Evoland Full Game Walkthrough (8-Bit, 16-Bit, and 3D Explained)

Part 1: The 8-Bit Beginning (Unlocking the Basics)

Your adventure begins on a single, green-and-black screen. Your first task is simple: Walk!

1. Unlocking Movement: You start with only the ability to move right, so open the chest to your right to unlock the ability to move left. A path opens to the south. Open the next chest to unlock 2D movement, allowing you to move up and down.
2. Unlocking the World: Head south and east. You will find chests that unlock Smooth Scrolling, which connects the screens into a flowing world. Another nearby chest provides Sound FX. Now your actions have weight.
3. Gearing Up: Continue east. You will find a chest containing the Sword. You can now attack enemies. A nearby chest unlocks Monsters, which immediately spawn on the map. You can practice your sword swing on the local slimes.
4. A World of Color: Move north and west from the monster chest. You will discover the 256 Colors chest. This vital upgrade transforms your monochrome world into a vibrant 8-bit landscape.
5. Finding the Way: With enemies and colors active, explore the small forest. Your goal is to head east, past a sign. You will fight more slimes and bats. Keep moving east to find a cave. This cave leads to the next major area and the game’s next evolutionary leap.

Heads-Up: The Black Citadel is the game’s final dungeon and a point of no return. So, once you enter, you cannot go back to the world map to find any missed Stars or Galam Cards.

Part 2: Edel Vale and the 16-Bit Revolution

You emerge from the cave and the world changes dramatically. A chest right outside unlocks 16-Bit Graphics, upgrading the entire visual style.

1. The First Village: Walk south into the village of Edel Vale. Here, you will find several critical unlocks. One chest contains Save Points. You can now save your progress at the spinning crystals. Another chest unlocks Music, giving the world its first background theme.
2. Unlocking the Story: A chest in the center of the village unlocks the Story. NPCs suddenly gain personalities and quests. A man asks you to find his son, and a guard blocks the northern exit.
3. Meeting Kaeris: Go into the large house on the left side of the village. Inside, you find Kaeris, who asks you to rescue her. This is your first real quest.
4. Turn-Based Combat: When you try to leave the village with Kaeris, a guard stops you. This encounter triggers another massive unlock: Turn-Based Combat. The game shifts to a Final Fantasy-style battle screen. This first fight is a simple tutorial. You learn to attack, and Kaeris learns to heal.
5. Collectibles Begin: With the village unlocked, you can start finding collectibles.
   • Galam Card: Search the “Inn” (the house with the save crystal) to find your first Galam Card.
   • Star: Search behind the houses on the right side of Edel Vale to find a hidden chest containing a Star.
6. Leaving Town: Once you defeat the guard, the path north to the Sacred Grove opens. You can also purchase your first items, like Potions, from the village shop. Stock up before you head out.

Quick Reminder: Riding a Choboko on the 3D world map is not just faster, it also completely prevents all random ATB (Active Time Battle) encounters.

Part 3: The Sacred Grove (A Link to the Dungeon)

You and Kaeris enter the Sacred Grove, which functions as the game’s first Legend of Zelda-style dungeon.

1. Dungeon Crawling: The gameplay shifts again. You are now in a top-down adventure. You control “Clink” (your character’s name) and swing your sword in real-time. Kaeris follows you but does not fight.
2. Unlocking Bombs: Your first goal is to find the Bombs. They hide in a chest in the northwest part of the grove. Bombs allow you to destroy cracked rocks and walls, opening new paths. You will use bombs to clear a path to the east.
3. Unlocking the Bow: In the eastern part of the grove, you will find another key item: the Bow. The bow lets you hit distant switches and enemies. You will need to hit a switch across a gap to proceed.
4. Puzzles and Collectibles: This dungeon introduces light puzzle-solving. You must push blocks, use bombs, and shoot your bow to navigate the maze.
   • Star: In a room with four torches, use your bow to light all of them quickly. This reveals a hidden chest with a Star.
   • Galam Card: Look for a cracked wall in the northern section of the dungeon. Use a bomb to open it and find a chest containing a Galam Card.
5. Dungeon Boss: Kevan: The Sacred Grove culminates in a boss fight against the skeleton king, Kevan. This is a classic 2D Zelda boss.
   • Kevan summons skeletons. You should clear them out so you can focus on the boss.
   • He also shoots a large, slow-moving skull projectile. You can easily dodge this.
   • His main attack is a sword swing. After he swings, he is briefly vulnerable.
   • Strategy: Dodge his attacks, clear the skeletons, and hit him with your sword when he is open. After a few hits, he will fall, and you will free the village elder’s son.

Practical Tip: During the 3D Action-RPG (Diablo-style) segments, Kaeris will automatically heal you when your health is low. However, if you just stand still for a few seconds, she will often top off your health, saving you from a tight spot.

Part 4: The World Map and Active Time Battles

When you exit the Sacred Grove, you unlock the single biggest change in the game: the 3D World Map.

1. Exploring in 3D: The game now resembles a classic PlayStation-era JRPG. You can run around this new 3D overworld. Your goal is to head south, but exploration is encouraged.
2. Active Time Battles (ATB): As you explore, you will get into random encounters. This unlocks Active Time Battles. Unlike the slow turn-based system, ATB features a bar that fills up. When a character’s bar is full, you can issue a command. This makes combat much faster and more engaging. Kaeris also learns her first fire spell.
3. Chobokos and Airships:
   • Explore the overworld to find a “Choboko” ranch. You can rent a Choboko (the game’s Chocobo parody) to travel faster and avoid random battles.
   • You will find Noria Mines to the west, but you cannot enter yet.
   • To the east, you find the Airship. You unlock it, which grants you free travel across the entire world map.
4. World Map Collectibles: The 3D map hides many secrets.
   • Star: Fly your airship to the small, snowy island in the northeast corner of the map. A chest here contains a Star.
   • Star: Fly to the desert area in the south. Land and search the large oasis to find another Star.
   • Galam Card: Look for a hidden path in the mountains near the Choboko ranch to find a chest with a Galam Card.

Your main quest objective is to fly your airship to the large, southern continent and find the entrance to the Crystal Caves.

Resource Note: You cannot buy 99 potions right away. So, you must find specific “Item Slots” chests hidden in the world to increase your maximum carrying capacity for items like Potions and Phoenix Downs.

Part 5: The Crystal Caves (An Action-RPG Detour)

Brace yourself for another complete genre shift. As soon as you enter the Crystal Caves, you unlock 3D Action-RPG Gameplay.

1. Diablo-Style Combat: The game now plays like Diablo. You move Clink with the mouse or controller and click on enemies to attack them in real-time. Kaeris follows you and provides healing and fire support. You will see damage numbers pop up as you fight.
2. Navigating the Maze: The Crystal Caves are a large, dark maze. Your goal is to find three switches to open the large door to the boss. You will fight hordes of spiders and skeletons.
3. Loot and Upgrades: This section introduces Loot Drops. Enemies will drop piles of gold and new equipment. You can find chests that contain upgrades like a new sword and better armor, which change your character’s 3D model.
4. Cave Collectibles: This dungeon is full of secrets.
   • Star: In the large, open room in the middle of the cave system, search the northern wall. You will find a hidden path that leads to a chest with a Star.
   • Star: In the far eastern part of the cave, you will find a room filled with treasure chests. One of them holds a Star.
   • Galam Card: Search the southern-most passages. A chest with a Galam Card is hidden in a dead-end.
5. Dungeon Boss: The Guardian: After activating the three switches, the path to the boss opens. The Guardian is a giant stone golem.
   • Strategy: This is a pure action-RPG fight. The Guardian has a slow, powerful slam attack that creates a shockwave. You must run out of the way when it raises its arms.
   • It also summons smaller stone creatures. You should ignore them and focus on the boss.
   • Run in, hit the Guardian a few times after it slams, and then run back out to dodge the next attack. Kaeris will heal you. Repeat this pattern until it crumbles.

Defeating the Guardian gives you the Journal, which updates your quest. You learn that the “Root of Evil” resides in the Black Citadel.

Quest Tip: Do not forget to backtrack. So, after you unlock Bombs in the Sacred Grove, return to the Noria Mines (the cave west of Edel Vale) to fully explore it and find the critical “Full Heal” party upgrade.

Part 6: The Black Citadel (The Final Gauntlet)

Fly your airship to the foreboding, volcano-like structure in the center of the world map. This is the Black Citadel, the final dungeon.

1. The Ultimate Dungeon: The Black Citadel combines every gameplay style you have learned. The dungeon’s main hub is in 3D. You will find doors that lead to sections that shift the gameplay.
2. The 2D Puzzle: One section returns you to the 2D Zelda style. You must use your bombs and arrows to solve a series of puzzles to unlock a key.
3. The 3D Action Gauntlet: Another door leads to a 3D Diablo-style room. You must defeat all the enemies in the room to unlock the next door.
4. The ATB Fight: A third path will throw you into a series of challenging ATB battles against high-level monsters.
5. The Final Collectibles:
   • Star: In the 2D Zelda puzzle section, look for a cracked wall. Bomb it to find the final Star.
   • Galam Card: In the main 3D hub of the citadel, explore a lava-filled side passage to find the final Galam Card.
6. The Path to the End: After clearing all the challenge rooms, the main path to the center of the citadel opens. You will navigate a 3D platforming section over lava. Heal up, save your game (if you can find a save point), and prepare for the final confrontation.

Survival Tip: In all Active Time Battles (ATB), protect Kaeris at all costs. She is your only healer for most of the game, so if she gets knocked out, you will likely lose the battle.

Part 7: Collectibles Guide (Stars and Galam Cards)

While we pointed out collectibles along the way, here is a quick overview of what they do.

1. Stars: There are 30 hidden Stars in Evoland. They are the game’s main secret. You find them in hidden chests, behind fake walls, and in obscure corners of the world. They do not have a major gameplay function, but you need them to get 100% completion and earn achievements.
2. Galam Cards: These 30 cards are used to play a mini-game called Galam E-Dub. You can find an NPC in the town of Edel Vale who will play this Final Fantasy VIII-inspired card game with you. Collecting all the cards allows you to build a powerful deck.

Collectible Hunting Tip: The most important upgrade for collectibles is the Heal-All chest. It is hidden in the Noria Mines (the cave you skipped earlier). Once you have the bombs from the Sacred Grove, you can return to the mines. Inside, the chest “upgrades” Kaeris’s heal to Full Heal, which also revives Clink if he dies. More importantly, it heals you after every battle, making exploration and hunting for the remaining collectibles much easier.

Pro Tip: When playing the “Galam E-Dub” card game, look for the “Choboko” card early on. It is one of the strongest rare cards you can get, with powerful numbers on all four sides, and will help you easily win against most NPCs.

Part 8: The Final Boss (Defeating Zephyros)

You reach the throne room and confront Zephyros, the Root of Evil. This final battle is a multi-phase gauntlet that mirrors the game’s evolution.

• Phase 1: 16-Bit Turn-Based Battle: Zephyros first fights you in the classic turn-based system. He has a strong single-target attack and a group attack.
  • Strategy: This is a simple warm-up. Have Clink use his strongest attacks. Have Kaeris use her Fire spell and heal the party when health gets low.
• Phase 2: 3D Action-RPG Battle: After you defeat his first form, Zephyros transforms. The game shifts to the 3D action-RPG style.
  • Strategy: This phase is similar to the Crystal Cave boss. Zephyros will teleport and launch energy balls at you. Dodge the attacks and run in to hit him with your sword. Kaeris will support you.
• Phase 3: The Final Form (ATB): Zephyros transforms one last time into a giant, menacing beast. The battle shifts to the fast-paced ATB system.
  • Strategy: This is the real fight. Zephyros has a powerful party-wide attack called “Dark Breath” and a high-damage single-target attack.
  • Do not hold back. Have Clink use his “X-Strike” ability every time it is available.
  • Have Kaeris focus almost entirely on healing. Use her “Heal” spell on anyone who takes a hit. If everyone is healthy, use her Fire spell.
  • Use any Potions or Phoenix Downs you have saved. Keep your health high, attack relentlessly with Clink, and you will eventually defeat him.

Boss Tip: For the final ATB phase against Zephyros, Clink’s “X-Strike” is your best source of damage, so save his ATB gauge for it. Use Kaeris to heal whoever Zephyros hits, and use Potions to heal the other party member after his party-wide “Dark Breath” attack.

Conclusion: The Evolution is Complete

Congratulations! You have defeated Zephyros and saved the world of Evoland and witnessed the birth of gaming, from a silent, 8-bit screen to a full-fledged 3D adventure. You unlocked sound, music, color, and complex mechanics, all while completing a charming and nostalgic quest. A simple 2D sprite evolve into a 3D hero, and you were there for every step. You have completed one of the most unique RPGs ever made. We hope this guide helped you on your journey through the history of video games!