Curse

Curse is a mechanic in Dead Cells where the Beheaded is punished for angering the gods. Curses cause any amount of damage to one-hit kill the player, and a certain number of enemies must be killed in order to lift it.

The amount depends on the source of the curse and the amounts stack. There are a few different ways to gain a curse. Curse sources are risk-reward choices that can greatly benefit the player with rewards being Scrolls, Gems and healing. Curses also have synergies with some weapons and mutations.

Instant Death
The following damage sources instantly kill the player while Cursed:
 * Any enemy hit that deals at least 1 damage, even while blocking with a shield.
 * Any trap hit.
 * Jumping into a bottomless pit.
 * Poison damage-over-time.
 * Damage from using Lightning Bolt too long.

While most sources of damage kill the player in a single hit while cursed, there are a few exceptions:
 * Darkness in the Forgotten Sepulcher.
 * Malaise damage, such as through the consumption of infected food.

Synergies

 * While cursed, the Spite Sword Icon.png Spite Sword does critical hits.
 * Alienation Mutation Icon.png Alienation makes it so decreasing the curse counter restores 5% HP but increases the number of enemies required to lift the curse by 50%. Reducing a curse 5 times removes 2 Malaise.
 * Acceptance Mutation Icon.png Acceptance reduces gained curse counter from sources by half, but consuming food curses you.
 * Having both equipped will reduce curse gain by 25% rounded up.

Trivia

 * Curse is the only mention of gods in the entire game.