The Mothership is a bonus level that can be accessed from the alternative exit that always appears on the Ice Caves, in level 3-4. It is considered one of the most dangerous areas in the game, and must traversed with caution. At the top of the level, a capsule containing the Robot Spelunker can be found.
Features[]
The Mothership is a very volatile area - automated defenses and explosive enemies will tear the level apart in an effort to remove player intruders, and powerful psychic attacks from the Alien Queen and Alien Lord are easily capable of killing Spelunkers.
At the top of the level a valuable reward can be found, guarded by the Alien Queen - the extremely powerful Plasma Cannon.
Like the Sunken City and the Duat from Spelunky 2, this level goes in reverse; the Spelunker enters the level at its bottom, and must climb to the top. Due to this fact, the Mothership will take the player backwards through the game, forcing them to play level 3-4 of the Ice Caves again before entering the Temple. The second appearance of level 3-4 will not contain another entrance to the Mothership, but will contain the Moai if the player visited the Worm from 3-1, allowing for a Hell run to be completed with the Crysknife.
It is recommended to bring either a Jetpack, a fair amount of Ropes, or other helpful methods of mobility to the Mothership, as climbing the level would otherwise require the use of Springs and Elevators found throughout the level, which can be tedious or even deadly depending on the circumstances.
Due to the fact that the Mothership is preceded by level 3-4, The Tunnel Man can appear when entering the area, but giving him the required items will result in a shortcut to the Temple being unlocked instead. Combining this fact with the ability to play level 3-4 twice in a single run allows the player to give The Tunnel Man two of the required items instead of one, making this a useful strategy when unlocking the shortcut to the Temple.
Although the tiles in the Mothership do not have items or treasure inside them, the blue lights found on the ceilings can drop sapphires and even diamonds when broken.
Dangers[]
All Monsters and Traps (besides The Ghost) that can be harmful/hostile in The Mothership:
| Spelunky HD Places | |
| Area 1 | The Mines |
| Area 2 | Jungle • Haunted Castle • Black Market • Worm |
| Area 3 | Ice Caves • Worm • Mothership |
| Area 4 | Temple • City of Gold • Olmec's Lair |
| Area 5 | Hell • Yama's Throne |
| Miscellaneous | Entrance |
| See also | Level Feelings |