What does the White Poppy do in Returnal?

The Ascension update for Returnal added many new items that allow you to create exciting builds quickly while climbing the Tower of Sisyphus. One of the most notable items is the White Poppy, though there’s initially no explanation for what this item does. This guide explains what you use the White Poppy for so you know how to proceed.

What do White Poppy items do?

The White Poppy items you’ll find strewn around the Tower of Sisyphus aren’t equipment that will help you in your current cycle. Instead, they’re an item vital to understanding the branch of Selene’s story that’s being told through the Tower of Sisyphus.

After you die for the first time in this tower, you’ll be able to visit a hospital by resting on a bed at the tower’s base. Upon your second visit, you’ll see a smashed vase. After collecting a White Poppy in a cycle, subsequent visits will see these items added to that vase until it’s full.

Keep collecting every White Poppy you see and visiting the hospital after each death. The hospital will tell you more with each visit, and the White Poppies will be added to the vase. Eventually, you’ll collect them all and be able to interact with them to understand the part of the story that they link to.