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World 1 of 5

Cult of the Lamb: Darkwood walkthrough

The first region and the tutorial: three miniboss runs, then the first Bishop.

  • About 4–9 min in the videos
  • 5 parts · 17 steps
  • 4 bosses

Steps from 11 text guides, 3 videos to watch · checked Oct 19, 2026

0 of 5 done
Video: chobijas on YouTube. Loads from youtube-nocookie.com only when you press play.

What each player can do here

P1 · The Lamb
  • Player one is the Lamb for the whole campaign; the Goat is player two. The update that added co-op made it local only.
P2 · The Goat
  • The Goat joins from the pause menu on a second controller. The two players can trade weapons, get extra damage fighting back to back, and land a critical hit when their attacks connect together.

If your skill levels differ: Weapons can be swapped between the Lamb and the Goat, so give the newer player whichever weapon they handle best and keep the two of you close for the back-to-back bonus. The store page also lists a difficulty choice. How to split the roles

Getting in

Part 1 of 5. Open the door and learn the run structure.

  1. BothTo bring in the Goat, open the pause menu, choose Add Co-Op Player and pick the second controller. Remove Co-Op Player in the same menu ends the session.
  2. BothDarkwood is the green door on the left past the archway north of the cult; it opens with a single Follower.
  3. BothEach of the first three crusades ends in a miniboss. The big red door in the last room shows how many runs are left before it opens, and the fourth run reaches Leshy.

Run 1: Amdusias

Part 2 of 5. Beat the first miniboss.

  1. BothAmdusias glows before it lunges, so side-step the charge and swing at it while it recovers.
  2. BothWhen marked spots appear on the floor, leave them: its green shots come down there.
  3. BothLeave the small worms it calls in and keep your damage on the boss.

Run 2: Valefar

Part 3 of 5. Beat the second miniboss.

  1. BothValefar hops around and every landing sends out a small shockwave; dodge it and hit back while the boss settles.
  2. BothIts fireballs come either as a widening ring or as a stream that tracks you. Roll through them rather than running, then close the gap.
  3. BothA symbol pops up over its head before a projectile attack, which gives you time to get moving.

Where people tend to fall

  • TechRaptor notes that as its health drops it chains three or four jumps per round instead of one or two.

Run 3: Barbatos

Part 4 of 5. Beat the third miniboss.

  1. BothBarbatos travels underground and leaves spikes along its path. Keep clear until it surfaces.
  2. BothWhen it comes up it either throws out a ring of spikes or lobs shots at marked spots. Dodge the spikes first; the marked shots leave room to step in for a couple of hits.

Where people tend to fall

  • Gamepressure suggests leaning on curses here, as ranged attacks work best against it.

Run 4: Leshy

Part 5 of 5. Beat the Bishop of Darkwood.

  1. BothLeshy borrows moves from all three Darkwood minibosses and keeps calling small enemies. Those adds are a handy way to refill Fervour for curses.
  2. BothBetween attacks it moves under the floor toward you with spikes showing. Roll aside, then hit it when it comes up.
  3. BothSpike waves spread out from it in rings or star shapes; look for the gaps between them and pass through.
  4. BothBefore each volley of lobbed shots the landing spots are marked on the floor. Step out of them.
  5. BothFrom about half health it leaps and crashes down on you. Keep moving until the target can no longer follow.
  6. BothLate in the fight it slams its head into the ground when you stand close. Back off when it rears up, then go back in.

Boss

AmdusiasThe first miniboss

  1. Attacks: Lunges after glowing, lobs green shots at marked spots and calls in small worms.

ValefarThe second miniboss

  1. Attacks: Jumps with a landing shockwave and fires rings or tracking streams of fireballs.

BarbatosThe third miniboss

  1. Attacks: Burrows with a spike trail, then surfaces to send a spike ring or lobbed shots.

LeshyThe Bishop of this region

  1. First half: Burrows toward you with spikes, sends spike waves, lobs marked volleys and summons small enemies.
  2. From half health: Adds a leap that crashes down where you stand.
  3. Low health: Slams its head down at anyone standing close.

Extras and notes

  • Beating Leshy gives a Heart of a Heretic for a Crown Upgrade, and the arena's rear door, held shut by chains until now, opens.
  • On the run that leads to Leshy you can meet the Fisherman, who tells you about Pilgrim's Passage.
Sources (14)

Steps compiled from 11 text guides, checked Oct 19, 2026, and written in our own words. The videos are there to watch each part; they are not counted as sources for the steps. We did not play the game for this guide. A step marked “single source” rests on one guide so far.