Tunnel Man

Verified against the spelunky.ai port v0.1.10 on 28 October 2026.

He digs three shortcuts in turn, each a door on the title screen that starts a game at the first level of an area: the Jungle's level 5, the Ice Caves' level 9 and the Temple's level 13. He asks for their price a donation at a time, in the screen between the last level of one area and the first of the next, and remembers what he's owed from game to game. Players who have earned every gold trophy can play as him.

The Tunnel Man stands in the screen between levels, and stops the player who walks up to him: "HEY THERE! I'M THE TUNNEL MAN! I DIG SHORTCUTS." ^{[1] [2]}. The action key moves him on to his request: "CAN YOU LEND ME A LITTLE MONEY? I NEED $... FOR A NEW SHORTCUT.", with the sum he still needs and the donation, which starts at $0, or higher if the player pressed up before he asked (Trivia) ^{[3] [4]}. The screen can't be skipped until he's had his answer ^[5].

Up raises the donation by $100 a press, and down lowers it. Held, either key changes it by $100 a step after 20 steps, and by $1,000 a step after 100; it never goes above the player's money or what he needs, nor below $0 ^{[6] [7]}. The action key gives it: the money is taken, and he answers "THANKS! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!", or, if it pays the shortcut off, "ONE SHORTCUT, COMING UP!", or, given nothing, "I'LL NEVER GET THIS SHORTCUT BUILT!" ^{[8] [9]}. In the clip, between the Mines and the Jungle, he asks for $100,000, and the player gives him $4,100.

He works on one shortcut at a time, and only waits at that one's screen. What's still owed on each is kept in the high score table and saved with the scores, so donations add up over many games ^{[13] [14]}.

Paying the level 9 shortcut off starts the level 13 one at its price ^[15]. In the clip, between the Jungle and the Ice Caves, the player gives the last $500 of the level 9 shortcut.

A paid shortcut opens on the title screen: once the first is paid, a ladder leads down to the level 5 door, and the level 9 and 13 doors are added as their shortcuts are paid ^[16]. Going through one starts a game at its level ^[17]. A game started from a shortcut doesn't set a best time ^[18].

A new high score table owes $1 more than each price, and the screen where the Tunnel Man would wait only takes that $1 off, with no Tunnel Man; so he first appears the next time the screen is reached. Paying off the level 9 shortcut does the same to the level 13 one ^{[19] [20] [21]}.

When the high scores hold all four gold trophies (money, time, kills and Damsels saved), the Tunnel Man on the title screen is replaced by a door, and going through it switches the player to him, or back ^{[22] [23]}. The trophies' thresholds are $200,000 in one game, a best time of 600 seconds or less, 120 kills and 8 Damsels ^[24].

The Tunnel Man starts each game with 2 hearts and no bombs or ropes ^[25]. With empty hands, his attack is a swing of a Mattock, which only works on the ground and holds his jump while it lasts, and which never breaks, as a carried one can ^{[26] [27] [28] [29]}. It breaks blocks as the Mattock does ^[30]. A wanted poster of him has his own face ^[31].

• The screen between levels, after level 4, 8 or 12, whichever shortcut he's digging (above).
• The title screen, standing at its left, facing right, until the player can play as him ^{[32] [33]}.

• The Stars challenge room makes its outer bricks unbreakable, with the comment "To prevent the Tunnel Man from tearing up the whole level." ^[34]
• The high scores room has a message for him, "NO MATTOCKS ALLOWED! THIS MEANS YOU!", in the Sun room's description, turned off with if (false) and the test it replaced left in a comment ^[35].
• The up key raises the donation even before he has asked for one, while the player walks up to him and while he introduces himself, so his request can start above $0; and after he's been answered, where nothing reads it ^{[36] [21]}.