Recommended route: explore Limgrave and the Weeping Peninsula, tackle Stormveil Castle when ready, then move through Liurnia, the Altus Plateau and Leyndell, before continuing into the late-game regions. Elden Ring does not require that exact order, and several areas can be explored earlier or later. If you want to finish the base game before starting Shadow of the Erdtree, do so: the expansion is optional and has its own entry condition.
This is a spoiler-light regional route, not a mandatory boss order or a complete list of quest cutoffs. It marks optional detours separately and explains how to decide when to press on, when to explore, and when to check in with NPCs.
How to use this route
Think of the route as a progression framework, not a checklist you must obey. Bandai Namco says there is “no one path” through Elden Ring: Guidance of Grace points toward important locations, but you can choose another direction, explore, or return to a difficult area later. The official game page and the publisher’s gameplay overview describe that open-ended structure.
For a base-game-first playthrough, follow the main route below and leave the expansion until after the base-game finale if that is the experience you want. Optional areas are useful for exploration and character growth, but this guide does not treat every dungeon, boss, underground area, or NPC story as required.
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Before moving on: use Grace, maps and runes
Follow directions, but do not mistake them for orders
Sites of Grace are the main checkpoints. Resting at one restores your character and provides access to character-management options; discovered Sites of Grace also serve as fast-travel destinations. Some Sites of Grace show Guidance of Grace, a directional hint toward an important destination. It can help you orient yourself, but it does not mean you must follow that direction immediately. Bandai Namco’s starter guide explains these basic systems.
Fill in the map as you explore
When a region’s map is mostly blank, look for the map-fragment marker on the map and collect the fragment before planning a long crossing. The added detail makes roads, landmarks and routes easier to read. The publisher’s early-game tips cover map fragments and the map interface.
Turn exploration into character growth
Enemies and discoveries can provide runes, which are used both to level up and to buy items. Spend runes at a Site of Grace when you can rather than carrying more than you need into an unfamiliar stretch; if you die, the runes you were carrying are left at the death location, and another death before recovering them can cost you that pile. Upgrades and equipment matter too, so check vendors and useful finds as you explore. The starter guide introduces runes and the early progression systems.
Recommended base-game progression route
The regional order below is a practical way to pace a first playthrough. “Main route” means a sensible next destination, not a claim that the game makes it compulsory. “Optional” means you can detour, skip it, or return later without treating it as a required story step.
1. Limgrave: learn the basics and explore before forcing the castle
Start in Limgrave. Activate Sites of Grace, collect the local map fragment, and get comfortable with combat, equipment and spending runes. Explore nearby paths and small locations if you want more practice, supplies or opportunities to build strength before attempting the region’s major fortification.
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Main route: approach Stormveil Castle when you feel ready. You do not need to treat the first imposing boss or the nearest gate as a test you must pass before doing anything else. The publisher explicitly advises leaving a difficult boss and exploring before returning. Optional: investigate Limgrave’s caves, ruins and other side areas, and explore the Weeping Peninsula south of Limgrave for a substantial early detour.
2. Stormveil Castle: take the first major legacy dungeon at your pace
Stormveil is a natural next step after exploring Limgrave, but you can postpone it if its enemies or boss are overwhelming. Follow the routes you find through the castle, use Sites of Grace to make progress in manageable stretches, and return to earlier areas if you need more runes, equipment or practice.
Quest check: speak with NPCs you have met and exhaust their available dialogue before moving on. The publisher warns that some NPC quests can advance automatically as the main story progresses, and that missed dialogue is a common way to miss content. It does not provide a complete list of individual quest cutoffs, so no universal “safe until this point” rule can be given.
3. Liurnia of the Lakes: explore the region and decide how much to detour
After Stormveil, make Liurnia your next broad destination. Use the map fragment to orient yourself across the lakes and surrounding land, activate Sites of Grace as you reach them, and explore at the pace that suits you. The region offers multiple directions and optional places to investigate; you do not have to clear every landmark before continuing.
Main route: work toward the region’s major story destination and then consider the route onward toward Altus Plateau. Optional: explore Liurnia’s side dungeons and underground entrances, or return to any earlier area you passed over. If your chosen path feels too difficult, redirecting to another part of the open world is a supported way to progress, not a failure.
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Quest check: revisit NPCs whose stories matter to you, especially after a major area or story transition. Their locations and dialogue may change as events advance; do not assume every conversation will remain available indefinitely.
4. Altus Plateau and the capital approach: follow the route that opens for you
Continue toward Altus Plateau when you are ready. The route into the plateau can vary with your exploration, so use your map and the paths you have discovered rather than assuming there is only one entrance. Once there, activate nearby Sites of Grace and explore the roads and landmarks that lead toward the capital.
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Main route: make Leyndell your next major story destination. Optional: take time for side areas and other regions you have not explored; the recommended sequence is about orientation, not clearing every optional activity. Before pushing the main story forward, check in with NPCs and revisit relevant dialogue.
5. Leyndell and the late-game transition: pause before major story progress
Leyndell is a major turning point on the base-game route. Explore the capital, activate Sites of Grace to preserve your progress, and follow the story onward when ready. Because story advancement can move some NPC quests forward, this is a particularly useful point to pause if you care about side stories: speak to the characters you have encountered and check whether they have moved or have new dialogue.
This guide does not provide a complete quest-by-quest cutoff list or an exhaustive ending checklist. If you are pursuing a particular NPC outcome or ending, do not assume this general route guarantees it.
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6. The final regions: continue the story, using detours to manage difficulty
After the capital, the main route continues into the late-game regions and ultimately to the base-game finale. The difficulty may rise; if a fight or stretch stalls your progress, return to a different discovered area, strengthen your character, or explore before trying again. Bandai Namco’s gameplay overview specifically endorses leaving a difficult encounter and returning later.
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Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.When to explore, level up or return to a boss
There is no universal character level that makes a particular boss appropriate, and this route does not prescribe one. Use how the encounter feels and what you have available to choose your next move.
- Explore elsewhere if repeated attempts are not teaching you much, a route is proving too punishing, or you want to look for useful resources and equipment.
- Spend runes and review your setup at a Site of Grace when you have enough to make useful progress. Leveling is one option; purchases and equipment choices are part of the same progression loop.
- Return to the encounter when you are ready to test what you learned or after your detour has made you feel better prepared. Leaving and returning is a normal way to approach Elden Ring’s open world.
NPC quests: make check-ins part of the route
NPC quests are not guaranteed to wait until you finish the main story. Bandai Namco says some quests auto-advance as story progress unfolds and identifies missed NPC dialogue as a common source of missed content. That establishes a general risk, not a complete schedule of who moves or exactly when each quest changes.
- Talk to NPCs when you meet them, and continue until their dialogue repeats or they have nothing new to say.
- After a major story or region transition, revisit characters you care about and check for new dialogue or a changed location.
- If a particular quest outcome matters to you, consult a dedicated current quest reference before making a major story advance; this broad route cannot guarantee an individual quest’s timing.
After the base game: enter Shadow of the Erdtree
Completing the base game is your chosen order, not an expansion requirement. The official entry guide states that you must defeat Mohg, Lord of Blood, then interact with the arm at Miquella’s cocoon in Mohgwyn Dynasty Mausoleum to enter the Realm of Shadow. The expansion is not reached by simply continuing along the base-game route. See Bandai Namco’s Realm of Shadow entry guide for the stated access condition.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchAfter reaching the Realm of Shadow, rest at a Site of Grace there to enable travel between the Realm of Shadow and the Lands Between. You can then move between the two regions using the map, while keeping in mind that the expansion has its own regional progression system.
What the Shadow Realm blessings do
Scadutree Fragments strengthen the player’s damage dealt and damage negated in the Realm of Shadow. Revered Spirit Ash Blessings strengthen summoned spirits and Torrent there. These blessings are region-specific: they supplement, rather than replace, ordinary character progression such as leveling. Bandai Namco’s blessing guide describes their effects.
Quick Recap
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