There are many items and materials that can be found in Spiritfarer and Bottled Ectoplasm is one of them. This is one of my favorite ever games and I have more experience than most. I know some players can find this material hard to collect, but hopefully, this guide will help you become an expert.
Bottled Ectoplasm is one of many materials that are directly related to particular events. Almost every spirit has one and each event is totally unique.
These minigames are part of why I love the game so much as they create such diversity in gameplay. Bottled Ectoplasm is collected through Stanley’s event. He’s my favorite character, so I’m always happy to play this event with him.
Some events are easier than others and Stanley’s is definitely one of the hardest. The challenge is part of what makes it fun, though. By the end of this Spiritfarer Bottled Ectoplasm guide, you will understand exactly where Bottled Ectoplasm is, how to collect it, and what it’s used for. Let’s go!
Embark on an emotional journey of compassion and friendship in "Spiritfarer Digital Deluxe Edition," where you'll guide spirits to their final resting place aboard your mystical boat. With its stunning hand-drawn art style and heartfelt storytelling, immerse yourself in a unique blend of management simulation and heartfelt exploration.
Bottle That Ectoplasm!
Bottled Ectoplasm is a material in Spiritfarer that is used in improvements and boat upgrades. You get it by doing Stanley’s event involving his pet ghost beetle. You have to catch the Dust Shades, who will drop Bottled Ectoplasm.
How to Get Bottled Ectoplasm
Bottled Ectoplasm is collected as part of Stanley’s event, so let’s go over how to unlock it.
Unlocking Stanley
Stanley is an adorable spirit, and easily my favorite. He’s got a unique way of encountering him, too. With the other spirits, you find them after visiting a certain location. Not with Stanley.
To unlock him, you’ll need to go fishing after having released 3 other spirits through the Everdoor. You’ll eventually fish up the Mysterious Seed which you need to plant in the garden.
Water and tend to this seed like you would with any other until it’s fully grown. Then as you pull it up from the ground, out will pop Stanley!
He’s a young boy who looks like a mushroom and he’s got a beautifully creative imagination. His quest line is a lot of fun. It’s also necessary to unlock Bottled Ectoplasm.
Triggering the Event
Stanley’s event is triggered by his pet ghost beetle, Jacob. Jacob has a ghostly shimmer to him as if he’s also a dead spirit.
However, to get Jacob, you’ll need to help Stanley settle into the ship. You’ll need to complete his first request, Big Boy’s Room. This allows him to turn the Guest House into Stanley’s Playroom. He personalizes it and brings along a pet to play with, Jacob.
Once Jacob is in the room, you’ll be able to unlock Bottled Ectoplasm. You can attempt this event once per in-game day but no more frequently than that.
This is similar to Buck’s event as most other events require you to go to a certain location and there may be multiple locations for the same event, so you can do them more than once a day.
To trigger the event, head into Stanley’s Playroom. Jacob’s cage can be found at the back of the room, very near where the door appears. Press the interact button whilst standing next to Jacob, and it will ask if you wish to begin the event.
You’ll know you’re close enough if the cage has a white outline around it. Select yes, and you’ll notice everything gets dark outside. Head out of the room to begin collecting Bottled Ectoplasm.
Catching the Dust Shades
Once you’ve triggered the event and stepped out of Stanley’s Playroom, you’re going to find yourself in a completely new color scheme. The whole atmosphere will have darkened and the boat is plunged into a blue hue. But this darkness means that the Dust Shades stand out very clearly.
They’re a ghostly white, shimmering brightly as they frolic about the ship. Your job is to catch them, and you’ll be rewarded with Bottled Ectoplasm every time that you do.
They’ll be constantly moving around the ship, so don’t try and wait for them to stand still. This is an incredibly active minigame and you’ll need to be on the move throughout if you want to have any hope of catching the Dust Shades. Run, jump, and dash around the ship whilst you chase them.
If you make contact, you don’t need to press anything. The game will automatically give you the Bottled Ectoplasm the moment that you touch a Dust Shade.
This event is over very quickly and doesn’t last as long as other events such as the Jellyfish. It’s very likely that on your first few attempts, you may only catch a couple of Dust Shades.
Don’t be disheartened by this as it takes a while to learn the necessary skills. Remember to make good use of your acquired abilities such as Dash. However, also consider the regeneration time for your Everlight. Timing is everything.
Tips and Tricks
We’ve gone over the basics, but if you want to become a pro at collecting Bottled Ectoplasm, here’s what you can do:
Consider Your Boat Layout
The Blueprint Station allows you to move buildings around to create the optimal layout, and I advise you to do this.
You’ll want to make sure that your layout makes it easy to move around without crashing into ladders or taking an unintended Zipline. Having a well-placed Air Draft or Bouncy can help you reach higher places quicker than if you had to clamber up several ladders.
Don’t just follow the Dust Shades
The Dust Shades are quick and if you just follow them around, you’re unlikely to catch them. Instead, anticipate their next move.
Figure out where they’re going to be in a few seconds, and move there instead, ready to intercept. Their movements are unpredictable and they will change direction frequently, so this will take some practice.
Focus on One at a Time
It’s easy to get overwhelmed during this event. You may find yourself cursed with indecision, jumping every which way as you spot new Dust Shades. This isn’t going to result in you being successful.
Instead, choose the nearest Dust Shade, and stay on it until you’ve caught it. If the Dust Shade you’re following gets too far away then feel free to switch to a new one, but always have a single target in mind.
Unlock the Lightburst Ability
This ability makes it so much easier to catch Dust Shades. Whilst it is possible to catch them just by running and jumping around, Lightburst allows you to catch the Dust Shades from a greater distance. It’s an Everlight ability that releases a circular stream of light around Stella.
If it hits a Dust Shade, it counts as catching them and you’ll collect Bottled Ectoplasm. This ability is unlocked as part of Buck’s quest line, where he’ll ask you to go to the Hidden Shrine in Crow’s End.
What is Bottled Ectoplasm Used For?
You don’t just collect Bottled Ectoplasm for fun (although it is a wonderful minigame). As with all the other items from spirit events, this is necessary for game progression. It has some uses which are optional but which help make a profit. Others are a necessity for moving on with the game.
I’ve separated the uses into categories based on whether or not you need them. I also show how much Bottled Ectoplasm you need and why you need to make the upgrade.
Necessary for Progression
- Cellar –Â This requires 10 Bottled Ectoplasm, 3 Comet Rocks, and 20 Linen Fabrics. The Cellar is an addition to your ship where you can process new foods such as Sauerkraut and Cheese. You need the Cellar as part of Stanley’s quest line. You build the Cellar from the Blueprint Station on your ship.
- Mist Cleaner 1000 –Â This requires 3 Bottled Ectoplasm, 8 Silver Ores, 22 Silk Fabrics, 6 Crystal Glass Sheets, and 3 Spirit Flowers. It is one of the boat upgrades available from Albert’s Shipyard. You need this to traverse certain areas of the map that are blocked by mist, namely the Crow’s End region. This region is used in several quest lines for spirits such as Buck.
- Beverly’s Farmhouse –Â This requires 5 Bottled Ectoplasm, 3 Ash Planks, 3 Glass, and 350 Glims. You can build it from the Blueprint Station after receiving the schematics from Beverly. She’s one of the DLC spirits who was added after the initial release of the game. You need to build this as part of Beverly’s quest line.
Optional
- Chicken Coop Improvement –Â This requires 5 Bottled Ectoplasm, 14 Ash Planks, 12 Wool Fabrics, 4 Zinc Ingots, and 450 Glims. You’ll also need to already possess a standard Chicken Coop. By upgrading it, the chickens will remain fed for longer and you won’t have to give them seeds as regularly.
- Cellar Improvement –Â This requires 7 Bottled Ectoplasm, 12 Silk Fabric, 1 Hematite, and 795 Glims. You’ll also need to have already built the standard Cellar. Upgrading the Cellar doubles output, so you’ll get twice as many foods back after you ferment them.
FAQs
Question: How do you unlock Jacob in Spiritfarer?
Answer: Jacob is Stanley’s pet ghost beetle and is the means to triggering the Dust Shades event. You’ll unlock him after helping Stanley to build Stanley’s Playroom.
Question: How do you catch Dust Shades in Spiritfarer?
Answer: You need to catch Dust Shades to collect Bottled Ectoplasm but there are a few different means of doing this. You can just run and jump after them, but that’s unlikely to be very useful. Instead, you should make use of your abilities such as Dash and Zipline to move more quickly around the boat.
You could also catch them with Lightburst, as you’ll collect the Bottled Ectoplasm if the Everlight touches the Dust Shades.
Question: Where do I find Stanley in Spiritfarer?
Answer: You don’t need to be in a particular location to find Stanley. He comes from the Mysterious Seed and this can be fished up in any location as long as you’ve taken at least 3 spirits through the Everdoor.
Conclusion
There we go! Stanley’s event is a really enjoyable minigame, although my personal favorite is Buck’s. I enjoy a challenge, and Spiritfarer presents an excellent mix of easy and difficult minigames. Stanley’s is certainly one of the hardest ones, but also one of the most rewarding.
Hopefully, this article has given you the confidence to go out there and collect some Bottled Ectoplasm of your own. You should also now understand why it’s needed as part of the game progression.
I’d recommend paying particular attention to the tips and tricks section. I’ve put a lot of time into Spiritfarer and you can benefit from my experience.
Embark on an emotional journey of compassion and friendship in "Spiritfarer Digital Deluxe Edition," where you'll guide spirits to their final resting place aboard your mystical boat. With its stunning hand-drawn art style and heartfelt storytelling, immerse yourself in a unique blend of management simulation and heartfelt exploration.
If you’re currently playing through the game, why not check out our guide to the Spiritfarer spirit flowers?
She also runs her own Pop Culture site called Screenhype, is a skilled Rock Climber, and needs put on a merch-buying ban due to the abundance of cons she attends.
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