The Mesa biome just dropped in PEAK, and with it comes a bunch of new achievements to hunt down.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through every single one in the Mesa update — step-by-step — so you know exactly what to do, where to go, and what tricks make things easier.
If you’re just starting out, here are a couple of quick tips before we dive in:
- Play on Tenderfoot difficulty if you want an easier time. You’ll burn less stamina, get hungry slower, and there’s no time limit to stress about.
- If an achievement feels impossible, wait for the daily map refresh. Some layouts make certain achievements way easier (or harder).
Astronomy Badge
Description: Look too closely at the blazing sun.
How to unlock:
- Equip binoculars and head into the Mesa biome.
- Point them at the sun.
- You’ll only unlock the badge if the sun is high enough for the scorching heat effect to kick in.
- Yes, you’re literally getting rewarded for staring at the sun — just make sure you do it at the right time of day.
Megaentomology Badge
Description: Survive an Antlion attack.
How to unlock:
- Find the Antlion pit in Mesa (giant sand depression with an angry bug inside).
- Jump in, take at least one hit.
- Escape the pit alive — easier with a rope or by quickly climbing the slope.
Tip: Bring healing items so you don’t get one-shot, especially if your stamina is low.
Daredevil Badge
Description: Shoot across the Mesa canyon in a Scout Cannon.
How to unlock:
- At the start of Mesa, look for a Scout Cannon facing across a large canyon.
- Fire yourself across, then walk to the canyon on foot to trigger the achievement.
24 Karat Badge (Currently bugged)
Description: Offer The Kiln a worthy sacrifice.
The plan once it’s fixed:
- Find the Bing Bong Idol in the Mesa desert.
- Carry it into the volcano in the Kiln area and throw it inside.
Challenges:
- The entrance to the volcano is currently blocked by a bug.
- When it’s working again, the idol is very heavy, so you’ll need to pass it up slopes with friends or use a chain if you’re solo.
- Holding the idol gives you full heat protection — perfect for surviving the hottest spots.
Aeronautics Badge
Description: Achieve flight.
How to unlock:
- Collect 6 balloons from suitcases in any zone.
- Attach them all to yourself at once.
- You’ll float or glide depending on your setup.
Note: Balloons deflate over time, so don’t waste them one-by-one — save up and use them together.
Needlepoint Badge
Description: Have a lot of cactuses stuck to you.
How to unlock:
- In Mesa, look for small round cacti on the ground.
- Walk or climb over them to get them stuck on you.
- You need 5 or more stuck at once.
Tip: Do this in a shaded or safe spot to avoid extra heat damage while collecting them.
Cool Cucumber Badge
Description: Climb past the Mesa without ever reaching 10% heat.
How to unlock:
- Enter Mesa at night or with strong heat-protection items.
- The easiest method is grabbing the Bing Bong Idol — it completely cancels heat damage.
- Get through the biome and reach the next campfire without overheating past 10%.
Ultimate Badge
Description: Catch a flying disc from 100m away.
How to unlock:
- Grab the disc (frisbee) from the crashed plane wreck.
- Have someone throw it from far enough away (around 100m).
- Catch it midair to unlock.
Note: Bug alert — the host can’t currently get this achievement. Join someone else’s lobby if you’re hosting.
Nomad Badge
Description: Climb past the Mesa.
How to unlock:
- Survive everything Mesa throws at you — heat, tornadoes, cacti, Antlion — and reach the campfire at the top of the biome.
Resourcefulness Badge
Description: Give in to your hunger.
How to unlock:
- Reach at least 75% hunger without eating any normal food.
- Then, eat another player. Yes, you read that right — cannibalism must be turned on in settings.
Important:
- You must be in multiplayer.
- Reserve energy doesn’t count toward the hunger percentage — it’s based on your main energy bar.
- You need to be close enough to another player to actually take a bite.