Mortal Shell II is a standalone Soulslike sequel from Cold Symmetry, and the single best decision in the first hour is which Shell you inhabit first. Kotaku’s tips guide says to head for Tiel or Proxima as soon as you leave the Marrow Keep, because both stay “solid choices for the majority of the game.” This guide puts that advice, the Shell locations and the early-game settings in one order you can follow. It is built from the Steam store page, Kotaku’s tips guide and review, and Into Indie Games’ Shell walkthrough, checked on Nov 10, 2026 (UTC). We have not played the game, so everything below is attributed to those sources.
Table of Contents
Quick answer: what to do first in Mortal Shell II
- Turn on “auto pick up gold” in the settings before you leave the first area (Kotaku).
- Grab Tiel or Proxima first. After you talk to the NPCs in the Marrow Keep, both Shells get approximate map markers (Kotaku).
- Spend Glimpses on two or three Shells, not all eight. Kotaku’s pre-release playthrough found only enough Glimpses to max out two Shells.
- Cleanse every Beacon. Most checkpoints double as mini-dungeons with weapons, Tarstones and Ova inside.
- Want an easier start? The Slayer Seal sits near the vendor Merrick in the Marrow Keep, but equipping it turns off trophies and achievements.
Proxima's Shell on the Change Equipment screen in the Marrow Keep. Image: Cold Symmetry / Playstack
Mortal Shell 2 release date, platforms and price
| Detail | What the sources say |
|---|---|
| Release date | Aug 20, 2026 (Steam store page) |
| Developer / publisher | Cold Symmetry / Playstack (Steam) |
| Platforms | PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC (Kotaku review). On Steam it is Windows only. |
| Price on Steam (US) | $37.49, which is 25% off the $49.99 list price when checked on Nov 10. The discount may not last. |
| PC minimum | Windows 10/11, Core i7-10700K or Ryzen 5 3600, 16 GB RAM, RTX 2060 SUPER or RX 6600 (8 GB), DirectX 12, 70 GB, SSD required |
| Mode | Single-player |
The Steam page describes it as a standalone sequel, so you do not need the 2020 original. If you are curious how the first game was received, we have an archive review of the original Mortal Shell.
Best first Shell in Mortal Shell 2
Shells are the game’s classes. Per Kotaku, the Harbinger’s base frame is fine, but a Shell adds attack and defense just by being equipped. The two easiest early pickups are:
- Proxima: Kotaku calls her one of the better options for exploring the open field, because her ability makes enemies drop sellable items. That ability is a tier 3 skill, a large investment, so it will not help on day one. The official Steam screenshot of her entry lists a Biosampler hook attack that inflicts Lightning, and Grafted Armor with a base 15% chance to mitigate melee or ranged damage.
- Tiel: named alongside Proxima by Kotaku as a strong pick for most of the game.
Kotaku also says the Glimpses used to unlock skill trees are finite. Pick the two Shells you expect to stick with and put the skill-tree Glimpses there. The same guide says Glimpses can also locate other Shells or summon NPCs for boss fights, but calls that a poor use compared with skill trees.
A candlelit crypt encounter from the Steam store gallery. Image: Cold Symmetry / Playstack
All Mortal Shell 2 Shell locations
There are eight Shells in total, per Steam (“the forgotten Shells of eight lost warriors”). Into Indie Games covers seven locations beyond the prologue Shell, Harros. Spoiler note: this table describes where to find each one.
| Shell | Where to find it (Into Indie Games) |
|---|---|
| Harros | Usable in the prologue |
| Proxima | From the Widow’s Overlook beacon, take the small path on the right past the trial spot (a giant toad may appear), cross the bridge to Blackridge Pass, then go a little east to a guarded shattered beacon. Enter it to find her. |
| Tiel | South of Widow’s Overlook, past the mushroom village board and wooden fence. He is buried just beyond the fence. |
| Gragu | Alive at the One-Legged Wolf Tavern, east of the mushroom village. Keep talking to him; he wants the heart of a god, found in the Temple of Vatra to the east. Bring it back and he becomes available. |
| Erederim | Citadel of Penance. From the Tavern go north to a magical pouch that teleports you into a cell, break out, take the elevator up and beat the warden in the circular arena. He is among the bodies there. |
| Smert | Prophet’s Rest, south of Desolate Peak (which is south of the Citadel). Fill three altars with blood by killing the cultists standing on them, or sacrifice some of your own HP. |
| Lazlo | Southern region. From the Outskirts of Mammon beacon go southwest, then northwest to the Royal Crypt of Mammon. Beat Vellen, High Lord of Mammon, and take the stairs down to his coffin. |
| Sariel | Late game, in the Gate of Infinity region. Two-part fight: in the dungeon, destroy the stone tablets before finishing him or he is resurrected. You also get the Clockwork Scythe. |
Guides disagree slightly on exact directions, so treat the map markers from the Marrow Keep NPCs as the first check and the descriptions above as a second.
Early settings and combat basics
Steam describes combat as “unrestricted by stamina,” where you break enemy posture and strike critically. Kotaku’s review confirms the stamina meter is gone: you can attack, run and dodge freely, so spacing and movement matter more than managing a bar. The reviewer found the game less challenging overall than others in the genre, though the review notes balance may change with patches.
- Easy option: Slayer Seal. Per Kotaku, it is found just past Merrick in the Marrow Keep. It boosts your sidearm and heals you with every riposte, and it disables trophies and achievements while equipped.
- Hard option: Night mode. Warp to Widow’s Overlook, turn toward the sandy graveyard behind you, take the Gloombound Flame from a headstone and use it at the top of the Marrow Keep. Enemies have more HP and hit harder, gloom payouts are bigger, and some vendors and events appear only there.
- Consumables double as passives. Put them in a passive slot for effects such as slow health regeneration or damage reduction. The passive gets stronger with the number you have found, so using them does not weaken it.
- False walls exist. If a wall, tombstone or other object has a painted glyph, hit it and see what happens.
Where to level up and make money early
- Early grind spot: in front of the Mushroom Village Gate, turn around from the beacon and cross the bridge to a tall bipedal monster with large mandibles. Kotaku says it stunlocks easily and drops 2,000+ gloom per kill. Levels are linear and some thresholds give weaker growth, so camp here if you are close to the next point.
- Sheephead Totem: an early minor boss controls a flock of sheep. Beating it gives the Sheephead Totem, which as a passive reduces enemy HP. Look for more sheep, since some are well hidden.
- Tarstones: just over 70 in the game. Swap them once they hit experience thresholds so they keep growing. Weapon-specific Tarstones from major bosses hint that the weapon is near that boss, and Merrick sells maps to weapon locations.
- Currency: Kotaku’s review found money and Tarstone upgrade materials scarce by the midgame. That is a reason to concentrate upgrades on one main weapon and your chosen Shells instead of spreading them thin (our inference, not a rule from the game).
Mortal Shell 2 FAQ
Is Mortal Shell 2 on Switch or Game Pass?
Not according to the sources we read. Steam lists Windows only, and Kotaku’s review lists PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
How many Shells are there?
Eight, per the Steam page. Harros is the prologue Shell and the other seven are in the table above.
Does the Slayer Seal lock achievements?
Yes. Kotaku says equipping it turns off trophies and achievements.
More Steam Soulslike and action guides
If you are playing action games from the Steam charts this month, our Phantom Blade Zero beginner’s guide and best weapons guide cover another combat-heavy release, and the Casualties: Unknown beginner guide covers a different kind of survival game from the same top-sellers list.
Sources: Steam: Mortal Shell II; Kotaku, 12 tips to know before you start playing Mortal Shell 2 (Aug 18, 2026); Kotaku review (Aug 17, 2026); Into Indie Games, all Shell locations (Aug 21, 2026). Prices and discounts change; checked Nov 10, 2026 UTC.
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Featured image: Cold Symmetry / Playstack
