User blog comment:DarkSparrow/Adventure mode rant/@comment-11247567-20130804032603

Honestly King of Winter was never that bad for me. It was A Cold Reception that was the bane of my existance. Just because of those stupid frogs.

My winning run mostly happened because I started on The Game is Afoot and found a Walking Cane boon. I also think The Game is Afoot is the best to start on because it gives you plenty of time to prepare. I made a Meat Effigy, didn't place it, and then carried it to the next world. I also found a Touch Stone sortly after entering A Cold Reception, so I was able to save my Meat Effigy for the next level since I didn't die at all in ACR.

My runthrough was The Game is Afoot, A Cold Reception, Archipelago, King of Winter, Darkness.

So pretty much you have to get lucky with what levels you get when, and what you get from them.