In this guide, I’ll show you how to unlock every achievement in CICADAMATA, including the story achievements, gameplay challenges, level progression, Sphere Rush modes, hidden secrets, and the final 100% completion achievement.
Most achievements are straightforward once you know what the game is asking you to do. A few, such as getting DMND clearance across every Sphere or completing Cicadadeath, require more practice and careful routing.
CICADAMATA Achievements Guide 100% – How to unlock
The first group of achievements is tied directly to progressing through the main game.
You can unlock these naturally while completing the different Spheres and the opening chapter.
I AM JOYEUSE
Pick up Joyeuse, the gun, during the tutorial level.
This is one of the easiest achievements in the game and should unlock naturally during the opening section.
PRODIGY
Complete Sphere 1: Emergence.
Simply progress through and finish the first Sphere.
COLD_STORAGE
Complete Sphere 2: Icebox.
Finish the second Sphere to unlock this achievement.
DROWNED
Complete Sphere 3: Deepdive.
Complete all the required levels in Sphere 3.
WINDBLOWN PARTICLES
Complete Sphere 4: Verdant.
Finish Sphere 4 to unlock the achievement.
I KILLED HAUTECLERE
Complete Sphere 5: Dead Zone.
Progress through Sphere 5 and complete it.
THIS FACE COSTS EXTRA
Complete Sphere 6: Encore.
Once you’ve finished the sixth Sphere, this achievement will unlock.
LOVE YOU TOO
Complete the Cascade “Loveless Initiation”, which is Chapter 1 of the game.
This is part of the main progression, so you should naturally unlock it as you advance through the story.
Gameplay Achievements
The next group is based on specific actions you need to perform during gameplay.
DON’T BE AFRAID OF DYING
Simply die.
There isn’t any complicated requirement here. Let your character die once and the achievement will unlock.
LONG WAY DOWN
Dispatch a threat by making it fall into the void.
You need to kill an enemy by causing it to fall off the level.
A simple place to attempt this is Level 1-1, where there is a turret positioned on a platform that you can break.
Destroy the platform and allow the enemy to fall into the void.
ZONED
Achieve the ZONED state by earning enough score through your actions.
Continue attacking enemies and performing actions that generate points until the ZONED state activates.
WIPING ALL OUT
Perform a WIPEOUT.
To unlock this achievement, you need to kill every enemy on a level.
Don’t leave any enemies behind before completing the level.
SWAN DIVE
Perform a STOMP into water.
Find a suitable area with water and use your Stomp ability while entering it.
IT’S TRICKY
Earn 50,000 points during a single ZONE TIME.
First, activate the ZONED state.
Then keep the state going by continuously killing enemies and generating points.
Larger levels in Spheres 4 and 5 are good places to attempt this because they provide more enemies and opportunities to build your score.
LET’S DANCE
Pick up the Starstruck buff in Sphere 6.
Once you encounter the Starstruck buff in Sphere 6, collect it to unlock the achievement.
DESTROYER
Recharge Dash three times in rapid succession.
The easiest method is to find three enemies close together.
Dash into one enemy, immediately use the recharge opportunity, and chain the next dash into another enemy.
Repeat this quickly three times.
TAP DANCE
Recharge Stomp three times in rapid succession.
A simple way to do this is to find a turret and stomp it three times in succession.
As long as you perform the stomps quickly enough, the achievement should unlock.
SHIMMER
Obtain your first DMND clearance level.
You need to achieve a DMND score on a level.
The key is to maximize your score rather than simply rushing toward the exit.
Try chaining attacks, using multiple attacks on enemies, finishing enemies with Dash, and keeping the ZONED buff active for as much of the level as possible.
THIS TIME, FOR SURE
Finish one level seven times.
You can repeatedly complete the same level until you’ve finished it seven times.
There is no need to complete seven different levels.
JOYEUSELESS
Exfil after earning points only from Cores.
This means you need to avoid almost everything else that could generate points.
Don’t:
- Get hit
- Attack enemies
- Pick up rings
- Pick up health
- Collect other score-generating items
Only collect Cores.
Levels such as 1-1 or 1-3 are good places to attempt this because they are relatively straightforward.
EVERY 17 YEARS
Achieve DMND clearance on every Sphere.
This is one of the more demanding achievements because you need to achieve a DMND rank across the game’s Spheres.
The main thing to focus on is score optimization.
Keep your ZONED state active, chain attacks, use Dash and Stomp efficiently, and avoid wasting opportunities to gain points.
If you’re struggling with the required scores, a dedicated point-farming route can make this much easier.
ULTIMATA
Dispatch 33,333 threats.
In other words, you need to kill a total of 33,333 enemies.
This is a major grind achievement.
You can simply play normally and eventually accumulate the required number, but if you’re specifically farming it, repetitive levels are much faster.
Level 1-1 is a practical farming option because it is simple and quick.
If you’re comfortable using automation tools, some players may choose to create a macro for repetitive farming, but you can also unlock this naturally by continuing to play.
CICADA Level Achievements
CICADAMATA has a separate profile-level progression system.
You can access your CICADA profile from the main menu by pressing R.
You gain XP by completing levels and earning score.
QUAD MACHINE
Reach CICADA Level 5.
Keep playing levels and earning XP until you reach level 5.
COMING UP
Reach CICADA Level 25.
Continue earning CICADA XP until you reach level 25.
WHITE RABBIT
Reach CICADA Level 50.
This is the highest of the three profile-level achievements.
You’ll need to keep completing levels and earning score until you reach Level 50.
For efficient XP farming, a short level such as 6-1 can be useful because you can complete it quickly while earning a substantial score.
Of course, you can also simply keep playing normally and you’ll eventually reach the required level.
Sphere Rush Achievements
Sphere Rush becomes available after completing the main part of the game.
There are several different Sphere Rush variants, each with its own achievement.
FOR MYSELF
Complete Sphere Rush: Normal.
This is the standard Rush mode.
The easiest strategy is generally to avoid unnecessary fights and prioritize collecting Cores.
You don’t need to kill everything, so don’t waste time fighting enemies that aren’t necessary for your route.
FOR AUGUST
Complete Sphere Rush: Cicadadeath.
This is considerably harder than Normal Rush.
You only have one life and very little health, so knowing the levels before attempting a full run is extremely useful.
Before making serious attempts, learn where the health pickups are and memorize dangerous sections.
Cicadadeath Tips
One of the biggest threats is the Esper enemies.
They can interfere with your screen and deal significant damage when you’re nearby.
Try to avoid unnecessary fights whenever possible.
Pay particular attention to 5-2, where several Espers appear near the end.
You can deal with them one at a time or use the lower route to skip them.
The most important thing is to preserve your health.
If you’re struggling with the routing, studying successful Cicadadeath runs can help you understand how experienced players move through the stages.
FOR AEGIS
Complete Sphere Rush: Esperia.
In this mode, every enemy is an Esper.
Some levels can become annoying because large groups can overwhelm you very quickly.
Don’t feel obligated to fight every group.
Skip large groups of Espers when possible and focus on completing the route.
FOR THE FANS
Complete Sphere Rush: Starshot.
This version replaces ZONED with STARSTRUCK.
Compared with Cicadadeath and Esperia, Starshot is relatively straightforward.
Focus on completing the Rush and maintaining the required state.
Secret Achievements
There are also two hidden-style achievements involving exploration and listening.
EAT THE PATH
View every Terminal.
You need to find and interact with all of the Terminals throughout the Spheres.
This is an exploration achievement, so don’t simply rush through the levels.
When entering a new level, look around for optional paths and areas that you might otherwise ignore.
If you miss a Terminal, you can return to the relevant level later.
ST. SANVEI
Listen to all Sphere Murmurs.
At the beginning of levels, the game provides a short briefing or piece of dialogue.
For this achievement, stay inside the starting area and listen to the entire briefing.
Once you’ve received the achievement progress, move on to another Sphere rather than another level within the same Sphere.
You need to listen to the different briefings associated with the six Spheres.
TEAR FLESH FROM BONE
This is the final completion achievement.
You need to unlock every other CICADAMATA achievement.
Once you’ve completed the full achievement list, including the gameplay challenges, Sphere Rush modes, secrets, level progression, and DMND requirements, this achievement should unlock.
Best Order for 100% Completion
If you’re trying to get all achievements efficiently, I recommend doing them in roughly this order.
Step 1: Complete the Main Game
Play through all six Spheres and the main Cascade.
This naturally unlocks:
- I AM JOYEUSE
- PRODIGY
- COLD_STORAGE
- DROWNED
- WINDBLOWN PARTICLES
- I KILLED HAUTECLERE
- THIS FACE COSTS EXTRA
- LOVE YOU TOO
Step 2: Pick Up Easy Gameplay Achievements
While replaying levels, work on:
- DON’T BE AFRAID OF DYING
- LONG WAY DOWN
- ZONED
- WIPING ALL OUT
- SWAN DIVE
- LET’S DANCE
- DESTROYER
- TAP DANCE
Most of these can be completed without much additional grinding.
Step 3: Work on Score Achievements
Once you’re comfortable with the movement and combat systems, start working toward:
- IT’S TRICKY
- SHIMMER
- EVERY 17 YEARS
- JOYEUSELESS
For the DMND-related achievements, focus on maximizing your score rather than simply completing levels as quickly as possible.
Step 4: Farm CICADA XP
Work toward:
- QUAD MACHINE
- COMING UP
- WHITE RABBIT
Repeating a short, high-scoring level is an efficient way to build XP.
Step 5: Complete Sphere Rush
After unlocking Rush modes, work through:
- FOR MYSELF
- FOR AUGUST
- FOR AEGIS
- FOR THE FANS
Cicadadeath should be treated as its own challenge because the one-life system makes route knowledge much more important.
Step 6: Find Every Terminal and Listen to Every Murmur
Explore the levels carefully and collect all Terminal interactions.
For Sphere Murmurs, stay at the beginning of each Sphere long enough to hear the complete briefing.
Step 7: Finish the Grind
The ULTIMATA achievement requires 33,333 enemy kills.
You can either let this unlock naturally or deliberately farm enemies on a quick level.
Step 8: Clean Up Anything Missing
Finally, check your achievement list and complete any remaining requirements.
Once everything else is unlocked, TEAR FLESH FROM BONE should be the final achievement.
CICADAMATA’s achievement list is a mix of natural story progression, mechanical challenges, score optimization, grinding, and exploration.
The easiest achievements will come naturally as you play, while the biggest time investments are likely to be EVERY 17 YEARS, ULTIMATA, CICADA Level 50, and the harder Sphere Rush modes.
For the DMND achievements, focus on learning how to maintain ZONED and maximize your score. For Cicadadeath, focus on route memorization and avoiding unnecessary fights.
If you work through the achievements in a sensible order rather than trying to complete everything randomly, getting the full 100% completion should be much more manageable.