The Most Haunting Locations in Elden Ring That Will Chill You to the Bone!

Summary

Elden Ring features desolate, eerie, and haunting levels throughout the base game and its expansion, Shadow of the Erdtree.
From dark maze-like sewers to cursed villages and desolated castles, Elden Ring’s settings evoke suffocating despair and unsettlement.
Some of the bleakest areas of the game include Castle Morne, Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, Forsaken Depths, and the entire Caelid region.

In keeping with FromSoftware’s distinctive soulslike approach, Elden Ring crafts a realm teeming with history, complexity, and awe-inspiring diversity. The Lands Between may captivate with their breathtaking beauty, yet there are numerous regions that evoke feelings far from admiration — fear and an irresistible urge to flee. These range from bloodstained castles, echoing the horrors of past massacres, to sunless hamlets shrouded in enigma, or subterranean expanses where the earth itself seems littered with decaying bodies. In essence, Elden Ring provides an abundance of eerie, unsettling, and profoundly melancholic landscapes.

In the expansion of the game titled “Shadow of the Erdtree“, there’s a shift towards a more somber atmosphere, but it may surprise you to know that it features fewer grim locations compared to the base game, at least in terms of visual aesthetics rather than storyline. The hidden lands of shadow still conceal their own chilling mysteries, with secrets so disturbing that some might have preferred they remained buried – such as the oppressive Shadow Lands Gaols (Bonny Gaol, Belurat Gaol, and Lamenter’s Gaol) or the foreboding Abyssal Woods. However, the map of the expansion doesn’t evoke the same overpowering sense of despair that permeates the original game.

7. The Shaded Castle

Decaying Fortress Shrouded In Poison

Location: Between the Mt. Gelmir and Altus Plateau regions.

From the outside, the Shaded Castle appears inviting with its vivid artwork and strategic position between two significant regions in Elden Ring. But let me tell you, this first impression is deceiving. In truth, this fortress is one of the most treacherous and desolate dungeons I’ve encountered. It’s partially submerged in a noxious swamp, and its decaying walls are enveloped by a thick, toxic yellow fog that reeks of danger.

Originally governed by House Marais, this deteriorated fortress mirrors the demise of its ruler, a character linked to an notorious lineage of executioners. Decomposing bodies, murky marsh water, and treacherous foes armed with deathly taint inhabit its chambers, while chilling congealed statues haunt its halls. Equally haunting and merciless, the Shaded Castle is among the saddest and most difficult mini-dungeons in the game.

6. Subterranean Shunning-Grounds

Disgusting Maze-Like Sewers Filled With Death

Location: Beneath the capital city of Leyndell.

Among fans of Elden Ring, the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds is frequently viewed as one of the most disgusting and unsettling areas in the game. This vast sewer system beneath Leyndell is a real horror to traverse, filled with twisted pipes, sudden dead ends, collapsing passageways, rotting bodies, sneaky imps, and formidable adversaries. Certain hidden sections contain particularly distressing scenes, such as entire floors covered so thickly with decomposing remains that no ground can be seen beneath them.

Hidden parts of Leyndell are used as a refuge for the city’s outcasts and hidden truths. In this area, you’ll find imprisoned Omens – monstrous creatures rejected by the Golden Order, left to languish in obscurity. Without considering the Forsaken Depths (which we’ll discuss later), the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds is still a bleak place, characterized by its gloomy environment and confusing layout filled with detours and blind alleys.

5. Village Of The Albinaurics

A Desolate Sunless Settlement Hiding A Tragedy

Location: In the southern landmass of Liurnia of the Lakes, beneath the Moonlight Altar plateau.

In Elden Ring, the village known as Albinauric Settlement is one of the gloomiest places, nestled under a vast plateau which constantly casts a shadow over it. This desolate town exudes an overwhelming feeling of despair, its remnants standing testament to the destruction wrought by those who sought the Haligtree Secret Medallion, and in doing so, devastated the home of the ancient Albinaurics (artificially created beings born from sorcery).

In this desolate village, heavy with oppression and sadness, destroying the remaining Albinaurics seems almost like offering compassion. At the heart of the village stands a towering Gallows Tree, its gnarled limbs adorned with lifeless bodies, giving off a chilling vibe reminiscent of a haunting scene from “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt“. Its ominous shadow adds an indelible sense of dread to this already grim location.

4. Castle Morne

Ravaged Castle Shortly After A Bloody Rebellion

Location: South of the Weeping Peninsula in Limgrave.

Out of all the castles scattered across the Lands Between, Castle Morne is particularly noteworthy for its tragic and eerie ambiance. Originally a majestic fortress, it has been reduced to ruins following a bloody insurrection by its Misbegotten inhabitants. Remnants of the latest uprising are visible everywhere: charred bodies, slain knights, and ex-slaves reveling in their cruel triumph.

In Elden Ring, Castle Morne powerfully embodies motifs of treachery, retribution, and societal decay, all while showcasing exceptional environmental narrative. As players delve deeper into its depths, they’ll uncover a progressively grisly tale, with chilling details lurking around every corner. The weight and gloominess of the atmosphere grow heavier as time passes, leaving players eager to defeat the final boss, the Leonine Misbegotten, and bid farewell to this somber realm.

3. Caelid

What Happens When the Two Most Powerful Demigods Collide?

Location: East of Limgrave.

Opting to encompass the entirety of Caelid within this list instead of designating a singular, distinct location might appear as an easy option, but truthfully, selecting merely one spot as the bleakest is extremely challenging. The whole region seems to embody unrelenting agony. From its blood-red skies and haunting melodies to the grotesquely mutated creatures resembling giant dogs and birds that make every encounter a terrifying ordeal, Caelid is an unsettling wasteland of decay, death, and barren earth. It’s as if Elden Ring has created its own vision of hell, and it certainly deserves such a title.

As a devoted admirer, I can’t help but reminisce about the once vibrant realm of Caelid. However, the Scarlet Rot took its toll following the ferocious confrontation between Malenia and Radahn – a titanic clash that left both demigods unclaimed. Now, as I tread through the desecrated Church of the Plague, assault Redmane Castle, or navigate the treacherous Swamp of Aeonia, each step here resonates with a grim, dismal, and eerie sensation.

2. Corpse-Stench Shack

A Small But Deeply Sickening Place

Location: The base of Mt. Gelmir.

In the dismal landscapes of Elden Ring, the Corpse-Stench Shack emerges as a strong candidate for the most repugnant locale. It’s not just the shack that reeks; the foul odor of burned corpses from a recent battle in the area at Mount Gelmir’s base adds to the unsettling atmosphere. This grim region, which mirrors its violent past, is marked by a potential siege on Volcano Manor, suggested by wandering soldiers, abandoned siege towers, and war relics strewn about.

In this disheartening landscape, littered with the remains of slain trolls and other creatures impaled on spikes, stands an abandoned battlefield where a handful of restless adversaries continue to engage in violent skirmishes. Wandering dogs can be found here, scavenging for their next ghastly feast amidst the chaos and destruction.

1. Forsaken Depths and Cathedral Of The Forsaken

Haunting Museum Of Desolation And Madness

Location: Within the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds, beneath Leyndell.

Distinct from the Forsaken Depths beneath Stormveil Castle, this other cavern, often referred to as the Hidden Forsaken Depths, lies far within the Subterranean Shunning-Grounds. It serves as a passage towards the Cathedral of the Forsaken. This hidden location is home to deranged acolytes and the twisted Three Fingers, an ominous force aiming to incinerate the world and obliterate its pain.

One chilling and sorrowful location within Elden Ring is a gloomy abyss, which once served as a detention center for the most ostracized inhabitants of the Lands Between. The history behind this place is connected to the wandering vendors, who were wrongfully accused of blasphemy and confined beneath the earth. This false accusation led them to utter a mournful incantation that summoned the Raging Flame.

Reaching this location is not an easy task; it presents one of the most difficult platforming trials in the game, involving a nerve-wracking and terrifying descent. Unless gamers are pursuing the Lord of the Frenzied Flame ending, it might be wise to avoid it. The unsettling imagery, eerie music composed by isolated madmen, and overwhelming feeling of dread make this a place that lingers in players’ minds long after they’ve departed.

2025-03-14 04:35