There’s no shortage of bizarre creatures and formidable challenges waiting for players in the depths of Vampire Survivors. Every stage presents you with both in ample supply, pushing your skills, and your sanity, to their very limits in many cases.

One encounter that blends both of these elements seamlessly is the battle with the giant ball of skeletons, known as Sketamari, that takes place in the fiendish Bone Zone challenge stage. This is one of the tougher enemies the game has to offer, but defeating it yields a crucial Relic that will help you uncover the game’s deeper mysteries. If you’re struggling with this fearsome foe, then read on to learn how to beat The Bone Zone level Ball in Vampire Survivors.

How to defeat The Bone Zone Level Ball in Vampire Survivors

First and foremost, you’ll need to head to The Bone Zone stage before you can start this process. If you haven’t unlocked it yet, you can do so by unlocking Hyper Mode for three other stages in the game. For the base game stages, Mad Forest, Inlaid Library, etc., this can be done by defeating a powerful enemy that appears around the 25 minute mark. 

Screenshot: PC Invasion

Once you’ve unlocked The Bone Zone, grab your favorite character and dive in. Sketamari is unique in many ways, one of which is that it actually appears on your Map. By pausing the game, you can view its position at any time, indicated by a white question mark. You’ll notice that this question mark moves back and forth as you play, since Sketamari does so also.

Map
Screenshot: PC Invasion

Navigate your way to Sketamari’s location, and you’ll find that it’s a small ball of bones, rolling back and forth across the stage. It doesn’t look very imposing at first, but it has a unique ability that will quickly change that. Every time Sketamari comes into contact with an enemy, that enemy is absorbed into it, increasing its size and health each time. This can ramp up fast, particularly if you’re using the Curse and Charm Power Ups, resulting in a Sketamari that engulfs the majority of the screen before long. 

In terms of strategies for dealing with Sketamari, most of the good weapon combinations that work elsewhere work well here too. You may want to prioritize those that offer AOE damage, since that will allow you to deal with the surrounding skeleton enemies before they have a chance to be absorbed, thus reducing the amount of health Sketamari gains and reducing the length of the fight.

You’ll want to stay in front of Sketamari for the most part, since this will let you deal more consistent damage and prevent more absorption than if you pursued it from behind. Be mindful of its size, however, and always keep a safe distance, as it’s easy to stumble and be reduced to ash in seconds by its rolling mass later on. Alternatively, you can use a fast-moving character like Red Death and aim to kill Sketamari early on with fast damage before it has a chance to build up more health and mass, but this is a less reliable strategy than simply wearing it down in the long term.

Once you’ve whittled down its sizable health pool, Sketamari will perish, leaving behind the Forbidden Scrolls of Morbane Relic if it’s your first time defeating it. This is a key Relic, giving you access to the game’s Spell system, as well as the Secrets list, where you can find hints to unlocking the game’s various secret characters, including the enigmatic Avatar Infernas.

And there you have it: a full guide on how to defeat The Bone Zone Level Ball in Vampire Survivors. This is a tough encounter, and one that can take the majority of the stage’s 30-minute limit to overcome, but the rewards, both in terms of in-game progress and personal pride, are well worth the effort.