Shape of Dreams is a challenging roguelite adventure where every run feels fresh, and each decision shapes your journey. A big part of the fun comes from the game’s Travelers—playable characters with distinct skills, strengths, and strategies.
Some characters are unlocked right from the beginning, while others require specific achievements or hidden quests to unlock. Whether you enjoy fast-paced melee duels, precise ranged combat, or tactical support roles, knowing how to unlock every Traveler allows you to experience all that Shape of Dreams has to offer.
This guide covers:
- A breakdown of all eight Travelers.
- The exact steps needed to unlock each one.
- Tips and strategies to speed up the process.
- Why unlocking every character improves your game experience.
Introduction to Travelers in Shape of Dreams
Travelers are essentially the playable classes in Shape of Dreams. Each Traveler offers a different playstyle:
- Some rely on speed and dodging.
- Others excel at ranged combat.
- A few specialize in healing or support mechanics.
Unlocking all Travelers doesn’t just add variety—it gives you tools to tackle tougher challenges, create powerful builds, and enjoy a more complete roguelite journey.
Starting Travelers: Lacerta and Mist
At the beginning of the game, you’ll have access to two core characters. They are unlocked automatically after completing the tutorial, giving you a chance to explore the core mechanics before chasing more advanced characters.
Lacerta – The Gunner
- Playstyle: Ranged combat with firearms.
- Strengths: High precision, crowd control with bullet spreads.
- How to Unlock: Complete the tutorial (automatic).
Lacerta is perfect for players who enjoy staying at a distance and peppering enemies with gunfire. Since many roguelites punish reckless close combat, Lacerta helps beginners ease into the flow.
Mist – The Agile Duelist
- Playstyle: Fast melee with strong mobility.
- Strengths: High speed, excellent dodge potential.
- How to Unlock: Complete the tutorial (automatic).
Mist is the opposite of Lacerta. While fragile, her speed makes her ideal for players who prefer high-risk, high-reward melee battles. Mist also becomes important for unlocking one of the trickier Travelers later on.
Unlockable Travelers and How to Get Them
After the tutorial, you’ll begin unlocking the remaining six characters. Each requires specific achievements, ranging from collecting currency to surviving hidden biome challenges.
1. Yubar – The Collector
- How to Unlock: Gather 300 Dream Dust across multiple runs.
- About Dream Dust: It’s the blue permanent currency earned by defeating enemies, completing rooms, and surviving longer runs.
Tips:
- Focus on consistent runs rather than rushing for bosses.
- Equip Memories that increase Dream Dust drops.
- Don’t spend all your time grinding; Dream Dust accumulates over time.
Playstyle: Yubar uses Dream Dust mechanics to power abilities, making him an interesting hybrid choice for progression-heavy runs.
2. Aurena – The Healer
- How to Unlock: Heal a total of 25,000 health across all runs.
- Healing includes lifesteal, memory-based regen, and support skills.
Tips:
- Prioritize healing builds—stack lifesteal and regen items.
- Don’t avoid damage entirely; taking hits and healing counts toward progress.
- Longer runs help rack up the healing total faster.
Playstyle: Aurena focuses on supportive and self-sustaining combat, great for players who value survivability.
3. Nachia – The Fallen Fighter
- How to Unlock: Die 20 times in total.
- Yes, defeats actually count toward unlocking her.
Tips:
- Don’t get frustrated by early failures—they bring you closer to Nachia.
- If you’re eager to unlock her quickly, you can intentionally throw short runs.
Playstyle: Nachia thrives on resilience and comeback mechanics, rewarding players who embrace failure and adapt.
4. Vesper – The Star Wanderer
- How to Unlock: Reach the third world, known as the Dream of the Night Sky.
- This requires defeating the world bosses of the first two areas in a single run.
Tips:
- Focus on survivability and consistent damage output.
- Learn boss patterns thoroughly before attempting a progression-focused run.
- Stockpile healing items and upgrade weapons before tackling the second boss.
Playstyle: Vesper is a mid-to-late game powerhouse, offering a balanced mix of abilities that reward exploration.
5. Bismuth – The Speed Demon
- How to Unlock: Maintain 900+ movement speed for 3 continuous seconds.
- Requires stacking speed-boosting Memories and Essences.
Best Traveler to Use: Mist, since she’s naturally fast.
Tips:
- Look for open areas without obstacles.
- Avoid heavy attacks or actions that slow you down.
- Stack multiple speed boosts from equipment and Essences.
Playstyle: Bismuth is all about momentum. She excels in high-speed runs, perfect for players who like dodging and striking fast.
6. Shell – The Hidden Assassin
Shell is the secret Traveler—a wooden doll assassin with a complex unlocking process.
How to Unlock:
- Progress to the Samurai World biome.
- Collect three souls, found randomly in the area.
- Before the biome’s boss, locate the wooden doll near the stairs of the boss arena.
- Interact with the doll three times, delivering the souls.
- Complete the run to unlock Shell.
Important Notes:
- Some players report bugs with the unlock; if it fails, repeat the process.
- Missing even one soul or failing to interact properly with the doll may invalidate the attempt.
Playstyle: Shell is stealthy and deadly, offering unique assassination skills that reward patience and precision.
Tips for Unlocking All Characters Faster
Unlocking all Travelers can be time-consuming, but with the right strategy, you can streamline the process:
- Combine Goals
- While farming Dream Dust for Yubar, also use healing builds to progress toward Aurena.
- Similarly, deaths for Nachia will happen naturally as you grind other unlocks.
- Choose Travelers Strategically
- Mist is best for unlocking Bismuth.
- Lacerta’s ranged playstyle makes survival easier for reaching Vesper.
- Don’t Fear Defeat
- Every failed run still counts toward progress.
- Nachia’s unlock, in particular, makes defeats valuable.
- Focus on Exploration
- For Shell, take your time exploring Samurai World thoroughly. Missing one soul can waste the entire run.
- Play Long Runs
- More time alive = more Dream Dust, more healing, and more chances to experiment with speed builds.
Why Unlocking All Travelers Matters
Unlocking every character doesn’t just give you bragging rights—it transforms your gameplay experience.
- More Playstyles: Experiment with ranged, melee, tanky, healer, or assassin builds.
- Better Builds: Mix and match Memories and Essences with different characters.
- Replayability: Each Traveler encourages new strategies, making every run fresh.
- Secrets & Lore: Characters like Shell unlock hidden layers of the story.
- Preparation for Endgame: Having access to all playstyles helps when tackling late-game bosses and challenges.
FAQs About Unlocking Travelers
Q1. How many Travelers are in Shape of Dreams?
There are eight Travelers in total. Two are unlocked automatically, and six require achievements or hidden objectives.
Q2. Is Shell missable?
No, but the unlock process can bug. If it doesn’t work, repeat the soul-collection process in Samurai World.
Q3. Can I unlock multiple Travelers in one run?
Yes. For example, you can collect Dream Dust (Yubar) while stacking healing (Aurena).
Q4. Who is the easiest Traveler to unlock?
Nachia, since you simply need 20 defeats.
Q5. Which Traveler is best for beginners?
Lacerta, because ranged combat is safer and easier to control.
Final Thoughts
Unlocking all Travelers in Shape of Dreams is a rewarding journey that reveals the game’s full depth. From Lacerta’s steady ranged fire to Shell’s secret assassin abilities, each Traveler adds unique strategies and playstyles.
Whether you’re farming Dream Dust, stacking healing, mastering speed boosts, or braving Samurai World’s secrets, every unlock pushes you closer to mastering the roguelite’s challenges.
Take your time, plan your runs, and don’t fear defeat—because in Shape of Dreams, every setback is also progress. Unlocking all eight Travelers ensures you’ll experience the game exactly as the developers intended: full of discovery, strategy, and endless replayability.
Read Also: