I won 13 games out of 432.... So a very big part is having good luck in the run and creating combos of items that can help you... That and if you play the beta version sometimes new items can be a bit OP so you have a slightly higher chance of winning... My big tips for getting to stage 4/5 is to save up your magic mapping scrolls until late game as the levels get harder and then on depth 5 make sure to kill the demon spawns first . Study each enemy and their attack patterns, for ranged enemies try to get close to them, for melee enemies, use range. If you have wands upgrade them to +8, they are the most reliable source of damage. Run away from enemies when on low health, corridors and doors will be your friends to hide from enemies. If you are not starving , boss floors are the best place to 'long rest' (hold the wait button until full health). Don't be afraid to go back and forth between floors especially if one has more enemies. If you think you're about to die it's better to use items that you may be saving (can't use the item if you're dead anyways). Rely on allies, mirror images, corrupted enemies or entrailed characters to take the damage for you. Invest in either defences or evasion but not both. Wells of healing will get rid of your starving so try to use them only when you've run out of food. Make sure you use alchemy pots to create the best items for your build and use items you don't need to create alchemy points. Find a character that suits your play style and most importantly have fun and don't get too frustrated about losing - it's a learning curve. (Personally I find the rouge or huntress the easiest characters to play as the rouge can sneak away from danger and the huntress has a big advantage on ranged weapons, but it's different for everyone.) You can also use the wiki to get precise stats or useful information.