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.

Insta-kills
The following damage sources insta-kill 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.

The following damage sources do NOT insta-kill while Cursed:
 * Darkness in the Forgotten Sepulcher.
 * Malaise damage.

Synergies

 * While cursed 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.