Elden Ring Guide - IGN (2024)

From the creators of the Dark Souls series, Elden Ring is an open world game that combines the punishing combat of From Software games with the world building and story of writer George R. Martin. In a broken world where the titular Elden Ring has been shattered and its fragments divided among god-like beings, it is up to the Tarnished to return to land and claim the Elden Ring's power for their own.

The Lands Between is an absolutely massive world to explore, and you'll need to uncover secrets and take on challenging enemies in all corners of Elden Ring's open world if you wish to succeed at your task of becoming an Elden Lord. Here you'll find some of the more popular sections:

• Getting Started
• Walkthroughs
• Bosses
• Dungeons
• Character Side Quests
• Interactive Map
• Weapons and Armor
• Spirit Ashes
• Key Items

Getting Started - Beginner's Guide, Tips, Tricks, and How-Tos

It can be tough to figure out what to do when first stepping out of the tutorial dungeon and into the Lands Between. Fear not, as we have a comprehensive Beginner's Guide, Things You Should Know, and information on all the Starting Classes - covering all the basics and major features of Elden Ring, as well as Things to Do First to give some direction to your opening hours in the game. For those looking for more direction and details, see these other important sections:

• 15 Things Elden Ring Doesn't Tell You
• Essential Tips and Tricks for Combat and Exploration
• Elden Ring Controls
• A Full List of How-To Guides, including How to Level Up, Fast Travel, Summon Spirits, Craft Items, Use Multiplayer, and much more!
• Steam Deck Performance and Settings Guide (via Rock Paper Shotgun)

Walkthroughs and Region Guides

There's much to explore and conquer in Elden Ring, and we've compiled in-depth Walkthroughs for each of its imposing Legacy Dungeons, as well as everything you can see and do in each of the major regions.

Bosses Guide

As you might expect in a From Software game, Elden Ring is home to some of the most toughest and vicious boss enemies you'll find - ranging from those that roam the Lands Between, some that guard the ends of various mini dungeons, and imposing enemies found in Legacy Dungeons and underground regions. If they're giving you trouble, we've got the best tips, strategies, and guides to take them down.

• Boss Guides
  • Main Bosses
  • Dungeon Bosses
  • World Bosses

There are many optional encounters to find as you explore the open world, and Elden Ring hides many hidden mini dungeons and tough enemies to face. We've compiled in-depth walkthroughs on where to find and how to complete them, while finding every item along the way.

• Dungeons
  • Limgrave Dungeons
  • Liurnia Dungeons
  • Caelid Dungeons
  • Dragonbarrow Dungeons
  • Altus Plateau Dungeons
  • Mt. Gelmir Dungeons
  • Mountaintops of the Giants Dungeons

Character Side Quests

There are quite a few great side quests in Elden Ring that can be easily missed if you don't know where to look. Take a look at our guide to these NPC questlines and where to find them as well as few secrets worth exploring:

• List of Character Side Quests and How to Complete Them

Interactive Elden Ring Map

With plenty to do and explore in Elden Ring, why not check out IGN's comprehensive Interactive Map that details every inch of the Lands Between. From the locations of every Key Item, NPC Character Questlines, Dungeons, Points of Interest, Spirit Ashes, Sacred Tears, Roaming Bosses, and even more, our complete Interactive Map below will help you find and track everything you'll need throughout your journey in Elden Ring.

• Elden Ring Interactive Map
• All Map Fragment Locations

Weapons and Armor

One of the only ways to improve your combat prowess in Elden Ring is to find good and armor to bolster your stats. We've compiled lists of all of the weapons and armor sets to help you locate them quickly.

• All Weapons in Elden Ring
  • Legendary Weapons
  • Weapon Skills
  • Where to Find Smithing Stones
• All Armor Sets in Elden Ring
  • The Best Armor With Passive Effects
  • All Talismans in Elden Ring
• All Magic Spells in Elden Ring
  • Legendary Spells

Spirit Ash Summons

To aid in your adventures, you'll be able to learn how to summon various spirit ashes of former enemies to aid you in battle. Unlike summoning other players, these spirits can aid you in a variety of locations without increasing the difficulty of the boss or encounter, and each spirit has their own advantages and disadvantages.

• List of Summonable Spirit Ashes
  • How to Summon Spirits
  • How to Level Up Spirit Summons
  • Legendary Spirit Ashes
  • Where to Get Grave Glovewort and Ghost Glovewort

Important Upgrades, Collectibles and Key Items

Elden Ring is an enormous game with a lot of hidden details worth exploring. If you're looking to find valuable bolstering materials or key items that will help you survive, we've got you covered with location guides:

• Golden Seed Locations
• Sacred Tear Locations
• Scarab Locations and Rewards
• All Larval Tear Locations
• All Ancient Dragon Smithing Stone Locations
• Recipe Cookbook Locations and Recipe Lists
• Painting Locations and Solutions
• Deathroot Locations
• Stonesword Key Locations
• Imp Statue Seal Locations