Wiki/Bugsters

Bugsters

In the Pit even slime can turn out to be alive. Sometimes it opens its eyes, sometimes it starts to bubble, and sometimes it tries to run off while you look for a jar. The locals call these things Bugsters. Catching one is half the job. After that, you have to feed it with your runs.

A Bugster is a lump of slime in a glass jar that becomes your companion once caught. It goes with you on solo and ranked runs, slowly grows and opens new abilities. The higher you climb, the more useful your jar of slime gets.

What is a Bugster

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A Bugster follows the player across the platforms. A Bugster left behind catches up by tumbling; when the player jumps to another platform, the jar flies after them. It goes around walls or over them. While the player stands still, the Bugster peeks out of the jar, wipes the glass, hiccups, does a little dance or falls asleep.

At the first level a Bugster has no abilities. They open as it levels up and go off on their own, with no key to press. Whether an ability is ready shows on its icon in the HUD and on the jar itself: once used, the slime drains and fills back up by the end of the cooldown.

Where it goes

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Solo and custom soloFollows the player, abilities work. No experience.
Ranked runFollows the player, abilities work, experience is earned.
Co-op and custom co-opNot available: the Bugster stays home.
Spectators see the Bugster and its abilities going off. The ghost of the best ranked run is recorded without the Bugster.

How to catch one

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A Bugster can be caught once enough time has been spent in runs. Every mode counts: solo, ranked run, co-op and custom. It is the same "Time climbing" shown on the profile, which also shows how much is left.

  1. Spend enough time in runsAny mode counts.
  2. Press "Catch"The button shows up on the profile and on the Bugster plaque in the lobby.
  3. See who you gotThe slime colour, the eyes and sometimes a trait are random. The look cannot be rerolled.
  4. Give it a nameLatin letters and digits. The name is given once and never changes.

A Bugster with no name does not join runs. A player can have only one active Bugster at a time: to catch a new one, the current one has to be released. There is no wait after that.

Experience and levels

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Experience comes from ranked runs only and depends on the height reached. Only the first ranked runs of each Pit day count, and runs that end too low do not count at all. Daily experience is capped.

Every further day in a row adds a streak bonus; missing a day resets the streak. The level never goes down and is not reset by a new ranked season.

  1. 1
    No abilities.
  2. 2
    Fizzputs out firedetails
  3. 3
    First Aidhealsdetails
  4. 4
    Bubblesglow in the Darknessdetails
  5. 5
    Blastblows up the icedetails
  6. 6
    Sparecatches a falldetails
  7. 7-9
    No new abilities.
  8. 10
    Release to the Bottomoptionaldetails

Abilities

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Abilities open one at a time, always in the same order. A level opens an ability but does not make it stronger: it works the same at any level. One ability goes into a run, picked in the Bugster window. Fizz is the default pick.

Once used, an ability recharges. Fizz and Bubbles do not go off when there is nothing to aim at, and then no cooldown is spent.

Fizz

lv. 2Fire biome

Puts out burning platforms above the player.

When it goes off
The player gets burnt and survives. Or health is nearly gone and a burning platform is within a jump above.
What it does
The Bugster spits slime at the burning platforms above the player within reach, nearest first. Their fire goes out for a while, then the board smoulders for a bit and catches fire again. The platform the player stands on is not put out.

First Aid

lv. 3everywhere

Heals when health runs low.

When it goes off
Health runs low.
What it does
The jar jumps into the player's hand, they take a sip, and health comes back at once. Then the jar goes back and slowly fills up.

Bubbles

lv. 4Darkness biome

Lights up platforms in the Darkness.

When it goes off
The player has been in the Darkness for a few seconds.
What it does
The Bugster lets out bubbles one by one to every platform above the player within reach, past the edge of the Darkness too. The bubbles go around the boards, stick to them and glow for a while. The platform the player stands on is not lit.

Blast

lv. 5Ice biome

Blows up the ice when the player keeps slipping off it.

When it goes off
The player slips off the same icy platform several times: jumps or slides off the edge and lands on it again or lower. A hop on the spot counts as a slip too. With every slip the Bugster gets angrier: it swells, turns red, shakes and lets off steam.
What it does
On the next slip the Bugster blows up and knocks the ice off the platforms around the player for a while: they become plain boards. Then the jar pulls itself back together.
Notes
The anger passes once the player climbs above that platform. On another icy platform the count starts over. Slips during the cooldown do not count.

Spare

lv. 6everywhere

Stands in for a parachute when the regular ones are gone.

When it goes off
The player falls from a dangerous height with the regular parachutes already spent.
What it does
The jar jumps into the player's hand and blows a big bubble out of the slime, and the player floats down on it as if on a parachute.
Notes
Regular parachutes are always used up first. Recharges for a long time.

Looks

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The look is set when the Bugster is caught and never changes. It is made of the slime colour, the eyes and, more rarely, a trait. The look is random; the name is given after the look is shown. The look cannot be rerolled.

Slime colour

7 colours

Eyes

7 kinds

Traitrare

Release to the Bottom

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At its last level a Bugster can be released to the Bottom. It is optional: you can keep playing with it.

Goes

The current Bugster and its level. A new one starts at the first level and opens its abilities again.

Stays

A released Bugster stays in the collection on the profile, with its name and look. Achievements earned are kept.

Next

A new Bugster can be caught right away. Its look will be random.

Achievements

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Bugster achievements are part of the full list on the profile. The Spare's saves count toward the parachute achievements.

Something is gurgling at the Bottom

Spend enough time in runs, and the Bugster is yours.

Play