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Courage’s Time Trial: Outlast the Onslaught!

Courage's Time Trial title card
Ready, Set … Slay!
Grab your gear and your combat swagger – Courage’s Time Trial mode is here: waves of enemies, a relentless ticking clock, and the glory (and gear) you’ll earn if you can last …

What rewards are at stake, you ask? Well, you can farm loot all you want by rinsing and repeating – but also, Courage’s temporally tedious task is also a chance at some rare cosmetics – in honor of Courage himself. Why just wield courage when you can wear it, too? Notably, this is the first time you can earn cosmetics as a loot drop! Here’s how rewards work per each Trial:
  • Earn chests by progressing through waves of monsters. The further you progress, the better the chests.
  • Make it to the end, get a final chest with even better rewards (based on your score).
  • Hard Mode ups the stakes – and ups your chances to reap better rewards.

New challenge. New (Time Trial) buffs. And more loot. What more could you ask for? Well, besides a breather; but you won’t get that here. Time Trial mode will be available for two weeks – starting from right now … Dive in before, well, time runs out …

The Basics

Your mission: survive endless waves of baddies before the clock hits zero—each kill nets points and rapid chains build a multiplier (hesitate and it vanishes). Team up with friends and check in with Courage, the Belfry’s boisterous mentor, to accept Courage’s Time Trial Quest and kick off the countdown.

To unlock Time Trial Mode, complete the early quest “A Return to Form”—this grants access to Danger Level 2, the world map, and the job board. Once that’s done, return to Courage, accept the Quest, then interact with a training dummy to plunge into the action.

Now you’re in the thick of it … smash hourglasses to scrounge up extra seconds, grab buffs to better your battling, and stay alive to secure that sweet, sweet loot!

The Details

Fight with flair, finesse, and just a dash of desperation. Here’s a quick overview video of how Time Trial mode works.

  • Time is Your Nemesis: Tick…tick…tick… –what are you waiting for?! Those waves of baddies aren’t going to slay themselves. Defeat enemies, grab buffs, smash hourglasses to stave off the buzzer. Every second counts, and one wrong move can leave you with nothing but regrets.
  • New! Buff Shrines: Mid-run, Buff Shrines will appear, offering powerful pick-me-ups for you and your squad. Want to hit harder? Move faster? Wield lightning strikes with just a jump (for real)? Choose wisely—pick one buff, and the rest disappear!
  • Dial Up the Danger: Choose your difficulty: Easy, Medium, or Hard. Got the *courage* to take on the ultimate challenge? Try Hard Mode. We dare you.
  • Slay Swiftly to Score: Keep those kills coming to rack up multipliers—but hesitate too long, and your score resets. Speed and precision are your only allies here.
  • Conquer the Clock, Claim Your Prize: Complete Courage’s quests to earn the (new) Courage gear set (among a bunch more loot) – so you can show off your Time Trial conquering prowess. The better you do, the better the loot!

Buff Up or Bow Out (SPOILERS AHEAD)

Consider the details we’ve laid out here to be game mode spoilers—a fair warning for those who’d rather take on the Time Trial blind and return later if you’re itching for details. But for you doomsday preppers out there—highlight the text by tapping or clicking and dragging to reveal it, and read on!

A group of adventurers stands near glowing pedestals offering buffs, surrounded by fallen enemies in a war-torn town.

Shrines are your sanctuary – and now, also your secret weapon. They appear after certain waves and offer you buffs that can mean the difference between glory and failure. Each Shrine forces you to make a choice—pick the buff that suits your playstyle, and hope it’s enough to keep you alive. If you’re rolling with fellow Aces – remember: first Ace to choose a buff, that buff is then applied to everyone.

Permanent Buffs: Boost your health, increase damage, add crit chance, and more. These last the entire match.

  • Max Power Increase – Adds 1 bar of Focus.
  • Max Health Boost – Increases health by 500 HP.
  • Max Umbra Increase – Adds +1 to Umbra Charge.
  • Full Health Restore – Instantly restores all health.
  • Damage Boost – Increases damage output by 15%.
  • Critical Hit Chance Up – Increases crit chance by 10%.

Temporary Buffs: Short bursts of power, like explosive dodges, poison attacks, or lightning-infused jumps. Use them wisely—they don’t stick around long.

  • Time Boost – Grants +25 seconds on the timer.
  • Damage Surge – Increases Might for 45 seconds.
  • Explosive Dodge – Dodging causes an explosion (30 seconds).
  • Fire Attacks – Attacks inflict fire damage (45 seconds).
  • Critical Strike Boost – Increases critical hit chance (30 seconds).
  • Infinite Power – Focus Meter regenerates continuously (30 seconds).
  • Speed Boost – Increases movement speed (45 seconds).
  • Bleed Effect – Attacks cause bleeding damage (45 seconds).
  • Protective Barrier – Grants protection from incoming damage (45 seconds).
  • Projectile Attacks – Attacks shoot projectiles (45 seconds).
  • Quick Umbra Recharge – Umbra regenerates faster (30 seconds).
  • Poison Strikes – Attacks inflict poison damage (45 seconds).
  • Lightning Jump – Jumping triggers a lightning strike (30 seconds).
  • Lightning Dash – Dashing triggers a lightning strike (45 seconds).

I mean, I know we’re just talking about practice … but those rewards aren’t going to win themselves. Fight fast, or fail. Those are your only two options. And, don’t forget – like everything in Towerborne – glorious chaos is better with friends!

Definitely join us on Discord for plenty of boasting and battle strategy … share your winning scores and tactics for thwarting the clock! Your feedback will go into making Time Trial mode that much more exciting going forward.

Time waits for no one … see you out there, Aces!