4. Patience, Young Dark Souler
Never, ever, ever, rush around in Dark Souls. Death can come at any point in this game; learning to anticipate where it might come from and taking action against it will prevent needless deaths and ensure you have a healthy Dark Souls experience. Instead, take your time, keep your shield up, and move cautiously around your environment. This way you can easily spot dangerous hidden pits, don't get ambushed by enemy hordes and can calculate your next move every step of the way. Cockier Dark Souls players rush around only after they've learned everything they need to know about a level's design, but even they often end up being killed by accidentally falling off a cliff or forgetting an enemy placement. Caution and patience are always the name of the game here. You should be constantly aware when playing; being distracted by biscuits or trivial tasks like the dog wanting to go walkies is not acceptable and will most likely result in immediate death in the near future.