The bonfire is a place of rest and form of in-game checkpoint for the player character in the Dark Souls series of action role-playing games created by Hidetaka Miyazaki and Japanese developers FromSoftware.

Since its debut, the bonfire has been the subject of positive reception by critics, who noted that it effectively served as a center of warmth and safety that players could grow attached to.

[13] In 2011, the Dark Souls series creator Hidetaka Miyazaki revealed via the PlayStation Blog that his favorite addition to the 2011 game was the bonfire, as he felt that it was flexible in what it could represent.

[17][18] In 2017, YouTuber Sanadst uploaded an analysis video revealing leftover animations from Dark Souls III of the player character kneeling then using their weapon to grab into the ground.

Rock Paper Shotgun editor Alice O'Connor called it memorable and cool, feeling that it served as a temporary haven for the player.

Christian Donlan of Eurogamer said that bonfires were his favorite concept in what he felt was a game with many creative ideas because they were the areas of making progress and served as bases to return to.

[24] Joe Donnolly of Vice called bonfires a central component of Dark Souls, emphasizing them as being like "receiving a badge of honor—the reason you're able to rest here is testament to what you've previously overcome.

"[25] Ian Boudreau of PCGamesN concurred, but highlighted the increased difficulty and tension felt by the lack of any bonfire as a midway checkpoint for the Sen's Fortress location that threatened to reset the player's long progress in the level since their last save.

[26] Conversely, Vice writer Patrick Klepek expressed his indifference to bonfires as merely "fancy checkpoints," but agreed that they were important in pressuring the player to save their progress before they lose it unlike in most other modern games.

As opposed to the execution of the bonfire mechanics in Dark Souls, he criticized the inherent presence of the warp method in the sequels for creating "uncomplex" feelings of "comfort without caveat, a complete break from the immersion and perils of a given area".

[26] TheGamer editor Jade King went further in arguing that bonfires in the Dark Souls series were innovative as a mechanic to the extent that they became staples of so-called "soulslike" games.

Jade King praised bonfires as the "physical manifestation of relief," since the player is "safe to catch [their] breath and celebrate that [they had] managed to make it this far".

He noted the recurring feeling of safety seeing the "distant flicker" of the flame and expressed contentment that the game titles almost always respected the concept of hospitality for bonfires.

The iconicity of the Dark Souls bonfires, he said, is demonstrated through its frequent appearances as Easter eggs for other games such as "Borderlands 2, Just Cause 3, The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and even Overwatch".