat it.

Image by PC Invasion

How to get to level 80 in the Inverse Inlaid Library

Enemies are much tougher in Inverse stages. Your foes don’t hit any harder, but they have much more health and move faster. Pick any character you like, but something broken, like Red Death, is advisable. First, focus on ranking up just a few Weapons and Passive Items before diversifying your build. A couple of solid Weapons are always better than six weak ones.

To keep your damage output high, make sure you prioritize Evo’s. My favorites are ‘NO FUTURE’ (Armor + Runetracer) and ‘La Borra’ (Santa Water + Attractorb). These Evo’s are powerful, and Armor and Attractorb offer great utility. Although it’s risky, I recommend going for damage over survivability. Enemies in Inverse stages gain 5% Max Health every minute, and you’ll be surprised how hard they are to kill in the final 10 mins. The Library is an endless horizontal corridor, so ensure your weapons hit enemies next to you. Weapons like the ‘Song of Mana,’ for example, are useless because they only hit enemies above and below you.

If your damage is lacking, there’s a real chance you won’t reach the required Level 80 within 30 minutes, so keep that in mind. Spinach is a decent Passive Item if you lack the needed punch, as it increases your base damage by up to 50%.

Once you’ve reached Level 80, you can either let yourself die or finish the stage. When you hit the results screen, you’ll unlock an Achievement, and the Astral Stair Stage will be available.