Fell & Sell Beginner Guide
Your first run-to-sale loop, step by step.
Fell & Sell is a first-person roguelike shopkeeper game where dungeon runs and shop management form a single loop. Every sword swung exists to stock your shelves, and every item sold funds the next expedition. This guide walks you through the first session so you understand the rhythm before you commit to a strategy.
The core loop in plain terms
You enter the dungeon. You collect loot. You return alive. You sell the loot. You use the gold to craft, upgrade your shop, or buy better gear. You enter the dungeon again with better equipment. Each cycle should leave you stronger than the last. That is the entire game in one sentence.
The key discipline is knowing when to leave. Death in the dungeon wipes your entire unbanked inventory. Nothing you were carrying comes back. The safest players bank early and often, then push deeper only when they can afford to lose the run.
Before the first expedition
Finish the tutorial prompts before treating your first expedition like a profit run. The tutorial introduces movement, combat basics, shop pricing, and crafting. Skipping it leaves you guessing which menu does what.
Update to Ver. 1.1.1 before your first session. The August 29 patch fixed save stability, the house-wipe bug, and added the Unstuck and Return to Village buttons. If you get stuck in geometry or need to exit a run safely, the Return to Village button is your recovery path.
Your first 15 minutes
- Finish the tutorial prompts before treating the first expedition like a real profit run.
- Set your first prices on the workshop table. The tutorial prompts you to do this. A table with no price tag sells nothing.
- Craft a few basic items from the workshop. Early furniture like benches and tables gives you display space and shop bonuses.
- Visit the Quest Board after your first expedition. Board tasks pay gold, gear, and materials for things you are already doing.
- Bank your first haul before your second run. Do not push deep on your first run — test the floor, learn enemy patterns, and return with whatever you can safely carry.
- Price your haul using supply and demand signals. Higher rarity items command higher prices but take longer to sell.
- Reinvest in gear upgrades or shop expansion based on what limits your next run most.
Understanding risk and reward
The dungeon floor recommendation at each entrance is a rough guide, not a hard gate. A skilled player can push beyond their gear level; an overconfident player can be overwhelmed even in early floors. Use the recommendation as a planning tool, not a ceiling.
The altar system mid-dungeon can completely change your priorities. Midas Touch converts heavy items to gold directly, letting you skip combat for volume. Tiny Size makes you harder to hit. Manic State doubles attack speed. Depressed State trades damage for extreme defense. Each changes what you should prioritize on that run.
The Quest Board
The Quest Board tracks expedition achievements and rewards you for goals you are already pursuing during runs. Kill ten skeletons, extract with heavy items, clear a floor without taking damage — these tasks pay out after successful extractions. Check the board after every run. Empty boards were a launch bug; the August 27 patch and the Ver. 1.1.1 save overhaul both addressed Quest Board stability.
Ver. 1.1.1 fixes that affect beginners
| Area | What changed | Why it matters for beginners |
|---|---|---|
| Save system | Save-system improvements in Ver. 1.1.1 | Less risk of progress loss during long sessions |
| House items | House-wipe bug fixed in Ver. 1.1.1 | Furniture and decorations placed in your shop now persist correctly |
| Quest Board | Quest Board progress restored in Ver. 1.1.1 | Rewards from board tasks now survive between sessions |
| Unstuck / Return | Unstuck and Return to Village buttons added | Safe exit without dying if you get stuck |
| Auto Pickup | Added in Aug 27 patch | Faster looting on dungeon floors |
| Controller | Full controller support added in Aug 27 | Playable on gamepad or Steam Deck |
What to avoid early
Do not spend all your gold on shop decoration before you have inventory to sell. Comfort bonuses from furniture are real, but an empty shop with perfect decoration earns nothing.
Do not push deep floors without banking your haul first. The death penalty is not the inventory you had at the start of the run — it is everything you picked up during it. A single deep run that kills you costs more than three shallow runs that bank.
Do not ignore the Quest Board. The rewards for board tasks are not minor. They fund gear upgrades that let you push deeper, creating a positive loop.
Your next steps
From here, the natural progression is:
- Read the Controls guide to learn the keyboard and gamepad layout
- Check Dungeon Survival before your second or third run
- Look at How to Make Money for the economic loop
- Browse Crafting Recipes to see what your early materials unlock
- See Updates for the full patch timeline through Ver. 1.1.1
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions.
What is the most important habit for new players?
Banking your haul before every deep push. The death penalty wipes everything you are carrying. Bank early, push deep only when you can afford to lose the run.
Should I spend gold on gear or shop upgrades first?
Early game, prioritize dungeon-ready gear so you can access better floors. Once you reach floor 3 or 4 consistently, shift toward shop upgrades to compound your income.
Do I lose progress if I die?
Your unbanked inventory is wiped. Items in the bank and gold in your account are safe. Everything you picked up during the fatal run is gone.
What version should I be on?
Ver. 1.1.1 from August 29, 2026. Update before playing to get save stability, house-wipe fixes, and the Unstuck/Return to Village buttons.