Path of Exile · Archipelago

What is Archipelago?

Archipelago is a free, open-source multiworld randomizer. It shuffles the items of one game into the world of another — so when you level up in Path of Exile, you might unlock a power-up for your friend playing Super Mario 64, and vice versa.

You can also play completely solo: your Path of Exile progression gets shuffled with itself, so you earn your skills, gems, and gear slots as rewards instead of starting with them.

How It Works in PoE

The Archipelago client runs alongside Path of Exile. It never touches the game's files directly — it watches what you do and reacts:

What Gets Shuffled?

Locations (things you do to send checks)

Items (things you can receive as unlocks)

Highly Configurable

Almost every aspect of your run can be tuned in your .yaml settings file before generating. You don't have to accept the defaults — tailor the experience to your group's preferred difficulty and play style.

How Much Setup Do You Want?

The mod is flexible about where you start. At one extreme you can drop straight into an existing endgame character — just refund all your passive points with Orbs of Regret, unequip your gear, and the client will treat you as starting from scratch. At the other extreme you can create a brand-new character in an SSF league for a completely clean slate with no shared stash or trade to fall back on. Everything in between works too.

Existing Character Mode

Got an existing character and want a faster game? Unequip all your gear and refund every passive point. Set your goal to kill a specific boss — or more than one — and include gems, passives, and gear in the shuffle. Launch the game and build around whatever the multiworld hands you. No planning, no preset build — just react and adapt until you kill the boss. All the Archipelago experience without levelling a character from scratch.

Goal

Choose what ends your run. Options range from simply completing the campaign to killing specific pinnacle bosses like Shaper, Elder, or Maven. You can also set a custom kill count or boss checklist.

Starting Conditions

Control how much you begin with. starting_character sets your class (or leaves it random). usable_starting_gear lets you keep your starting weapon and flasks so the very early game isn't completely blind.

Item Pool

Toggle whether passive skill points, level milestones, and specific gem categories are included in the shuffle. A larger pool means more checks to send and receive — the run itself isn't necessarily longer, but there's more going on and more items flowing between players. A smaller pool is tighter and more focused.

Progression Balancing

Archipelago can weight the item pool so that key unlocks — like your needed skill gems, gear unlocks, or ascendancies — tend to arrive early rather than being buried in late checks. Adjust the progression_balancing slider in your .yaml to control how aggressively it front-loads important items.

Before You Begin

Step 1 · Install Archipelago

Step 2 · Add the Path of Exile .apworld

Step 3 · Generate or Join a Game

You need a .yaml settings file that tells Archipelago what kind of run you want.

Option A — YAML Generator (recommended)

1

Open the ArchiPoElago client and click YAML Generator in the sidebar.

2

Fill in the options — each one has a description. When done, click Export YAML

Option B — Manual template

If you are hosting (solo or with friends)

If someone else is hosting

Send the host your .yaml file and make sure they have the same poe.apworld version. Get the server address and use the slot name from your .yaml file when connecting.

Step 4 · Download & Set Up the ArchiPoElago Client

The PoE randomizer uses its own standalone client called the ArchiPoElago client. You do not launch it from ArchipelagoLauncher.exe — download and run it separately.

Run the ArchiPoElago client. The first launch opens a five-step setup wizard.

Onboarding Wizard

1

Paths — The client tries to detect your paths automatically. Confirm or set:

• Client.txt — PoE's log file, e.g. C:\...\Path of Exile\logs\Client.txt
• PoE documents folder — where your filters live, e.g. C:\Users\USER\Documents\My Games\Path of Exile\
• Base item filter (optional) — an existing filter (e.g. NeverSink) the AP filter will chain-import to keep your normal item highlighting.

2

GGG Login — Click Login with GGG. A browser window opens the GGG login page.

Approve the read-only access request (character and item data only — no account changes). The browser redirects back automatically.

3

Connect to Archipelago — Enter your server address (e.g. archipelago.gg:38281), slot name, and password (if any). Click Connect.

4

Character — Select the PoE character you will be playing. The client reads that character's gear and gems from the GGG API to validate your state on each zone change.

If your character isn't in the list, make sure you've logged into PoE at least once with it after completing OAuth.

5

Ready — Click Open Dashboard. The status indicators should be green for AP connection, OAuth, Client.txt, and item filter. Click Start Monitoring on the dashboard.

DeathLink (Optional)

DeathLink is an optional Archipelago feature that links deaths across the entire multiworld. When you die in Path of Exile, a death signal is sent to every other DeathLink-enabled player — and when anyone else dies, you all die.

In Path of Exile specifically, receiving a DeathLink signal does not kill your character — instead the client logs you out to the character select screen. You re-enter the game at your last town or checkpoint, avoiding any XP loss or Hardcore consequences from other players' deaths.

It's entirely opt-in per player. Enable it in your .yaml before the run starts, or toggle it mid-run with !deathlink whispered to yourself in PoE.

In-Game Chat Commands

Whisper these commands to your own character in PoE chat. For example: @YourCharName !gems

All other settings (paths, character, filter, connection) are configured in the the ArchiPoElago client GUI — no console commands needed.

Tips & Troubleshooting

• Keep the ArchiPoElago client open the entire time you play — it shows item sends, receives, and player names in real time. Check the Dashboard status indicators are green before entering a zone.
• Checks only fire on zone change. Nothing happening after a pickup is normal — just move to a new area.
• If you're using a gem or gear piece you haven't unlocked, you're "out of logic" and checks won't send. Whisper yourself !gear or !gems to see what's allowed, or check the Equipment tab in the client.
• If your item filter isn't updating, open the ArchiPoElago client Settings → Item Filter and click Regenerate filter. Make sure your PoE Documents path is correct and that OneDrive sync isn't locking the folder.
• Everything from paths and OAuth to the AP connection and active character lives in the Settings page — check there first if something looks wrong.

  

• The Goal button enables as soon as you enter the goal zone; the Goal tab shows a Send Goal button once your character is verified.

  

• If filter commands or whispers fire while PoE isn't focused, they'll land in global chat. Increase the Zone transition delay in Settings → Game Input by 50–100 ms.
• Town Portals are your friend — drop items off at the stash to check them without needing to reach a full transition zone.
• The early levels before your first few gems arrive can be rough. There's no shame in starting with your class weapon, starter gem, and flasks unlocked in your yaml settings.
• Many "bad" endgame skills are perfectly fine for clearing the campaign. Use whatever you've been given!
• The Goal button enables as soon as you enter the goal zone. Click it and confirm to finish the run.
• Report bugs in the GitHub issue tracker or ask in the Path of Exile Archipelago Discord channel. Attach a log export — Settings → Data → Export zip bundles your config and logs into one file for the developer.