I've spent more time sorting items in Baldur's Gate 3 than I've spent actually equipping them. There is no exaggeration here.
The game gives you an overwhelming amount of loot from the start, and while I love digging through every nook and cranny for hidden items, managing what I end up with becomes a job in itself.
It's not just about what I carry but also how I carry it, keep it organized, and make sure it doesn't slow me down during a fight.
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+ 3The biggest issue is how clutter builds up fast. Items come in all shapes and sizes—scrolls, potions, oils, arrows, throwables, quest gear, armor, weapons, and the long list of 'maybe it'll be useful later' junk.
I've left no stone unturned in trying to stay on top of it. I've placed scrolls in one pouch and arrows in the other. I've stashed items for resale in backpacks and allocated item categories to party members based on their class.
Even after all that, I still run into weight limits, can't keep track of who's holding what, and end up spending way too much time hunting down one item in the heat of battle.
Even sending things to camp doesn't really solve the problem. The Traveler's Chest can quickly get out of hand unless you create a sorting system yourself. I've organized it with containers, placed items nearby as reminders, and sorted them into categories manually, but it's a lot of work after each dungeon or loot run.
There's no way to rename containers or tag items properly, so it's entirely up to me to remember where things are stored. And if it slips my mind, good luck digging up that odd amulet or that random quest item I kept 'just in case.'
Things only get more complicated when companions enter the picture. The moment I swap someone out, I lose access to everything they were carrying.
click to enlarge + 3It results in having to constantly adjust gear or bring a character back to the party just to retrieve one item. It's tedious and completely breaks the flow.
The game doesn't allow me to view their inventories at camp unless they're active, which feels like a pointless restriction. Why do I have to remember where I left a particular pair of gloves or which character had my spare potions?
Speaking of which, managing inventories on consoles is a pain in its own right. I play on Steam Deck sometimes, and scrolling through tiny item icons, waiting for tooltips to load, and dealing with sluggish navigation make it even worse.
There's no decent sorting option that groups similar gear together in a logical way, and tooltips take just long enough to load that it slows the whole process down. Half my session ends up being spent on moving things between pouches, and I start to wonder why the UI didn't account for this from the start.
I've tried mods like auto-sorters or labeled bags, but they're only available on PC and are only a short-term solution. The real problem is that the inventory wasn't made for long-term use.
Gear just keeps stacking up as the game goes on, and even when I sell or toss items I won't use, it still feels like I'm juggling everything. Keeping track of what to keep, store, sell, and where I left it all feels like too much micromanagement.
A system like this should make gameplay more manageable, not slow it down. A more unified and easy-to-use inventory system would do wonders for the game. Something that lets me view and manage all inventories at once, regardless of who's in the party.
click to enlarge + 3A camp that feels like a base with all my gear ready instead of something I'm constantly having to reorganize. Even simple features like a "sell all junk" button or a party-wide inventory with weight distribution would make a massive difference.
Baldur's Gate 3 gets so much right in terms of combat, story, and character development, but the inventory system is a bit of a drag.
It's not as polished as the rest of the game, and even with workarounds, I'm always hitting its limitations.
The more you explore and loot, the more the game needs a system that won't make every loot drop a headache down the line.
For more articles like this, take a look at our Features and Baldur's Gate 3 page.