Spelunky is © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC, and is used under the [Spelunky User License v1.1b](https://spelunky.ai/LICENSE.txt). spelunky.ai is an unofficial fan project, not affiliated with or endorsed by Mossmouth. The game and its assets may not be sold. Music by George Buzinkai and Jonathan Perry; sound effects made in SFXR. From Spelunky Classic 1.1, © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC. # Yetis never charging From the spelunky.ai wiki: . Verified against the spelunky.ai port [v0.1.11](https://github.com/851-labs/spelunky/releases/tag/v0.1.11) on 28 October 2026. Yetis never charging is a quirk of Spelunky Classic in which a Yeti has a charge but its sight never sets it off, only the Cavemen and Hawkmen near the player. | Quirk | | | --------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Status | GML + Oracle | | Where | [`objects/oEnemySight/collision_oCharacter.gml:1-17`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oEnemySight/collision_oCharacter#L1-L17) | | Pinned by | `fidelity/replays/enemy-yeti-sight-never-charges.txt` | | Row | [docs/quirks.md §1, Bugs and leftovers in the 1.1 source](https://github.com/851-labs/spelunky/blob/main/docs/quirks.md#1-bugs-and-leftovers-in-the-11-source): “A yeti never charges.” | A [Yeti](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/yeti) is written to charge, as a [Caveman](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/caveman) does: it has a charge, at 3 pixels a step, and it sends sight checks ahead of it every 6 steps. But when a sight check reaches the player, it sets off only the Cavemen and [Hawkmen](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/hawkman) near him, so a Yeti's sight can set off a Caveman, but never a Yeti. The only thing that sets a Yeti charging is a [Piranha](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/piranha)'s bite, and no generated level has both. ## What happens A Yeti's sight check reaches the player, and a Caveman walled in under him starts charging. The Yeti that saw him never charges: it walks up and throws him[^1]. **Clip: A yeti's sight sets off a caveman, but never the yeti.** A yeti's sight check reaches the player, and a caveman walled in under him starts charging. The yeti that saw him never charges: it walks up and throws him. ([video](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/media/clips/quirks/yeti-never-charges/clip.mp4)) ## Why A Yeti's create event names its charge, `ATTACK = 2`[^2], and its step runs it: 3 pixels a step the way it faces, turning at walls[^3]. While it stands or walks, it sends a sight check, `oEnemySight`, every 6 steps[^4][^5]. The check's collision with the player is what sets monsters charging: ```gml objects/oEnemySight/collision_oCharacter.gml:1-8 with oCaveman { if (distance_to_object(oPlayer1) < 100 and status < 98) { status = 2; playSound(global.sndAlert); } } ``` [`objects/oEnemySight/collision_oCharacter.gml:1-8`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oEnemySight/collision_oCharacter#L1-L8), from `spelunky.gmk`, Spelunky Classic 1.1's source, © 2008, 2009 Derek Yu and Mossmouth, LLC ([Spelunky User License v1.1b](https://spelunky.ai/LICENSE.txt)). The same follows `with oHawkman`, and there's no `with oYeti`[^6]. So the Yeti's sight sets off the Cavemen and Hawkmen within 100 pixels of the player, and never a Yeti. The only code that sets a Yeti's `status` to 2 is a Piranha's bite: a Piranha goes for the nearest live Caveman, or with none the nearest Shopkeeper, Hawkman or Yeti, if it's swimming, and sets what it reaches charging[^7]. Piranhas live only in the Jungle and Yetis only in the Ice Caves[^8]. ## Reproducing it Let any Yeti in the [Ice Caves](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/ice-caves) see the player: it walks up to him, and never charges. The replay of the clip's staged scene, a custom level, has a Yeti on the player's floor and a Caveman walled in under him. The Yeti's sight check reaches the player, and the Caveman, which can't see him, charges; the Yeti walks on, sends more checks, and throws him when it reaches him[^9]. In another custom level, with a Yeti swimming in a pool with two Piranhas and nothing else for them to go for, their bite sets it charging, turning at the walls[^10]. ## In the port The spelunky.ai port reproduces it exactly: it's in docs/quirks.md's list of the 1.1 source's bugs[^8], and the oracle's fingerprint of both replays pins who charges. No option turns it off. ## FAQ ### Do Yetis charge at the player in Spelunky Classic? No. A [Yeti](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/yeti) has a charge, and looks for the player as a Caveman does, but its sight sets off only the Cavemen and Hawkmen near him. The Yeti walks up and grabs him instead. ### Can anything make a Yeti charge? Only a [Piranha](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/piranha)'s bite, on a Yeti that's swimming. No generated level has both, so it takes a custom level with a Yeti and Piranhas in water, and no Caveman, Shopkeeper or Hawkman for the Piranhas to go for first. ### Why did a Caveman charge when a Yeti saw me? Any monster's sight check that reaches the player sets off every Caveman and Hawkman within 100 pixels of him, whichever monster sent it ([One caveman's sight alerting the rest](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/caveman-sight-alerts-others)). ## See also - **Related:** [Yeti](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/yeti), [Caveman](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/caveman), [Hawkman](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/hawkman), [Piranha](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/piranha) ## References [^1]: Clip quirks/yeti-never-charges [^2]: [`objects/oYeti/create.gml:16`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oYeti/create#L16) [^3]: [`objects/oYeti/step.gml:126-136`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oYeti/step#L126-L136) [^4]: [`objects/oYeti/step.gml:65-74`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oYeti/step#L65-L74) [^5]: [`objects/oYeti/step.gml:115-124`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oYeti/step#L115-L124) [^6]: [`objects/oEnemySight/collision_oCharacter.gml:10-17`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oEnemySight/collision_oCharacter#L10-L17) [^7]: [`objects/oPiranha/step.gml:77-117`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPiranha/step#L77-L117) [^8]: Quirk 1 (docs/quirks.md) [^9]: Replay `fidelity/replays/enemy-yeti-sight-never-charges.txt` [^10]: Replay `fidelity/replays/enemy-yeti-piranha-charge.txt` ### Source code - [`objects/oYeti/create.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oYeti/create) - [`objects/oYeti/step.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oYeti/step) - [`objects/oEnemySight/collision_oCharacter.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oEnemySight/collision_oCharacter) - [`objects/oPiranha/step.gml`](https://spelunky.ai/wiki/source/objects/oPiranha/step)