🧮 Planning your survival & combat build?
Use our interactive upgrade calculator to track health flasks, heart pieces, and gear costs.
Upgrades are split into shop-purchased enhancements (Health Flask slots and combat passives bought with Upgrade Gears + Crystals) and world exploration pickups (12 Clock Heart Pieces, 12 Star Core Fragments, and 8 found + 2 shop-bought Rainbow Ingots).
Progression Structure
How Upgrades Work in Duskfade
Character progression in Duskfade relies on two complementary systems. In hub towns like Tick Town and Meridian Village, the Traveler's Shop exchanges collected Upgrade Gears and Crystals for active utility upgrades (extra healing flask capacity) and passive stat boosts (stamina recovery, damage multipliers). Meanwhile, exploring every corner of the 19 regions yields permanent stat upgrades that directly enhance Zirian's survivability.
Upgrade Matrix
All 5 Upgrade Categories
| Upgrade Track | Required Material | Total Available | In-Game Purpose | Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health Flask / Potion Slots | Upgrade Gears + Crystals | Tiered Shop Upgrades (Up to Max Flask Tier) | Increases maximum healing potion charges carried during exploration and boss fights. | Shopaholic |
| Clock Heart Pieces (Max Health) | Exploration Pickups | 12 Pieces (In-Level) | Permanently expands Zirian's maximum health bar. | A Clock Heart Piece a Day… |
| Star Core Fragments (Temporal Energy) | Exploration Pickups | 12 Fragments (In-Level) | Expands maximum Temporal Energy capacity for slow-motion Timeflux dodges and Chrono-Blade special arts. | Advanced Clockmaking |
| Rainbow Ingots (Weapon Mastery) | Exploration (8) + Shop (2) | 10 Total (8 Found + 2 Bought) | Used at the Clockmaker's Anvil to forge weapon enhancements and visual customizations for Minutero, Zirian's blade. | The Most Beautiful Sword in the Land |
| Upgrade Gears & Combat Passives | 36 In-Level Gears + Crystals | 36 Gears (In-Level) | Primary upgrade currency spent with Crystals at the Traveler's Shop for Stamina Boost, attack power, and passive tiers. | Shopaholic |
Note: The 3-piece assembly mechanic for Clock Heart Pieces was first documented in early pre-launch coverage (PixelTwelve) and aligns with the 12 in-level items in the full game.
Upgrade Material In-Game Visuals
Clock Heart Piece
Clock Heart Piece (12 total · +4 Max HP)
Upgrade Gear
Upgrade Gear (36 total · Shop passives)
Star Core Fragment
Star Core Fragment (12 total · Timeflux)
Rainbow Ingot
Rainbow Ingot (8 found + 2 shop · Sword)
Flask Upgrades
Potion Slot Progression & Hub Locations
A common player question is when and where additional healing flask charges can be acquired. Flask capacity upgrades are tied to reaching major regional hubs throughout the campaign:
Unlock Condition: Available after completing introductory tutorial and gathering initial Upgrade Gears
Combat Effect: Adds +1 healing potion charge to Zirian's belt.
Unlock Condition: Reaching the Sea Path hub and meeting the Traveler
Combat Effect: Adds a second additional flask charge for endurance against mid-game bosses like Sadness and Watcher.
Unlock Condition: Available on Hills/Desert paths before tackling late-game bosses
Combat Effect: Maxes out potion carrying capacity for the final Tower encounter.
Currency & Leftovers
Upgrade Gears & Community Notes on Unused Cogs
Duskfade contains 36 Upgrade Gears scattered across 18 exploration regions. Spending these gears with Crystals at the shop unlocks the "Shopaholic" Gold trophy.
⚠️ Unverified Community Note: Leftover Cogs
Several players on the Steam community discussions have noted having 5 unused cogs / gears remaining in their inventory after buying out all available upgrades at the Traveler's Shop. Whether this buffer was intentionally included by Weird Beluga to prevent players from being locked out of full upgrades if they miss tricky platforming gears, or represents unspent resources for potential post-launch content, is currently unverified.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do you get potion / flask slot upgrades in Duskfade?
Potion slot upgrades (Health Flask +1, +2, and Max Tier) are purchased from the Traveler's Shop using Upgrade Gears and Crystals. The first flask upgrade becomes available in Tick Town, while subsequent tiers unlock as you advance to major regional hubs such as World 3 (Meridian Village / Lantern Port).
How many Upgrade Gears are in the game, and what are they used for?
There are 36 Upgrade Gears hidden across the 18 exploration regions. They are spent alongside Crystals at the Traveler's Shop to purchase combat passives, stamina enhancements, and flask capacity.
Why do I have 5 unused cogs / gears left over after buying all upgrades?
Some players on the Steam community have reported having 5 surplus gears remaining in their inventory after emptying the shop. It is currently unverified whether this buffer is intentional to allow skipping certain difficult pickups or intended for future content.
How do Clock Heart Pieces and Star Core Fragments work?
There are 12 Clock Heart Pieces (every 3 pieces grant +1 permanent heart container) and 12 Star Core Fragments (permanently expanding Temporal Energy capacity for slow-motion focus).
Verification log
Sources
- Duskfade Upgrades, Gears & Clock Hearts GuidePixelTwelve · checked 2026-09-01
- Duskfade trophiesTrueTrophies · checked 2026-09-05
- Duskfade announcementsWeird Beluga on Steam · checked 2026-09-05