History YMMV / DeadlyRoomsOfDeath

* StealthPun: The Living Tar (literally, tar that is alive) might be one on a part of the phrase "Beat the living tar out of him."
** The Smitemaster Selection "Perfection" has the "Perfection Complex", a complex where perfectionists live. The CD cover art ([[https://store.steampowered.com/app/422190/DROD_Smitemasters_Selection_Expansions_12/?curator_clanid=25658389 seen on the Steam DLC page]]) takes it even further by showing it as a tall building made mostly of a smooth white material. It's an Ivory Tower.
** For most of Beethro's time investigating Rooted Hold, he searches for answers by descending to deeper levels on the dungeon. He's trying to get to the bottom of things.

** ''The Second Sky'' brings several. Shattered Mine, Experiment of Ages, Rapid Fortification, and Mother of All Roaches all fall under this category, but Temporal Anomaly takes the cake: most rooms here have you use [[TimeTravel timey-wimey temporal clones to branch the time]] and strike where monsters are ''going'' to be, and then wake up the monsters with your normal self or other temporal clones. Not even some of the bonus levels are immune; [=TSS=] has become rather infamous among players for having a ''surplus'' of {{Brutal Bonus Level}}s, ''especially'' [[spoiler:Darts]].

** '''[=TCB=] - Whodunnit?''': The concept itself is simple; you [[VideoGameCrueltyPotential kill 186th guide]], and then activate a cutscene for it later in The Fork. The problem is, you can't just go ahead and axe her later, and then go to the fork. No, you have to kill her when you're going through her level--she ''disappears'' otherwise. So you're left going ahead and killing her when you finish the level. Except... There's ''several intermittent levels inbetween when you kill her and when you activate the cutscene for killing her.'' So unless you did this on your first playthrough, you will be playing ''both'' Uncturage levels. '''Again.''' Made worse because [=TCB=] is not just a "sit back and relax" hold--you need to put brain power into clearing each and every room, so this can very easily become a marathon. It's telling that in a sea of [[ThatOnePuzzle those few puzzles]] and other difficult achievements, including ''mastering the hold this achievement resides in'', ''this'' is one of the least obtained achievements in the Steam version of DROD.
** '''[=GateB=] - Charge First, Think Later''': In Daskeros Tower 4N, you have to clear the room before you lower the blue doors (which drop when you clear the rest of the level). Problem is, ''this is meant to be '''theoretically impossible''' so as to enforce clearing the level'' before reaching the exit, which is just beyond this room. Of course, it isn't; with expert movement and manipulation, one can clear the room all the same, [[SequenceBreaking letting you skip doing the rest of Daskeros Tower]], but if you happen to be a newbie, the hold's specific target audience, this will be a ''pain.''

** When the ''Treacle Stew'' [=SMS=] released in late 2022, Level 2 very quickly cemented itself as being notedly harder than anything before it and after it, for whatever reason. In particular, a good chunk of the western half of the level is comprised of deceptively difficult rooms that rely on precise movement of gel babies, most infamously being 2S1W (see ThatOnePuzzle Below).

** ''The City Beneath'' onward feature a soundtrack by Travelogue, which is comprised of very beautiful ambient music tracks. Some highlights would be the very aptly named "Ambient No. <number>" tracks spread across the albums, "On Every Shore" and "Today is a New Day" from [=TCB=], "Rise and Fall" and "Sines Galore" from [=GatEB=], and "Life in a Cloud" and "Mixed Signals" from [=TSS=].

** '''[=GateB=] - Charge First, Think Later''': In Daskeros Tower 4N, you have to clear the room before you lower the blue doors (which drop when you clear the rest of the level). Problem is, ''this is meant to be '''theoretically impossible''' so as to enforce clearing the level'' before reaching the exit, which is just beyond this room. Of course, it isn't; with expert movement and manipulation, one can clear the room all the same, [[SequenceBreaking letting you skip doing the rest of Daskeros Tower]], but if you're a newbie, the game's ''target audience'', this will be a ''pain.''

** ''The Second Sky'' has quite a few. Shattered Mine 1E, Eye of the Storm 1E, WBCEND/Caber Testing Area 3S1E, Lemming Beach 2S4E, and Rapid Fortification 3S2E have all stumped many players.

** "The Architect's Oath", the title screen theme of ''Journey to Rooted Hold'', with a stunning harpsichord instrumental section.

* EarWorm: The title theme of Architect's Edition and King Dugan's Dungeon, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPfD_hJPWwE "Whistler"]], which encapsulates the series' simultaneous silliness and epicness.

* MostAnnoyingSound: Tendry's deaths. "AAAAIEEEEEEE!" "YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE LAST OF ME!"

** ''The Second Sky'' brings several. Shattered Mine, Experiment of Ages, Rapid Fortification, and Mother of All Roaches all fall under this category, but Temporal Anomaly takes the cake: most rooms here have you use [[TimeTravel timey-wimey clones to branch the time]] and strike where monsters are ''going'' to be, and then wake up the monsters with your normal self or other timey-wimey clones. Not even some of the bonus levels are immune; [=TSS=] has become rather infamous among players for having a ''surplus'' of {{Brutal Bonus Level}}s, ''especially'' [[spoiler:Darts]].

** ''The Second Sky'' brings several. Shattered Mine, Experiment of Ages, Rapid Fortification, and Mother of All Roaches all fall under this category, but Temporal Anomaly takes the cake: most rooms here have you use [[TimeyWimeyBall timey-wimey clones to branch the time]] and strike where monsters are ''going'' to be, and then wake up the monsters with your normal self or other timey-wimey clones. Not even some of the bonus levels are immune; [=TSS=] has become rather infamous among players for having a ''surplus'' of {{Brutal Bonus Level}}s, ''especially'' [[spoiler:Darts]].

** ''The Second Sky'' brings several. Shattered Mine, Experiment of Ages, Rapid Fortification, and Mother of All Roaches all fall under this category, but Temporal Anomaly takes the cake: most rooms here have you use [[TimeyWimeyBall timey-wimey clones to branch the time]] and strike where monsters are ''going'' to be, and then draw their attention with your normal self or other timey-wimey clones. Not even some of the bonus levels are immune; [=TSS=] has become rather infamous among players for having a ''surplus'' of {{Brutal Bonus Level}}s, ''especially'' [[spoiler:Darts]].

** ''The Second Sky'' brings several. Shattered Mine, Temporal Anomaly, Experiment of Ages, Rapid Fortification, and Mother of All Roaches all fall under this category, and not even some of the bonus levels are immune; [=TSS=] has become rather infamous among players for having a ''surplus'' of BrutalBonusLevels, ''especially'' [[spoiler:Darts]].