A Dance of Fire and Ice: 100% Achievement Guide

A Dance of Fire and Ice is a rhythm game with a unique twist: Every note is mapped out as a segment on a path that you traverse to the beat! It takes a bit of learning, but it’s totally worth it if you enjoy unconventional gameplay.

Each level in ADOFAI contains three lanterns: A blue one for reaching the end, a yellow one for having good accuracy, and a red one for completing a speed trial. I’ll explain how to get each one in more detail below.

Blue Lantern – Clear

For this lantern, all you need to do is reach the end of the level. This sounds easy, but some of the later levels are extremely difficult. Add the fact that missing a segment completely will result in an instant failure and a system for preventing button mashing, and you’ll probably need a lot of trial and error to get this done. Keep at it!

Yellow Lantern – Accuracy

This lantern is for achieving more than 100% accuracy in each level. This requires an explanation of the accuracy grading system. There are two separate counters, one for base accuracy and one for bonus accuracy. The base accuracy counter starts at 100% and counts down for each extra button press that didn’t land on a beat. The bonus accuracy counter starts at 0% and counts up depending on how close to perfect timing you get on each beat. Completing a level with no extra button presses is almost certainly enough to get the Yellow Lantern.

(Note: If you can manage to get perfect timing on every beat with no extra button presses, it’s called a “Pure Perfect”. Good luck!)

Red Lantern – Speed Trial

You can unlock speed trials for each World by collecting the corresponding blue lantern. (NOTE: The speed trials for Worlds 1-6 also require a blue lantern on World 6 to unlock.) To access a song’s speed trial, either take the nearby portal with text reading “Best: 1.0x” (Worlds 1-12 + B) or a matching red glyph (Xtra, Crown, and Star Worlds). In this mode, the song (and thus the level) will play slightly faster. Each level has a target speed, and completing the level at that speed will award the Red Lantern.

Now that you know how to get each lantern, let’s look at the levels you’ll be facing.

Worlds 1-5 are unlocked from the start, and upon completing them all you’ll unlock World 6

Speed Target: 1.5x
Very simple, meant to introduce players to the mechanics of the game. Should be pretty easy. Look out for the slow down at the end!

Speed Target: 1.5x
This level fleshes out the concept of pressing on consecutive offbeats. To simplify, if you’re counting the beat like “1 and 2 and 3 and 4”, you’ll want to hit the button when you say “and”. It’s worth pointing out that going vertically typically involves hitting on an offbeat. Try to stay focused when the camera flips.

Speed Target: 1.5x
Introduces more advanced patterns, such as snaking back and forth. Probably gonna be tricky for rhythm game novices. Keep in mind you can press any button you want on the beat, so you can use as many fingers as you want!

Speed Target: 1.5x
This one introduces several elements, such as switching the direction of your spin, hitting beats that aren’t at right angles, and loops. Luckily it’s nice and slow, so take your time.

Speed Target: 1.5x
The first swing track. For this one, you’ll need to learn to think in swing-beat. Instead of the off beats being half-way between beats, they’re about 2/3 of the way between. This will most likely take some practice. You’ll almost /need/ to use two fingers for the acute angles.

Speed Target: 1.1x
To unlock this World, you’ll need to get at least the Blue Lantern on each of the previous levels. This one has a surprisingly funky beat, but try to stay focused. Use what you’ve learned so far. The pattern will change periodically, so don’t get complacent. Look out for the slowdown in the middle. Once you complete this level, pat yourself on the back. You’re doing really well!

To unlock these Worlds, simply complete Worlds 1-5. If you go to the square just to the left of any of Worlds 1-5, there will be a gem below the path. Hop on to reach these worlds.

Speed Target: 1.3x
Kinda difficult, but really fun once you know the weird rhythm. Lots of cats in this one. Keep an eye out for the 6 consecutive right angles around the mid point and a couple one-tile slow downs.

Speed Target: 1.3x
Another swing rhythm. This one took me a few tries the first time I played it. It’ll take practice, but once it clicks, this song is pretty fun too.

Speed Target: 1.3x
This one will take a lot of practice. Try not to get distracted by the visual effects, as cool as they are. Take note that if a pattern is rotated 180 degrees and you’re rotating in the same direction, it’ll be the exact same beat. Also, the zig-zag towards the end will probably fail you at least once.

Speed Trial: 1.2x
This one’s another swing track. It’s faster than Jungle City, but it has simpler patterns for the most part. If you struggle, keep in mind you can replay the tutorials to get the patterns down.

Speed Target: 1.2x
Possibly one of the biggest bops in the game, if you can master the odd patterns. Again, feel free to make use of the tutorials for practice. There’s also a checkpoint near the beginning, but it’s the only one. The ending will probably get you at least once, so be ready. The last note happens while the screen whites out, so you’ll have to follow the music.

Speed Target: 1.2x
This one’s tricky, but in my opinion it’s also another bop. Introduces right triangles, which almost require two keys. There will be segments that appear as you traverse them, so keep your cool and keep going. Stay focused when the screen effect happens towards the end.

These levels are also unlocked by completing World 6. Go back to the starting area, and you should see two gems at the top and bottom. The bottom one leads to customization options, but the top one leads to a bunch of extra worlds!

To select a World, step on one of the glyphs to select a World and activate the portal, then enter that portal to begin.

Speed Target: 1.3x
This one is rather interesting from a level design standpoint. Every now and then, the camera will rotate 90 degrees, and the offbeats and on-beats switch. Once you wrap your head around that, the bass solo is the hardest part. After that, all you have to do is not choke.

Speed Target: 1.2x
This one introduces some really tricky patterns that might need some practice. I recommend looking up the song outside the game to learn the rhythm. Beyond that, it’s mostly just practice.

Speed Target: 1.2x
This one has a lot of visual effects, including one section where you end up off-screen for a bit! Luckily the path is straight when that happens, so just hit on every beat and be ready when you get back on screen. There’s a really tricky pattern immediately after that will likely get you at least once. (Side note: Am I the only one who thinks this song would fit in perfectly in Beatmania IIDX?)

Speed Target: 1.3x
A collaboration with Project Arrhythmia. This one’s fairly long, but has plenty of checkpoints. You’ll encounter Mid-Spins for the first time, which are notes that you must hit but don’t land on. This’ll take a bit of practice, but luckily the track is nice and slow. Take your time, just aim for the next checkpoint until you pass.

Speed Target: 1.3x
Lots of right triangles in this one. You’ll want to look out for the 7 right angles in a row, that one’s tricky to see if you aren’t paying attention. There’s one checkpoint at the half-way point. Once you get to past second blue-and-pink-pastel section, you’re almost home.

Speed Target: N/A (Red Lantern is unlocked with the Blue Lantern)
To get to this World, collect all lanterns from Worlds 1-6 and head to the right of World 6. This one has some really tricky patterns, and will probably take a lot of tries. You got this!

To unlock these worlds, collect all lanterns for Worlds 1-6, plus World B. When you boot the game up or return to the center tile in the starting area, there should be a message saying “Game 100% Complete! Crown Island Unlocked”. Head towards the level select, but hop on the gem above the path with the crown etched into it. Level selection works similarly to the Xtra Worlds, just step on one of the glyphs to select a World and activate the portal, then enter that portal to begin. This set is very difficult, and will require a lot of practice. Good luck!

Speed Target: 1.0x (No Checkpoints)
This one is really fast, but it’s still doable. There are sections that go really fast, so make sure you’re using two keys. Patterns of note are stars of 45 degree angles and the massive loop at the end. Once you finish that loop, look out, because it slows back down for the outro. You’ll likely need to play with checkpoints a few times to get the patterns down enough to attempt the Red Lantern. (Fun fact: The OST version is slightly faster!)

Speed Target: 0.9x (No Checkpoints)
This one is so tricky that the “Speed Trial” is actually slower because there are no checkpoints! The Red Lantern on this track was the last lantern I needed from the built-in levels. This one will require LOTS of practice. Be ready to bang your head against a wall. The tutorials for this level are much slower than the real thing, so be ready. Take note of the elevators early on. The second quarter and fourth quarter of the first verse are nearly identical. The speedy bits towards the end will be tricky, but once you get past the third speedy section after the last checkpoint, you’re pretty much golden.

This set is a collaboration with Muse Dash. To access this set, attain a blue lantern on Worlds 1-5, then hop on the gem that appears to the left of World 1. Level selection works similarly to the Xtra and Crown Worlds, just step on one of the glyphs to select a World and activate the portal, then enter that portal to begin.

Speed Target: 1.4x
This is only the second official level to incorporate midspins. As a refresher, these are segments that you won’t land on, but must hit anyway. There aren’t any checkpoints, but luckily the song is slow compared to the others in this set. The most difficult pattern is the “Treehouses”, so you might want to practice those a few times if you’re having trouble.

Speed Target: 1.2x
This one’s pretty tricky. Lots of new patterns, and most of the song is in a weird hybrid of swing and non-swing rhythms. Be patient and focus on just getting to the next checkpoint. Don’t be afraid to hop back into the tutorials if a particular pattern is giving you grief. The ending will likely trip you up at least a couple times.

Speed Target: 1.0x (no checkpoints)
Hoo boy, this level. Not for the faint of heart. To start, it only unlocks once you’ve gotten all 6 lanterns from the other levels in this set. This one actually took me 192 attempts just to get the blue lantern!

A few things to look out for include the fact that the level itself is considerably faster than the tutorials. Some stage elements are replaced with Twemoji, but it should be easy to guess which ones mean what. The triplet shimmy will take some practice, but you only ever have to hit 6 of them in a row at most. The repeating loops make another appearance, originally from World XO – One Forgotten Night.

There’s a checkpoint just before the difficult opening pattern repeats itself, which is greatly appreciated. There’s also another one about 2/3 of the way through the level. It’s worth noting that the second half of the knotted loop is the same pattern that plays immediately after the funky steps.

If you can manage to clear this level, take a moment to congratulate yourself. This one may be the hardest built-in level yet!

The achievements for this game are tied to the lanterns for Worlds 1-12 and World B. Unlocking Crown Island should get you about half of them. Levels in the Xtra Worlds and Crown Worlds sections don’t reward achievements, but they may be worth completing for bragging rights. (Or obsessive completionism.)