PEAK All Badges Guide: How to Get Every Achievement

Badges are PEAK’s cosmetic achievement system — 60 unlockable rewards that display on your scout’s sash and tell the story of every challenge you have completed on the mountain. Unlike gear or stamina upgrades, badges provide no gameplay advantage. They exist purely as prestige markers: evidence that you survived the Antlion, found the Scoutmaster’s journal, or sacrificed an Ancient Idol into the Kiln’s lava. This guide covers every badge in the game, organised by category, with unlock conditions, cosmetic rewards, and specific tips for the hardest ones to earn. If you are new to PEAK, start with our PEAK beginners guide before hunting badges.

What Are PEAK Badges?

Badges (also called accolades) are cosmetic achievements unlocked through specific in-game actions. Each badge comes with a paired cosmetic reward — a hat, outfit, accessory, or facial expression your scout wears in future runs. There are currently 60 badges in the game, added across several updates since the June 2025 launch.

Collecting all 28 original badges present at v1.0 launch unlocks the Crown cosmetic — the most prestigious headpiece in PEAK and a clear signal to teammates that you have completed the game’s foundational badge set. The Crown remains the primary milestone for badge hunters, even as newer patches continue adding to the collection.

Importantly, many badges track cumulatively across all runs, not just a single expedition. Placing 10 pitons, climbing 5,000m total, restoring 200 poison points — these accumulate across every game you play. Others explicitly state “in a single expedition,” meaning the full action must happen in one continuous run.

The Scout Sash Explained

Your scout sash is a physical accessory worn by your character in the PEAK lobby and visible during runs. As you unlock badges, they appear pinned to the sash and are visible to all players. The sash itself has nine tiers unlocked through Ascents (Tadpole through Goat), with the Goat Hat rewarded for completing Ascent 7.

Cosmetic unlocks tied to each badge appear automatically in your wardrobe when the badge is earned. You equip them in the lobby before a run. Other players see your equipped cosmetics — including your sash and its badges — in the pre-run lobby screen. There are no gameplay effects tied to any cosmetic; the sash is purely a visual progression system showing what you have accomplished.

Complete Badge List by Category

Biome Progression Badges — Reach Each Zone

These seven badges are the most straightforward in the game: reach each biome for the first time and the badge is yours. Every new player earns these naturally through normal play. They are the foundation of your badge collection and the first entries on your sash.

Survival & Challenge Badges

These badges require specific run conditions to be met during a complete expedition. Most demand self-imposed restrictions — no fall damage, no packaged food, finishing under an hour. They require dedicated runs planned around the badge goal rather than passive accumulation.

The Participation Badge is the easiest of this group — die and stay dead while a teammate escapes. The Hasty Badge is among the hardest in the game: one hour for a full summit run demands experienced players, cooperative route planning, and zero detours. Plan it for daily seeds with fast-route layouts and a coordinated team. The Survivalist Badge — never losing consciousness — is easiest on Tenderfoot difficulty where hazard damage is lower.

Food & Foraging Badges

PEAK’s food system is deep enough to support eight dedicated badges. These range from straightforward (eat five different berries in one run) to genuinely obscure (cook and eat a Mandrake, or eat a Cooked Bird). Many unlock incidentally over multiple runs; a few require deliberate planning and foraging routes.

The Gourmand Badge requires finding four specific ingredients in a single run: Half-Coconut (Shore), Honeycomb (Tropics beehives), Yellow Winterberry (Alpine or Caldera), and Egg (Caldera bird nests). Plan your foraging route around these items and cook each one at your Portable Stove. For what grows in each biome, see our PEAK all biomes guide.

Co-op & Healing Badges

Six badges reward support play — healing teammates, reviving unconscious scouts, or using niche items to bring someone back from the edge. These are best targeted during dedicated team runs where one player builds a full support loadout rather than a climbing loadout.

The Applied Esoterica Badge requires The Book of Bones, a rare legendary item that must spawn in your run. You cannot force this — play enough games and it will appear. The Clutch Badge (revive three teammates in one expedition) works best in four-player runs where teammates actively die and you carry multiple First Aid Kits specifically for the badge attempt.

Climbing & Movement Badges

Eight badges track how you move through the mountain. Some are cumulative across runs (High Altitude at 5,000m total, Bouldering at 10 pitons placed). Others require specific physical feats in a single run — bouncing 40m off a mushroom or achieving flight with six balloons simultaneously.

The Aeronautics Badge — equipping six Balloons simultaneously — is one of PEAK’s most memorable achievements. Balloons are found throughout the Tropics and Roots biomes. Collect every balloon you see across multiple runs until you can equip six at once, then float upward to trigger the badge. The Arborist Badge rewards explorers rather than speedrunners — find the tallest tree in the Tropics and climb it fully using Pitons and Rope Cannon.

Environmental Condition Badges

Three badges require arriving at a specific biome with your environmental status below a defined threshold. These are challenge badges built around biome survival mechanics and directly reward preparation over raw climbing speed.

Bundled Up is the most commonly hunted of the three. Cold accumulates fast in the Alpine through blizzards, cold surfaces, and geyser exposure. Carry two Hand Warmers and use them proactively from the moment you enter — do not wait until Cold reaches 15% to react. Eating Alpine Winterberries also provides heat restoration that keeps the meter manageable.

Special Activity & Item Badges

Nine badges reward specific interactions with rare items, environmental features, and hidden mechanics. These are the closest thing PEAK has to Easter egg achievements — most players will not encounter them without prior knowledge of what to look for.

The 24 Karat Badge requires finding the Ancient Idol — a legendary item weighing 40 units — and carrying it through multiple biomes to the Kiln, then throwing it into the lava. This is a compound challenge: first find the rare spawn, then survive the weight penalty across the remaining climb. A full four-player team that can share the carry weight makes this significantly more achievable.

Encounter & Combat Badges

Four badges are tied to creature encounters: surviving an Antlion attack, curing a zombie bite, escaping a spider’s web, and the deliberately vague Resourcefulness badge tied to desperate hunger decisions when food runs out.

The Undead Encounter Badge is the only badge in the game with a confirmed difficulty restriction — it cannot be earned on Tenderfoot mode. You must be bitten by a zombie, then cure the bite status before your Spores stat reaches zero. Plan this badge on Normal difficulty or higher.

Knowledge & Discovery Badges

Three badges reward thorough exploration rather than performance: reading every Scoutmaster Myres journal entry hidden across the mountain, collecting morale boosts at campfires, and opening 15 pieces of luggage in a single run.

The Bookworm Badge requires finding every journal entry hidden across the biomes — the narrative thread behind the Scoutmaster’s story. Slowing down and exploring rather than speedrunning is the only way to find all entries. The Plunderer Badge requires 15 luggage chests in one run, so prioritise any route with high luggage density and resist opening chests until you have found at least 15 confirmed.

Biome-Specific Badge Tips

Alpine: Bundled Up Badge

Carry two Hand Warmers into the Alpine and use them the moment Cold starts building — do not wait. Cold compounds quickly in blizzards and on ice surfaces. Eating Winterberries found in the biome provides additional heat restoration. Crucially, do not enter the Alpine already carrying accumulated Cold from the Roots biome. Check your status meter at the biome boundary and use a warmer before crossing if Cold is above 5%.

Mesa: Cool Cucumber Badge

Staying at 10% Heat or below through the entire Mesa requires strict shade management. Never stand in direct sunlight when shade is available. Sprint between shadow patches — rock overhangs, cactus clusters, and canyon walls all provide cover. The Parasol item blocks direct sun exposure while equipped. Antidotes reduce Heat status reactively. Starting the Mesa with full stamina lets you move fast and minimise total exposure time.

Roots: Tread Lightly Badge

The Roots biome is dense with fungal spore sources. Avoid disturbing large mushroom clusters, do not linger near spore vents, and equip a Plague Mask if one spawns on the daily seed. Moving quickly through the Roots accumulates less total spore exposure than a slow exploratory approach. This badge is particularly suited to routes that pass through Roots quickly rather than using it as a foraging stop.

Tropics: Arborist and Mycoacrobatics

Two climbing badges have their best opportunities in the Tropics. The Arborist Badge requires climbing the tallest tree in the biome to its very top — use Pitons and the Rope Cannon to reach the canopy where branch density makes free climbing difficult. The Mycoacrobatics Badge uses the large trampolining mushrooms found across Tropics: find a large mushroom, bounce, and reach 40m of vertical height in a single launch. Learn which mushrooms in the daily seed are large enough for the 40m threshold before committing your pitons to the attempt. See our PEAK biomes guide for landmark locations in each zone.

Kiln: 24 Karat Badge

The 24 Karat Badge demands finding an Ancient Idol early in the run (it spawns in hidden chests in any biome) and committing the entire team to carrying its 40-unit weight through to the Kiln. Divide the carry across team members by passing the idol between rest points. In the Kiln itself, hold the idol and walk into the lava pit — you will take damage, so position a teammate with healing ready or have a revive item staged before the sacrifice.

Hidden and Secret Badges

Several badges are classified as hidden in-game — they do not appear in your badge list until unlocked. You cannot track progress toward them through the standard UI, which means community knowledge is the only way to hunt them deliberately.

The Mentorship Badge (1-on-1 encounter with Scoutmaster Myres while holding his aggro) requires locating the Scoutmaster in the mountain environment and drawing his specific attention. Community tracking on the PEAK Steam discussion boards documents confirmed Scoutmaster encounter locations for each daily seed rotation — check before your badge attempt run.

The Esoterica Badge (obtain a mystical item) is broad enough that most players unlock it accidentally during normal play. Mystical items include several legendary spawns found in hidden chests throughout the mountain. The badge is hidden until triggered, so encountering it is often a surprise on your first legendary item pickup.

The Bing Bong Badge requires escaping the island with a specific entity called Bing Bong in your inventory — a discovery that most players encounter through community guides rather than organic exploration. Similarly, the Animal Serenading Badge (play the Bugle for a Capybara) and Astronomy Badge (look at the sun through Binoculars in the Mesa) both require specific items that do not spawn on every daily seed. Check the day’s seed report on community resources before planning these badge runs.

Difficulty Mode and Badge Restrictions

PEAK’s difficulty modes — Tenderfoot, Normal, and harder Veteran options — affect badge eligibility in one confirmed case. The Undead Encounter Badge cannot be earned on Tenderfoot difficulty. All other 59 badges are earnable regardless of which mode you select.

For badge hunting specifically, Normal difficulty is the most balanced option. Tenderfoot makes environmental condition badges like Bundled Up easier (slower hazard damage gives more reaction time), but locks you out of the Undead Encounter Badge. Veteran modes increase the risk of losing consciousness that invalidates the Survivalist Badge run. For players working toward the Crown, a mix of Tenderfoot for hard survival challenge badges and Normal for creature encounter badges is the efficient approach.

The daily rotating mountain seed also matters for specific badges. Seeds that include Capybara spawns enable Animal Serenading; seeds with Scout Cannons in the Mesa enable Daredevil. The PEAK community actively tracks daily seed contents — use these reports to target activity badges that depend on specific item or creature spawns.

Badge Hunting Efficiently

Start with progression badges first. All seven biome progression badges unlock automatically through normal play. Complete your first summit before hunting anything deliberately — you will arrive with at least seven badges already on your sash with no extra effort required.

Never stop stacking cumulative counters. Bouldering (10 pitons), High Altitude (5,000m), and Toxicology (200 poison restored) track across all expeditions. Every run contributes regardless of whether the run was a badge attempt. Always use pitons, always carry antidotes — the counters tick up passively.

Dedicate specific runs to single challenging badges. The Hasty Badge (under one hour), Survivalist Badge (never lose consciousness), and Lone Wolf Badge (solo run) require full run commitment. Do not mix these goals with general exploration or other badge attempts in the same run.

Target Crown with the original 28 first. The 28 v1.0 badges unlock the Crown cosmetic. Prioritise these before any newer badges if Crown is your goal. The original set is generally more achievable than later additions like 24 Karat or Aeronautics.

Use four-player runs for support and encounter badges. First Aid, Clutch, Disaster Response, Applied Esoterica, and several encounter badges are dramatically easier with a full team where roles are coordinated in advance. A dedicated support player in a four-person run can stack multiple healing and revive badges in a single expedition by carrying an all-healing loadout.

Tracking Your Badge Progress

Badge progress is tracked in-game through the Accolades menu accessible in the pause screen. Cumulative badges display current totals versus the target; single-expedition badges show a simple completed or not-completed status. Hidden badges appear as blank entries in the list until unlocked.

Community resources on the PEAK Wiki maintain up-to-date badge lists including version-specific additions, confirmed unlock methods for hidden badges, and daily seed breakdowns for activity badges that depend on specific item or creature spawns. The PEAK Steam discussion forums host community-sourced tracking guides updated after each game patch — essential reading before planning any activity badge that requires a specific daily seed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many badges are in PEAK?

There are currently 60 badges in PEAK as of v1.40.a (November 2025). The original 28 launched with the game in June 2025; updates in August, September, and November 2025 added 10, 1, and 11 badges respectively. Collecting all 28 original badges unlocks the Crown cosmetic.

Do badges affect gameplay in any way?

No. Badges and all cosmetic unlocks are purely visual. They display on your scout sash in the lobby and during runs, but provide zero stat bonuses, stamina buffs, or mechanical advantages. PEAK’s entire cosmetic progression system is designed to be prestige-only.

Can I earn every badge on Tenderfoot difficulty?

All badges except the Undead Encounter Badge are available on Tenderfoot. The Undead Encounter Badge specifically requires Normal difficulty or higher — the zombie mechanic that enables the badge does not function on Tenderfoot mode.

What are the hardest badges in PEAK?

Community consensus identifies the Hasty Badge (summit in one hour or less), Aeronautics Badge (six balloons equipped simultaneously), 24 Karat Badge (Ancient Idol sacrifice in the Kiln), and Lone Wolf Badge (solo full summit) as the hardest. All require either near-perfect execution, rare item spawns, or full team coordination built around a single badge goal.

How do I unlock the Crown cosmetic?

Collect all 28 original badges introduced at PEAK’s v1.0 launch in June 2025. These are the pre-v1.20.a badges. Once all 28 are collected, the Crown hat unlocks automatically. You do not need to collect any of the 32 badges added in subsequent updates to earn the Crown.

Do badge progress counters reset if I reinstall PEAK?

Badge progress is tied to your Steam account and saves to PEAK’s cloud save system. Reinstalling does not reset cumulative badge counters. Progress is account-bound, not device-bound, so switching computers without switching Steam accounts preserves all your badge progress.

Sources

1. PEAK Wiki. Badges and Accolades — complete badge list with unlock conditions and cosmetic rewards. peak.wiki.gg
2. PEAK Steam Community Discussions. Player badge guides, daily seed tracking, and hidden badge unlock methods. Steam Community
3. PEAK — Official Steam page and version update notes. Valve Corporation