Project Ants — Deep Dive Strategy Guide

Overview

Project Ants is a 3D Metroidvania from indie developer Ant Team. It combines the exploration depth of Hollow Knight with the technical combat of Ninja Gaiden. You play as a fallen Phragmotic Ant Warrior — a soldier ant bred for combat — in a fractured insect kingdom. A cataclysm shattered the hive mind, turning ant clans against each other. After a devastating defeat, you're cast out. The game is your journey back through hostile territories, absorbing the memory fragments of fallen warriors and uncovering the truth behind the fracture.

The game is Windows-only, coming soon to Steam. It supports full controller input (gamepad recommended), 6 interface languages including English, Chinese, Italian, and Korean. The developers cite Hollow Knight, Ninja Gaiden, and Sekiro as inspirations.

The world is fully 3D and interconnected. Movement is highly vertical — you'll wall-jump, climb, and dash through environments ranging from claustrophobic underground tunnels to open canopy bridges. Ability gating follows classic Metroidvania design: see something you can't reach? Come back later with the right ability.

Getting Started

First contact. The game opens with a short cinematic showing the cataclysm — the hive mind fracturing, ant clans turning on each other. You wake up in the Abandoned Nest, surrounded by dead soldiers. Your starting abilities are basic claw attacks, a dodge, and wall jump.

First 30 minutes. The tutorial is built into the environment. The Abandoned Nest teaches: movement (walk, run, wall jump), basic combat (light chain, heavy punish), and the dash (a short teleport with invincibility frames). Don't rush this area — it has two hidden Anthems (upgrade items) that make the first boss significantly easier.

The movement is the combat. Unlike 2D Metroidvanias where combat and platforming are separate, Project Ants integrates them. You'll wall jump into aerial combos, dash through attacks, and use Pheromone Trail mid-fight to create movement speed buffs. If you're not moving, you're losing.

Beginner Mistakes

Skipping the Pheromone tutorial. The first Pheromone dispenser is in a side room of the Abandoned Nest. It's optional to pick up. Don't skip it. Pheromones are central to combat, exploration, and puzzle-solving. Without them, the game is twice as hard.

Button mashing. The light attack chain has 5 hits, but the 4th and 5th hits lock you into a long animation. Enemies will punish this. Learn to cancel after 2-3 hits with a dodge or a Pheromone Trail activation.

Ignoring verticality. The game has a map — use it. The map shows multiple Z-levels. If a path seems to end, check above and below. Many secrets are hidden on different vertical layers of the same room.

Not using Swarm Sense. This ability reveals hidden passages, breakable walls, and enemy positions through walls. Activate it periodically. It costs no resources to use and has no cooldown.

Holding onto Anthems. Anthems are used for upgrades at shrines. Players hoard them for "better upgrades later." Spend them. Early health upgrades prevent death loops against the first boss.

Core Mechanics

Combat System

Project Ants uses a fast-paced, technical combat system inspired by character action games. The core loop is: engage, create an opening, punish, disengage.

Light attacks. Quick claw slashes. A 5-hit chain. Hits 1-3 are safe — you can cancel into dodge after any of them. Hit 4 is a wide spin (good for groups, long recovery). Hit 5 is a lunging stab (high damage, very long recovery).

Heavy attacks. Slower mandible strikes. Heavy Attack 1 is a horizontal sweep (good for breaking guard). Heavy Attack 2 is an overhead slam (grounds flying enemies). Charge Heavy Attack for a lunging bite that deals extra damage and heals you for a small percentage.

Dash. Short-range teleport dash with i-frames. It has a cooldown of about 2 seconds. The dash goes through enemies and thin walls. Key combat tool — use it to get behind enemies for flanking damage.

Parry. Press the parry button just before an attack lands. Success: staggers the enemy and reflects projectiles. Failure: you take full damage with a brief vulnerability window. The window is generous (~15 frames). Practice on the first Raptor-like enemies (fast, predictable attacks).

Wall jump. Press jump near a wall to cling and push off. You can chain wall jumps for infinite vertical ascent. Combat applications: wall jump → aerial light attack → dash cancel → wall jump again. Advanced players can chain this into infinite air combos.

Pheromone System

The unique system that sets Project Ants apart. Pheromones are generated by defeating enemies and found in pheromone dispensers throughout the world. They're stored in a meter that recharges at rest points.

Pheromone Trail is the most versatile. In combat, it boosts your movement speed by 30% and increases dodge distance. In exploration, it leaves a visible trail showing where you've been (useful for backtracking). On bosses, it refreshes when you deal damage, letting you maintain uptime throughout the fight.

Upgrade System: Anthems

Anthem fragments are scattered across the world. Each 3 fragments combine into a permanent upgrade. Shrines are located in safe rooms.

Recommended upgrade order: Health to 4 → Strength to 3 → Speed to 3 → Health to 7 → Strength to 6 → Speed to 5.

Phragmotic Abilities (Progression Gated)

These are permanent upgrades obtained from boss kills and hidden chambers:

Mandible Crush (early) — A charged bite attack. Hold the heavy attack button. Deals massive damage to armored enemies. Also breaks cracked walls. Essential for exploration.

Compound Vision (mid-game) — Slow down time briefly. Duration starts at 3 seconds, extendable with Senses upgrades. Useful for precise platforming and dodging complex boss patterns. Activation costs 1 Pheromone bar.

Exoskeleton Shell (mid-game) — Temporary defense boost. Reduces damage by 50% but slows movement by 20%. Duration: 8 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds. Activate before engaging tough enemy groups or during boss phase transitions.

Swarm Sense (early) — Detect hidden passages, breakable walls, and enemy positions through walls. Range increases with Senses upgrades. Shows secrets as golden outlines.

World Map and Route

The world is divided into 6 major zones arranged in a non-linear layout:

Zone 1: Abandoned Nest (Tutorial)

Underground tunnels and abandoned ant chambers. Linear path that teaches basic mechanics. Contains 3 hidden Anthems.

Zone 2: The Canopy (Early Game)

Above-ground tree colonies connected by branch bridges. High-risk platforming. Introduces aerial enemies and the first real skill check: the Mantis Blademaster.

Zone 3: Underground Tunnels (Mid Game)

Dense network of tight spaces. Burrowing enemies ambush from walls. Requires wall jump mastery. The Stag Warlord boss is here — a giant stag beetle.

Zone 4: The Hive Ruins (Mid Game)

Collapsed central hive. Multi-level architecture with environmental puzzles. Contains two boss fights: Wasp Aerial (flying) and a mini-boss Beetle Colossus.

Zone 5: The Queen's Chamber (Late Game)

Deepest part of the kingdom. The corruption is thickest here. Enemies are faster and hit harder. Pheremone management becomes critical — dispensers are spread further apart.

Zone 6: The Core (Endgame)

The center of the kingdom. The Hive Mind boss fight. The truth about the cataclysm. Requires all abilities, all upgrades, and precise execution.

Step-by-Step Strategy Sequences

Sequence 1: Stag Warlord — First Real Boss

1. Enter the arena with at least 6 health (2 upgrades) and full Pheromone meter.
2. The Stag Warlord has three attacks in phase 1: (A) pincer slam — slow overhead, dodge sideways; (B) horizontal sweep — fast, parry this; (C) charge — he lowers his head and rushes forward, dodge upward (jump over him).
3. After each attack, he's briefly stunned. Get 2-3 light attacks in, then back off.
4. Phase 2 (60% HP): He gains a ground pound AoE. The tell is him rearing up. Jump when you see this. The shockwave travels along the ground.
5. Phase 3 (30% HP): Charge attack becomes faster and he chains it into a follow-up sweep. Dodge the charge, expect the sweep, parry it.
6. Use Pheromone Trail at the start of phase 2. The speed boost helps dodge the charge-sweep combo.
7. Kill reward: Mandible Crush ability.

Sequence 2: Mantis Blademaster — Parry Check

1. This boss is designed to teach parrying. She has a 3-hit combo that's perfectly parry-able.
2. First attack: overhead slash. Parry timing is when the blade is at its highest point.
3. Second attack: horizontal slash. Parry timing is when the blade is behind her.
4. Third attack: rising slash (launches you). Parry timing is during the wind-up.
5. If you parry all 3, she's staggered for 4 seconds. Critical hit opportunity.
6. If you miss a parry, dodge the remaining hits and reset.
7. Phase 2: She gains a spinning blade attack (multi-hit, unparryable). Dodge through it with the dash i-frames.
8. She drops Compound Vision ability.

Sequence 3: Wasp Aerial — Airborne Enemy

1. Arena has 4 platforms at different heights connected by wall-jump paths.
2. Wasp Aerial stays airborne. Melee is ineffective without closing distance.
3. Strategy: wall jump off the nearest wall, use Pheromone Trail as you jump (boosts aerial speed), attack mid-air with light slashes, then dash to the next platform.
4. When she divebombs, parry the attack. This grounds her for 8 seconds. Go aggressive during this window.
5. Phase 2: She spawns smaller wasps. Use Pheromone Burst (2 bars) to clear them instantly.
6. Kill reward: Exoskeleton Shell.

Sequence 4: Beetle Colossus — Environmental Puzzle Boss

1. The Colossus is immune to damage from the front. All armor, no weak points.
2. The arena has 6 environmental elements: explosive spores, hanging rocks, ceiling spikes.
3. Lure the Colossus under a hanging rock. Dodge out. The rock falls and stuns it. Run behind and attack the unarmored rear.
4. This opens it for 5 seconds. Use Mandible Crush (charged bite) for maximum damage.
5. Repeat 3 times. Each time the Colossus is faster. The third stun window is only 3 seconds.
6. Phase 2: The ceiling collapses, creating a new vertical arena. Chase the Colossus up using wall jumps. It shoots acid downward — wall jump sideways to avoid.
7. The final hit requires you to drop from the ceiling onto its back and use Mandible Crush while falling.
8. Drops Health upgrade and unlocks the path to the Queen's Chamber.

Sequence 5: The Hive Mind — Final Boss

1. The Hive Mind is a multi-phase fight against the corrupted consciousness of the colony.
2. Phase 1: A giant insectoid amalgamation. Four limbs attack independently. Each limb has its own health bar. Disabling a limb reduces the number of attacks. Focus the front left limb first — it's the fastest attacker.
3. Phase 2 (3 limbs destroyed): The core is exposed. It fires homing projectiles. Use Compound Vision to slow time and dodge through them. Attack the glowing core between volleys.
4. Phase 3 (core at 50%): The arena changes — walls close in, floor becomes hazardous. The core fires continuous beams. Stay close to the core (it can't hit you at point-blank range with beams) and use Pheromone Cloak for a 3x damage opening.
5. Phase 4 (core at 20%): Desperation mode. Everything is faster and hits harder. Use all remaining Pheromones. Exoskeleton Shell + Pheromone Trail + aggressive melee. This is a race.

Boss Tier List

Advanced Tips

Wall jump cancels are the highest skill ceiling. You can wall jump → light attack (1 hit) → wall jump → light attack → repeat. This lets you stay airborne indefinitely against large enemies. Practice on the Stag Warlord — he's big enough to practice on.

Pheromone Trail has a combat secret. If you place the trail directly under an enemy, it applies a slow effect for 3 seconds. This works on most bosses once per phase. The slow lets you land a full light chain.

Compound Vision freezes Pheromone meter decay. If you activate it while your Pheromone meter is draining (from a skill), the meter pauses during slow motion. You can extend Pheromone Cloak's duration by activating Compound Vision while cloaked.

Swarm Sense shows treasure through walls. But it also shows enemy patrol routes as dotted lines. Use this to plan your path through dense enemy areas without triggering fights.

The game has sequence breaks. With precise wall jump execution, you can reach areas intended for mid-game abilities right from the start. The Canopy area has a "speedrunner path" accessible with frame-perfect wall jumps. It skips the Mantis Blademaster.

Backtracking rewards are worth it. Every major ability unlocks 3-5 new items in previous zones. The game tracks unexplored areas on the map with a shimmer icon. Clear all shimmer icons before advancing to the next zone.

Optimal Ability Route

1. Abandoned Nest: Collect all 3 Anthems. Get Mandible Crush (from Stag Warlord).
2. Return to Nest: Use Mandible Crush on cracked walls. 2 more Anthems.
3. The Canopy: Defeat Mantis Blademaster. Get Compound Vision.
4. Return to Nest + Tunnels entrance: Use Compound Vision to find hidden platforms. 3 more Anthems.
5. Underground Tunnels: Navigate to Wasp Aerial. Get Exoskeleton Shell.
6. Return everywhere: Shell opens fire-resistant doors. 4+ Anthems.
7. The Hive Ruins: Beat Beetle Colossus. Opens path to Queen's Chamber.
8. Queen's Chamber: Final upgrades before The Core.
9. The Core: The Hive Mind boss.

Common Mistakes

Over-relying on light attack spam. The 5-hit light combo ends with a very punishable stab. Most enemies recover before you do. Cancel at 2-3 hits with a dash or Pheromone Burst.

Not using Pheromones on bosses. Players save them for "emergencies." Use them proactively. A Pheromone Trail at the start of a boss fight lasts the entire first phase.

Ignoring the map. The in-game map tracks breakable walls, unopened chests, and unexplored paths. Check it after every new ability acquisition. The shimmer icons highlight exactly where to go.

Dodging backward. The dash has i-frames. Dodging backward puts you out of range to counterattack. Dodge through enemies — the teleport lets you appear behind them, giving you a free attack window.

Missing the movement upgrades. Speed upgrades are often undervalued. At Speed level 5, the dash cooldown drops from 2 seconds to 1.2 seconds. This is the difference between dodging a boss combo and getting hit by the last swing.

Build Guide

Since Project Ants doesn't have character classes, your "build" is defined by upgrade priority and ability usage style.

The Tank (Beginner)

• Upgrade priority: Health > Strength > Speed > Senses
• Core skills: Pheromone Cloak + Exoskeleton Shell
• Playstyle: Stack defensive upgrades. Use Exoskeleton Shell before fights. Cloak to reposition. Tank hits, trade damage, heal with Mandible Crush's lifesteal.
• Best for: First playthrough, learning boss patterns.

The Speedster (Advanced)

• Upgrade priority: Speed > Strength > Senses > Health
• Core skills: Pheromone Trail + Compound Vision
• Playstyle: Never stop moving. Chain wall jumps into aerial combos. Use Trail for speed boost. Use Compound Vision reactively to dodge complex patterns. Low margin for error but high damage output.
• Best for: Second playthrough, speedrunning.

The Tactician (Balanced)

• Upgrade priority: Strength = Speed > Health > Senses
• Core skills: Pheromone Burst + Pheromone Lure
• Playstyle: Control the battlefield. Use Lure to split groups. Use Burst to interrupt attacks. Play reactively rather than proactively. Adapt to each enemy.
• Best for: Players who like methodical combat.

FAQ

Q: How long is the game? A: 8-15 hours for a first playthrough depending on exploration depth. Speedruns are projected at 2-3 hours.

Q: Is there a map? A: Yes. The in-game map tracks explored areas, secrets, and ability gates. It also shows multiple Z-levels for vertical navigation.

Q: Can I respec my Anthem upgrades? A: Not confirmed. The developers haven't announced a respec mechanic. Choose your upgrades carefully.

Q: Is there New Game Plus? A: Not confirmed. The game unlocks Boss Rush mode after beating the Hive Mind.

Q: Does the game have difficulty settings? A: Not confirmed. The difficulty is tuned for Metroidvania and character action veterans.

Q: Will there be DLC? A: No post-launch content has been announced. The team is small (Ant Team). Focus is on the base game release.