Mastering the Dunwall City Trials: A Complete Guide to Every Challenge

The dishonored dunwall city trials represent the ultimate test of skill for fans of Arkane Studios’ masterpiece, offering a series of grueling challenges that push the game’s mechanics to their limits. Released as the first major DLC for the title, this expansion moves away from the narrative-driven gameplay of the base game to focus entirely on precision, speed, and creative problem-solving. Whether you are a completionist aiming for the elusive 100% trophy or a casual player looking to sharpen your skills, the dishonored dunwall city trials provide a playground of lethal puzzles and high-stakes combat.

An Overview of the Trials

Released on December 11, 2012, this DLC package was designed to track and rank player performance across ten distinct maps. Unlike the main campaign, which emphasizes choice and consequence, these trials are objective-based. Players are graded on a three-star system, where 30,000 points are generally required to achieve the highest rank.

The trials are categorized into four main disciplines: Stealth, Action, Puzzle, and Mobility. Each category demands a different mastery of Corvo’s kit, from the precision of the crossbow to the verticality of the Blink ability. For those seeking even greater difficulty, six of the ten challenges feature an "Expert" mode, which is unlocked by earning at least two stars on the Normal version of the map.

Deep Dive into the Challenge Maps

The dishonored dunwall city trials are famous (or perhaps infamous) for their variety. Some levels feel like a rhythmic dance of death, while others are tense, slow-burn stealth missions.

Stealth Challenges: Mystery Foe and Burglar

In Mystery Foe, you are tasked with identifying and assassinating a target hidden among a crowd of NPCs. You must search for four clues scattered around the map to reveal who the mark is. Community reports suggest that completing this without using any supernatural powers is one of the most satisfying ways to experience the level, as it forces you to rely entirely on environmental awareness.

Burglar is a pure stealth experience where you must sneak through a multi-story manor to collect six priceless eggs and as much loot as possible. The scoring system heavily rewards players who leave guards untouched, creating a high-risk, high-reward dynamic where greed can easily lead to a mission failure.

Mobility Challenges: Train Runner and Bonfires

Train Runner is a sprint to the finish where you must race against a moving train. Player experience indicates that the "Assassin vs. Machine" achievement is best handled by actually jumping onto the roof of the train for a significant speed boost before Blinking to the exit.

Bonfires is perhaps the most frustrating mobility trial due to its reliance on RNG (Random Number Generation). You must race to beams of light that appear randomly across a map of floating islands. To earn the "Daredevil" achievement here, you must execute six "tricky jumps" in a single run—a feat that requires both immense skill and a lucky light rotation.

The Achievement Grind: A Completionist's Nightmare

While the base game of Dishonored is relatively straightforward to 100%, the dishonored dunwall city trials achievements are legendary for their difficulty. Many players describe the experience as "infuriating" yet ultimately rewarding.

The Infamous "Head Hunter"

This achievement requires you to complete the Assassin's Run trial by killing every enemy with a headshot and without missing a single shot. This includes shooting targets through moving windows and hitting teleporting assassins. A common community hack for the "weeper room" is to climb a specific bookshelf; the weepers will lose track of you and stand still, allowing for easy headshots.

"By My Hand Alone"

Found in the Back Alley Brawl arena, this achievement requires the player to personally kill every single enemy up to Round 13. The difficulty lies in the fact that enemies (like Tallboys, Weepers, and City Watch) will often attack each other. If a guard kills a weeper before you do, the achievement is voided, and you must restart.

Scoring Strategies for Three Stars

To get the most out of the dishonored dunwall city trials, you need to understand how the point system works. It isn't just about finishing the level; it's about how you finish.

1. Chain Your Actions: In combat trials like Back Alley Brawl, kill streaks and variety (using different weapons/powers) significantly multiply your score.
2. Speed vs. Thoroughness: In Train Runner, speed is everything. In Burglar, taking your time to find every piece of loot is more beneficial than a fast exit.
3. Use Your Environment: In Kill Cascade, the height of your drop determines your points. Always look for the highest possible vantage point before striking.
4. Time Management: In Bend Time Massacre, you must kill all targets within a single time-stop. Planning your route before the first hit is essential.

According to the official Dishonored Wiki, each map also contains a hidden "Emily Doll." Finding these dolls doesn't just grant an achievement ("Miss Pilson's Remorse"); it also provides a significant point boost that can help you reach that 30,000-point threshold for the three-star rating.

Advanced Tactics for Expert Trials

Once you have mastered the basics of the dishonored dunwall city trials, the Expert versions of the maps will challenge your muscle memory. Expert mode often removes the HUD, increases enemy awareness, or adds more complex obstacles.

In Expert Assassin's Run, for example, you no longer have the luxury of slow-motion aiming if you use certain bone charms. You must rely on pure twitch reflex. For Expert Bonfires, the lights disappear much faster, requiring a perfect "Blink-chain" where you are already looking at the next destination before you even land.

Community reports suggest that the best way to practice for these is to play the base game on "Very Hard" with all UI elements turned off. This acclimates you to the visual cues of the world rather than relying on markers.

Why the Trials Still Matter Today

Years after its release, the dishonored dunwall city trials DLC remains a benchmark for first-person action games. While some find the difficulty spikes off-putting, the DLC serves as a masterclass in level design and mechanical depth. It forces players to move beyond the "save-scumming" habits often found in stealth games and instead learn to react to failure in real-time.

Completing these trials provides a sense of mastery that the main campaign cannot replicate. When you finally land that last headshot in Assassin's Run or survive the final wave of Back Alley Brawl, you aren't just a player who finished a game; you are a master of Dunwall’s shadows.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I unlock the Expert trials in Dishonored?

To unlock the Expert version of a challenge in the dishonored dunwall city trials, you must earn at least a two-star rating (20,000 points) on the Normal version of that specific map. Note that not all ten challenges have an Expert mode.

What is the hardest achievement in the Dunwall City Trials?

Most players consider "By My Hand Alone" and "Head Hunter" to be the most difficult. "By My Hand Alone" is particularly notorious because an AI enemy killing another AI enemy can ruin your entire run, forcing a complete restart of the Back Alley Brawl.

Are there hidden collectibles in the Dunwall City Trials DLC?

Yes, each of the ten maps contains one hidden "Miss Pilson" doll. Finding all ten dolls across the different trials will unlock the "Miss Pilson's Remorse" achievement. These dolls are often tucked away in hard-to-reach or obscure locations, requiring creative use of the Blink ability.

Can I use powers in all of the Dunwall City Trials?

While powers like Blink and Bend Time are essential for many trials, some maps restrict their use or offer achievements for completing objectives without them. For example, the "Mystery Foe" trial can be completed without using any supernatural abilities to earn a specific "Mystery Foe" related achievement.