Bonus Monkey!

Bonus Monkey! is a sixth-row Primary knowledge that makes the first Dart Monkey you place each game free. You need 10 Knowledge Points in the Primary tree, Come On Everybody! and a one-time 1,000 Monkey Money. Together with Bonus Glue Gunner, it unlocks More Cash.

The in-game description adds "Only 1 free Monkey Tower per game": if you own both Bonus Monkey! and Bonus Glue Gunner, placing one free tower removes the other.

How it changes the game

A free Dart Monkey is worth its full price, $200 on Medium, and it starts popping from round 1:

• Opening rounds: you can spend your starting cash on a farm, a hero or a second tower and still have a defense on the track. With Extra Dart Pops, that free Dart Monkey has 3 pierce and handles the first rounds much better.
• Half Cash and Impoppable: where starting money is tight or prices are high, one free tower is a large share of your opening budget.
• Boss Events and Races: the saved cash goes into economy or into the next upgrade sooner. In Races it can help afford an early Spike-o-pult or Crossbow.

The free tower is a normal Dart Monkey that you can upgrade on any path. It shows up in the tower shop at no cost until you place it.

Is it worth it?

Priority: must-have. It helps literally every game where knowledge is on, it stacks with More Cash below it, and the Monkey Money fee pays for itself through easier early games. Since version 30, it requires Come On Everybody! and costs 1,000 Monkey Money instead of 500, but it is still one of the first deep Primary nodes most players should aim for.

Bonus Monkey! or Bonus Glue Gunner? If you own both, you choose each game. The free Dart Monkey is usually better because it pops bloons; the Glue Gunner saves slightly more cash ($225 on Medium) and is better when you need a cheap slow instead. You need both anyway for More Cash.

Where it works

Bonus Monkey! works in all modes where Monkey Knowledge is enabled, including Primary Only. It is disabled in CHIMPS, which is one reason CHIMPS openings feel harder. Challenges can also turn knowledge off, and challenges that ban the Dart Monkey simply do not let you place it. For full early-game routes using the free Dart Monkey, see the BTD6 Master YouTube channel.

Frequently asked questions

What does Bonus Monkey! do?

Your first Dart Monkey each game is free.

Can I have a free Dart Monkey and a free Glue Gunner in the same game?

No. You get only one free tower per game; placing one removes the other.

How much does Bonus Monkey! cost?

One Knowledge Point and a one-time 1,000 Monkey Money, with 10 Primary points and Come On Everybody!.

Does Bonus Monkey! work in CHIMPS?

No. All Monkey Knowledge is off in CHIMPS.

Is Bonus Monkey! needed for More Cash?

Yes. More Cash requires both Bonus Monkey! and Bonus Glue Gunner.