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Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night throws you into a vast, demon-infested castle as Miriam, a Shardbinder cursed by a crystallizing affliction. Every hallway holds hidden secrets, every boss tests your reflexes and pattern recognition, and each Shard unlocks unique powers. This comprehensive guide will help you master the game’s controls, movement, combat mechanics, Shard system, crafting, and exploration. Discover essential map tips, boss battle strategies, and optimal build setups. Follow this step-by-step walkthrough to uncover all secrets, forge powerful gear, and dominate even Nightmare Mode.

Table of Contents

• Game Overview
• Controls & Movement
• Core Mechanics
• Exploration & Map Tips
• Combat Techniques & Shards
• Crafting & Alchemy
• Boss Encounters & Strategies
• Endgame, New Game+ & Secret Mode
• Top Tips & Tricks
• Conclusion

1. Game Overview

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, released in June 2019, is a gothic Metroidvania developed by ArtPlay and Inti Creates, led by genre legend Koji Igarashi. You take on the role of Miriam, a Shardbinder navigating Gebel’s ever-shifting demon-filled castle to stop a catastrophic alchemical ritual. Blending side-scrolling action with RPG-style leveling, a deep crafting system, and powerful Shard abilities, the game pays homage to classic Castlevania while forging a unique identity of its own.

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
• Genre: Action Metroidvania with RPG mechanics and rich exploration
• Progression System: Defeat enemies to gain XP and level up, distribute stat boosts, equip up to three active Magic Shards and one passive Shard, craft and upgrade weapons, and unlock new areas with new powers
• Game Modes: Single-player story campaign, New Game+, Boss Rush, 1986 Retro Mode, and various DLC challenges, including co-op dungeons and time trials.

Pro Tip: Passive Shards grant permanent toggle-on buffs at Rank 9, so prioritize leveling key passive Shards (Luck, Reflect, Speed) early to boost survivability in boss fights.

2. Controls & Movement

Responsive inputs are essential in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, where fast-paced combat and tight platforming demand precision. The default PlayStation controller layout is widely favored for its ergonomic balance and ease of access. However, if you’re using a keyboard or a different controller, it’s highly recommended to remap critical actions—like dodge and quick-cast Shards—to nearby, easily reachable keys. This minimizes reaction time and ensures smoother, more responsive gameplay in intense situations.

Movement Fundamentals

• Backstep Dodge: Offers a brief window of invulnerability. Use it to dodge boss telegraphs and immediately counterattack during openings.
• Double Jump: Gained from the Double Jump Shard, this is vital for navigating vertical areas and avoiding airborne enemies.
• Slide Cancel: Executing a slide right after landing from a jump or dash cancels recovery frames, helping you maintain momentum and enabling smoother, faster movement.
• No Native Angled Kick: Unlike some classic Metroidvanias, Bloodstained doesn’t feature a built-in downward kick. The Flashing Air Kick—a triple aerial strike—is a Technique unlocked by mastering the Kung Fu Shoes.

3. Core Mechanics

The replay value in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night comes from its deep interconnected systems—Shard customization, Weapon Mastery, stat-based builds, and a robust crafting system. These mechanics work together to support a wide range of playstyles, encouraging experimentation and multiple runs. Below is a detailed breakdown of each core system, verified against the official Bloodstained Wiki for accuracy.

🔮 Shards

You can equip up to three active Shards and one passive Shard at a time.

• Active Shards consume MP and gain experience, increasing in power as they rank up.
• Passive Shards provide ongoing effects, and at Rank 9, they transform into toggleable buffs for greater flexibility.

🗡️ Weapon Mastery

Using weapons gradually fills their Mastery Bar.

• Once you hit a threshold, you unlock Techniques—special moves triggered with directional or quarter-circle inputs plus attack.
• These Techniques become available across all weapons of the same class, allowing for flexible combo potential.

📊 Stats & Leveling

Upon leveling up, Miriam’s base stats increase, but certain builds benefit more from specialized focus:

• Vitality + Intelligence: Ideal for caster builds, boosting defense and magic damage.
• Strength + Agility: Best for melee hybrids, enhancing physical attacks and speed.
• Luck also influences drop rates and critical hits.

💾 Save Rooms & Portals

• Save Rooms fully restore HP and MP—visit often before boss fights.
• Warp Portals enable fast travel across the castle. Activating each one reduces backtracking and streamlines the exploration process.

4. Exploration & Map Tips

Efficient exploration in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is key to finding hidden loot, rare Shard Fragments, and secret areas. According to PC Gamer’s official guide, understanding the game’s iconography, chest color system, and backtracking tactics can drastically improve your progression.

🔍 Mini-Map Icons

• White Outlines: Indicate fully explored rooms
• Crimson Icons: Mark Bloodstained Save Rooms (HP/MP restore)
• Teal Symbols: Represent warp portals for fast travel

🎁 Chest Colors & Contents

• Brown: Common consumables (potions, food, etc.)
• Red: Gold drops
• Green: Equipment and weapons
• Blue: Skill-gated items requiring movement-based Shards like Double Jump, Invert, or Reflector Ray

🧱 Breakable Walls

• Look for cracked or oddly textured walls—striking them often reveals hidden passages packed with rare crafting materials, secret rooms, or shortcuts.

🚩 Map Markers & Backtracking

• Use custom map flags to mark inaccessible areas.
• Revisit these spots once you’ve unlocked key movement Shards such as:
  • Double Jump (vertical access)
  • Invert (gravity reversal)
  • Reflector Ray (teleporting through narrow spaces)
  • Burrow (dig through soft terrain)
• These areas often hide exclusive rewards, secret bosses, or rare Shards.

Exploration Note: Blue-marked chests unlock only after obtaining the matching movement Shard (Double Jump, Climbing, etc.).  So, always revisit early regions after major skill unlocks.

5. Combat Techniques & Shards

Combat in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night blends melee attacks, weapon Techniques, and Shard casting into a fluid, adaptable combat loop. Success depends on managing your MP, maintaining crowd control, and switching tactics based on enemy types and boss phases. The strategies below are built around optimizing this dynamic system:

🧿 Shard Casting

• Light (R1) and Aimed (R2) Shards consume MP and are core to ranged damage and utility.
• Leveling up Shards reduces MP cost, increases damage, and can unlock secondary effects like burn, poison, or slow.
• Prioritize upgrading versatile Shards early for better MP efficiency in extended fights.

🗡️ Weapon Techniques

Mastering a weapon unlocks directional-input Techniques, turning basic attacks into powerful skills.
Key examples include:

• Flashing Air Kick (Kung Fu Shoes): Multi-hit spinning aerial kick ideal for interrupting enemies mid-air.
• Rapid Fire (Blunderbuss): Gatling-style burst that clears clustered enemies with ease.
• Stun Edge (Shuriken): Fast, ranged attack with a high chance to stun smaller foes—great for interrupting spellcasters.

🎯 Enemy Priority & Crowd Control

• Always target healers and magic users first—their support and AoE spells can quickly overwhelm.
• Open with ranged Shards to pick off priority threats, then use AoE Techniques or sweeping melee attacks to thin out minions.
• Save high-MP or burst Shards for elites and bosses once the battlefield is cleared.

Combat Note: Parry tough attacks with a well-timed Backstep (L1), then immediately counter with a high-damage Technique like Force Blast for maximum impact.

6. Crafting & Alchemy

Early in your journey, you’ll encounter Johannes, the castle’s resident alchemist. He provides access to crafting and upgrading systems, offering recipes for weapons, armor, consumables, and Shard enhancements.

• Ingredients can be collected from enemy drops, treasure chests, or by dismantling unused equipment.
• Dismantling gear returns 100% of the original materials at the cost of a small Alkahest fee, making it ideal for trying out different gear setups without waste.
• This system encourages experimentation—mix and match weapons, upgrade your best Shards, and tailor your build to your preferred playstyle.

🛠️ Crafting Systems Breakdown

Crafting in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is both flexible and rewarding, allowing players to experiment freely with gear, consumables, and Shard upgrades. Below is a detailed look at each key mechanic:

📜 Recipes

• New recipes are unlocked in Johannes’ shop after defeating major bosses.
• Each recipe displays the required materials and the Alkahest cost for crafting.
• Keep checking back—Johannes’ inventory expands as you progress.

🧩 Dismantling Gear

• Dismantle unwanted weapons, armor, and accessories to recover all original materials.
• The only cost is a small amount of Alkahest, making it ideal for testing rare blueprints without permanent investment.

🧃 Consumables

• Craft meals, potions, and elixirs that temporarily or permanently boost stats like:
  • Strength, Vitality, Intelligence, Luck
  • HP and MP regeneration
• Always stock up before entering boss fights or unexplored regions.

✴️ Shard Imbuing

• Use Shard Fragments to increase the rank cap of specific Shards.
• Higher ranks unlock stronger effects, new properties (e.g., status ailments, damage scaling), and sometimes toggleable buffs when fully upgraded.

Crafting Note: Dismantling items returns all crafting materials for a modest Alkahest cost, allowing you to experiment with rare blueprints without risk.

7. Boss Encounters & Strategies

Bosses test your mastery of movement, timing and build synergy. Equip passive Shards at Rank 9, bring top consumables and memorize patterns. The table below lists strategies and drops for key encounters

8. Endgame, New Game+ & Secret Mode

Finishing the main story unlocks several new gameplay modes to extend your experience:

• New Game+ – Start over with your existing gear, levels, and Shards for a more powerful second run.
• Boss Rush Mode – Face a gauntlet of bosses back-to-back to test your skills and builds.
• 1986 Mode – Despite common rumors, this retro throwback mode is activated by naming your New Game+ save file “1986”, not “NIGHTMARE.” It transforms the game with 8-bit-style visuals, audio, and UI, offering a nostalgic homage to classic Castlevania.

After completing the main story in Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night, several post-game modes and challenges become available, adding significant replay value:

🔄 New Game+

• Start a new run while retaining all levels, gear, Shards, and Techniques.
• Access previously unreachable areas, face hidden bosses, and push your build to new heights.

🕹️ 1986 Mode

• To unlock this retro-style mode, name your New Game+ save file “1986”.
• Features include pixelated graphics, chiptune soundtracks, and UI changes—a direct homage to classic Castlevania.

⚔️ Boss Rush Mode

• Battle every boss in succession under time pressure.
• Completing Boss Rush earns exclusive rewards, titles, and is ideal for testing advanced builds.

🧩 DLC Challenges

• Includes additional dungeons, tougher enemy variants, and even online co-op modes.
• Designed to extend replayability and offer new twists on core gameplay.

NG+ Callout: Remember to name your save file “1986” to experience the full retro throwback in 1986 Mode.

9. Top Tips & Tricks

These concise, expert-backed tips come from seasoned Bloodstained players and verified community sources:

🍀 Boost Luck

Each point in Luck increases your item drop rate, gold acquisition, and critical hit chance.
Before farming, equip accessories and gear that enhance Luck for maximum efficiency.

🌀 Backstep Cancel

Right after performing a Backstep Dodge, immediately crouch to cancel recovery frames.
This lets you chain dodges or attacks faster and reduces your vulnerability window.

📈 XP Farming Loop

The Den of Behemoths is ideal for high XP and rare gear farming.
Warp between nearby portals to quickly respawn enemies and create an efficient XP loop.

📚 Read Bookshelves

Technique tomes are hidden in library rooms throughout the castle.
Reading them adds the Technique to your journal—use it once to master it permanently, unlocking new moves.

🛡️ Gear Synergy over Stats

Instead of stacking random stat boosts, build around gear sets that support your playstyle.
For example:

• Farming = +Luck + +Item Drop
• Caster = +INT + MP Regen
• Melee = +STR + Weapon Techniques

Conclusion

Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night is a game that rewards curiosity, build experimentation, and mastery of its deep combat and progression systems. With the verified controls, movement techniques, Shard optimization, and crafting strategies outlined in this guide, you’re fully equipped to shape Miriam into a force ready for any challenge.

Explore every corner, perfect your gear, and rise to the trials of Nightmare Mode with confidence.

Now—return to the castle and uncover every hidden power it holds.