Though rooted deeply into the hardcore action-RPG mechanics made popular by the Souls series, Elden Ring Nightreign is a very different sort of experience from what FromSoftware usually offers in its games. With a focus on co-op play and a time limit, playing the new game from the Japanese studio can feel overwhelming for those more used to the slower pace of typical soulslike.

To help you better understand the unique take on the Soulslike mechanics featured in Elden Ring Nightreign, and to start having fun just a few Expeditions in, here are a few tips that will be helpful as you run from one side of the other of Limveld, trying to stay one step ahead of the Night.

1 – Plan For the Whole Game

With the first two in-game days lasting only 15 minutes, you must upgrade your character as quickly as possible in Elden Ring Nightreign. As such, you will want to start planning what to do right from the start of a game. While the spectral hawk is carrying you to Limveld, open up the map and locate the most critical upgrades to have an easier time later in the game, and plan around their locations. Flask charges, situated inside the churches with a gold outline, are a must for survivability, so grab them as quickly as possible, possibly clearing a few other locations along the way to level up and get your first few upgrades. If you can, prioritize locations on the edges of the map, as there’s a good chance they will no longer be available for the day once the Night approaches.

2 – Level Up As Much as You Can

While it can be tempting to explore an enemy camp or an enemy stronghold near your landing point at the start of the game, it’s not a very good idea to head into them at a low level. Look around your starting location, find some mobs, and take them down to get some runes and level up to at least level 3 to have a much easier time. In Elden Ring Nightreign, character level matters a lot, as it not only increases stats but also allows your Nightfarer to wield weapons of higher rarity, so you will want to make some quick preparations before heading into any location guarded by bosses. Dying will also make you waste time, which you don’t have a lot of in the game.

3 – Ignore Mobs

Killing mobs at the start of a game in Elden Ring Nightreign is the way to go to level up enough to handle bosses, but after reaching level 3, it’s almost always a good idea to ignore all those mobs that aren’t getting in the way. After a certain point, the runes you get from defeating them are not worth the time you need to dispose of them, which could be used to take down bosses, which give plenty of runes and offer you one between three different upgrades, which may be more crucial to defeating a Nightlord than runes to level up. This holds even more true when going through the Castle in the center of Limveld. This location is filled with enemies that reward Nightfarers with upgrades, so ignore the mobs to get to them as quickly as possible to reap some beneficial rewards.

4 – Get a Ranged Combat Option

By pressing the Triangle or Y button with the map open, you will be able to get more information on the upgrades that can be obtained in each location in Limveld, and you will be surprised by how many bows and ranged weapons can be found. There’s a good reason for this: ranged combat options work great in Elden Ring Nightreign, as you have infinite ammo and can spam attack from a safe distance. Having to resort to healing as little as possible, taking out enemies from afar is extremely important, so make sure to get a ranged attack option for your character, no matter how good they may be at using it. The same goes for all magic spells, as they can make your life significantly easier under certain conditions. Most Nightlords don’t leave themselves open too often, so having a ranged attack option is a great help against these powerful enemies as well.

5 – Don’t Go Off on Your Own

Going off alone in Elden Ring Nightreign can be tempting, especially if you have uncollaborative companions, but doing so is never a good idea. Always stick together with your fellow Nightfarers, as there’s nothing that you can do by yourself that can help the team as a whole. For example, you may defeat some bosses by yourself, but your companions will not receive upgrades automatically, only runes, rendering your efforts almost useless, in the grand scheme of things. With more experienced Nightfarers and excellent team coordination, spreading out may be a viable strategy to take down multiple bosses and rush from one location to the next picking upgrades, but this requires a lot of game knowledge as well, which you will obviously lack at the start of your adventure in Limveld.