There’s something charming about Tales of Wakana. It starts off looking like a fairly straightforward action platformer, but the more you play, the more secrets it hides. Before long you’re hunting for Map Fragments, upgrading weapons, unlocking new movement abilities, and wondering how you somehow missed an entire section of a level.
The nice thing is that the game doesn’t punish exploration—it actually rewards it. Almost every detour leads to something useful, whether it’s Diamonds for stronger weapons, permanent HP upgrades, or progress toward the Tower.
If you’re just getting started, this guide will help you avoid some common mistakes while also explaining how progression works, what collectibles actually matter, and what you should prioritize if you’re aiming for 100% completion.
Tales of Wakana Beginner Guide – Fragments, Upgrades
This might sound strange for a beginner guide, but I’d honestly recommend starting your first playthrough on Hard.
Why?
Because there’s an achievement tied to beating the game on Hard difficulty.
The game is challenging but fair, and if you’re already planning to complete everything, finishing on Hard from the beginning saves you from replaying the entire campaign later.
If you’re comfortable with action platformers, it’s definitely worth doing.
Explore Every Level Carefully
Unlike many platformers where collectibles are mostly optional, Tales of Wakana ties important progression directly to exploration.
There are two collectibles you should never ignore:
- Map Fragments
- Diamond Chests
Everything else is helpful, but these are the ones that matter the most.
Why Map Fragments Are Important
Map Fragments aren’t just collectibles sitting on a checklist.
Every fragment you collect unlocks progress inside the Tower, which contains additional rewards and is also required for full completion.
If you skip too many fragments during your first visit to a level, you’ll eventually need to backtrack.
Fortunately, revisiting stages later is quick once you’ve unlocked more movement abilities.
Diamond Chests Should Always Be Your Priority
Whenever you discover a black Diamond Chest, make opening it your highest priority.
These chests contain Diamonds, the resource used to upgrade your weapons.
Fully upgrading both weapon types requires collecting every Diamond available throughout the game.
Missing even a few slows your progression considerably.
Don’t Worry About Every Chest
Not every chest is equally valuable.
Here’s what each one contains.
| Chest Type | Reward |
|---|---|
| Black Diamond Chest | Diamonds for weapon upgrades |
| Brown Chest | 100 Gold |
| Silver Chest | 200 Gold |
| Blue Chest | Permanent MP Up |
| Heart Chest | Permanent HP Up |
If you’re returning to older levels, I’d focus on Diamond, HP, and MP chests first.
Gold is useful early on, but eventually you’ll earn more than enough simply by defeating enemies.
Expect to Revisit Earlier Areas
One of the first things you’ll notice is that some collectibles seem impossible to reach.
That’s intentional.
Several areas require abilities you won’t unlock until much later.
The biggest example is Double Jump, which opens numerous previously inaccessible locations throughout the game.
Don’t spend an hour trying to reach something that clearly looks impossible.
Just make a mental note and come back later.
Camp Has More Secrets Than You Think
The Camp isn’t just a safe hub.
It’s actually one of the most important locations in the game.
There are several things worth remembering here.
Visit the Inn
One Map Fragment is hidden inside the Inn.
It’s easy to overlook if you immediately leave for the first stage.
Buy the Well
Later in the game you’ll be able to purchase the Well from the merchant.
This unlocks:
- Additional Map Fragments
- Extra treasure
- The game’s secret boss
It’s easily one of the best investments you can make.
Leave the Secret Boss Until Later
Technically, you can fight the Camp’s hidden boss relatively early.
I wouldn’t recommend it.
It’s easily the longest and toughest fight in the game.
Waiting until you’ve upgraded your:
- Axe
- Magic
- HP
- MP
makes the encounter dramatically easier.
Keep Upgrading Your Weapons
Diamonds should almost always be spent improving your primary weapons.
Stronger weapons speed up boss fights, make exploration safer, and reduce the amount of healing you’ll need throughout the campaign.
If you’re ever unsure whether to continue progressing or revisit older stages for Diamonds…
…I’d recommend grabbing the Diamonds first.
The extra damage is noticeable.
Spend Gold Regularly
Unlike Diamonds, Gold becomes increasingly common.
As long as you’re defeating enemies instead of running past everything, you’ll earn plenty over the course of the game.
Use it to:
- Upgrade weapon skills.
- Improve magic.
- Unlock useful abilities.
There’s very little reason to hoard large amounts of money.
Defeat Every Boss
Bosses don’t just move the story forward.
Each one rewards Incredibly Funny Stars, which are required for unlocking every magic type in the skill tree.
Fortunately, there are enough available during a normal playthrough to unlock everything.
As long as you’re defeating every major boss, you shouldn’t miss any.
Tower Progression
The Tower becomes increasingly important as your collection grows.
Every Map Fragment contributes toward unlocking additional stages.
The Tower also rewards extra Diamonds every few floors.
If you ever reach a difficult boss or level, spending some time clearing Tower floors is a great way to earn upgrades before continuing.
Level Tips
While most levels can simply be explored naturally, a few contain mechanics worth remembering.
Camp
- Map Fragment inside the Inn.
- Requires Double Jump for full completion.
- Purchase the Well to unlock the secret boss and additional collectibles.
Palace Back Garden
The locked door near the beginning cannot be opened immediately.
You’ll obtain the required Glasses later in the level before returning.
Moon Shadow Forest
Don’t forget to search inside the houses.
One of them hides a Map Fragment that’s surprisingly easy to miss.
Orc Club
Several collectibles are locked behind Double Jump.
Don’t waste time trying complicated jumps during your first visit.
Simply return later.
Evernight Pirates
This is one of the larger levels in the game.
It progresses through several connected areas:
- A Corner of the East Blue
- Laying Flat Route
- Mortal Route
- Involution King Route
- Eternal Night Pirates Entrance
- Pirate Base
- Pirate Office
Pirate Base contains the largest concentration of Map Fragments in the level, making it worth exploring carefully before moving on.
Boss Rush Isn’t as Difficult as It Sounds
Many players postpone Boss Rush because they expect a marathon.
It’s actually much more forgiving than you’d think.
Between fights:
- HP is fully restored.
- MP is restored.
- Potions are replenished.
You also don’t fight every boss in the game.
The secret Camp boss isn’t included, making the challenge far more manageable.
Easy Achievement You Shouldn’t Miss
Right near the beginning of the game you’ll encounter some friendly slimes.
Hit one.
That’s it.
Seriously.
There’s an achievement for doing exactly that, and it’s one of the easiest achievements to overlook because most players assume the slimes aren’t interactive.
Tales of Wakana does a great job rewarding players who enjoy exploring instead of rushing from one objective to the next. Every hidden path, optional room, and overlooked corner has the potential to contain something that genuinely improves your character, whether it’s a permanent stat increase, a valuable Diamond, or another Map Fragment for the Tower.
My biggest advice is simple: don’t stress about collecting everything on your first visit to each level. The game is clearly designed around returning with new abilities like Double Jump, and revisiting earlier stages feels much more satisfying once your character is stronger. Take your time, explore naturally, and before long you’ll have everything you need for a full 100% completion run.