Matryoshka Shell

Matryoshka Shell is a relic that modifies orb behavior by causing orbs to split into multiple smaller orbs and by reducing the size of affected orbs. It appears as a collectible relic in runs and interacts with other relics and orb-specific effects to change multiball counts and orb sizes. The relic has been present since the Demo/Release cycle and remains available in the main game.

Matryoshka Shell's primary effects are twofold: it grants a multiball-like splitting effect that stacks with other multiball sources, and it scales down the size of any orb that splits. When Matryoshka Shell causes an orb to split, the newly created pieces are smaller than the original; the size reduction applies to all resulting orbs, including the original orb when it is one of multiple pieces. The multiball component stacks with the Matryorbshka relic, so combining both can produce higher multiball counts (for example, enabling up to four concurrent balls when Matryorbshka is at level 3).

Orb-size interactions are specific and deterministic. If Matryoshka Shell is applied to special large orbs such as Bouldorb or Horriball without any other relics or effects altering their size, those orbs will be downscaled to the size of a standard orb. If Matryoshka Shell is applied to an orb whose default size is not already larger or specialized, the downscale will place it at the approximate size of Terriball, Spinpoint, or Nimball. The shrinking behavior affects every orb produced by the split effect, so chains of splits will continue to produce smaller variants accordingly.

Practical notes for use:

• Combine Matryoshka Shell with other multiball-increasing relics (notably Matryorbshka) to maximize simultaneous balls and damage output; stacking increases the number of active orbs.
• Expect consistent size reductions: special large orb types will be normalized to standard orb sizes unless another relic prevents or overrides the change.
• Size reduction can alter collision timing and target prioritization; use Matryoshka Shell when you want more projectiles hitting hazards or enemies, but verify that smaller orbs still meet any pass-through or contact thresholds needed for specific effects.
• Because the effect was reworded across builds and shifted in earlier development, rely on current in-game description for exact numeric wording, but the functional stacking and size-down behavior are established.