Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Darkness Basics

Death is not such a bad think in the Mystery Dungeon games. If one of your auxiliary teammates (i.e. not you or your partner) perish, they will simply head back to the guild and wait for your return. If you or your partner gets knocked out, you'll lose some of your items at random, as well as your gold, but you'll retain your level, so the next try will be just a bit easier.

This makes it very easy to just level grind even in the face of failure, but if you want to do this, manage your items well. Kangaskhan's storage in Treasure Town, and Duskull's Bank will protect your haul and your savings no matter what happen. Since there are rarely any costly items to purchase in dungeons, you should always deposit nearly all your loot in the bank every chance you get. It's easy to withdraw when you need it. Similarly, you should pack light when you go to dungeons, by depositing all unnecessary items into storage. This not only minimizes the risk, but it frees you up to collect a lot more loot.

If you're level grinding and looking to get into combat, holding the run button and dashing around is a fine way to move, but if you're hoping to escape battle or explore while taking the least damage, it's important to get comfortable cutting corners and taking diagonals to move while using the fewest turns.

Positioning is also important. Never walk into a space adjacent to an enemy, as this will give your attacker the chance to strike first. Instead, lure the enemy to you. Strafing him and forcing him to approach diagonally is the best way to do this in open areas, because it will allow you and your partner to attack. Surrounding your opponent on three sides is a little trickier, but can be done. In constrained hallways, you won't have this option, so you can either flee, or simply strike the air until the enemy enters the square next to you. This way you can maintain the upper hand.