Arrow

Verified against the spelunky.ai port v0.1.10 on 27 October 2026.

Most arrows come from Arrow Traps, which shoot one along their row when something moves into it; the Bow shoots them too. Once an arrow has stopped, it's an item like any other, and can be picked up and thrown.

An arrow trap shoots its arrow at 8 pixels a step ^[10]. In the clip, the player climbs a ladder into a trap's row; it shoots, and the arrow takes his last heart and kills him ^[11]. An arrow faster than 3 pixels a step across that hits the player takes 2 hearts, knocks him its way and stuns him for 20 steps, and is destroyed, unless it's one he shot or threw in the last 10 steps ^{[12] [13]}.

It moves by the code all items share: its own lighter gravity, 0.2, lasts its first step, and then it falls 0.6 pixels a step faster each step as items do ^{[14] [15]}. It turns to point the way it's flying ^[16]. While it moves faster than 2 pixels a step, it takes 1 hit point from the monster nearest it, a Vampire that isn't stunned 3 more, and is destroyed, unless that monster is invincible or a Magma Man, when it flies on; a Damsel it hits loses 1 hit point, and the arrow is destroyed too ^{[17] [18] [19]}.

An arrow that hits a wall faster than 6 pixels a step across sticks in it, 2 pixels deep: it stops, and no longer falls ^{[20] [1]}. A player falling past a stuck arrow, when it's 5 or 6 pixels above his middle, catches it and hangs from it, as he does from a ledge ^[21].

At rest, an arrow is picked up and thrown as any item is, at 8 pixels a step plus the player's speed: fast enough to hurt, and to stick in a wall ^{[22] [23]}. Holding a Bow, the player takes back an arrow at rest that isn't stuck in a wall by touching it, adding it to his count ^[24].

Level generation makes no arrows lying about; they come from:

• Arrow Traps, one each: a trap shoots once, and a trap destroyed before it shoots leaves its arrow ^{[25] [26] [27]}.
• The Bow, which shoots the player's arrows ^[28].

• Bombs. An explosion destroys an arrow ^[29].
• Exits. Carried through a level's exit, it's in the player's hands on the next level ^{[30] [31]}.

• An arrow trap shoots only once, so the arrow it leaves is the end of it.
• An arrow stuck in a wall is a handhold: a player falling past it can stop there.

• The arrow's code keeps an arrow from flying through the target in the Moon challenge room, as its comment says ^[32].