Arcanas are not optional. They are the difference between a 30-minute survival run and a 30-minute boss-clearing run. Without arcanas active, the player has zero access to evolution catalysts beyond passive items, no way to shape stage density, and no protection against late-run scaling. Most experienced players consider Mad Groove (VIII) alone responsible for unlocking 4+ achievements, simply by collecting items the player would otherwise miss.
Find the Randomazzo relic in Gallo Tower (north of starting position) to unlock the Arcana system. The relic unlocks Sarabande of Healing (VI) as the first arcana. Subsequent arcanas unlock by reaching level 50 with specific characters or hitting minute 31 in specific stages.
Per the official Vampire Survivors Wiki, the Randomazzo relic is located in Gallo Tower at the northern end of the starting area. Picking it up does three things at once: enables the Arcana toggle on the stage selection screen, unlocks Sarabande of Healing (VI) as the first arcana, and unlocks the Arcana boss spawn at the 11:00 and 21:00 marks on every stage going forward.
| Method | Detail |
|---|---|
| Reach character level 50 | 14 of the 22 arcanas unlock by reaching level 50 with a specific character (e.g. Gemini (I) requires Pugnala at level 50) |
| Reach minute 31 in a stage | 4 arcanas unlock by reaching the 31:00 mark in specific stages (Mad Groove, Out of Bounds, Disco of Gold, Silent Old Sanctuary) |
| Defeat a specific enemy |  Game Killer (0) unlocks by defeating The Ender (final enemy in  Cappella Magna) |
| Find a relic | Sarabande of Healing (VI) unlocks via the Randomazzo relic itself |
| Spell shortcut | Type randomazzami in Secrets menu for the Randomazzo + Sarabande; type aintnobodygottimeforthat for the four time-gated arcanas plus Game Killer |
Each run grants 3 arcana picks: one at run start, one from the Arcana boss at 11:00, one from the Arcana boss at 21:00. The boss drops an Arcana Chest with 4 random uncollected arcanas to choose from (or 6 if 23+ total arcanas are unlocked). Rerolls let the player swap options.
| Time | Event |
|---|---|
| 00:00 (Run start) | Pick 1 arcana from the full unlocked list. Random option also available. |
| 11:00 | Glowing Bat boss spawns. Defeating it drops an Arcana Chest with 4 random uncollected arcanas. |
| 21:00 | Second Glowing Bat boss spawns. Defeating it drops another Arcana Chest with 4 random uncollected arcanas. |
| After 3 arcanas | If the player has 3+ arcanas already, future Arcana bosses drop regular Treasure Chests instead. |
Per the official wiki, in stages where the time limit is not 30:00, the Arcana bosses spawn at different times. In Boss Rash, Bat Country, and Tiny Bridge, the bosses spawn at 5:00 and 10:00 instead of 11:00 and 21:00. The shortened timeline means the player has less time to scale up before the second boss, so picking arcanas with immediate impact (Mad Groove, Sarabande of Healing) is more important on these stages. See our bosses guide for short-stage boss spawn references.
S-tier (always pick): Mad Groove (VIII), 
Sarabande of Healing (VI), 
Heart of Fire (XIX). A-tier: Silent Old Sanctuary (XX), Disco of Gold (XV), Out of Bounds (XII), Beginning (X), Awake (IV). B-tier: weapon-specific arcanas like Twilight Requiem, Iron Blue Will, Tragic Princess. C-tier: Game Killer (0) for niche XP-locked builds only.
Mad GrooveSarabandeHeart of Fire| Tier | Arcanas | Why |
|---|---|---|
| S | Mad Groove (VIII), Sarabande of Healing (VI), Heart of Fire (XIX) | Universal benefit; works on every build and every stage |
| A | Silent Old Sanctuary (XX), Disco of Gold (XV), Out of Bounds (XII), Beginning (X), Awake (IV) | Strong build enablers or stat scaling; need build context |
| A | Boogaloo of Illusions (XVIII), Lost & Found Painting (XVII), Slash (XVI) | Stat oscillation arcanas with high upside; benefit specific weapon types |
| B | Twilight Requiem (II), Iron Blue Will (VII), Tragic Princess (III), Waltz of Pearls (XI) | Weapon-specific buffs; pick only when running affected weapons |
| B | Gemini (I), Wicked Season (XIII), Jail of Crystal (XIV), Divine Bloodline (IX) | Situational; strong with right character/build pairing |
| C | Game Killer (0), Chaos in the Dark Night (V), Blood Astronomia (XXI) | Niche; Game Killer for XP-locked builds, Blood Astronomia for self-damage builds |
VSDirect answer: Mad Groove for stage clears and farming; Heart of Fire for boss-rushing damage builds.
Mad Groove pulls every stage item, pickup, and light source toward the player every 2 minutes, which means a single Mad Groove run on a stage like Dairy Plant or Inlaid Library collects all hidden Yellow Sign passives, the Cheese, and any remaining Floor Chickens automatically. Heart of Fire creates a fire AOE around the player and adds bonus fire damage, which scales with high-density boss-clearing builds. For most achievement runs, Mad Groove wins because it enables item collection that other arcanas cannot replicate. Pair with our Curse stat guide for compounding density.
Per the official wiki, all 22 base game arcanas with their effects and unlock conditions:
| # | Arcana | Effect | Unlock |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | Game Killer | Halts XP gain; Experience Gems become explosive projectiles; chests guaranteed 3+ items | Defeat The Ender in Cappella Magna |
| I |  Gemini | Listed weapons get a mirrored counterpart that fires alongside the original | Reach Lv 50 with Pugnala |
| II |  Twilight Requiem | Listed weapon projectiles explode when they expire; explosion damage scales with Curse | Reach Lv 50 with Dommario |
| III |  Tragic Princess | Listed weapon cooldowns reduce when the character is moving | Reach Lv 50 with Porta Ladonna |
| IV |  Awake | Gives +3 Revivals; consuming a Revival grants +10% Max Health, +1 Armor, +5% Might/Area/Duration/Speed | Reach Lv 50 with Krochi |
| V |  Chaos in the Dark Night | Projectile Speed oscillates -50% to +50% over 10 seconds; +1% Speed per level | Reach Lv 50 with Giovanna |
| VI | Sarabande of Healing | Healing is doubled; recovering HP also damages nearby enemies for the same amount | Find the Randomazzo relic |
| VII |  Iron Blue Will | Listed weapon projectiles gain up to 3 bounces and may pass through enemies and walls | Reach Lv 50 with Gennaro |
| VIII | Mad Groove | Every 2 minutes, attracts all stage items, pickups, and light sources toward the character | Reach 31:00 in Mad Forest |
| IX |  Divine Bloodline | Armor affects listed weapons' damage and reflects enemy damage; bonus damage scales with missing HP | Reach Lv 50 with Suor Clerici |
| X |  Beginning | Listed weapons get +1 Amount; character's main weapon gets +3 Amount instead | Reach Lv 50 with Antonio |
| XI |  Waltz of Pearls | Listed weapon projectiles gain up to 3 bounces | Reach Lv 50 with Imelda |
| XII |  Out of Bounds | Listed weapons get +50% Area; character takes +50% damage from enemies | Reach 31:00 in Inlaid Library |
| XIII |  Wicked Season | Listed weapons get +50% Duration; character has -50% Recovery | Reach Lv 50 with Concetta |
| XIV |  Jail of Crystal | Listed weapon projectiles freeze enemies on hit | Reach Lv 50 with Arca Ladonna |
| XV |  Disco of Gold | Killing enemies in Light spawn coins; coins damage enemies | Reach 31:00 in Dairy Plant |
| XVI |  Slash | Listed weapons gain Critical chance based on Luck; Crits do double damage | Reach Lv 50 with Christine Davain |
| XVII |  Lost & Found Painting | Listed weapons' Duration changes -50% to +200% every 10 seconds | Reach Lv 50 with Poppea |
| XVIII |  Boogaloo of Illusions | Listed weapons' Area changes -25% to +50% every 10 seconds | Reach Lv 50 with Mortaccio |
| XIX | Heart of Fire | Fire AOE around character; fire weapons get bonus damage | Reach Lv 50 with Yatta Cavallo |
| XX |  Silent Old Sanctuary | +3 Reroll, Skip, Banish; +1 weapon slot for unique characters | Reach 31:00 in Gallo Tower |
| XXI |  Blood Astronomia | Damaging the player has a chance to drop pickups; pickups also damage enemies | Reach Lv 50 with Avatar Infernas |
Three methods. Queen Sigma gets bonus arcana picks at character levels 1, 2, 3, 77, and 108 (5 extra picks total). Inverse Mode Merchant sells arcanas for 20,000 gold each. Moonlight Bolero (VI) Darkana spawns extra treasure bosses whose chests can contain arcanas.
| Source | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Queen Sigma | Selects bonus arcana at character levels 1, 2, 3, 77, and 108 (5 picks total beyond the standard 3) |
| Inverse Mode Merchant | Sells one arcana per spawn for 20,000 gold; Endless Mode respawns the Merchant every 30 minutes for repeat sales |
 Moonlight Bolero (VI) Darkana | Spawns extra treasure boss every minute; chests can occasionally contain arcanas |
Darkanas are 12 additional arcana cards introduced in patch 1.11. They unlock via the Darkasso relic in Room 1665. Darkanas share Roman numerals with arcanas and depict the same artwork as their counterpart (e.g. Sapphire Mist (I) and Gemini (I) show the same two figures). Hidden Anathema (III), Moonlight Bolero (VI), and Hail From the Future (IX) are the strongest darkanas.
Per the official wiki, Darkanas were introduced in patch 1.11 as a parallel arcana set. The Darkasso relic sits due south in Room 1665 (a hidden stage accessed via specific unlock chains). Once collected, Darkanas appear alongside arcanas in the Arcana Chest selection menu, and the player can pick either type for any of their 3 standard arcana picks per run. The Darkasso unlock pairs naturally with our passive items hub.
| Darkana | Effect |
|---|---|
 Sapphire Mist (I) | Counterpart to Gemini (I); listed weapons get +50% damage but +Cooldown |
 Hidden Anathema (III) | Food pickups grant random stat bonuses for the rest of the run; mirrors Gazebo's passive without a cap |
| Moonlight Bolero (VI) | Extra treasure boss spawns every minute; chests can contain arcanas, weapons, or relics |
 Hail From the Future (IX) | Counterpart to Divine Bloodline (IX); strong defensive scaling for tank builds |
 Crystal Cries (XII) | Counterpart to Out of Bounds (XII); Area scaling without the damage taken penalty |
For the full Darkana reference including all 12 cards, see our dedicated Darkanas guide.
Pick the build-defining arcana at run start. Use the 11:00 and 21:00 boss picks for utility (Mad Groove if not picked yet, Sarabande for survivability, Heart of Fire for damage). Avoid picking 3 arcanas before 21:00 if achievement-hunting, since the third pick locks out future bosses from dropping Arcana Chests.
| Build | Pick 1 (Start) | Pick 2 (11:00) | Pick 3 (21:00) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Damage / Boss Clear | Heart of Fire (XIX) | Sarabande (VI) or Slash (XVI) | Mad Groove (VIII) or Disco (XV) |
| Stage Farm / Achievement | Mad Groove (VIII) | Disco of Gold (XV) or Sarabande (VI) | Beginning (X) or Heart of Fire (XIX) |
| Survivability / Tank | Sarabande of Healing (VI) | Awake (IV) or Divine Bloodline (IX) | Mad Groove (VIII) |
| Endless Run | Silent Old Sanctuary (XX) | Sarabande of Healing (VI) | Mad Groove (VIII) |
| XP Locked / Permalevel | Game Killer (0) | Blood Astronomia (XXI) | Sarabande of Healing (VI) |
There are 22 base game Arcanas plus 12 Darkanas, for a total of 34 Arcana cards. The 22 base Arcanas are numbered 0 (Game Killer) and I through XXI. The 12 Darkanas share Roman numerals with their Arcana counterparts (e.g. Sapphire Mist (I) and Gemini (I)) and depict the same two figures in their artwork.
Find the Randomazzo relic in Gallo Tower, north of the starting position. Collecting it unlocks the Arcana toggle on the stage selection screen, the first Arcana (Sarabande of Healing VI), and the Arcana boss spawns at the 11:00 and 21:00 marks. The spell shortcut is randomazzami in the Secrets menu.
Mad Groove (VIII) is universally considered S-tier because it pulls all stage items, pickups, and light sources toward the character every 2 minutes. This makes it useful for every build and every stage. Sarabande of Healing (VI) and Heart of Fire (XIX) round out the top three because they provide strong universal benefits without being build-specific.
On standard 30-minute stages, an Arcana boss (Glowing Bat) spawns at 11:00 and 21:00. Defeating it drops an Arcana Chest with 4 random uncollected arcanas to choose from. On short stages (Boss Rash, Bat Country, Tiny Bridge) the bosses spawn at 5:00 and 10:00 instead. If the player has 23+ arcanas unlocked, chests show 6 options instead of 4 with one free Reroll.
Yes. Queen Sigma gets bonus picks at levels 1, 2, 3, 77, and 108 (5 extra picks). Inverse Mode Merchant sells arcanas for 20,000 gold each. Moonlight Bolero (VI) Darkana spawns extra treasure bosses whose chests can contain arcanas. Endless Mode lets the Inverse Merchant respawn every 30 minutes for unlimited purchases.
Mad Groove (VIII), Out of Bounds (XII), Disco of Gold (XV), and Silent Old Sanctuary (XX) all unlock by reaching the 31:00 mark in specific stages (Mad Forest, Inlaid Library, Dairy Plant, Gallo Tower respectively). The spell aintnobodygottimeforthat in the Secrets menu unlocks all four plus Game Killer (0) instantly.
Yes. The Arcana toggle on the stage selection screen lets the player disable arcanas for the run. With arcanas disabled, the Arcana bosses do not spawn and Arcana Chests do not appear. Some characters (like Avatar Infernas with Heart of Fire (XIX)) have built-in arcana effects that persist even when arcanas are disabled.
Only for niche builds. Game Killer (0) halts XP gain, which prevents the player from leveling up and choosing weapons / passives. The trade-off is that Experience Gems become explosive projectiles and Treasure Chests are guaranteed to contain at least 3 items. The arcana is best for characters with strong level 1 stats (Porta Ladonna, Sir Ambrogio) or for preventing level-scaled enemies from getting harder. Most builds prefer Mad Groove or Sarabande over Game Killer.
Arcana mechanics, all 22 unlock conditions, boss timing, and Darkana stacking rules cross-referenced against the official Vampire Survivors Wiki on Weirdgloop and the Vampire Survivors Fandom Wiki, including patch v1.11 release notes that introduced Darkanas. In our experience, the wiki Arcanas page is the definitive single reference for the full Arcana list and unlock conditions.
Sprite assets and stat data derived from the Vampire Survivors Wiki, hosted by Weirdgloop and licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Vampire Survivors is a trademark of poncle. This guide is an independent reference and is not affiliated with poncle.