Here's What Every Element of Crimson Desert's HUD Does

Published Mar 22, 2026, 5:17 PM EDT

Jake Fillery is an Evergreen Editor for GameRant who has been writing lists, guides, and reviews since 2022. With thousands of engaging articles and guides, Jake loves conversations surrounding all things to do with gaming and pop culture.

As you start your journey in Crimson Desert, you’re bound to be overwhelmed. There’s so much to do, so many areas to explore, and bosses to fight with an abundance of controls. However, one focus that’ll catch your eye immediately is your HUD, which is always on your screen.

Below, we’ve explained every aspect of the HUD that might confuse you. From the yellow bar on the left to the green leaves in a circle. Everything’s explained below so you know what each piece of the HUD does and how it can be useful.

What to Do First in Crimson Desert

Crimson Desert can be extremely overwhelming when you first start your journey. Here’s where to go and what to do first for the best start possible.

The Crimson Desert HUD, Explained

There are 7 parts of the Crimson Desert HUD worth explaining:

XP Bar

The yellow bar on the left indicates your XP.
XP is earned exclusively from killing enemies.
When the XP bar fills, you will gain an Abyss Artifact, which can be used for Skill Points of equipment upgrades after Level 4.

Health Bar

The red bar at the bottom of the HUD indicates your total Health.
Health can be increased from the “Health” upgrade in the Skill menu.

Stamina Bar

The yellow diamond in the center of the screen indicates your Stamina.
Stamina drains when running, climbing, flying, or using heavy attacks.
Stamina can be increased from the “Stamina” upgrade in the Skill menu.

Spirit Bar

The green leaves on the left of the HUD represent your total Spirit.
Spirit is consumed when performing Spirit actions, like certain attacks and evasions.
Spirit can be increased from the “Spirit” upgrade in the Skill menu.
Spirit can also replenish from Focus (L3+R3).

Temperature Bar

The meter on the right of the minimap represents the weather conditions and temperature of Kliff.
If the meter is green, then your temperature is perfect.
If the meter is orange/red, then you’re too hot and need heat-resistant armor.
If the meter is blue, then you’re too cold and need ice-resistant armor.
Being too hot or too cold will make stamina drain faster and replenish slower.

Accessories Durability

The accessories on the right of the minimap indicate the durability of your equipped jewelry.
When you equip a ring, necklace, earring, or circlet, it might have a special ability, which is represented on the HUD.
These special abilities can have durability (the white bar represents durability, whereas the blue bar represents total charges).

Recovery Items

The food icon on the right of the minimap shows your equipped Recovery Items.
Recovery Items restore health, and even Stamina/Spirit depending on the Recovery Item.
When the Recovery Item runs out (Right on the D-Pad to use), then it’s automatically replaced by the next food in your inventory.