Overview
Crimson Desert is packed with hidden content that rewards thorough exploration. The developers have confirmed "tons of hidden content and secrets" throughout the world. Secret walls, hidden dungeons, environmental puzzles, and obscure mechanics are scattered across Pywel.
Treasure maps and digging
Crimson Desert features a treasure hunting system. You can find papers throughout the world that contain an image and an X mark indicating where to dig. These treasure maps provide visual clues -- landmark references, terrain features, and distinctive imagery -- that guide you to a specific digging spot. Following a treasure map to its destination and digging at the marked location rewards rare items, crafting materials, or Abyss Artifacts.
Hidden rooms behind bookshelves
Bookshelves in certain buildings can hide secret rooms and hidden pathways behind them. These are not immediately obvious. To reveal the hidden passage, you can use a bow to break the wood blocking the bookshelf or path. Shooting the wood barrier with an arrow destroys it, revealing the room behind. These hidden rooms contain treasure chests, rare items, and sometimes lore entries.
The Soul Spear
A weapon called the "Soul Spear" has been confirmed as findable in hidden ruins. This is an example of how significant items are tucked away behind secret pathways and explorable ruins rather than given as straightforward quest rewards. The Soul Spear is one of the rare items that rewards dedicated exploration.
The Threaten dialogue option
During conversations with certain NPCs, a "Threaten" option is available alongside standard dialogue choices, similar to the system in Red Dead Redemption 2. Using it lets you rob, interrogate, or extract information from NPCs. This can yield items, information about hidden locations, or shortcuts to quest objectives.
Secret walls and hidden passages
Some walls in dungeons and ruins are destructible or illusory. Hitting certain walls reveals hidden passages leading to treasure chests, shortcuts, or entirely new areas. If a wall looks suspicious, try attacking it.
Ritual Grounds
Hidden Ritual Grounds are special locations tucked away in hard-to-reach areas. Finding them requires exploration off the beaten path.
Constellation puzzle
A constellation puzzle has been confirmed at the Steel Mountains tower. The puzzle involves astronomical observations and aligning patterns.
Observation-based discoveries
The Knowledge System rewards paying attention to the world. Watching NPCs perform activities (fishing, martial arts, belly flop attacks) teaches you skills. Interacting with NPCs reveals information about wildlife, inhabitants, and items, which can open new quests and skill paths.
Abyss vision mode
A special vision mode can be activated to reveal Abyss-related objects in the environment that are otherwise invisible. This means some secrets are only discoverable when using this mode. Abyss fragments falling from the sky affect the world below, and this vision mode helps identify where those effects are concentrated.
Hidden dungeons
Beyond the main dungeon areas, hidden dungeons exist behind secret walls, in caves that are easy to overlook, and in areas that require specific traversal abilities to reach.
Black Desert connections
Easter eggs referencing Black Desert Online are scattered throughout the game. These are purely cosmetic or referential. Crimson Desert is not a prequel or sequel to BDO.
Light reflection mechanics
Some Abyss Artifacts can be located by reflecting sword light onto specific surfaces. When your weapon catches the light near a hidden artifact, it reveals the artifact's location.