Expert map
Dark Dungeons
Daily challenges
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Info
Dark Dungeons is an Expert map added in version 35.0 in February 2023. It began as a community design by Lars_Overwick and was one of three winners of the 200k map concept competition, alongside Erosion and Covered Garden. The map is a grid of six dungeon rooms, three on top and three below, separated by stone walls. Tracks pass through doorways from room to room.
Layout and lanes
Normal bloons and blimps use different routes, which is what makes this map special:
- Normal bloons travel from bottom to top along three vertical paths, one in each column, all used at the same time.
- MOAB-class bloons alternate between two routes: a long horizontal path through the three top rooms from right to left, and the short middle vertical path going up.
- The middle column path is shared by normal bloons and blimps, sits lower than the rest of the map, and does not cross the horizontal blimp path. The two outer vertical paths do cross it.
Each of the four paths has its own entrance and exit, so there are four of each. The middle path is the shortest at about 11.7 seconds for a red bloon, while the horizontal blimp path is the longest at about 15.3 seconds.
Secrets: spike traps and the Dungeon Statue
- Spike traps: clicking the two torches near the centre activates spike traps at the two intersections in the top half (left torch for the left one, right torch for the right one). The spikes last 10 seconds, deal 5 damage plus 5 to ceramics, stun bloons for 1 second and can hit leads and frozen bloons, but not blimps. Then they need 50 seconds to recharge. They are free, so use them on every rush.
- Dungeon Statue: click both torches, then quickly click the statue in the top-middle room. For $30,000 it activates and fires a seeking magic bolt around the map that can hit everything except purple bloons. It can be upgraded for $50,000 and then $100,000; the second level one-shots super ceramics and the third one-shots fortified super ceramics. These prices were cut in version 44.0.
Other features
Walls block line of sight between rooms, the bottom-right room has a sludge pool for water towers, and the middle column counts as low ground. It is one of the hardest maps in the game, often grouped with Bloody Puddles, Quad and #Ouch.
How to beat Dark Dungeons
Why this map is hard
Dark Dungeons splits every round in two. Normal bloons come up three separate vertical paths at the same time, while blimps take a different route that alternates between a long top corridor and the very short middle path. A defence built for one does not automatically cover the other. Rounds that mix both, such as round 91 with its BFBs and ceramics, are a famous problem here because your ceramic defence and your blimp defence end up in different rooms.
The walls are the second problem. Most towers can only see the room they stand in, so you cannot simply build one big cluster. Each room needs its own answer, and the best spots are the rooms where paths cross. The middle blimp lane is so short that blimps using it barely get touched unless you prepare that exit specifically.
Best towers
- Spike Factory (3-0-2 or 3-2-0 Spiked Balls): one of the best mid-game options for the side rooms. 3-2-0 Spiked Balls at the exit of the short middle blimp lane are a reliable way to protect it.
- Dart Monkey (4-2-0 Juggernaut): giant spiked balls bounce around inside the small rooms, so a Juggernaut in a lower room hits bloons many times.
- Wizard Monkey (0-3-x Dragon's Breath): strong, steady area damage for the side rooms in the mid game.
- Monkey Ace (x-x-4 Spectre): flies over the walls, so line of sight does not matter. A Spectre carries the mid game and adds cleanup later.
- Heli Pilot: also ignores walls. A 2-0-4 Comanche Defense or 5-0-2 Apache Prime can follow blimps on both of their routes.
- Sniper Monkey: global range ignores the rooms, as long as it has line of sight. Placed in the right room, Maim MOAB (4-x-x) and Elite Defender (x-x-5) are useful.
- Glue Gunner (0-0-3 MOAB Glue): slows BFBs on the blimp route and glues ceramics too, which helps on round 91.
- Monkey Village and Alchemist: put them where two or more of your main towers can share them.
Best heroes
- Psi: his attacks reach bloons anywhere, so walls and split paths do not matter to him.
- Geraldo: his shop items can be placed in whichever room needs help, and his buff items make a key tower stronger.
- Ezili: her MOAB Hex ability targets a blimp wherever it is, which is valuable when blimps alternate between two routes.
Easy and Medium
Cover the three vertical paths first. The top-middle area near the intersections sees the most track, and the spike traps there do a lot of free work in the early game. Add Spiked Balls or a Juggernaut for the side rooms, then a Spectre or Heli for the first blimps. Get camo detection before round 24 and lead popping before round 28. On Medium, make sure both blimp routes are covered before round 40.
Hard
Hard is where the blimp split starts to bite. Build a dedicated defence at the exit of the short middle blimp lane (3-2-0 Spiked Balls plus a stall), and a second group along the top corridor. Use the spike traps on rounds 76 and 78, since they stun ceramics and can be triggered whenever they are ready.
CHIMPS
Dark Dungeons CHIMPS is one of the hardest black borders. There is no single standard route, but most successful runs follow this outline:
- Rounds 1 to 10: start with towers in the top half where the outer paths cross the blimp corridor, since they see the most track. Click the torches whenever a rush comes; the traps are free.
- Rounds 10 to 24: place your hero, then a Spike Factory heading towards Spiked Balls. Make sure one tower in each column has camo detection before round 24.
- Rounds 24 to 40: add a Dragon's Breath Wizard or Juggernaut for the side rooms, and leads on every column before round 28. Before round 40, prepare both blimp routes: a Spike Factory at the middle exit and an Ace or Heli for the top corridor.
- Rounds 40 to 70: build a Spectre for mid-game damage, add MOAB Glue, and a Village or Alchemist to buff your strongest room.
- Rounds 70 to 90: upgrade to tier 4 Spike Factories and add more blimp damage on the top corridor. Fire the spike traps on 76 and 78.
- Rounds 90 to 100: round 91 needs answers for BFBs and ceramics on separate routes at the same time. Make sure camo reaches both blimp routes for the DDTs on 90, 95 and 99. Most runs skip the Dungeon Statue, since $30,000 is better spent on towers until very late.
Impoppable
Impoppable follows the same plan with more economy. Once your defence is stable, the Dungeon Statue becomes a realistic late purchase, and its upgraded bolt helps a lot against super ceramics. See our Impoppable guide.
Freeplay
In freeplay, the Dungeon Statue is worth buying and upgrading. Its third level one-shots fortified super ceramics, which are a major threat after round 100.
Dangerous rounds on this map
- Round 24: one camo green on one of three columns.
- Round 28: six leads.
- Round 40: the first MOAB, on one of the two blimp routes.
- Round 63: a ceramic rush spread across three columns.
- Rounds 76 and 78: dense ceramic rushes; use the spike traps.
- Round 90: camo regrow fortified leads and three DDTs.
- Round 91: BFBs and ceramics on separate routes at the same time.
- Rounds 95, 98 and 99: fortified blimps and DDTs on both blimp routes.
- Round 100: the BAD.
Our BTD6 Master YouTube channel has video guides for Dark Dungeons.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dark Dungeons the hardest map in BTD6?
It is one of the hardest. Most players still put Bloody Puddles at the top, with Dark Dungeons, Quad and #Ouch close behind.
How do you activate the Dark Dungeons statue?
Click both torches near the middle of the map, then click the statue quickly. It costs $30,000 to activate, with upgrades for $50,000 and $100,000.
How do the spike traps work on Dark Dungeons?
The torches near the centre trigger spikes at the two top intersections. They last 10 seconds, stun and damage non-blimp bloons including leads, and recharge in 50 seconds.
Where do MOABs go on Dark Dungeons?
Blimps alternate between a long horizontal path through the top rooms, going right to left, and the short middle path going up.
What is the best hero for Dark Dungeons?
Psi is the easiest pick because he ignores walls and lanes. Geraldo and Ezili are strong alternatives.
How do you beat Dark Dungeons CHIMPS?
Use Spike Factories, Juggernauts and Dragon's Breath for the rooms, aircraft such as Spectre or Helis for blimps, defend the short middle blimp exit, and use the free spike traps on every rush.
