In Persona 5 Kamoshida Palace is the opening dungeon that starts during the month of April, and your first taste of exploration and combat in the year-long school adventure.
You'll be making at least four visits to the Kamoshida's Palace dungeon, but the first two take the form of a tutorial and general introduction to how Palaces operate so the game will guide you through them.
If you're after help for other parts of the game, consult our Persona 5 guide and walkthrough.
Kamoshida Palace dungeon
Floor 1F
After the tutorial visits throughout the April events you'll be exploring without guidance, but the remainder is fairly linear. From the save room turn left - there's an enemy at the end of the hall to deal with before entering the banqueting hall.
Three more enemies lurk in here but there's plenty of cover to either aviod them or to make a surprise attack before leaving through the far door. There's another enemy in the corridor ahead, and you'll then reach the stairs to the next floor.
Floor 2F
There are a couple more enemies in the corridor ahead of you, and then you'll encounter a very simple puzzle room. Hit the L1 button to reveal a trail of footprints on the ground between two of the fixtures on the wall - pull the chains and the bars will open and you'll pick up a map.
Head down the next corridor and you'll find yourself on the upper level of the main lobby. There are bars blocking your path at one end of the balcony, but there's a climbable shelf at the other end that will allow you to make your way over the chandeliers and past the blockage.
Use the safe room, then follow the corridor to a short set of stairs. Make your way up and round into a large banqueting hall - several enemies are patrolling between the long tables, but they're easy to ambush from stealth.
At the end of the next corridor you'll end up in a wine cellar. The exit is locked, but there's a climbable shelf leading to a ventilation shaft that will lead you around to the stairs up to the next floor.
Floor 3F - Find the Key for the Gated Door, Heavenly Punisher
Use the safe room at the top of the stairs then follow the corridor. When you reach a junction take the left turn and pick up the book from the small room at the end, then double back and take the other path.
You will pass a locked door that you can't do anything with yet, so keep going to the end of the corridor and enter the room on your right to find another book, then head back towards the locked door and take the turning to the left to find another small room and a third book.
Head back towards the locked door, but this time turn right into a long corridor. The first door on the left will take you into a library.
There are three gaps on the shelves - the Slave book goes in the gap near the books about the boys, the King book goes on the shelf near the books about Kamoshida, and the Queen book goes in the space near the books about the female students.
Enter the hidden room and search the bookshelf on the right to find a medal and another map. Return to the locked door and place the medal in the lock and make your way through.
You'll be given the option to wait and prepare for what lies ahead, so if you need to heal or anything now is a good time as you're about to face a sub-boss.
Heavenly Punisher
This guy isn't too tough, and is more an introduction to the tactics of guarding. He's resistant to lightning and fire so Ann and Ryuji may be better deployed doing physical attacks, and if he does a Charge move then take up a defensive position unless you think you can kill him before his next turn.
Once he's down head for the far side of the room and climb onto the crates and up to the balcony. The door is locked, but you can use the pillars to make your way to the matching balcony on the other side, and through the door into a long corridor. Follow it all the way to the right and unlock the door above the first balcony to create a shortcut if you need to backtrack, then head for the stairs to the rooftop.
RoofThere are a lot of enemies patrolling this area, but using the cover of the crates should let you get the drop on them. Once the coast is clear use the pile of boxes to climb onto the top of the wall and follow it round and up until you're back inside.
Tower
Head clockwise through the tower, use the safe room, and then use the stairs to reach the next floor. Ignore the enemies in here for now as you'll be back to kill them shortly, and head straight up to the next floor.
Some swinging axes are blocking your path, and the statue head switches do nothing, but you have to give them a try anyway. Head back downstairs and take out the enemies to get the required key, and then head back up again to disable the pendulums of doom.
Torn King of Desire
Head up the next set of stairs and explore the room until an enemy spawns and issues a challenge. He's resistant to lightning but seems highly susceptible to melee-induced Confusion, so Ryuji is best employed to deal out Headbutts to keep the fight simple.
Once he's down make your way up the newly-formed stairs, use the safe room, and then try the main door. It's locked, so head to the left to find a statue you can climb on to reach the upper level of the throne room. Follow the balcony round, enter the treasure room, and watch the cutscene.
Need more help? Our Persona 5 guide and walkthrough features a complete month-by-month summary with important dates and Palace strategies, as well as how to get the True Ending. Elsewhere, learn how to make the most of your free time with all Confidant, Social Link and romance options, the best ways to increase Social Stats such as Knowledge, Guts, Proficiency, Kindness and Charm, create the best Personas through Fusions, how to cheat on exams with our test answers, how to get Mementos requests, unlock the entire Trophy list and learn about the upcoming DLC schedule.
Kamoshida boss fight
Kamoshida isn't a particularly powerful boss, but he does have the ability to regenerate health by consuming bodies from his chalice, so ignore him to start with and destroy his source of healing instead.
Once that's destroyed you'll be given a choice of going for the crown or the treasure - the net outcome is the same, but the corwn makes the fight slightly easier so take that as the option.
After another couple of rounds you'll need to pick someone to send to grab it - Ryuji is the least useful person in this fight, so send him off and keep grinding away, and once he's got the crown the fight is to all intents and purposes over. You'll still be in April with plenty more to get on with!
