Elden Ring · FromSoftware · 2022
Elden Ring
The open-world soulslike that redefined the genre in 2022 and keeps evolving with Shadow of the Erdtree
FromSoftware's open-world action-RPG written with George R. R. Martin. Classic Souls combat dropped into a huge map, with hundreds of bosses, endless builds, and a strong PC modding community.
Tools
17Build Planning
4
Interactive Maps
2
Modding Frameworks
2
Gameplay Overhauls
2Modding Utilities
2Reference
2
Community
2
Comparisons
7EIP Gaming Build PlannervsMugen Monkey (Elden Ring)
EIP if you want a modern UI with every base-game and SOTE item; Mugen Monkey if your priority is optimizing the starting class to the exact level for capped PvP.
EIP Gaming Build Plannervstarnished.dev Build Planner
EIP if you want massive item coverage and deeper data; tarnished.dev if you value modern UX and fast fuzzy search to iterate builds.
ELDEN RING ReforgedvsThe Convergence Mod
ELDEN RING Reforged if you want more Elden Ring with modern balance; The Convergence if you want a different experience with hundreds of new spells and weapons. ERR respects the original, Convergence reinvents it.
Fextralife Elden Ring WikivsElden Ring Wiki (wiki.gg)
Fextralife if you need complete coverage with community comments and accept aggressive ads; wiki.gg if you value clean UI without ads and accept ~80% coverage.
Map Genie (Elden Ring)vsAtlasForge (Elden Ring)
Map Genie if you'll use the mobile app as a companion while playing; AtlasForge if you want everything free with fewer ads and an integrated planner.
Mugen Monkey (Elden Ring)vsEmilia's Build & Inventory Tool
Mugen Monkey if you want to optimize starting class for capped PvP; Emilia's tool if you want raw datamined data and exact frame data.
tarnished.dev Build PlannervsEmilia's Build & Inventory Tool
tarnished.dev for casual users who value pretty UX; Emilia for technical users needing frame data and datamine.
Latest news
Creators
5
PointCrow
Specialist in creative challenge runs: Elden Ring with only your Spirit Ash, no leveling, single weapon, etc. Videos are well edited, narrate the process with real entertainment, and give ideas for your own self-imposed restrictions.
Powerbazinga TV
The most-watched Spanish-language Elden Ring guide channel. Covers practical topics: rune farming, build tier lists, area secrets, 100% platinum. Clear language, no ego, no padding to extend videos.
Souls Frequency
Venezuelan channel dedicated to literary and mechanical analysis of Souls and similar games. The 'Lore Play' series plays through the game while commenting lore in real time; analytical videos break down mechanics and narrative carefully. One of the few serious Spanish-language options for deep lore.
The Tarnished Archaeologist
An actual archaeologist and university professor who applies academic methodology to Elden Ring lore. Reads the game's inscriptions as archaeological artifacts and connects each symbol to real-world mythology (Mesopotamian, Gnostic, Hindu). For viewers who want lore with historical-cultural backing.
VaatiVidya
The definitive Souls lore YouTuber. His Elden Ring narrative analyses are the reference: well-researched, calmly narrated, and edited with custom cinematics. When he wraps a character's story, your understanding of the game ratchets up a level.
Resources
Beginner Guides
Essential resources to start Elden Ring without getting lost or breaking your first Tarnished
5 resources
Build Guides
Featured builds by archetype: dex katana, faith incantation, str colossal, arcane bleed, magic int caster
5 resources
Boss Guides
Strategies for Malenia, Mohg, Maliketh, Radagon, Promised Consort Radahn, and the rest of the pinnacle bosses
5 resources
Modding Guides
How to install Mod Engine 2, Seamless Co-op, big overhauls, and resolve conflicts between Elden Ring mods
5 resources
Lore & Deep Dives
Narrative analyses of Marika's world, the Outer Gods, the Greater Will, and connections to the rest of the soulsborne canon
5 resources
About the game
What Elden Ring is
Elden Ring is FromSoftware's action-RPG released in February 2022, directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki with worldbuilding collaboration from George R. R. Martin. It's the first time the studio behind the Souls series applied its formula to a fully open world: the Lands Between map connects six major regions (Limgrave, Liurnia, Caelid, Altus, Mountaintops, Crumbling Farum Azula) plus hidden areas like Nokron, Deeproot Depths, and Mohgwyn Palace.
The narrative premise is signature Miyazaki: the world broke after the Shattering, the demigods tore the Great Runes apart, and you're a graceless Tarnished returning to reclaim the Elden Ring. The story isn't told — it's discovered by reading item descriptions, listening to cryptic NPCs, and piecing together lore fragments scattered across the map.
Mechanically it's textbook Souls: stamina, poise, parries, dodges, deep build crafting. But the open world changes the pace: you can skip zones, come back later, farm runes in open fields, craft consumables, and ride Torrent (the spectral horse) for distance. The Souls + open world blend is what made Elden Ring GOTY 2022 and sold over 25 million copies.
Shadow of the Erdtree (DLC, 2024)
In June 2024, FromSoftware released Shadow of the Erdtree, the game's only paid expansion (~$40 USD). It adds the Realm of Shadow, a new map the size of Limgrave + Liurnia combined, with its own vertical geography (Shadow Keep, Belurat, Enir-Ilim, Stone Coffin Fissure). It includes 8 major bosses, dozens of mini-bosses, ~100 new weapons, 30+ spells/incantations, a new Scadutree Fragment system (defense/damage scaling only inside the Realm of Shadow), and Miquella's parallel storyline.
Promised Consort Radahn, the DLC's final boss, is considered one of the hardest in FromSoftware's catalog after several patches. To access Shadow of the Erdtree, you must have killed Mohg, Lord of Blood and Starscourge Radahn in the base game.
The codex's tools, wikis, and mods cover both (base + DLC) — the DLC integrates into the same global game data.
Why it matters
Three reasons why Elden Ring has such a large presence in the codex:
Builds and experimentation. The stats + armor + weapons + ashes of war + spells + talismans system enables combinations that count in the thousands. The build-maker community is huge and the planners (eip, mugenmonkey, tarnished.dev) give players the ability to pre-design before respeccing with Larval Tears in-game.
Strong PC modding. Even though Elden Ring uses Easy Anti-Cheat (with offline mode bypass), the modding community built robust infrastructure: Mod Engine 2 as loader, Seamless Co-op for smooth co-op, and massive overhauls like ELDEN RING Reforged and The Convergence that create almost-new experiences.
Obsessive lore. Like all Souls, the lore is opaque and only reveals itself when you dig. Vaatividya, Tarnished Archaeologist, and other lore YouTubers have created hours of analysis on the Outer Gods, the eras of the Erdtree, the Marika/Radagon family, and the esoteric cosmologies of the game.
Codex ecosystem
Curated tools cover build planning (4 alternative calculators with different UIs), reference (Fextralife vs wiki.gg), maps (Map Genie vs AtlasForge), modding (Mod Engine 2, Seamless Co-op, big overhauls), and community (official Discord + r/Eldenring).
Resources cover beginner guides, archetype builds, boss strategies (including DLC pinnacle bosses), modding guides, and lore deep dives.
If you just finished the vanilla game and want a different second run, check the comparison between ELDEN RING Reforged vs The Convergence. If you're building your first character, the comparisons between planners help you pick the one that fits how you think.
