The Dark Queen Of Mortholme review

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Image credit:Mosu/Rock Paper Shotgun

This “short-form, second-person indie” where you play the final boss tells a more traditional and restrained story that its premise might suggest, but it’s still a worthwhile and thoughtful micro-treatise on storytelling, curiosity, stagnation, and heroism.

• Developer: Mosu
• Publisher: Monster Theater
• Release: Out now
• On: Windows
• From: Steam / GOG / Itch.io
• Price: £5 /€6 /$6
• Reviewed on: Intel Core i5-12600K, 32GB RAM, Nvidia RTX 4060 Ti, Windows 11

There’s a beautiful, wordless moment about ten minutes in to The Dark Queen Of Mortholme . As the titular queen, you’ve just casually mace-flattened the same plucky interloper for the Nth time, then snapped their corpse out of existence in a wreath of electric purple fire with all the ceremony of clearing toast crumbs from a bench.

Each time, just as the queen is about to plonk herself back down on her throne, the hero galumphs trumpetously back through the doorway for another pop. Here’s our premise: both an inversion of Soulsian conventions and a wry tribute, in the way all inversions are. And who hasn’t considered how maddeningly Sisyphean it must feel to be on the receiving end of such smug under-doggedness? “Struggle in the face of overwhelming odds”. “Testament to the persistence of the human spirit”. Mate. You are fucking immortal .

We’ve felt the queen’s frustration grow, forced to consider the toll imposed by folklorish infamy on the actual person behind the myth (every time I try to let my hair down some wanker tries to climb up it, says Rapunzel). But on this occasion, something has changed. The hero is late. And there’s an unmistakable hint of longing as the queen looks toward the door. It’s not completely clear if she’s starting to, y’know, actually enjoy all this. But there is both simple truth and stark tragedy in it: unchallenged dominance must feel unbearably stagnant after the initial high wears off. You eat the same soup daily for decades, you might find yourself oddly fond of the fly that decides to one day show up for swimming lessons.

The hero stands completely still during the first fight, and so falls easily to a lazy, disdainful mace swipe. They soon decide that moving is probably a good idea. So, you get a few new moves: a gap-closing spike, and a devastating magic fire that telegraphs its arrival, sportsmanlike as all supermoves should be.

Image credit:Mosu/Rock Paper Shotgun

So, of course, the hero works out how to deal with each move in turn. Later, an achievement pops named “out of tricks?” for using each of the queen’s attacks. A trophy that feels like a admission of defeat - a perfect use of digital paraphernalia as storytelling device I wish was more common. Through these warnings of stagnation, glimpses of potential growth present themselves; dialogue options that offer curiosity or dismissiveness. We soon learn the queen doesn’t even know the layout of her own castle. If she did, she might have done a better job of hiding all those treasure chests.

But no, and so the hero returns with chainmail. Then a shortbow. Then a glowing sword and, for the first time, removes the entirety of one of the queen’s four health bar segments. And I realise, then, that they’re going to win eventually. Bloodstains build up until they coat the floor, but my moves are the same each time. The queen, unchallenged, has been given no reason to stay curious, and so has become stagnant. And now, faced for the first time with something that might inspire her to leave and learn some fancier footwork, she’s probably going to die here. Bloody typical, really: a real reason to change showing up just as it becomes too late to do so.

A boss fight demands a theme, and the music here is all apocalyptic organ pipes, rasping with grandeur and nightmares. Somewhere buried in the mix is a toybox melodica; deeply annoying in the way its plastic honking demands focus as soon as I notice it. That’s the hero, I decide, and I think this is the first time I’ve found myself seriously thinking about boss themes; are they meant to celebrate the grandeur and spectacle of the boss, or the struggle of the hero? The best, I think, do both and neither. Odes not to individuals, but to the moment. The dance.

Image credit:Mosu/Rock Paper Shotgun

That bastard melodica aside, I have two large problems with The Dark Queen Of Mortholme, an otherwise thumbs-up worthwhile distraction that wastes not a second of runtime in its crushingly inevitable set-up and and crescendo. The first is a line from the queen about halfway through. Something to the tune of “against the might of the status quo, your actions don’t matter”. Ending Explained, you dumb baby! Less on the nose than “got your nose”, honestly.

But, hey, I can respect it. It’s not my story, after all. Deeply unpopular take maybe, but an artist’s work belongs to them, I’m just visiting. I can’t begrudge the nudges too hard, bumpy as they are. Still, I’m compelled to offer a read in the form of a deeply self-indulgent anecdote. Although, if you want a quick verdict, only interesting games inspire deeply self-indulgent anecdotes, yes.

Image credit:Mosu/Rock Paper Shotgun

A writer and person I have a great deal of respect for on both counts once told me, over a plate of stone-cold fried calamari on a pleasant Los Angeles evening I would soon make less pleasant through a callow and selfish acquiescence to my own need to get embarrassingly obliterated in even the most casual of social situations (thus fulfilling my cliched tourist understanding of the average way an LA evening unfolds), that they had become disillusioned with the power of stories to enact meaningful change in the world. I fell back on a pop-science factoid I’m fond of - that of perceptual filling-in . So much is blur and chaos. Dry and tangled, and we cannot live without the artifice of beginnings, middles, and ends. The motivation and the obstacles. The reasons for going along with this chaotic mess in the first place.

Stories can’t lose their power because they’re the fuel, the driver. I cannot remember what they said next, because I am a ridiculous prick who often forgets to listen to other people when I am too busy waiting for their approval at my having said something I believe to be insightful. I am convinced to this day that if I’d have just listened, I’d have a more more nuanced view on these things that I currently do. Maybe they would have disabused me of this notion completely, but it’s one I still hold: stories are all we’ve got, and good stories from elsewhere are the only thing powerful enough to change how we see the stories that are assigned to us.

At least, that’s the story I tell myself. The story the Dark Queen Of Mortholme tells is one where the hero still gets all the best lines. In this, it’s quite traditional, despite its novel framing. The queen’s real tragedy, as with so many characters that threaten to break convention, is that whatever she does, she’s still trapped in a story. And, either through aims or just convention, it’s someone else’s story at that.

“Perhaps it would be a mercy,” muses the queen on the possibility of the hero’s defeat and surrender. “To be relieved of the burden of trying?”, the hero replies. “No thanks!” (Princess!)

Sounds good, right? And I love it, honestly. It made me feel like fighting. But god, if anything could convince you that, really, there are no new stories, then what better than a game that presents itself as subversion, and ends up in exactly the same place as everything else.

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The Dark Queen of Mortholme

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All 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints and where to get them

These areas have the highest chance of giving you Blueprints

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Looking for more Arc Raiders Blueprints? It’s a special day when you find a Blueprint, as they’re among the most valuable items in Arc Raiders. If you find a Blueprint that you haven’t already found, then you must make sure you hold onto it at all costs, because Blueprints are the key to one of the most important and powerful systems of meta-progression in the game.

This guide aims to be the very best guide on Blueprints you can find, starting with a primer on what exactly they are and how they work in Arc Raiders, before delving into exactly where to get Blueprints and the very best farming spots for you to take in your search.

We’ll also go over how to get Blueprints from other unlikely activities, such as destroying Surveyors and completing specific quests. And you’ll also find the full list of all 75 Blueprints in Arc Raiders on this page (including the newest Blueprints added with the Cold Snap update , such as the Deadline Blueprint and Firework Box Blueprint), giving you all the information you need to expand your own crafting repertoire.

In this guide:

• What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?
• Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes
• Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders Blueprints obtained from quests Blueprints obtained from Trials Best Blueprint farming locations

What are Blueprints in Arc Raiders?

Blueprints in Arc Raiders are special items which, if you manage to extract with them, you can expend to permanently unlock a new crafting recipe in your Workshop. If you manage to extract from a raid with an Anvil Blueprint, for example, you can unlock the ability to craft your very own Anvil Pistol, as many times as you like (as long as you have the crafting materials).

To use a Blueprint, simply open your Inventory while in the lobby, then right-click on the Blueprint and click “Learn And Consume” . This will permanently unlock the recipe for that item in your Workshop. As of the Stella Montis update, there are allegedly 75 different Blueprints to unlock - although only 68 are confirmed to be in the game so far. You can see all the Blueprints you’ve found and unlocked by going to the Workshop menu, and hitting “R” to bring up the Blueprint screen.

It’s possible to find duplicates of past Blueprints you’ve already unlocked. If you find these, then you can either sell them, or - if you like to play with friends - you can take it into a match and gift it to your friend so they can unlock that recipe for themselves. Another option is to keep hold of them until the time comes to donate them to the Expedition.

Full Blueprint list: All crafting recipes

Below is the full list of all the Blueprints that are currently available to find in Arc Raiders, and the crafting recipe required for each item:

Note: The missing Blueprints in this list likely have not actually been added to the game at the time of writing, because none of the playerbase has managed to find any of them. As they are added to the game, I will update this page with the most relevant information so you know exactly how to get all 75 Arc Raiders Blueprints.

Where to find Blueprints in Arc Raiders

Below is a list of all containers, modifiers, and events which maximise your chances of finding Blueprints:

• Certain quests reward you with specific Blueprints .
• Completing Trials has a high chance of offering Blueprints as rewards.
• Surveyors have a decent chance of dropping Blueprints on death.
• High loot value areas tend to have a greater chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Night Raids and Storms may increase rare Blueprint spawn chances in containers.
• Containers with higher numbers of items may have a higher tendency to spawn Blueprints. As a result, Blue Gate (which has many “large” containers containing multiple items) may give you a higher chance of spawning Blueprints.
• Raider containers (Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, Medical Bags, Grenade Tubes) have increased Blueprint drop rates. As a result, the Uncovered Caches event gives you a high chance of finding Blueprints.
• Security Lockers have a higher than average chance of containing Blueprints.
• Certain Blueprints only seem to spawn under specific circumstances: Tempest Blueprint only spawns during Night Raid events. Vulcano Blueprint only spawns during Hidden Bunker events. Jupiter and Equaliser Blueprints only spawn during Harvester events.

Raider Caches, Weapon Boxes, and other raider-oriented container types have a good chance of offering Blueprints. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints have a very low chance of spawning in any container in Arc Raiders, around 1-2% on average. However, there is a higher chance of finding Blueprints in particular container types. Specifically, you can find more Blueprints in Raider containers and security lockers.

Beyond this, if you’re looking for Blueprints you should focus on regions of the map which are marked as having particularly high-value loot. Areas such as the Control Tower in Dam Battlegrounds, the Arrival and Departure Buildings in Spaceport, and Pilgrim’s Peak in Blue Gate all have a better-than-average chance of spawning Blueprints somewhere amongst all their containers. Night Raids and Electromagnetic Storm events also increase the drop chances of certain Blueprints .

In addition to these containers, you can often loot Blueprints from destroyed Surveyors - the largest of the rolling ball ARC. Surveyors are more commonly found on the later maps - Spaceport and Blue Gate - and if one spawns in your match, you’ll likely see it by the blue laser beam that it casts into the sky while “surveying”.

Surveyors are quite well-armoured and will very speedily run away from you once it notices you, but if you can take one down then make sure you loot all its parts for a chance of obtaining certain unusual Blueprints.

Blueprints obtained from quests

One way in which you can get Blueprints is by completing certain quests for the vendors in Speranza. Some quests will reward you with a specific item Blueprint upon completion, so as long as you work through all the quests in Arc Raiders, you are guaranteed those Blueprints.

Here is the full list of all Blueprints you can get from quest rewards:

• Trigger Nade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Sparks Fly”.
• Lure Grenade Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Greasing Her Palms”.
• Burletta Blueprint: Rewarded after completing “Industrial Espionage”.
• Hullcracker Blueprint (and Launcher Ammo Blueprint): Rewarded after completing “The Major’s Footlocker”.

Alas, that’s only 4 Blueprints out of a total of 75 to unlock, so for the vast majority you will need to find them yourself during a raid. If you’re intent on farming Blueprints, then it’s best to equip yourself with cheap gear in case you lose it, but don’t use a free loadout because then you won’t get a safe pocket to stash any new Blueprint you find. No pain in Arc Raiders is sharper than failing to extract with a new Blueprint you’ve been after for a dozen hours already.

One of the best ways to get Blueprints is by hitting three stars on all five Trials every week. |Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blueprints obtained from Trials

One of the very best ways to get Blueprints is as rewards for completing Trials in Arc Raiders. Trials are unlocked from Level 15 onwards, and allow you to earn rewards by focusing on certain tasks over the course of several raids. For example, one Trial might task you with dealing damage to Hornets, while another might challenge you to loot Supply Drops.

Trials refresh on a weekly basis, with a new week bringing five new Trials. Each Trial can offer up to three rewards after passing certain score milestones, and it’s possible to receive very high level loot from these reward crates - including Blueprints. So if you want to unlock as many Blueprints as possible, you should make a point of completing as many Trials as possible each week.

Best Blueprint farming locations

The very best way to get Blueprints is to frequent specific areas of the maps which combine high-tier loot pools with the right types of containers to search. Here are my recommendations for where to find Blueprints on every map, so you can always keep the search going for new crafting recipes to unlock.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Dam Battlegrounds

The best places to farm Blueprints on Dam Battlegrounds are the Control Tower, Power Generation Complex, Ruby Residence, and Pale Apartments . The first two regions, despite only being marked on the map as mid-tier loot, contain a phenomenal number of containers to loot. The Control Tower can also contain a couple of high-tier Security Lockers - though of course, you’ll need to have unlocked the Security Breach skill at the end of the Survival tree.

There’s also a lot of reporting amongst the playerbase that the Residential areas in the top-left of the map - Pale Apartments and Ruby Residence - give you a comparatively strong chance of finding Blueprints. Considering their size, there’s a high density of containers to loot in both locations, and they also have the benefit of being fairly out of the way. So you’re more likely to have all the containers to yourself.

Buried City

The best Blueprint farming locations on Buried City are the Santa Maria Houses, Grandioso Apartments, Town Hall, and the various buildings of the New District . Grandioso Apartments has a lower number of containers than the rest, but a high chance of spawning weapon cases - which have good Blueprint drop rates. The others are high-tier loot areas, with plenty of lootable containers - including Security Lockers.

Spaceport

The best places to find Blueprints on Spaceport are the Arrival and Departure Buildings, as well as Control Tower A6 and the Launch Towers . All these areas are labelled as high-value loot regions, and many of them are also very handily connected to one another by the Spaceport wall, which you can use to quickly run from one area to the next. At the tops of most of these buildings you’ll find at least one Security Locker, so this is an excellent farming route for players looking to find Blueprints.

The downside to looting Blueprints on Spaceport is that all these areas are hotly contested, particularly in Duos and Squads. You’ll need to be very focused and fast in order to complete the full farming route.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Embark Studios

Blue Gate

Blue Gate tends to have a good chance of dropping Blueprints, potentially because it generally has a high number of containers which can hold lots of items; so there’s a higher chance of a Blueprint spawning in each container. In my experience, the best Blueprint farming spots on Blue Gate are Pilgrim’s Peak, Raider’s Refuge, the Ancient Fort, and the Underground Complex beneath the Warehouse .

All of these areas contain a wealth of containers to loot. Raider’s Refuge has less to loot, but the majority of the containers in and around the Refuge are raider containers, which have a high chance of containing Blueprints - particularly during major events.

Stella Montis

On the whole, Stella Montis seems to have a very low drop rate for Blueprints (though a high chance of dropping other high-tier loot). If you do want to try farming Blueprints on this map, the best places to find Blueprints in Stella Montis are Medical Research, Assembly Workshop, and the Business Center . These areas have the highest density of containers to loot on the map.

In addition to this, the Western Tunnel has a few different Security Lockers to loot, so while there’s very little to loot elsewhere in this area of the map, it’s worth hitting those Security Lockers if you spawn there at the start of a match.

That wraps up this primer on how to get all the Blueprints in Arc Raiders as quickly as possible. With the Expedition system constantly resetting a large number of players’ Blueprints, it’s more important than ever to have the most up-to-date information on where to find all these Blueprints.

While you’re here, be sure to check out our Arc Raiders best guns tier list , as well as our primers on the best skills to unlock and all the different Field Depot locations on every map.

ARC Raiders

PS5 , Xbox Series X/S , PC

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