Upgrades
Upgrades can be chosen at the end of every level. There are 20 upgrades in Downwell. The player can choose from 3 upgrades by default. After using the Youth upgrade, your choices are increased by 1. Boulder Style reduces the number of choices by 1. Handstand Style eliminates upgrades altogether.
All upgrades are equally likely to be offered; there are no rare upgrades. The pool only shrinks as you collect them: an upgrade you already own is never offered again.
Upgrades
Cut upgrades
The game data contains upgrades that were cut from the final game. Three are still in the upgrade table with full data but flagged unavailable, so they never appear in the level-clear choice or shops:
| Upgrade | Sprite | In-code description | Price | Japanese |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUMBBELL | less bounce from stomping | 500G | ダンベル | |
| SUPER CHARGE | gain 4 charge | 200G | スーパーチャージ | |
| SUDDEN FORTUNE | gain 400 gems | 200G | ラッキー |
Twelve more exist only as sprites (sUg*), with no entry in the upgrade table and no effect in the code. Names are taken from the sprite names:
Some sprite names are earlier names of shipped upgrades rather than distinct items — the live upgrade flags and icons show the history: Blast Module's internal flag is still pugExplodingKnees, Hot Casing's icon sprite is sUgLeak, Gunpowder Blocks uses sUgChainReaction, Heart Balloon uses sUgDecoy, and Gem Sick uses sUgLess.