Introducing the new Liquid Shimmer, a shimmering fluid that has been added to the game as part of the 1.4.4 Labor of Love update. This liquid can be poured over any block and creates a pool of glittering water that is extremely reflective. It can also be used as a base for other cosmetics to give them an additional shimmer, such as lipsticks and highlighters. This shimmer can be applied to any eye color and can be mixed with other makeup items for unique combinations.
The Shimmer can be crafted using the Ancient Manipulator for 100 gilding shards and 50 sand. Alternatively, it can be obtained naturally in worlds created in v1.4.4 or later, or from the Bottomless Shimmer Bucket in the Moon Lord biome. It will not appear naturally in older worlds, and cannot be spawned artificially, such as by placing an Aether Monolith.
When a player jumps into a pool of Shimmer, they will be temporarily affected by the Shimmering effect, which makes them fall through blocks until they reach an empty space they can exit into. The Shimmer can also be pumped like any other liquid, with a pumping station being required to do so.
If a crafted item is placed into the Shimmer, it will transform into its component parts. This can be very useful, as it allows players to reclaim materials that would otherwise have been lost. In addition to transforming items, the Shimmer can also downgrade some ores (Luminite downgrading to Graphite, and Luminite downgrading to regular rock) and it can transmute gems into different ones (Diamond downgrading to Amethyst, Xenocite downgrading to Quartz, and Amber downgrading to common Rock). This can be very helpful for completing tiers of the crafting table.
Some NPCs that are submerged in the Shimmer will change into their Shimmered form, which is a visual change only and has no gameplay effects. They can be returned to their classic look by being dipped into the Shimmer again. Putting Coins into the Shimmer will increase the player’s Luck stat, with the amount of Coins thrown into it determining how long the boost lasts.
Many critters that are exposed to the Shimmer will change into Faelings, which are fairy-like creatures that can be captured and put into bottles. This will not affect the Slime Bunny, Party Bunny, Gold Warm, or Gem Squirrel critters, but it will turn Gold Worms into Gummy Worms and Gem Bunnies into gem-like critters.
Some enemies will change into their Shimmered forms when dipped in the Shimmer, but this is a rare occurrence. The Shimmered versions will float in the air and have a different, more glowy sprite than the classic versions. In addition, the Shimmer can be used to respawn some enemy types. This is a great way to get the more difficult sprites for a boss, as they can be very hard to find or even impossible to spawn in the traditional ways. This is especially useful for bosses with high health, as it can make them much easier to kill. Liquid Shimmer