The Courtyard is similar to the unique dungeons presented in other parts of the game, such as the Darkest Dungeon and the Vvulf Dungeon. The combat music that plays within the Courtyard is called Bloodletting of the Crimson Court or Bloodletting. Instead of modifying the Light level, Torches grant a party-wide +3 ACC buff for 1 Battle, and find greater opportunities for use in Curio interactions while exploring. It also counts as 100% Light level, for the purposes of Quirk and Trinket effects. Bloodlight carries none of the effects of normal Torchlight (or lack thereof) and instead imposes a continual +Stress and -Bleed Resistance debuff. The Courtyard itself maintains a persistent Torchlight level during exploration that is unique to this location, called Bloodlight. At High Infestation, Egg Sac curios will begin to appear in non-Courtyard locations, which when interacted with triggers an encounter with more Bloodsucker creatures. Exploring any of the game's Locations will gradually increase the Infestation level.

A new Infestation indicator will also appear on the left side of the Hamlet screen, which will indicate the current level of Infestation (Low, Moderate, or High), suggesting the approximate amount of Bloodsucker encounters that can be expected while exploring non-Courtyard Locations. Upon successful completion of the first Courtyard mission, Bloodsucker enemies will also begin to gradually appear in all other Locations in the game, a signifier of the spreading infestation. After the first time a hero is infected with the Curse, the Fanatic will appear in town, and from then on will stalk any party with a large number of infected Heroes in it.

Exploration into the Courtyard and encountering Bloodsucker enemies presents chances for members of your party to be infected with the Crimson Curse, a persistent and nigh-impossible to cure disease akin in several ways to vampirism. The Courtyard also modifies gameplay for the rest of the game in several significant ways. The Courtyard is a location added in the Crimson Court DLC - the former lavish gardens and vistas of the estate, fallen to ruin and overtaken by a terrible, bloody insect-borne infestation and its depraved victims.

~ The Narrator on entering a expedition in the Courtyard Soaked and sinking, these stone terraces and sprawling gardens are the site of long forgotten revelry.and well remembered regret.

Cove darkest dungeon curios