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To break golden-crack blocks in Castlevania: Belmont’s Curse, defeat Talos (The Builder) in the Clock Tower’s Final Trap. The post-fight tutorial grants Smash: jump while standing on or directly above a cracked block, then press Down + Jump in mid-air. PlayStation uses Down + Cross; PC uses S + Space. Ordinary impacts break standard blocks, while thick floors require a longer fall to trigger a stronger Smash level.
How the Smash ability works
Golden cracks are the visual clue for floors and other destructible objects that respond to Smash. Rose must be over the target when the input is made; pressing Down + Jump from a standing position does nothing. The impact can also damage enemies, so clear a dangerous landing area before committing to a drop.
Controls
| Platform | Smash input | Result |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation | Down + Cross while airborne | Rose dives to the floor and breaks destructible objects |
| PC | S + Space while airborne | Rose dives to the floor and breaks destructible objects |
Ordinary versus thick floors
- Ordinary golden-crack floor: a normal jump followed by the Smash input is sufficient.
- Thick floor: the impact needs a higher power level. Start from the highest nearby ledge, climb above the target, or use an overhead drop so Rose travels farther before impact.
The Heavy Stomp tutorial explains that power levels depend on the distance travelled during the fall. If a thick floor survives, do not keep repeating short jumps: find a higher launch point and try again.
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Smash is not available at the start of the game. Follow this progression in order:
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- Obtain Arcane Whip and Holy Light. Both are prerequisites for reaching Talos.
- Enter the Clock Tower from Main Hall. Work through the Eastern Access Shaft, activate the platform mechanisms, and follow the Path of the Builder to the Final Trap.
- Defeat Talos, also called The Builder. The encounter awards The Builder Arcana and the Fist of Talos.
- Complete the cracked-floor tutorial after the fight. This is when Smash becomes usable.
- Return through earlier zones. Mark every golden crack you passed before the ability was unlocked, then revisit those markers.
A mechanical hand in the Clock Tower can clear one pre-Smash set of obstacles, but it does not replace the Smash ability for the broader backtracking sweep.
Golden-crack floor checklist by area
The area checklist below is the practical route for a post-Talos sweep. The first numeric column is the published area count, and the second identifies floors that specifically need a high-fall impact.
| Area | Golden-crack floors | Thick floors requiring a high fall | When to return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paris Streets | 2 | 0 | Mark them early; return after Smash |
| Holy Innocents’ Cemetery | 6 | 2 | Use high ledges for the two thick floors |
| Catacombs of Paris | 6 | 2 | Use high ledges for the two thick floors |
| Main Hall | 3 | 2 | Inspect the Grand Hall and connected wings after Smash |
| Library | 0 ordinary | 4 | All four listed floors require a high fall |
| Clock Tower | 9 | 4 | Most are encountered during progression; revisit marked rooms |
| Notre-Dame | 22 | 21 | Expect high-fall setups; it has the largest concentration |
| Hall of Mirrors | 4 | 4 | Set up a high fall for every listed floor |
| Master’s Quarters | 0 | 0 | No golden-crack floors |
The checklist is reported as 49 golden-crack floors in total, although adding the row values produces a different subtotal. Treat each area entry as a route checklist and verify individual rooms with your map markers rather than assuming the headline total is a coordinate-level count.
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Area-by-area routes and rewards
Paris Streets
Mark both cracked floors the first time you see them. Neither is listed as thick, so a standard Smash from the adjacent platform is enough after Talos. The area has no additional high-fall setup in the checklist.
Holy Innocents’ Cemetery
Six floors are listed, including two thick floors. Return with Smash, then use the cemetery’s higher ledges for those two targets instead of attempting repeated short drops.
Catacombs of Paris
The Catacombs contain six listed floors and two thick variants. Place markers before leaving during the initial story pass; the safest return method is to climb to an upper ledge, line up directly over each crack, and trigger Smash only after the full drop is available.
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Main Hall
Main Hall has three ordinary entries and two thick floors. Search the Grand Hall and its connected wings. Named Secret Area rewards associated with Main Hall include Ghostly Pendant, Brave Heart Fragments, Wise Heart Fragments, Jewel Knuckles, ATK UP and DEF UP books, and Banshee’s Wail.
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The Library has no ordinary golden-crack floor in the checklist; all four listed floors are thick and therefore need a high fall. It also contains 26 Secret Areas, including hidden passages that do not use Smash.
- Curiosity Cabinet: a thick Smash floor hides Revenant’s Shard and meat.
- Rhetoric Shelves: a thick floor hides Wise Heart Fragment. Other Secret Areas in this section contain Midnight Tear and Lich’s Mark.
- Study Room: a hidden-passage Secret Area contains Wraith’s Tear.
- Fine Arts Shelves: hidden-passage Secret Areas contain Thorn Whip and Wise Heart Fragment.
- Condemned Shelves: a hidden-passage Secret Area contains Fleuret and Tower Shield.
- Lisa’s Laboratory: an ornate gold chest contains Durandal; this reward is not described as a golden-floor drop.
Clock Tower
The Clock Tower checklist lists nine floors, four of them thick. Most are encountered during normal progression, so check your map for any marker left before the Talos fight. The zone contains 36 Secret Areas: 15 with pickups and 21 empty.
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- 17 Levels - Each one with its own atmosphere, foes and secrets to discover
- 5 Bosses - Made by the most sadistic of the devs, raised on the salt of the testers
- 150 or so weapons and skills - Spears, swords, bows, magic spells, shields, pets, frying pans etc; You name it, we got it
- Unlock the four original Dead Cells DLCs, giving you late-game content plus an entire new pathway to follow, with an alternative ending and tons of new enemies, weapons & outfits
- Battle through the corridors of Dracula’s Castle; Wield weapons against monsters to reach the throne room of the Dark Lord
Named Clock Tower pickups include Fists of Talos in the Builder’s Bureau chest, plus Phantom Ring, Moonlit Shard, Sinister Rune, Hollow Bone, Vile Trinket, Claymore, Chauve-Souris, Halberd, and Heart Fragments. These rewards are distributed among named Secret Areas and chests; not every item is behind a golden crack.
Notre-Dame
Notre-Dame is the largest concentration, with 22 listed floors and 21 thick floors. Plan your sweep around the tallest available platforms and expect several rooms where only a long drop produces enough impact power.
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- East Gallery: the Eldritch Talisman is behind a golden-crack Smash floor.
- Sealed Scriptorium: a thick Smash floor hides the Melody Sheet for the Sonata of Notre-Dame.
Because almost every listed Notre-Dame floor is thick, leave markers at the first visit and return only after you can reliably reach the high-fall launch points.
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Hall of Mirrors
Four floors are listed and all four require a high-fall Smash. Identify the upper platform or shaft above each crack before starting the descent; a normal-height jump will not break these floors.
Master’s Quarters
No golden-crack floors are listed here. Do not spend time searching this area for a Smash target; investigate other Secret Area types instead.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How golden cracks fit into the 257 Secret Areas
The game reports 257 Secret Areas in total. Their opening methods are divided into four categories:
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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →| Secret Area type | Count | How it opens |
|---|---|---|
| Hidden passages | 172 | Search for visual and audio clues; no lever or breakable wall is visible |
| Breakable walls | 59 | Hit the wall repeatedly with weapons |
| Lever gates | 20 | Press INTERACT: R1 on PlayStation or E on PC |
| Smash floors | 6 | Use the Smash ability, with a high fall where required |
Across those Secret Areas, 126 contain a pickup and 131 are empty. An empty room is therefore not necessarily a missed reward; it may count toward exploration completion, provide a clue, experience, meat, or simply confirm that the route has been cleared.
Markers and a reliable backtracking sweep
- Mark every crack immediately. The map tutorial specifically recommends placing a marker on a secret or unreachable location so you can return later.
- Finish the story route to Talos. Do not waste time trying to break golden cracks before Smash is taught.
- Start with nearby zones. Sweep Paris Streets, Holy Innocents’ Cemetery, Catacombs of Paris, and Main Hall before moving to the larger Notre-Dame and Library searches.
- Use the correct impact height. Ordinary floors need a normal Smash; thick floors require the highest safe ledge or an overhead shaft.
- Check non-floor entrances separately. Search for hidden-passage clues, strike breakable walls repeatedly, and activate every lever gate with INTERACT.
- Consult Gloomstone. The hint relic helps identify unresolved rooms when a marker has been cleared but the area still appears incomplete.
Troubleshooting a floor that will not break
- Nothing happens: confirm Smash was unlocked after Talos and that Down + Jump was pressed while Rose was airborne.
- The crack flashes but survives: treat it as a thick floor and increase the fall distance.
- You cannot line up the impact: stand directly above the crack, then move to a higher ledge rather than dropping from the side.
- A room has no item: it may be one of the 131 empty Secret Areas; record it as cleared instead of searching for a nonexistent chest.
- A marked location still seems inaccessible: compare the entrance type. Smash floors are only one of the six opening categories in the game’s broader secret-area system; hidden passages, breakable walls, and lever gates need different actions.
What to collect behind the hidden routes
The documented rewards span equipment, relics, Heart Fragments, stat books, clues, experience items, and meat. The most distinctive Smash-linked rewards are the Eldritch Talisman in Notre-Dame’s East Gallery, the Sonata of Notre-Dame Melody Sheet in the Sealed Scriptorium, and Revenant’s Shard with meat in the Library’s Curiosity Cabinet. Other named Library, Main Hall, and Clock Tower rewards are listed above because they may sit in Secret Areas reached during the same completion sweep, even when their entrance is a hidden passage or chest rather than a golden floor.
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