Elden Ring Nightreign’s Unwritten Rules Explained

FromSoftware has amassed quite the following in the last decade and a half. The Dark Souls series only grew more popular with each entry, eventually birthing its own genre. Bloodborne is still heralded as one of the best PlayStation games of all time. Elden Ring finally brought FromSoft’s formula to the mainstream masses, selling 30 million copies in just three years. And now, Elden Ring Nightreign is ready to embrace that accrued fan base.

But Elden Ring Nightreign might not be the game some were expecting. Nightreign is a fast-paced multiplayer roguelike game, and though it uses Elden Ring as its gameplay foundation, it throws a lot of new mechanics and systems at the player very quickly. Even the most seasoned Soulslike veterans might struggle with Nightreign at first, and that’s where a set of unwritten rules can come in handy.

In Defense of Elden Ring Nightreign’s Three-Player Restriction

Elden Ring Nightreign has come under fire for only allowing solo or trio play, and this makes sense, but three players might be the way to go anyway.

The Unwritten Rules of Elden Ring Nightreign

Time is Never on Your Side

Though Elden Ring Nightreign is primarily a roguelike game, it borrows a few key elements from the battle royale genre. The most apparent is Nightreign‘s Night’s Tide, a hail of blue fiery raindrops that slowly encircles players. From the second players drop onto the map, the timer begins ticking.

Planning is vital for success in Elden Ring Nightreign. Players need to know exactly where they’re going at all times, and that means making the most of the game’s map and ping system, or communicating via voice chat. Once that route is locked in, players need to gun it from one POI to the next, defeating bosses as quickly as possible and making the most of the limited time they have.

Make a Beeline for Churches

On the subject of planning routes, players should try to head to all of the churches on the map as soon as possible. Each church grants the player one extra healing Crimson Flask, which is one of the most important resources in Limveld.

Focus on Boss Fights

When players first drop onto Limveld’s surface, they should land near a group of enemies. Those enemies should be cleared so that the player can level up immediately. But after that initial group, players should prioritize defeating bosses rather than standard enemies.

Elden Ring Nightreign‘s bosses drop all of the game’s most useful upgrades along with a ton of Runes. So, rather than waste time dispatching regular enemies, players should focus on defeating as many bosses in as little time as possible. The best time to farm regular enemies is when the final circle of the night is closing in and there’s no time to complete the larger POIs.

Team Composition is Key

While skilled players can make any team composition work in Elden Ring Nightreign, it’s always a good idea to coordinate at least a little when in a group. For instance, most teams will greatly benefit from having at least one ranged Nightfarer on the team, as they’re able to pull aggro away from the rest of the group and more easily revive downed allies.

Never Separate From The Group

Probably the most important unwritten rule for Elden Ring Nightreign is that players should never abandon their group. Almost all of Nightreign‘s enemy and boss encounters have been designed with three players in mind, meaning if even one player decides to go off on their own adventure, the encounter could go south very quickly. Leaving a group also means foregoing any of the loot they acquire in your absence, which can be a significant blow in the long run.