🎩 Top 10 Secrets and Hidden Features in Cuphead
1. The Hidden Black-and-White Filter (“Vintage Mode”)
After beating the game on Expert difficulty, you unlock a secret visual mode called “Black-and-White”, turning everything into an old-school 1930s cartoon.
🕹️ How to unlock: Beat every boss on Expert, then visit the Elder Kettle’s house — you’ll see a new option appear.
2. The Secret 2-Player Coin Trick
In co-op mode, both players can collect the same coin if they grab it within a frame or two of each other.
💡 This glitch effectively doubles coin earnings in some stages — super useful for early upgrades.
3. Hidden Developer Easter Egg on the Map
Stand between the Porkrind’s Emporium and the Aviary Action! level on Inkwell Isle One, then press Down for 10 seconds — a small Easter egg tune plays, referencing an unused 8-bit version of the Cuphead theme.
4. The Secret Mausoleum Ghost Cameo
Beat all three Mausoleum challenges, then revisit the third one. Look closely — one of the ghosts winks at you and morphs into a developer caricature, a nod to Studio MDHR’s animators.
5. Hidden Shortcut on Inkwell Isle One
There’s a secret path behind the trees on the first island that lets you skip part of the map and reach the next boss faster.
🌳 It’s located near the path to “The Root Pack.”
6. The Hidden Black-and-White Music Track
If you enable the black-and-white visual mode, the music changes too — becoming muffled and filtered like a 1930s radio broadcast. Many players miss this audio detail completely.
7. The Secret Pacifist Rank (No-Kill Runs)
You can finish Run ‘n Gun stages without shooting a single enemy to earn a Pacifist Rank.
🏅 Achieving all six Pacifist grades unlocks a unique grayscale filter and the “Pacifist Achievement.”
8. Alternate Ending: Betraying the Devil
If you agree to the Devil’s deal at the end of the game, you get an alternate “bad ending” where Cuphead and Mugman become servants of evil — complete with a unique, creepy theme song.
9. The Legendary Chalice’s Secret Dialogue
After unlocking the Chalice via the DLC, revisit certain old NPCs — they’ll deliver new custom dialogue lines recognizing her presence, adding hidden lore connections between the DLC and the base game.
10. Hidden Hitbox Quirk: Parry Frames
There’s a 2–3 frame delay window where you can parry even if Cuphead’s animation looks “too late.”
🔥 Mastering this micro-timing gives you an advantage in Expert mode and against fast bosses like Grim Matchstick.
💀 Bonus: The “Broken Halo” Glitch
When using the Smoke Bomb charm during certain boss transitions, you can temporarily phase through solid attacks or projectiles. Some speedrunners use this for major time saves!