There are so many power-ups, mobility boosts, and combat upgrades in Duskfade that it can be a bit overwhelming, especially at the beginning of the game. This guide will provide you with some of the best Tick Town upgrades in the game that you should focus on, including all the best purchases.
Priority Order for Best Purchases
All upgrades cost money, such as gears, crystals, cogs, shards, tokens, dust, and other resources, which you can use at the merchant’s shop of cute Cloudies in a trench coat, located near the Fast Travel Point, or at the Tinkerer’s Bench. In any case, here are some of the top upgrades that you should purchase as soon as possible:
| Types | Upgrades |
|---|---|
| Health Upgrades | Clock Heart Pieces or Aether Dust on Heart Vessel add +1 heart per purchase. Dramatically improves survivability against bosses. Spend Aether Dust here first, but Clock Heart Pieces also expand your health. |
| Weapon Upgrades | Ember Shards, Clockwork Cogs, Upgrade Gears and Crystals upgrade your main blade to +1 and beyond. Do this before major bosses like the Hollow Sentinel. Core Shards from bosses unlock weapon paths, so choose one based on your playstyle. One free respec is available later for 500 Clockwork Cogs + Mirrorglass at Tinkerer. |
| Energy Upgrades | Tick Energy boosts your stamina from Rooftop Lookout. Star Core Fragments improve your gadgets, air dashes, grapples, and specials. Star Fragments and checkpoints also help the temporal energy bar. |
| Permanent Stat Boosts | Hold until you have 5 Brass Tokens for bulk discounts for lasting power increases. Tier-2 upgrades unlock after early side quests. |
| Fast-travel Anchors | Clockwork Cogs are essential for reducing backtracking. Gatekeeper Plinth activates the system. |
| Attack Upgrades | Upgrade Gears and Crystals unlock new attacks and improvements for existing ones. These enhance combat and platforming fluidity. |
Honorable Mentions & Respec Tips
In addition to the main upgrades, you can also check out the Side Alley vendor and purchase some more upgrades for Gear Tokens. These include extra utility and minor combat perks, but be sure to get those discounts from NPCs, so talk to everyone with gold icons. Here’s what else you can purchase after getting the top upgrades:
| Types | Upgrades |
|---|---|
| Cosmetics | Flasks of Dye and Rainbow Ingots from the shop next to Tick Town Fast Travel. You’ll need these for sword skins like the Kingdom Hearts look and “The Most Beautiful Sword in the Land” trophy. Outfit dyes can be purchased via the Tailord after progressing through the worlds. Aether Dust can go here after hearts. |
| Lore Entries | Music boxes via Arpeggio at the Inn after collecting them, N1-C0ins for cards, etc. |
| Full Shopaholic | Buy all upgrades with gears and crystals for even more extras. |
Lastly, you can respec your character once per playthrough after the first three bosses at the Tinkerer. So make sure that you’ve got all your stat upgrades and additional boosts where you want them to be, or there may not be another chance to do so.
