Touhou Dystopian: A Beginner's Guide to Not Dying Horribly (Maybe)

Alright, so you're diving into Touhou Dystopian. Maybe you're a die-hard Touhou fan, maybe you just like punishment in the form of stylish roguelikes. Either way, this game throws a lot at you fast.

This is a roguelike hack-n-slash where you pick a hero, dive into bullet-hell chaos, get stronger, and inevitably die, only to do it all again. You'll weave through enemy attacks (when the dodge decides to work), unleash flashy moves, and face off against some seriously fearsome youkai bosses. If you're feeling lost, don't worry, I've spent enough time getting my ass kicked to figure out the basics.

The Core Combat Loop

First things first, let's understand how you actually fight in this beautiful mess. It's mostly hack-n-slash, but with some specific meters and moves you need to track.

Your main attack is tied to a Charge mechanic. Holding the button changes the attack, usually increasing its power or function, and upgrades heavily influence this.

As you smack enemies around, you'll fill up a meter on the bottom right for your Special Attack. Once full, you get a prompt to unleash a powerful hit that deals great damage and stagger. It's different for each character, but always useful for breaking through tough defenses.

Then there's Energy, that green bar fueling your Ultimate ability. Keep an eye on it for those big moments.

Dodging costs Stamina, represented by that curved bar next to your cursor that only shows up when you use it. Timing your dodges perfectly is supposed to trigger a Perfect Evade, slowing time for a brief counter-attack window. I've found this pretty inconsistent, especially against projectiles, and sometimes you can still get hit right after pulling one off. In a bullet hell, that feels like bullshit.

Finally, there's the Grapple. This is a different special attack prompt that appears above an enemy's head. Instead of breaking stagger, landing this gives you a big chunk of Energy for your Ultimate.

Getting Stronger: Upgrades and You

Dying is part of the loop, but you don't always start from absolute zero. There are permanent upgrades back at your base that make each run a little less painful.

In my opinion, Followers have the biggest impact. These buddies join you on runs, adding extra damage and skills. You unlock and upgrade them using crystals, and swapping them via the TV lets you tailor your support. Meiling's stamina buffs feel almost mandatory for certain characters like Mokou or Youmu.

Keiki is your main progression engine. You give her Haniwas (mostly dropped by bosses) to unlock permanent upgrades, increase difficulty options, and even unlock new playable characters. Maxing out her offerings should be your top priority.

The Exchange lets you trade currencies, which is handy sometimes. The Mirror lets you change your character's outfit, which is purely cosmetic but some look pretty cool.

Later, you'll unlock Aunn, who gives you some starting gold and items each run. You'll also get Fortune Tickets, which can grant powerful buffs for your run or buff your enemies in exchange for increased currency gain. It’s a nice risk/reward system.

During your runs, Talents are the core roguelike upgrades. You'll pick from character-specific options and a pool of generic ones. Some talents require prerequisites; you can't get the Hellfire burn upgrade without first taking a basic Burn talent, for example. Your starting talent is always a powerful character-specific one, but beyond that, it's all RNG. Pray for good luck.

Choosing Your Fighter

Right now, there are four playable characters, each with a distinct style. Here's the quick and dirty breakdown:

Youmu: Your starter. She's fast but feels incredibly weak and squishy without the right upgrades. Her attacks struggle to clear projectiles, and her base stamina is low. Playing her forces you to learn boss patterns and dodge timings the hard way. A good run can feel amazing, but most runs feel like a struggle.

Flandre: The most balanced character, in my book. She hits hard and has good survivability, but her attacks are slow, forcing you to find openings. Flan has incredible build variety; almost any talent feels viable on her, making every run feel fresh.

Marisa: Easy to pick up, hard to master. Her basic shot auto-locks to a degree, deals constant damage, and clears projectiles reliably, making her great for learning the game. Mastering her charge attacks lets you melt bosses in seconds. Probably your best bet for those tricky "no-hit boss" achievements.

Mokou: Basically immortal, with a high skill ceiling. Her gimmick involves using health as a resource, healing back as she deals damage. Her ultimate can be tricky; using it at the wrong time (like right before a boss's invulnerable phase) can leave you with almost no health. Her shot isn't great, so you need solid dodging skills, but her damage potential is huge.

General Combat Tips

Don't just rely on dodging everything. Use your regular shots or barrage attacks to clear out enemy projectiles. This creates breathing room and opens up windows for your more powerful charge or special attacks. Unless you're Youmu, in which case, well... good luck with that.

Most bosses telegraph their attacks clearly, even if some feel cheap (cough Alice cough Yuyuko). Learn the patterns. When in doubt, backing off and peppering the boss with shots from a distance is a safe, albeit slow, way to chip away at their health, especially when you're low.

This game throws a lot at you, but stick with it. Learn the mechanics, prioritize Keiki's upgrades, find a character that clicks, and pray to the RNG gods for good talents. Good luck out there.