WIKI
How the game actually plays
Task Bar Hero is an idle RPG that lives in your Windows taskbar. A party of up to three heroes auto-battles through stages while you handle the meta game: levelling, runes, gear and the Cube. You almost never click during combat — your job is to make good build decisions between fights, then let the party grind. Getting that mindset early is half the battle: optimise the systems, not the clicking.
Keep the game running for loot. Chests — your main source of gear and materials — only drop while the game is open (even minimised to the taskbar). Closing it is not idling.
Step 1 — Pick your slot-1 hero
Your opener should be safe and self-sufficient. Two good choices:
- Knight — tanky and hits hard. The lowest-risk start and the best free hero long term. Recommended for most players.
- Ranger — ranged damage for faster early clears, but squishier.
Either is fine; you'll field more heroes soon. The important move here is in the store: claim the free Priest DLC right away. It costs nothing and becomes your core second hero. See the full class tier list for how every hero ranks.
Step 2 — Unlock the rune tree (~Lv3) and the Cube (Lv4)
Two systems define your early progression:
- The rune tree opens around level 3. It's the growth hub for the whole game — hero slots, automation, offline rewards and more branch from here.
- The Cube unlocks at level 4. It turns gear into gold (Alchemy) and combines gear into better gear (Synthesis), among other functions.
Spend your skill points every time you level — there's no reason to hoard them.
Step 3 — Use the Cube to make gold, not gear
Beginners burn resources trying to craft good gear too soon. Don't. Early on, set the Cube to Alchemy and melt the constant stream of junk drops into gold. That gold is far more valuable in the rune tree than any early item you could synthesize. Save Synthesis and crafting for when you have spare materials and a real target.
Step 4 — Pour gold into the right runes
Your gold has one early home: the rune tree. The priority order that matters most:
- Rune of Command — unlocks your 2nd and 3rd hero slots. This is the single biggest power jump in the early game.
- Offline-reward runes — so closed-game time isn't fully wasted.
- Far North automation — auto-opens chests so the idle loop runs itself.
- Gold / XP nodes — snowball everything else.
The full reasoning and a priority-by-playtime table is in the rune tree guide.
Step 5 — Build a three-hero party
Once the Rune of Command opens your slots, run a balanced trio: a front-line tank (Knight), a damage dealer (Sorcerer for free AoE, or Hunter if you bought it), and the Priest for healing and buffs. That tank–damage–support shape carries you through the whole game. Remember: a hero slot comes from the rune, not from owning the class.
Mistakes to avoid
Over-relying on offline. Offline drops no chests. If you want to progress, leave the game running minimised.
Rushing Synthesis. Combining gear early wastes materials on items you'll replace in an hour. Alchemize for gold instead.
Ignoring the free Priest. It's free and it's an A-tier support. Not claiming it is leaving power on the table.
Spreading gold thin. Funnel early gold into hero slots first, not a little into every rune branch.
Alchemizing keepers by accident. Lock gear you want before bulk actions so Auto Fill / Alchemy can't eat it.
Your first 10 hours — checklist
- Opened with Knight (or Ranger) and claimed the free Priest DLC
- Unlocked the rune tree (~Lv3) and the Cube (Lv4)
- Cube set to Alchemy; junk being melted into gold
- Rune of Command bought → 2nd and 3rd hero slots open
- Running a tank + damage + Priest party
- Offline-reward and Far North automation runes started
- Game left running minimised for chest drops
Stuck or something looks broken?
If the game window vanishes or the UI is misaligned (common with multiple monitors), press Shift+F12 to reset the window position and Shift+F11 to reset the UI scale while the game is running. For deeper issues like a black background, see the mechanics guide for the current fixes.
FAQ
What hero should I start with?
Knight for a safe, tanky opener, or Ranger for faster early clears. Then claim the free Priest DLC — it becomes your core second hero.
Does the game progress while offline?
Partly. The offline-reward rune trickles some XP and gold while closed, but offline drops zero chests. Keep the game running minimised for real loot.
Should I craft or alchemize early?
Alchemize. Melt junk into gold and feed the rune tree. Save synthesis and crafting for later when materials are spare.
How do I get more heroes on the field?
Buy the Rune of Command in the rune tree. Owning a class isn't enough — you need an open slot from the rune.
Some unlock levels and values shift between patches; treat specifics as current-patch guidance. Unofficial fan resource, not official Nugem Studio data.