The Guiding Compass in Shape of Dreams is a major quest item added during Shape of Dreams’ most recent content update, version 1.4, “The Starless Path.” It can be found in the Chamber of Jonas. It is a required item if you want to reach the Alternate Ending, also aptly referred to as “The Starless Path Ending.”
Alternatively, pick it up if you’re simply looking to beat the most challenging route in the game. If you’re a new player, I highly recommend you first beat the game through the standard path and experience the Normal Ending, also known among the players as “The Pure White Ending.”
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Guiding Compass Location: Chamber of Jonas
Before acquiring the Shape of Dreams Guiding Compass, I suggest you be prepared for an extra-difficult playthrough, since once you get it, you are immediately cursed with an HP debuff. Pick a Traveler and play a standard run through their Way of Stars (the new constellation map) until you have completed at least one constellation, then follow these steps to reach the item:
- Open your map and look for rooms containing Shrines of Guidance. Break the green statues until you gain 5 stacks of the blessing.
- A special portal will open that will lead you to the Chamber of Jonas.
- Enter and pick up the Guiding Compass from the altar.
The Curse and How to Advance the Questline
Here’s where the actual fun begins. Obtaining the compass instantly inflicts your protagonist with “Crippling Anxiety,” a curse that reduces your max HP by 25%. As I progressed further into the quest, I found out there are two options:
First, you can fight mini-bosses and break more Shrine of Guidance statues to upgrade the essence.
Second, you may spend Dream Dust directly on the compass to increase its essence quality up to 500%.
When you reach that number, a quest marker will appear.
Polaris, the Final Boss Fight
Follow the quest marker until you reach the room before the final boss. Inside, I found an expanded shop, a dream well, and a healing shrine. Polaris herself is there too. Interact with her, and she will remove your HP curse. She will ask you to join her scheme to tear down the boundary between dream and reality.
Do NOT accept her offer, as this will lead you down the normal path again, wasting all your efforts.
Reject her offer so you proceed to the final boss fight between your Traveler and Polaris. But even after beating her, there is one more step.
The Trick to the Secret Ending
Defeating Polaris does not secure the ending. After the battle, you are forced into a dialogue with her. She will attempt her offer once more.
Again, do NOT accept it because this time it will immediately end your run as Polaris permanently kills your character.
Reject her offer a second time to achieve “The Starless Path Ending.” You don’t need to approach her. Move to the portal and exit. You will see a 5-second-long cutscene of your Traveler walking toward the camera. Afterward, you should receive the “Starless Path” achievement and your run’s overall stats.
The game will then take you to the title screen. You can now play again and try another run.
