Don’t forget to upgrade your flasks in Elden Ring every so often

It’s so easy to get distracted out in the world and lose track when it’s time to upgrade

Not to tell you how to play Elden Ring or anything, but uh, when’s the last time you upgraded your flasks? I ask myself that question all the time, and before I can make it to the next Site of Grace to see if I’ve got enough Golden Seeds or Sacred Tears to spend on an upgrade to my Crimson and Cerulean flasks’ charges or potency, I get distracted.

It’s a cycle, for sure — an inevitability. I see some creature that needs to be taken out right this second (even though I’ve already killed a ton of ’em), or I catch a glimpse of some shiny item on a ledge that I can’t resist collecting (even though it will probably just be another such-and-such I’ll never end up using with this character), and suddenly, my mind slips. I forget about the thing I set out to do; the thing that will absolutely help me in the long run.

My to-do list is constantly shifting at any given moment in Elden Ring, and that sensation impacts not just my every-so-often flask upgrades, but other facets of the game, too.

**Minor spoilers for upgrade materials**

For instance, talismans. And the smithing stones used to bolster weapons and shields. And somber stones used for certain other upgrades. And the Glovewort material that’s needed for my Spirit Ashes. And the other Glovewort for my other ghostly AI summons.

As I attempt to explore Elden Ring to its fullest, I end up accumulating so much stuff that, inevitably, some of it slips through the cracks. I’ll poke around my inventory and wonder “Wait, when did I pick up this?” If you’re the type of player who is totally okay with rushing through a trap or side-stepping an intimidating foe just so you can yoink a precariously-placed item, you can probably relate. I often grab this stuff under duress, so I don’t exactly have a spare moment to pull up my inventory and take special note of what it is or does.

Eventually, in a quiet moment, I do circle back. I take in the juicy item-based lore and make sure my talisman loadout is fine-tuned for the given situation and circumstances, and that I’ve boosted my weapons, shield, and favorite Spirit Ashes to their current full potential.

But there’s something about Golden Seeds and Sacred Tears. They keep piling up, unused.

I have genuinely lost track of how many times in Elden Ring I’ve had a few of them ready to go for a flask upgrade without realizing it until an hour later. And as the cost of upgrades scales up further in, it becomes easier to lose track. I need a Post-It Note on my TV.

So to you — and admittedly, also myself — here’s a friendly Elden Ring reminder: upgrade those flasks the next time you’re at a Site of Grace. Make it a mantra if you need to.

I’m sure you know the drill by now, and I should too, but still!