It’s not unusual for Soulslike games to feature some well-laid traps to trick players into taking sudden bursts of damage, but Lords of the Fallen is especially devilish in its approach to mimics. As you explore the game’s various locations, you’ll likely find that your attempts to pick up some items results in a giant Umbral enemy tearing through the fabric of reality to gobble you up and spit you out. This can often result in an instant death, so you’ll want to learn how to spot this tricky foe from afar. We’ll tell you how below.

How to spot mimic items in Lords of the Fallen

Mimic items are scattered all through Lords of the Fallen, often even sitting among other normal items just waiting for you to pick it up and have a chunk taken out of your health bar. Luckily, you can spot this mimicry by watching the little tail that extends above the item. If it stays relatively still and only sways slightly, it’s a safe item to pick up. However, if you notice that the item’s tail looks as if it’s being blown around by a breeze every few seconds, you’ve found yourself a mimic item. Avoid it at all costs.

That’s not where the trickery ends, though. Even once you’ve spotted a mimic item and left it behind, the Umbral monster will often move the location of the item around to try to throw you off your next time through. While it’ll always be in the same general area, just be sure not to get complacent–treachery is afoot.

It may be a little frustrating to have to stop and look at each item before picking it up, but given the frequency of mimic items in Lords of the Fallen, it’s in your best interest. Luckily, though, you don’t have to worry about mimics in chests, so feel free to open those without any fear of being eaten alive.

For more on Lords of the Fallen, check out how to help the stone woman in Forsaken Fen.