Pywel is huge, and in the first few hours Crimson Desert throws more systems at you than you can take in. Yet most of the frustration beginners end up with comes from ten specific mistakes. Here they are, along with what to do instead.
1. Don’t expect a classic RPG
The game looks like an RPG, but it isn’t one. You won’t find a branching story here where your decisions change the fate of the world. Crimson Desert excels at combat, atmosphere and technical quality, but story complexity in the style of Baldur’s Gate 3 simply isn’t there. Set your expectations accordingly and you’ll enjoy the game a lot more.
2. Don’t skip side quests: they expand your inventory
The inventory is annoyingly strict at the start, and you end up agonizing over every slot. The way out is through side quests: every completed side quest gives you three extra slots. In the first few hours, that’s the fastest progress you can get.
One more trick: even if you don’t need anything from a merchant, browse their stock. They often sell pouches for a few coins that immediately turn into a permanent extra slot. Besides shopping, silver is also worth donating to the camp: since patch 2.01.00 you get ten times more Camp Funds for it.
3. Don’t put points into characters other than Kliff
The game gradually unlocks more playable characters, and they may even be more fun in combat. But the story keeps bringing you back to Kliff, so precious points invested elsewhere will be missing where you actually need them.
- Shared stats: the last node at the end of each skill tree raises base stats, and those are the only ones that also apply to new characters.
- Stamina is the priority. More stamina means longer gliding, higher jumps and faster map exploration. On top of that, research in Urdavah raises the stamina cap.
4. Don’t set out exploring before finishing the tutorials
The urge to run off into the open world is strong, but without unlocked movement abilities you’ll hit a wall. Ten minutes of climbing a tower only to find out at the top that you can’t get inside without a specific ability is exactly the kind of experience that makes people put the game down.
5. Don’t underestimate boss preparation
You’ll cut through regular enemies almost blindfolded, but bosses are a different league. Two things before every fight:
- The sword trick reveals the boss’s weak points. Without it you’re attacking blind.
- Cook. Food that restores health isn’t cosmetic; it’s the difference between winning and repeating the fight. That goes for the Titan and all the Power Challenges too.
6. Don’t overlook portals and the flash
Crossing Pywel on foot is madness, but the game doesn’t hand out portals for free. Get into the habit of regularly using the sword or lantern spell, which reveals points of interest and portals even from a long distance.
Watch for large question marks on the map. There isn’t always a portal there, but there’s always something worth stopping for.
7. Don’t treat horses as just transport
Every character has their own horse with its own stats and gear. Early on, upgrade Kliff’s steed exclusively. Spending on the others would just spread you too thin.
Buy horseshoes and other equipment from a merchant as soon as you can. The difference in how fast you move around the map is huge. If you don’t like how your horse looks, just catch another one; it keeps the name.
8. Don’t try to do everything at once
The game adds new entries to your journal faster than you can read them. If you try to do everything at the same time, you’ll burn out before you reach the interesting part.
A simple list works: an hour of lore, then one side quest, then an hour of crafting. A structured approach will keep you playing longer than trying to fit everything in.
9. Forget about a 100% completionist approach
At its core, Crimson Desert is a grind-heavy single-player MMO. The need to have everything at 100% will catch up with you here. It’s perfectly fine to consciously ignore some of the question marks; the world won’t fall apart. Some of them are worth it, though: Mudridge Cabin in Pororin Forest rewards two sliding puzzles with an earring and an elixir recipe.
10. Don’t settle into a single playstyle
Regular enemies teach you to press the same buttons over and over, because it works. Against a boss, though, that won’t get you far. The game has a huge number of attacks and transitions, and it pays to actively mix them up.
One practical note: the keyboard controls are clunky. For combos and movement, a gamepad is a much better choice.
FAQ
Yes. It’s a standalone game and you don’t need to know BDO. The mechanics differ so much that it’s effectively a fresh start.
It takes a while; the game introduces them over the course of the main story. Until then, invest exclusively in Kliff.
With reservations. There’s an enormous amount of content and part of it relies on grind. If you have to get everything, expect long hours or frustration.
Technically yes, but the controls are built for a gamepad. On keyboard, fights are considerably more cumbersome.
Once you’ve finished the basic tutorials and unlocked the key movement abilities. Exploring earlier will more likely slow you down.
Information verified as of 7 September 2026. The advice is based on the game’s mechanics, not on specific numbers, so it still holds after patches. Once you know what you’re getting into, start with the overview of the regions of Pywel or go straight for the best bows in the game. You’ll find the rest in the Crimson Desert section.