Duskfade Collectibles
Duskfade is a collectathon at heart. Beyond the critical path sit a dozen optional pickup types spread across 20 named regions of Tearfeld — and several of them are gated behind abilities you only get late. Here is every category, what it unlocks, and which ability you need before you can finish it.
Every Collectible Type
| Collectible | What It Does | Ability Gate | Trophy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Core Fragments 12 across Tearfeld | Every 3 fragments raises your Temporal Energy bar — 4 increases total | Hookshot, Crunia's Wings, Stopwatch, Sundial | Advanced Clockmaking |
| Rainbow Ingots | Buy new appearances for Minutero from the blacksmith Clouphaestus (500 Star Shards each) | Hookshot, Stopwatch, Crunia's Wings | The most beautiful sword in the land |
| Tailord's kittens | Catching them unlocks new outfits | Late traversal | Come here right meow |
| Music boxes | Return them to Arpeggio in the caves | Exploration | Master of melody |
| Antique coins & cards | Coins buy cards in the hub to complete the collection | Exploration | Collector |
| Clock Heart Pieces | Permanent health bar increases | Late traversal | A Clock Heart Piece a day... |
| Upgrade Gears | Lengthen combos, improve Cuckoo's support fire, unlock alt uses for items | Vendors in Tick Town | Shopaholic (partial) |
| Wally's hiding spots | A hide-and-seek NPC that appears in every region | Exploration | No peeking! |
| Vials of coloured dye | Alternate colour schemes for your outfit | Exploration | The mask of pain |
| Broken stained-glass pieces | The hardest pickup in the game — reveals one of Duskfade's biggest secrets | Full kit + revisit | — |
| Star Shards | The universal currency — bosses and chests drop them (Wrath alone drops 1,000) | — | Shopaholic (partial) |
Star Core Fragments — All 12 Regions
Star Core Fragments are the backbone of your build: every 3 collected raises the Temporal Energy bar automatically, for four increases total. They sit in these regions, roughly in the order you reach them:
- Scorched Grove
- Starstone Mines (needs Crunia's Wings)
- Mount Cinder
- Lantern Port
- Apprentice's Wing (needs Timebomb or Crunia's Wings)
- Great Library (behind a Cross Time Rift — needs Stopwatch)
- Celestial Kingdom
- Royal Highroads
- Auric Palace
- Stonetusk Canyon
- Clockmaker's Rest
- Chronos Aeternum
You cannot finish this set on a first pass. Crunia's Wings come from Clockmaker's Rest, and the Stopwatch from the Time Flux Channeler after Lantern Port — plan a post-game sweep.
Rainbow Ingots & the Blacksmith
Rainbow Ingots buy new looks for Minutero, Zirian's clockhand sword. The blacksmith Clouphaestus unlocks once you receive the Hookshot from meeting Arpeggio; his forge is in the square to the right of the door leading to Meridian Village, and each appearance costs 500 Star Shards.
Known ingot locations include:
- Tick Town — buy the first one from the Traveler for 1,000 Star Shards once you have the Hookshot
- Ezarus Forest — Hookshot points over the water to the left of the Fast Travel Point
- Mount Cinder — upriver of the lava waterfall, hopping the half-submerged gears
- Meridian Village — inside a Cross Time Rift above the rooftops (needs Stopwatch)
- Clockwork Academy — drop below the Fast Travel Point and clear the Inky ambush
- Canal Hamlet — through the stone arch to a Cross Time Rift
- Auric Palace — ride the Sundial rail to the top of the semi-circle ruin
- Tick Town again — a second ingot appears in the Traveler's stock later
- Deepthorne — requires Crunia's Wings
Check the bottom of the Traveler's stock every time you return to Tick Town — he restocks, and missing that second ingot is a common reason players stall at 8/9.
Cross Time Rifts
Scattered through the later regions are Cross Time Rifts — optional challenge rooms you enter with the Stopwatch ability. They hold chests with Star Core Fragments, Rainbow Ingots and other rewards, and double as the best practice for the toughest boss phases.
Collectibles — FAQ
How many Star Core Fragments are there?
12. Every third fragment extends the Temporal Energy bar, for four increases total.
Where do I spend Rainbow Ingots?
With Clouphaestus, the blacksmith in the square right of the Meridian Village door. Each Minutero appearance costs 500 Star Shards.
What are antique coins for?
They buy cards in the hub world — completing the card collection unlocks Collector.
Do I need late-game abilities to finish the collectibles?
Yes. The Hookshot, Stopwatch, Sundial and Crunia's Wings each open areas unreachable on a first visit. Expect a post-story cleanup pass.
What is the rarest collectible?
The broken stained-glass pieces — they are far more obscure than anything else and require turning over every stone in each world, most of them only after the full kit is unlocked.
Is there an assist toggle to highlight collectibles?
No. There is no setting to make pickups easier to spot, which is why full completion lands at 15–20 hours.
Are any collectibles missable?
None reported. Every region stays accessible after the story, so you can sweep at your own pace.
What are Upgrade Gears?
A currency spent with Tick Town vendors to lengthen combos, improve Cuckoo's support attacks and unlock alternative uses for items you pick up.