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The world map in Crimson Desert is one of the most important tools at your disposal. When you first set foot on the continent of Pywel, the vast majority of the map is hidden beneath a thick fog of war. Regions, landmarks, and points of interest only reveal themselves as you explore on foot, on horseback, or by ringing bell towers scattered across the land. This guide explains every map icon, every method for clearing the fog, and the navigation tools that make traversing Pywel's enormous open world manageable.
Understanding the map early on saves hours of aimless wandering. The game does not hold your hand with quest markers pointing you to every secret, so learning to read the minimap, switch between map tabs, and use Blinding Flash from high vantage points is essential for efficient exploration.
Crimson Desert uses a fog-of-war system similar to classic strategy games. Every part of the map you have not physically visited remains covered in an opaque grey layer. As Kliff Macduff walks, rides, or glides through a region, the fog peels back in real time, permanently revealing the terrain, roads, and nearby points of interest. This passive reveal has a relatively narrow radius, so simply riding down a road only clears a thin corridor on either side.
There are two ways to accelerate map discovery. The first and most impactful method is ringing bell towers, which clear the fog across entire regions in a single action. The second is exploring on foot, which gradually fills in smaller pockets of the map as you wander. Bell towers reveal the broad strokes (terrain, major roads, and prominent landmarks), but they do not reveal hidden locations such as secret caves, Abyss Cressets tucked behind waterfalls, or unmarked treasure caches. Those require boots-on-the-ground exploration.
A late-game alternative exists in the Green (Spirit) branch of the skill tree. One of the exploration skills there removes all fog of war from the entire map at once, revealing every point of interest. This is helpful for completionists who want to sweep up remaining collectibles after finishing the main story.
Bell towers are the primary method for clearing large swaths of the fog of war. There are eight bells hidden across Pywel, and each one is tied to the "Toll of Pywel" questline for the Pororin Forest Guardians faction. Ringing all eight bells unfogs the entire continent and completes the associated quest chain.
Each bell sits atop a stone or wooden spire in a major settlement. To ring it, climb to the top of the tower and interact with the bell. Once it tolls, a Shai child appears in a brief cutscene and magically dissipates the surrounding fog, permanently revealing a large section of the region on your world map. The revealed area typically covers the entire settlement and a generous radius around it, including roads, nearby landmarks, and terrain features.
A recommended strategy is to explore a region manually before ringing its bell. This might sound counterintuitive, but there is a good reason: as you wander through fogged territory, you discover points of interest organically, and the game rewards that discovery with bonus XP and the satisfaction of stumbling onto hidden locations. If you ring the bell first, the fog lifts and the map shows you everything at a glance, which can reduce the sense of mystery. Many experienced players suggest riding through a new region, discovering as much as you can, and only then climbing the bell tower to fill in the gaps. This approach also lets you identify Mysterious Energy zones and Secret Places before the map reveals them, which gives you a mental map of where to return later with Blinding Flash.
The eight bells are distributed across the major cities and regions of Pywel. Most are available from the start of the game, with two notable exceptions.
Region | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Clock tower in the northern part of Hernand Town | Available from Chapter 1. One of the first bells most players ring. | |
Plaza at the top of Scholastone Institute, inside the pagoda at the end of the garden path | Available from Chapter 1. Requires climbing the Institute grounds. | |
Bell tower in Florindale, the forest town | Available from Chapter 1. Accessed through Pororin Forest area. | |
Tallest clock tower in the capital of Demeniss. Climb to the flagpole hanging on the side; your weight pulls it down, lowering the bell to the top floor. | Available from Chapter 1. Has a unique climbing puzzle to reach the bell. | |
Clock tower in the northwest part of the capital of Delesyia | Available from Chapter 1. | |
Capital of Tashkalp in the Crimson Desert region (northeast) | Available from Chapter 1. | |
Bell tower in the city of Calphade | Temporarily unavailable during Chapter 6. Ring it before or after that chapter. | |
Red tower near the docks in the middle of Pailune City | Only available after liberating Pailune in Chapter 7. |
The lantern is a versatile tool that does more than light dark caves. When you hold L1 (PS5), LB (Xbox), or Ctrl (PC), Kliff raises the lantern, illuminating the area in front of him. This has several practical effects for map navigation.
First, pointing the lantern at certain interactive objects like grindstones, anvils, bonfires, and cooking pots lets you learn their location. Once learned, these utility points are marked on your map permanently and appear under the Environment tab. This is especially useful for grindstones and anvils, which provide temporary weapon attack power and armor defense bonuses respectively. Knowing where the nearest grindstone is before heading into a tough fight can make a real difference.
Second, the lantern reveals NPC names at a considerable distance. If you see a cluster of figures and want to know whether one of them is a quest giver or a merchant, pulling out the lantern and sweeping it in their direction displays their name tags, saving you the trip if none of them are relevant.
Third, the lantern is used to activate Abyss Nexus fast travel points. When you find a stone platform with a circular design carved into the ground, stand in the center and hold up the lantern to activate it. After activation, the point becomes a permanent fast travel destination on your map.
The world map and minimap use color-coded icons to communicate different types of points of interest. Understanding what each color and shape means prevents you from walking past important locations.
Icon | Color | Description |
|---|---|---|
Blue (activated) / White question mark (undiscovered) | Ground-level fast travel platforms. Step onto the stone plate and hold the lantern to activate. Once activated, the icon turns blue and you can teleport to it from anywhere on the map. | |
Abyss Cresset | Blue (activated) / White question mark (undiscovered) | Puzzle-locked fast travel points. Approach the small pillar and interact with it. Some hand over an artifact immediately; others require solving a nearby puzzle first. Once solved, the cresset functions identically to a Nexus for fast travel. |
White circle with question mark | Large search areas on the world map that indicate an undiscovered Abyss Nexus, Abyss Cresset, or Secret Place is hidden nearby. Use Blinding Flash to pinpoint the exact location within the circle. | |
Purple cube on minimap | Locked polygonal cubes found on roadside shrines and altars. Each one contains a hidden challenge that is revealed when you pick it up. Completing the challenge converts it into a usable Abyss Artifact (one skill point). The purple icon appears on the minimap when you are within roughly 30 meters. | |
Liberation Sites | Red building icon | Enemy-occupied camps, blockades, and strongholds. Hovering over them on the map shows the faction name and blockade status. Once liberated, the icon changes to a neutral or friendly marker. |
Vendors and Merchants | Shop/bag icon | Merchants, blacksmiths, and other commercial NPCs. Visible after discovery or after ringing a nearby bell tower. |
Sanctum icon | Purification sites tied to witch companions. There are 16 sanctums across Pywel. You can defeat enemies at a sanctum before meeting its associated witch, but you cannot cleanse it until the witch is recruited (Elowen, the Witch of Wisdom, unlocks in Chapter 5). | |
Spires | Tall tower icon / Mysterious Energy before discovery | Puzzle towers with platforming challenges. Reaching the top of a Spire grants access to an Abyss Gate that teleports you to an Abyss island in the sky. There are 8 Spires total. They require story progress or specific keys to complete, even though you can physically reach them at any time. |
Quest NPCs | Orange dot | NPCs offering quests or important dialogue. Orange dots on the minimap mean someone nearby has a quest for you. |
Bounty Boards | Purple icon | Boards listing outlaw targets and bounties. Found in major towns and settlements. |
Bell icon | Appears on the minimap when you are close to an undiscovered bell tower. Climb and ring to clear the fog of war. |
The world map has multiple tabs that filter which icons are displayed. By default, you may be viewing the "Quests" or "All" tab, which can clutter the map with quest markers and faction objectives. Switching to the Environment tab strips away quest-related icons and shows only utility and exploration markers.
The Environment tab displays the locations of bonfires, grindstones, anvils, cooking pots, and other interactive objects you have discovered. This is extremely useful when you need to quickly locate the nearest grindstone to sharpen your weapon before a boss fight, or find a bonfire to rest and pass time. You can also see vendors you have previously visited, making it easy to return to a specific shop without remembering its exact location.
If your world map seems empty or you cannot find certain icons, check which tab you are on. Many players report confusion because they have the Quests tab selected and cannot see environment markers. Toggling to All or Environment solves this immediately.
Blinding Flash is not just a combat tool. It is one of the most powerful exploration abilities in the game, and learning to use it from elevated positions dramatically speeds up your discovery of hidden locations.
To activate Blinding Flash, press the lantern button and the light attack button simultaneously (L1 + R1 on PS5, LB + RB on Xbox, Ctrl + Left Click on PC). Kliff raises his sword and reflects concentrated sunlight outward. In combat, this blinds enemies and can solve light-reflection puzzles. In exploration, it is a radar pulse.
When you use Blinding Flash while standing on a high point (a cliff, hilltop, watchtower, or rooftop), shining beacons light up in the distance. Each beacon marks a point of interest: an Abyss Nexus, an Abyss Cresset, a Sealed Abyss Artifact, or a Secret Place. The beacons appear as glints of light on the horizon, and their direction tells you exactly where to head. This works even in fogged areas you have not explored yet, making it the single most efficient scouting technique in the game.
Abyss Nexus fast travel points: glints from undiscovered Nexus platforms guide you directly to new teleport locations.
Abyss Cressets: puzzle-locked fast travel points hidden in caves, behind waterfalls, or on remote ledges reflect the light back to you.
Sealed Abyss Artifacts: the purple cubes on roadside shrines catch the light, making them visible from hundreds of meters away.
Secret Places: hidden loot caches and environmental treasures tucked into alcoves and ruins also reflect the flash.
Always look for natural elevation before using Blinding Flash. The higher you are, the wider the scan radius. Mountain ridges, bell tower rooftops, and cliff edges overlooking valleys are ideal. After each flash, rotate the camera 360 degrees to spot glints in every direction. Mark interesting ones mentally (or with a screenshot), then work your way toward them. Combining Blinding Flash scouting with horse travel is one of the fastest ways to sweep a new region for collectibles and fast travel points.
The Abyss is a realm of floating islands suspended high above the surface of Pywel. It is not just a puzzle area; it is also a powerful navigation network. Once you understand how Abyss fast travel works, you can reach almost any part of the continent in seconds by teleporting upward and then skydiving down to your destination.
There are two types of fast travel points on the surface world, plus the Abyss sky layer.
Abyss Nexus: stone platforms carved into the ground. Stand on the central circle and hold the lantern to activate. Once active, the icon turns blue on the map and you can teleport to it at any time. There are dozens scattered across Pywel.
Abyss Cresset: smaller pillars that function as puzzle-gated fast travel. Approach one and interact with it. Some give you an artifact right away; others require solving a nearby environmental puzzle. Once complete, the cresset acts as a permanent teleport destination just like a Nexus.
Abyss Islands: the floating islands in the sky each have their own fast travel point. Press R3 (controller) or Mouse Wheel (PC) to switch the map to the sky layer. Any activated Abyss points appear as blue icons. You can teleport to these islands and then jump off the edge to skydive toward your actual ground-level destination.
This is one of the most useful navigation tricks in Crimson Desert and many players miss it entirely. If you need to reach a location on the surface but the nearest ground-level Nexus is far away, switch to the sky layer of the map and look for an Abyss island that is positioned above or near your destination. Teleport to that island, walk to the edge, and jump. You will enter a freefall, and you can steer Kliff toward the target location as you descend.
If you misjudge the distance and run out of energy midair, you can use the Axiom Force grapple to suspend yourself. Pausing the game while suspended resets your position back to the safety of the sky island checkpoint, so there is no risk of a fatal fall. This makes the Abyss sky layer effectively a second fast travel network that covers the gaps between ground-level Nexus points.
You cannot fast travel while mounted. Dismount your horse before opening the map and selecting a teleport destination.
Fast travel is available from anywhere in the open world. You do not need to be standing on a Nexus to teleport to one.
To teleport, hover over a blue fast travel icon on the map and double-click (PC) or press Y/Triangle (controller).
Abyss Cressets require solving their associated puzzle before they become usable as teleport points. Simply discovering them is not enough.
Ring bell towers as you travel. Even if you prefer the explore-first approach, do not put off bell towers indefinitely. Having the fog cleared gives you a bird's eye view of the terrain, which helps you plan efficient routes between liberation sites, quests, and collectible runs.
Switch map tabs frequently. The Quests tab is useful when tracking a specific objective, but the Environment tab shows utility points like grindstones and bonfires that are invisible on other tabs. Get into the habit of toggling between them.
Use Blinding Flash from every high point you find. Cliffs, rooftops, watchtowers, and mountain ridges are all excellent scanning positions. A single flash can reveal five or more hidden points of interest in a valley below.
Activate every Nexus you pass. Even if you do not plan to return to an area soon, activating a fast travel point takes only a few seconds and gives you a teleport option you might need later. Walking past an unactivated Nexus is a common regret.
Use the Abyss sky layer for long-distance travel. If your ground-level Nexus network has gaps, check whether an Abyss island overhead can serve as a drop point. The skydive trick cuts cross-continent travel times dramatically.
Learn grindstone and anvil locations early. Pull out the lantern near any campsite, village, or bandit outpost to scan for grindstones and anvils. Once learned, these locations appear on your Environment tab permanently, letting you sharpen weapons and reinforce armor on demand.
Do not ignore Mysterious Energy zones. The large white question mark circles on the map always contain something valuable: a Nexus, a Cresset, or a Secret Place. Prioritize investigating these when you are in the area.
Push the main story to Chapter 5 before deep exploration. Several important mechanics, including witch sanctum cleansing and certain skill tree branches, only unlock after specific story chapters. Exploring before Chapter 5 is still rewarding, but you will encounter locked content that you cannot interact with yet.
Keep an eye on the minimap icon colors. Orange means a quest NPC is nearby, purple indicates a bounty board or Sealed Artifact, white signals a fast travel node, and red marks hostile territory. Recognizing these at a glance prevents you from accidentally bypassing valuable encounters.
Mark notable locations mentally during exploration. If you spot something interesting but cannot interact with it yet (a locked Spire, an inaccessible sanctum), make a note of the region. You can return later once you have the required story progress or keys.
Fast Travel - All Abyss Nexus and Cresset locations across Pywel
Exploration and Traversal - Movement mechanics, climbing, gliding, and horseback riding
Blinding Flash - Full guide to combat, puzzle, and exploration uses
Challenges - Sealed Abyss Artifact challenge types and rewards
Tips and Tricks - General beginner advice and advanced strategies
Patch 1.04.00 added a Filters and Search function to the world map, letting players narrow the visible markers down to the categories they are working on rather than scanning a fully populated map every time. Custom map markers gained adjustable shape and color, so player-placed pins can be distinguished from each other at a glance. Well icons are now drawn on the map and minimap so the new wells added across Pywel are easy to spot. Memory Fragment markers now show the obtained-versus-pending state directly, and lanterns no longer broadcast detection signals after the linked Memory Fragment has been collected, which removes a long-standing visual nag in cleared areas. Shops where Trust has been maxed display their stock status on the map, so players know at a glance which max-trust shop has goods worth visiting. The minimap also gained cardinal direction indicators (north, south, east, west) for orientation.
See Patch 1.04.00 for the full map and UI change list.
