Minecraft Dungeons rune locations and how the unlock the secret cow level

After you’ve completed Minecraft Dungeons’ story, there’s still plenty to do. You’ll have a new difficulty to replay the game on, and you’ll be able to access a secret level. In this guide, we’ll help you complete all the steps you need to take to find the hidden cow level.

Complete the story

The first thing you need to do is complete the story by defeating the Arch-Illager. You can do this on any difficulty.

Find the hidden temple in your camp

Before you can start collecting runes, you’ll need to visit a new area in your camp. From the mission select table, head to the southeast. Past the barn, you’ll spot some new piston pads that will launch you farther to the south.

Take those as far down as you can, and then turn to the west (bottom left). There’s a path through the trees that will lead you around to a new area with a wooden drawbridge.

Lower the drawbridge to create a shortcut back to the main part of your camp, and then head inside the temple.

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All the way at the back of the temple, there will be a button that prompts you to Place Runes.

Collect the nine runes

To access the secret level, you’ll need to collect a total of 10 runes. You’ll already have the first one for completing the story campaign. The rest are hidden in nine mission levels throughout the world of Minecraft Dungeons.

You can collect these runes on the easiest difficulty. If you’re not looking for any good gear, it’s possible to save some time by cranking the challenge way down and just rushing through. You can also immediately return to your camp (from the pause menu) once you collect them to save even more time.

Note: The switches you need to throw to reach these runes won’t show up until you visit the hidden temple in your camp (above) and place the first rune.

Creeper Woods rune location

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Most of the way through the level, you’ll reach a village and get a free the villagers objective to release five villagers.

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In the southwest corner of that village, there’s a stone structure. You’ll find a switch in the low stone slabs to the northeast. Throw it, and then travel through the door that opens. Follow the walkway on the other side to (throw another switch and) collect this rune.

Soggy Swamp rune location

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All the way at the end of the level, just past the boss fight where you’ll have to smash the cauldron, you’ll find the door to the end of the level.

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To the right of the door out, there’s a stone column. There’s a switch on the left side of that column that opens a door in the wall nearby. Head through to collect the rune.

Pumpkin Pastures rune location

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Not far into the Pumpkin Pastures — before you even complete the first objective — you’ll come to a long wall stretching to the right that seems to lead to nowhere.

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Follow along the top of that wall to the right. There will be a switch hidden behind the crates stacked along the left side. Use it to open a door at the end of the wall, and go collect your rune.

Cacti Canyon rune location

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Continue through the level until you reach a locked gate that requires a gold key golem. To the right, there’ll be a blue key golem gate. When you head to the left, you’ll get ambushed by the Arch-Illager just before you collect the blue key golem.

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Look just to the left of the gate leading to the blue key golem. Hit the switch, and a door will open behind the blue key golem. Head through for your rune.

Redstone Mines rune location

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A bit into this level, you’ll get a second objective asking you to free the villagers (this time with six villagers to free).

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In the large open area where those villagers are mining, look in the northwest corner for a discolored chunk of wall. (Ours was near the gate to the next area, but the procedural generation of levels might move yours.) The switch will be hidden among some glowing red crystals nearby.

Desert Temple rune location

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Head through the temple and tomb until your objective becomes to find the gold key. Head south, and navigate the rooms until you find the gold key golem.

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In the room directly north of where you find the gold key golem, look for a switch along the wall. That opens the path for you to collect this rune.

Fiery Forge rune location

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Fight your way through the level and into the forge. In the very first room as you enter, you’ll find a dead(?) redstone golem.

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Check in the northwest (top left) corner of this room for a switch. The door leading to the next rune will open a little to the right.

Highblock Halls rune location

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As you make your way through the hall(s), you’ll use a gold key golem to reach an open courtyard area. Along the east (upper right) side of the courtyard, there’s a well that acts as one of your ways into the party.

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The switch you’re looking for is to the northeast of that well to the east (right) of an archery range. The switch is on the wall and look like an extinguished torch. It’ll open a hidden door in the wall just to the left where you can fine this rune.

Obsidian Pinnacle rune location

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Fight your way along the paths outside the castle until you (finally) get inside. Keep fighting your way to the southeast (down and to the right) until you reach a long room with tables along either side.

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At the far end of the room, check the bookcase along the wall for a secret switch. Pull the indicated book to open the path to the final rune (and a couple chests).

Place all 10 runes in the temple

When you have all 10 runes (the one you automatically receive plus the nine we found above), return to the temple in your camp. Interact with the wall, and a new secret doorway will unlock.

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Head through to pick up a scroll that unlocks the secret level and a couple chests.

Secret mooshroom cow level

When you return to the mission select table, you’ll have a new mission labelled “???” in the upper left of your map.

The level is weird and rather hard (no matter what difficulty you play on). There’s only one type of enemy. You’ll spend almost all of it getting swarmed by mooshrooms, and then there’ll be a boss fight at the end against a mooshroom monstrosity.

There’s nothing special about the level (besides being an Easter egg for Diablo fans). It’ll reward you with a boatload of XP, though — we went from level 28 to level 30 by the end.