Achievement Strategy Guide – Curious Expedition

Achievement Strategy Guide – Curious Expedition 1 - steamclue.com
Achievement Strategy Guide – Curious Expedition 1 - steamclue.com

A strategy guide to unlocking all characters and achievements (work in progress).
 
 

General Strategy

Travel

 

  • Because there is a base sanity cost to traveling, try to maximize the distance you travel with each click.
  • Pack animals can be mounted to reduce the sanity cost of traveling at the expense of inventory slots. Fast mounts lower the sanity cost of travel the most, followed by medium mounts, then slow mounts.
  • Moving onto a hill tile costs a lot of sanity (15 base), but walking from one hill tile to the next is no more costly than traveling across flat ground.
  • Look for patterns. Many exploration destinations are a*sociated with particular types of terrain. Villages are often found near water. The golden pyramid is often surrounded by a ring of identical terrain hexes.

 

Combat

 

  • Choose followers with different dice to allow for more powerful combos during combat.
  • You do not need bullets in your inventory in order to use a gun; bullets simply provide extra attack dice.
  • Consider mounting any rideable animals before battle. Only mounts which are being ridden participate in combat (unless promoted by Alexandra David-Neel).
  • Always recruit Tim Timster if he appears at the dock in London. He comes with an extra companion (a dog named Luis) who does not take up a character slot but provides dice in combat. If you don’t want to keep Tim Timster, you can dismiss him immediately and Luis will remain with the party.

 

Trading

 

  • The items offered for sale at the dock in London vary each expedition; don’t count on certain items being available.
  • Many items are valued differently in expedition locations than in London; this can be seen by mousing over an item while trading. Some items, such as animal teeth, provide more value when traded with local tribes than when auctioned in London.
  • Items with a feather next to them are weightless and take up no inventory space. Consider exchanging heftier trophies for animal teeth or tome pages to maximize your inventory value.
  • Treasures left in the store room of a mission or polar station will be shipped back to London free of charge if you don’t return to collect them. If you find yourself overburdened or have to abort an expedition, this can be invaluable. If the building in which your items are stashed is destroyed, your goods will be lost. Mummies are best stashed if you’re playing on Expedition difficulty or higher as they have a nasty habit of walking off while the party is resting.

 

Staying Alive

 

  • Coca leaves and whiskey grant sanity but can result in your companions gaining ailments. Therefore it’s best to use other sanity items first. Consider trading whiskey and coca leaves at villages and missions. Similarly, red mushrooms heal your companions but can have side effects; a first aid kit is a safer bet. As animal companions are immune to most ailments, they can use red mushrooms without risk.
  • Stock up on water before an expedition. Many non-desert worlds contain patches of desert and the water can easily be discarded en route if your inventory becomes full.
  • Some shrines are more dangerous than others. Avoid high-risk shrines (tilted and subsiding shrines and shrines with a circle drawn in blood or celestial symbols) if you’re attached to your current run; one wrong step will end the game immediately.
  • Visiting temples is always worthwhile; there’s no standing cost or ailment risk a*sociated with entering a temple, and drinking from a temple always grants a companion perk.

 

Unlocking Achievements

 

  • Most achievements can be unlocked in Tourist Trip mode; some do not even require you to complete the expedition.
  • Most achievements are unlocked incidentally; don’t spend a lot of time hunting particular animals or going out of your way to collect items until you’ve completed all other achievements, as this is generally unenjoyable and often a waste of time.
  • Unlock all explorers before attempting other achievements. Often an achievement which appears challenging and time consuming can be achieved quickly and easily with the right starting explorer (e.g. Triple trouble, Beyond the Gate.

 
 
 

Curious Explorer

Unlock 13 explorers.
 
 
Mary Kingsley
 
 
Reach the Golden Pyramid in Expedition 3. This can be done on any difficulty setting. Tourist Trip is best for novice explorers.
 
 
Amelia Earhart
 
 
Complete a game, ending in 1st place. This can be done on any difficulty setting. If playing in Tourist Trip mode, focus on reaching the Golden Pyramid first, rather than acquiring treasures. The fame bonus for finishing first is generally enough to offset the fame gained by tardier explorers donating treasures to the museum.
 
 
Nikola Tesla
 
 
Blow up a mountain with dynamite. This can be done on any difficulty setting. Dynamite can be purchased at the docks in London, and occasionally from other sources.
 
 
Alexandra David-Neel
 
 
Complete a game in 3rd place or higher with a dinosaur in your trek. This can be done on any difficulty setting. Dinosaurs can be recruited from native villages in prehistoric worlds (always an available destination for Expedition 6). Prehistoric worlds also contain raptor nests, in which raptor eggs can often be found. If a raptor egg is kept in the party’s inventory long enough, it will hatch into a juvenile raptor which occupies an inventory slot. If kept in the inventory, it will grow into a companion and you will have the option to add it to your party.
 
 
Marcus Garvey
 
 
Complete the game in 3rd place or higher, and with two fully-promoted companions. Companions are promoted using exploration points (shown in the star at the top right of the screen). Exploration points are earned by uncovering map tiles. You will likely have no trouble earning enough to fully promote two companions. Each companion can be promoted three times: the first promotion costs one point, the second costs two, and the third costs three, thus you will need to earn twelve in total.
 
 
If you lose promoted companions and find yourself short on exploration points, weather balloons can be purchased at the dock in London. Using a weather balloon reveals a location of interest nearby and uncovers nearby hexes, providing exploration points.
 
 
Dion Fortune
 
 
Abandon everything (Expedition difficulty).
 
 
If you raise your standing high enough (at least 8) in Expedition 4 or later, then rest in a village, you may have the option to abandon the expedition and remain with the tribe. It may take several nights for this option to appear, so it’s best to play as Richard Francis Burton, as he has the Polyglot perk and can rest in native villages without losing standing. Consider collecting animal teeth in expeditions 1-3 or stock up on colorful marbles, machetes, and/or fireworks in London. Choosing to stay in the village will end the game immediatley, so you can afford to be generous. Having one or more party members with the Good Reputation perk is helpful but not necessary.
 
 
Frederick Courtney Selous
 
 
Combat and defeat an enemy tiger (Expedition difficulty). Tigers are found in dryland, jungle, and desert worlds. Nikola Tesla is a good early game combat explorer, but any explorer should be able to defeat a tiger provided he/she has companions with a variety of dice. Consider promoting companions before attempting combat as this increases their hitpoints and the number and type of dice they roll.
 
 
Freya Stark
 
 
Complete the game in 3rd place or higher without attacking any enemy in combat (Normal Difficulty). Mary Kingsley makes for a good starting explorer as her perk and starting party are geared towards trade, stealth, and diplomacy rather than combat. Focus on trading and digging for treasures and avoid excessive looting lest you be pursued by angry natives. Between Kingsley’s pacifist perk and her native warrior’s stealth perk, you will likely be able to avoid combat altogether and unlock Freya Stark and Ada Lovelace in a single expedition.
 
 
H.P Lovecraft
 
 
Find the Necronomicon and use it (Expedition difficulty). The Necronomicon is found as a rare loot item. It may take several expeditions to locate one, but no particular strategy is needed.
 
 
Isabella Bird
 
 
Find an ancient mummy (Expedition difficulty). Mummies can be found in caves and tombs in many biomes, though they are found most consistently in desert worlds.
 
 
Harriet Tubman
 
 
Finish a single expedition with three natives in your trek (Expedition difficulty). You will need to maintain a positive standing in order to recruit natives (See A Good heart is hard to find) or simply play as Grigori Rasputin, who can recruit followers regardless of his standing. The Charismatic perk only works at the docks in London, and does not allow you to recruit two natives from a single village.
 
 
Ensure that your starting party has plenty of blue dice. Natives are afflicted with the homesickness ailment and will hesitate to follow you back to London. You can bring them with you by rolling a blue “mind” die when you reach the golden pyramid or by maxing out their loyalty status by gifting them Native Trinkets and/or promoting them. The latter strategy can get expensive so it’s best to choose a starting explorer who has plenty of blue dice in his/her party. The Careerist perk is mildly helpful here.
 
 
Alternately, you could take the easy route and simply head back to the ship upon recruiting a native; they will accompany you back to London no matter their loyalty and you won’t have to bother with blue dice. Unfortunately escaping in a hot air balloon will not achieve the same result; the homesick companion will always abandon the party before the balloon departs. When you have three natives in your party, complete the expedition and Harriet Tubman will be unlocked.
 
 
Aleister Crowley
 
 
Finish every expedition in a game with positive Standing, ending in 3rd place or higher (Expedition difficulty). See A Good heart is hard to find for strategies on building and maintaining standing. Note that to unlock Crowley, you only have to finish with positive standing; if your standing drops, you can always redeem yourself with a generous gift to your local native village. It’s wise to increase your standing with a gift or two the moment you encounter a village. You will likely lose standing throughout the expedition due to animal attacks, and this will save you some backtracking.
 
 
Richard Francis Burton is a good explorer for this achievement as he has the Polyglot perk and can rest in native villages without losing standing. Consider recruiting a native warrior to gain the stealth perk and make accidental battles less likely. Having one or more native warriors in your party will also increase your base standing. Tim Timster is another good choice, as his journalist perk is a good way to acquire fame without angering the natives. The Good Reputation, Anthropologist, and Polyglot perks (if not playing as Burton) are also useful.
 
 
It’s difficult to acquire treasures or hunting trophies without losing standing, so on reaching the pyramid as quickly as possible to get the first place fame bonus. Consider investing in a treasure pendulum, as this will make it easier to spot buried treasure.
 
 
Ada Lovelace
 
 
Complete a game without ever entering into combat (Expedition difficulty). See Freya Stark above for general strategy. Fireworks can be used to prevent enemies from aggro-ing. If an enemy does aggro, all is not lost! A horn flute can be used to put the hostile enemy to sleep. Resting at a campsite or in a village until the enemy is no longer aggressive is also an option (mouse over the enemy to see how much longer it will be aggro-ed.) If all else fails, aggro-ed enemies can sometimes be outrun.
 
 
Avoid entering tombs or robbing raptor nests. Occasionally, a pilfered mummy may come alive and attack while the party is resting; this does not seem to count as combat for the purposes of the achievement.
 
 
 

Legendary

It’s time to headbutt a raptor! Ensure that you have at least one red die and at least one blue die in your party before Expedition 6, then head to a prehistoric world and bonk the daylights out of one of those sneaky saurians!
 
 
Achievement Strategy Guide - Curious Expedition - Legendary - 33A24AFFF
 
 
 

Snarfrattle must die

Kill the legendary hyena.
 
 
Wait until a one-armed hunter approaches you at the dock and tasks you with killing Snarfrattle. Snarfrattle will appear in whichever world you choose to visit, accompanied by 2-3 normal hyenas. While Snarfrattle is significantly stronger than a regular hyena, it’s not a particularly challenging fight and a well-balanced team should have no difficulty unlocking the achievement.
 
 
Killing the legendary hyena will earn you the Pelt of Snarfrattle. The one-armed hunter will approach you at the docks before your next voyage and will pay you 80-120 gold in exchange for the pelt. You also have the option to exchange the pelt for a paltry 40 gold/fame at the auction house but doing so will cause you to fail the quest (and lose 50 fame.)
 
 
 

There is no weak spot!

Kill a giant crab.
 
 
Giant crabs are found in prehistoric and late-game desert worlds (and on occasion in portal worlds as well). Prehistoric worlds are always available in Expedition 6. Giant crabs are easy to find, but taking one down can be challenging as they have a ma*sive health bar and four attack dice. Try to have a full, fully-promoted party with some solid dice combos before you attempt this achievement. Consider purchasing a weapon in London before the final expedition or trading for spears in native villages.
 
 
When choosing perks after expeditions 1-5, look for those which are potentially useful in combat. The Bullet Hoarder perk is useful for gaining extra attack dice. The Gun Expert perk can help to maximize damage if your party has a gun. The Adept, Protect, and Ruffian perks each provide an extra die in combat (blue, green, and red respectively).
 
 
Frederick Courtney Selous is a good bet for this achievement, as he starts with a hunting rifle and gains an extra dice roll. Alexandra David-Neel is also a strong contender, as her animal companions have high attack stats and can consume red mushrooms without risk. She can also promote dinosaurs, so consider saving up some experience points and recruiting a dinosaur or two in the final world. Nikola Tesla and Freya Stark are also solid choices for this achievement.
 
 
 

Unchained

This achievement is unlocked by liberating a slaver camp. These can be found reliably in the prehistoric world in Expedition 6. A slaver camp contains three human warriors and a hyena so ensure that you have a full party before attempting this achievement. Consider acquiring and mounting a dinosaur before attacking the camp.
 
 
Successfully defeating a slaver camp will earn you the achievement and the opportunity to loot a rare weapon.
 
 
 

Arachnophobia

Kill 20 giant spiders.
 
 
Giant spiders spawn when the player loots a shrine surrounded by fungal growth. When the treasure is removed, a red fungus will spread across nearby sections of the map. Spiders will spawn from the affected area and pursue the player (the fungus itself is not harmful). Spider dens containing 2-3 spiders will also spawn in nearby caves. Clearing a spider den occasionally transports the player to a corrupted world (see Corrupted king).
 
 
 

Party Train

Have at least 3 members of your trek be alcoholics.
 
 
Alcoholic trek members don’t tend to stick around long if their habit isn’t indulged, so it’s best to acquire three sober human party members and stockpile some whisky before attempting this achievement.
 
 
Once you’re ready, let the party begin! Whisky can be used even if you’re sanity is maxed out, so there’s no harm in using it all at once (providing you don’t plan to reach World 6). If you run dry, missions will sometimes offer whisky to parties who spend the night.
 
 
 

Giant giant chicken dinner

Kill 10 giant birds.
 
 
Giant birds are found in Prehistoric worlds (always available in Expedition 6) at all difficulty levels. They may also appear in jungle worlds at Expedition difficulty and above. Ensure that you have a full party with a variety of dice types, stockpile some first aid kits, and go at it!
 
 
Strangely the feathers aren’t weightless and do take up inventory space, but they make for good trophies and trade fodder. Each bird also drops a generous five meat, so having a cook in the party can be useful for sanity restoration.
 
 
 

Interdimensional traveler

Travel through 20 portals.
 
 
Portals can be found in expedition worlds when playing in Expedition or Certain Death mode. A player can also enter a portal world by using a Tome of Portal Traversal. These can be found as loot, acquired through trades, or generated using Aleister Crowley’s Necromion.
 
 
Portal Worlds stay open for 20-30 days, after which the player is returned to the main expedition world. Time still pa*ses in the main world while the player is exploring the portal world; however looting shrines in portal worlds does not affect standing in the main world. To leave the portal world early, simply go back through the portal from which you emerged or use a second Tome of Portal Traversal.
 
 
 

Fight fire with fire

Blow up an active volcano with dynamite.
 
 
Dynamite can be purchased at the docks in London and occasionally elsewhere. For the achievement to unlock, the volcano must be active; active volcanoes contain hot lava and will periodically erupt, catching nearby tiles on fire. Inactive volcanoes contain no lava and do not erupt. An inactive volcano never becomes active (or vice versa).
 
 
 

Scorpion king

Kill 10 giant scorpions.
 
 
Scorpions are found in desert worlds. Freya Stark makes a good scorpion hunter as she excels in combat and can explore a desert world during all six expeditions. She also starts with a cook in her party, allowing you to farm scorpion meat for a sanity bonus.
 
 
 

Hungry heart

Wait for the dock quest in which a woman approaches you and asks you to find her missing husband (this generally occurs before Expedition 4). The husband will appear in whichever world you choose. Find the man and cure his cannibalism by giving him a green mushroom or having him cleansed at a shaman hut. Return to London and reunite the spouses to unlock the achievement.
 
 
 

Dinotopia

Recruit five dinosaurs.
 
 
Dinosaurs can be recruited from native villages in prehistoric worlds (always available in Expedition 6). Prehistoric worlds also contain raptor nests. If kept in the inventory long enough, an egg looted from one of these nests will hatch. Keep the hatchling in the inventory until it is fully grown and you will have the option to add it to your party.
 
 
NOTE: The in-game achievement requires you to recruit 20 dinosaurs, the Steam achievement only requires five.
 
 
 

Bring shovels!

Find and dig up 10 treasures using treasure maps.
 
 
Treasure maps can be acquired by traders in expedition worlds and through dock quests. To view the map, mouse over it in the inventory bar.
 
 
To dig up a treasure, simply acquire a shovel, walk to the site indicated on the map, and select the shovel. The map does not disappear after the treasure has been dug up and can still be traded. While a treasure map is the surest way to find treasure, you might also consider digging elsewhere… (see Pattern recognition).
 
 
 

Hyena hunter

Kill 100 hyenas.
 
 
Hyenas appear frequently in most world types (and can even appear in arctic biomes should you choose to hunt Snarfrattle there!) They are weak enemies who travel in groups of 2-4. Because they are easy to defeat, they are a ready source of animal teeth and raw meat. The pelts don’t fetch much in London and are better traded locally.
 
 
 

Xenophil

Recruit 20 natives.
 
 
Men wanted for hazardous journey […] Small wages, bitter cold, […] constant danger. Safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success. – Sir Ernest Shackleton, allegedly
 
 
You will probably unlock this achievement without actively trying. Playing as Rasputin can be helpful as he can recruit natives even when your standing is low. You do not need to keep the natives in your party for them to count towards the achievement.
 
 
The Good Reputation perk can be useful here. The Charismatic perk only works in London and will not allow you to recruit multiple natives from a single village.
 
 
 

Schroedingers Box

But what happened to the cat?
 
 
Wait for the dock quest in which a scientist begs you to retrieve a buried box. Accept the quest and he will give you a map. The box will appear in whichever world you choose to explore. Ensure that you have at least one shovel in your inventory before starting the expedition. To view the map, mouse over it in your inventory bar. Stand on the tile indicated by the map, then select the shovel. Select the box to open it and unlock the achievement (best not to do this if you plan to continue the current game).
 
 
If you fail to find the box during the expedition, the map will disappear from your inventory and you will lose 50 fame. If you succeed and do not use the box during the expedition, you will have to relinquish it when you return to London. The box cannot be sold, donated, or saved for later use.
 
 
 

What lies beneath

This achievement is unlocked by finding a shrine when blowing up a mountain with a carved face. Blowing up a carved mountains costs no more standing than blowing up a regular mountain (-1).
 
 
 

Made for battle

This achievement is unlocked by purchasing the Battle Tiger from a beastmaster for 15 animal teeth. Beastmasters appear in later worlds. Because animal teeth don’t take up any space in your inventory and are worth little in London, it is generally advantageous to save them for late-game trading fodder.
 
 
 

Entomologist

Collect 50 butterflies.
 
 
Butterflies can be found in jungle worlds (and possibly in other biomes as well). To catch a butterfly, simple walk onto an adjacent tile. Butterflies are stored in a butterfly collection which does not take up an inventory slot and can be exchanged for a small amount of fame or money in London.
 
 
Charles Darwin derives particular benefits from butterfly collecting as he has the Butterfly Enthusiast perk and gains 20 sanity with each addition to his collection. On the flip side, a companion with the Lepidopterophobia ailment will lose loyalty each time a butterfly is collected.
 
 
 

Corrupted king

[In progress]
 
 
 

Breeder

Hatch 10 eggs.
 
 
Giant tortoise eggs are occasionally found in elephant graveyards in jungle worlds. Raptor eggs are found in raptor nests in prehistoric worlds. After being carried in the inventory for a short time, both eggs will turn into hatchlings which occupy an inventory slot. If you leave the hatchling in your inventory long enough it will grow in to full-sized companion animal. Because they do not count as party members until they are fully grown, eggs can be hatched even if your party is full. You do not need to add the fully-grown animal to your party for the hatching to count towards the achievement.
 
 
The secret explorer Sound of Mystery starts with both types of eggs in his inventory (see Secret Session).
 
 
 

Walrus hunter

Roald Amundsen is a good explorer for this achievement as he starts with the Arctic Explorer perk, reducing the sanity cost of treking across snow. He is also accompanied by two huskies with decent combat dice; however his party lacks red dice, which can make weaponless combat challenging. It’s best to recruit a companion with red dice, purchase a weapon, and/or acquire the Bullet Hoarder or Ruffian perks before engaging. Recruiting a cook is a good strategy, as the walrus meat can provide a much-needed sanity boost. The British Soldier is also useful, as he provides a sanity boost every time the player engages in combat.
 
 
If possible, stock up on snowshoes and whisky before attempting an arctic expedition. Whisky can be exchanged for +300% value at polar stations.
 
 
 

Out of the way!

Blow up 50 mountains.
 
 
Mountains can be blown up using dynamite, which can be purchased at the dock in London and occasionally in expedition worlds. Nikola Tesla and Aleister Crowly start with 5 and 6 dynamite, respectively. Blowing up a mountain results in a loss of 1 standing, so prepare to complete this achievement piecemeal or face a horde of angry natives!
 
 
Blowing up a magnetic mountain (blue-green, sparkly) in Normal or Certain Death mode can prevent it from interfering with the compa*s. Blowing up a mountain with a face carved into it may reveal a temple, and an achievement (See What lies beneath!)
 
 
 

Art collector

Create 50 paintings.
 
 
Artists are recruitable companions who can be found at the docks in London. They can create paintings of shrines and camp sites while exploring these sites and portraits of villagers while resting in native villages. Painting does not disturb shrines, incurs no standing cost, and does not cost time. Multiple paintings stack in a single inventory slot. Promoted artists produce more valuable paintings (up to 30 funds/50 fame). The explorer Johan Huizinga starts with an artist in his party.
 
 
Paintings are a good way to collect money/fame for those who are tight on inventory space or are trying to avoid decreasing standing. Less valuable paintings are surprisingly valuable as trading items; natives value portraits at +400% and landscapes at +266%. You will need to keep your artist somewhat happy, as an angry artist will refuse to paint.
 
 
 

Secret Session

To unlock this achievement, complete a full game on any difficulty with a secret explorer. Secret explorers were created to commemorate those who donated to the Patreon campaign or otherwise contributed to the game. Press the Esc key to access the options menu, then type the secret four-number combination to unlock the a*sociated explorer (e.g. to unlock Sound of Mystery, enter 7319). A list of all of the secret explorer combinations can be found on the following page:
 
 
https://curious-expedition.fandom.com/wiki/Secret_Explorers – [fandom.com] 
 
 
 

A good heart is hard to find

Finish a full game without your standing ever dropping below 0.
 
 
Who doesn’t love a good Flannery O’Connor reference?
 
 
General tips:
 
 
This achievement can be unlocked in Tourist Trip mode and does not require you to finish first, so focus on surviving and finding the pyramid. Try to rest in native villages only as a last resort. Instead, stock up on sanity items, stay close to resting sites, and consider purchasing a tent in London.
 
 
Richard Francis Burton is a good starting explorer for this achievement as he has the Polyglot perk, which allows him to rest in native villages without decreasing his standing. He is also accompanied by a native explorer with the Good Reputation perk, increasing his initial standing in each new World. The Polyglot perk only omits the base standing cost of resting in villages; it does not protect against random losses of standing (e.g. failing a dice role during a village ceremony, a companion with an ailment saying/doing something offensive). To be on the safe side, it is best to avoid resting in native villages altogether unless you are starting the expedition with high standing.
 
Things that decrease your standing:
 

  • Looting shrines (-3 standing, even if a metal cube is used).
  • Stealing offerings from stone statues (-2 standing)
  • Stealing the stone idol from a village
  • Blowing up a mountain (-1 standing)
  • Attacking animals (-1 standing if animal is defeated). Even if the animal attacks first, the player still incurs a penalty if they kill it; the natives don’t care who started it.
  • Purchasing a slave or trading with the Slaver Camp in the Prehistoric World (-3 standing)
  • Failing a quest while staying in a native village (choice-based or dice-based) or having a companion with the racist, paranoid, or kleptomaniac ailment offend the villagers.
  • If you have a mummy in your inventory, the villagers may demand that it be returned to them; refusing costs 2 standing. Consider stashing any mummies you find in mission store rooms to avoid this scenario.

 
Things that increase your standing:
 

  • Choosing the Good Reputation Perk after an expedition (start with +4 standing)
  • Having natives in your trek (natives have the Good Reputation Perk, start with +1 standing)
  • Having a member of your party blessed with a Holy Marking at a temple (start with +3 standing)
  • Gifting items of value to a native village, or providing them with an advantageous trade. Colorful marbles, whisky, machetes, and fireworks are all highly valued. Despite appearances, you cannot actually raise your standing above 10 by trading.
  • Occasionally when staying in a village, a villager will ask you whether local life is superior to life in London; answering that local life is superior will give you a +2 standing bonus.
  • Liberating a Slaver Camp in the Prehistoric world (+3 standing).
  • Rarely while sleeping out in the open your party will discover an injured native. Giving them a red mushroom or first aid kit will increase your standing by 2.

 
Things that have no effect on standing:
 

  • When your party approaches a stone circle, one of the members may express concern that interacting with it will offend the natives; despite this, there is no standing cost to using a stone circle.
  • Recruiting natives from villages costs no standing.
  • Entering a temple has no effect on standing (though blowing up a mountain in search of one does!)
  • Having a pyromaniac companion set fire to the landscape does not decrease standing.

 
 
 

Crocodile Dundee

Kill 20 crocodiles.
 
 
As with other hunting achievements, recruiting a cook or British soldier can be helpful; both companions can provide a steady source of sanity, allowing for prolonged expeditions.
 
 
 

Cold Companion

Yeti or not, here I come! [In progress]
 
 
This achievement is achieved by recruiting a Yeti to join your party. Yetis can rarely be found in caves in arctic worlds. If you’re looking to collect all of the items in the game, you will need to stumble across two of them (one to recruit, and one to defeat to gain a hunting trophy); however this does not seem to be a requirement to unlock the achievement A collector of sorts.
 
 
When you encounter the yeti you will have the option to offer a gift, fight it, or do nothing; either of the latter two options will result in combat. You can choose to offer something from your inventory, or improvise by rolling dice. If an acceptable gift is offered, the yeti will join your party; if not, it will attack. The yeti seems to prefer edible items.
 
 
Known accepted items: [in progress]
 

  • Food cans (unverified)
  • Whisky (unverified)

 
Known unaccepted items:
 
[in progress]
 
 
Roald Amundsen makes for a good starting explorer as he starts with the Arctic Explorer perk, reducing the sanity cost of treking across snow and giving you more flexibility to explore. His party also starts with blue and green dice, making it easier to befriend the yeti when you (finally) encounter it. This achievement is largely governed by luck and you will likely spend many a fruitless session trudging forlornly around the arctic. This is a good opportunity to complete the Walrus hunter achievement.
 
 
Stocking up on snowshoes can increase the distance you can travel. Stocking up on whisky is also a must; even if you don’t find the yeti it can be traded +300% of its value at polar stations. The Arctic Explorer, Strong Mind, and Cartographer perks are useful, as are Adept and Protect (provide extra blue and green dice, respectively). If these are not available, Bullet Hoarder can provide some extra red dice, which Amundsen’s starting party lacks.
 
 
Happy hunting!
 
 
 

Beyond the gate

Stay inside a portal world for 100 days.
 
 
Start as H.P Lovecraft. Stock up on sanity items or purchase a tent, then use the Necronomicon until you generate a tome page of Portal Traversal. Between uses of the Necronomicon, rest at the ship to restore sanity; each use of the Necronomicon costs 35 sanity. Do not use the Necronomicon if it will bring your sanity below 0, as this will result in the book bursting into flames and being consumed. You can also rest at villages, missions, or outdoor camp sites between uses; however given the potential costs a*sociated with these options (goods/standing/ailments/random adverse events), the ship is your best bet.
 
 
After you acquire a tome page of Portal Traversal, rest up to full sanity and use the page to enter a portal world. Normally, these worlds only stay open for 20-30 days before returning the player to the main world; however a metal cube can be used to keep the world open for an additional 20-30 days. As Lovecraft starts with three cubes in his inventory, he can easily remain in a portal world for the 100+ days needed to unlock the achievement. A cube will be consumed automatically each time the time limit runs out. Focus on surviving and wait for the hundred days to elapse and the achievement is yours.
 
 
 

Fame without fortune

Finish a full game without selling anything to the auction house.
 
 
This achievement can be unlocked on any difficulty level. You do not need to finish first to unlock the achievement.
 
 
Some tips:
 

  • Accept every harbor quest. This will be your only method of earning money. Since you don’t need to finish first, the potential fame loss for failing a quest is inconsequential.
  • Any money you earn by completing quests is best spent on trade fodder (colorful marbles, whisky, fireworks, or machetes) as this will give you the most bang for your buck. A tent is also a good investment.
  • Hunting can be a great way to acquire trade fodder. Alexandra David-Neel is good at putting together a cheap, combat-oriented party, as her animal companions don’t require first aid kits and can use the cheaper, more plentiful red mushrooms without risk. Consider recruiting a cook or British soldier for a free sanity boost.

 
 
 

A collector of sorts

Find all items.
 
 
To see the items you’ve collected so far, check the Hall of Fame (via the main game menu). In order to earn the achievement, you will need to collect all but two of these items; the exceptions are indicated with an asterisk below.
 
 
Most items can be found randomly just by playing the game. But even after you’ve completed every quest and collected every tome page, painting, and dubiously cooked piece of meat, you might find yourself missing a few. Here are some of the more challenging ones:
 
 
Row 1:
 

  • 5th item* (between tent and drums, looks like a spiky face) – See Corrupted King
  • 7th item (between drums and first aid kit, looks like more drums) – Rest in a native village with drums in your inventory and a random event may occur. You may have to try this several times, as the drums will sometimes break.
  • 13th item (between weather balloon and machete, looks like a cage) – Starting item for an explorer, make sure you have all explorers unlocked!
  • 19th item (between torch and flare, looks like a cauldron) – Dependent on a rare, random event which occurs when resting outside. Occasionally some ghostly villagers may show up and ask you to avenge their murder…

 
Row 3:
 

  • 7th item (between Snarfrattle’s pelt and letter) – Not all freshly recruited villagers make it back to London…particularly if you’re out of first aid kits. Try recruiting a villager and letting them die in the same world.

 
Row 6:
 

  • 19th item (between tiger pelt and sabertooth tiger pelt) – Staying in missions will occasionally yield information about the location of this elusive animal.
  • 21st item (between sabertooth tiger pelt and polar bear pelt) – This rare beast is occasionally found in arctic worlds.

 
Row 7:
 

  • 8th item* (between gorilla hand and spider leg) – Not all introductions go as planned…(see Cold Companion).

 
Row 8:
 

  • 1st item – Choose the Bullet Hoarder perk after an expedition.
  • 2nd item – Liberating a Slaver Camp in a Prehistoric world may generate this item as loot.

 
 
 

No New Friends

Finish in at least third place and recruit nobody at the harbor or villages.
 
 
This achievement can be completed on a Tourist Trip run. It’s best to choose an explorer who starts with three companions to maximize your inventory space.
 
 
While you can’t recruit new companions, you can still acquire companions in other ways:
 
 

  • Duplication of a companion using the Obsidian Mirror (verified)
  • Defeating all slavers at a Slaver Camp will cause one of the former slaves to join your trek if you have room in your party (verified).
  • Hatching a tortoise or raptor from an egg (found in elephant graveyards in jungle worlds and raptor nests in prehistoric worlds, respectively) (unverified).
  • While resting in the open you may have the option to defend a native fight off (a) tiger(s). Joining the fight will result in the native joining your party (unverified).

 
 
 

Dedicated explorer

Obtain 19 golden frames.
 
 
So that’s what the museum has been doing with all that treasure.
 
 
To unlock this achievement you will need to finish a game in first place with every explorer. This can be done on Tourist Trip difficulty. The achievement will trigger when you earn a gold frame with any 19 explorers; secret explorers count too (See Secret Session).
 
 
Marcus Garvey and H.P. Lovecraft can be challenging due to their low base sanity. Focus on acquiring companions and perks which provide a sanity boost. Since Garvey can have a extra member in his party, consider recruiting a missionary or two, as their Strong Mind perk provides an increase in base sanity. When playing as H.P Lovecraft, consider spending a few turns at the beginning of Expedition 1 resting at the ship and using the Necronomicon to generate tome pages at a cost of 35 sanity. Do not use the Necronomicon if it would cause your health to drop below 0; this will cause the book to combust. If you find the pyramid early, consider pitching camp nearby and spamming some additional tome pages until your rivals get closer. Tome pages can be used to travel without cost (tome of teleportation, tome of effortless transport) and terraform sanity-sapping terrain; they are particularly handy in Expedition 6!
 
 
Aleister Crowley is better off replacing his cultists as soon as possible, as they are unpredictable and have only red dice, preventing effective dice combos in combat. The coca leaves are best used as trading fodder, as using them often results in ailments.
 
 
 

Ballooning

Occasionally, a small green hot air balloon will appear in the main menu of the game. Clicking on the balloon will cause it to disappear and reappear in a new location; if you can’t find it it’s probably hiding behind the title text. Clicking on the balloon several times will unlock the achievement.
 
 
Achievement Strategy Guide - Curious Expedition - Ballooning - 06BECB172
 
 
 

Trippy Trip

Finish a full game using no sanity item other than coca leaves.
 
 
This is quite a bit easier than it sounds, as it can be achieved in Tourist Trip mode. You do not need to finish first to unlock the achievement. The simplest strategy is to get to the pyramid in as few moves as possible. You can still collect and purchase sanity gain items, to be exchanged for shelter at villages or missions (just make sure you don’t use them out of force of habit!)
 
 
Consider mounting a pack animal to decrease the base cost of travel. Given the potential drawbacks to using coca leaves (paranoia, etc.), it’s better to use them only in emergencies. Instead, focus on increasing your base sanity. Tesla is a good character for this achievement as he starts with high base sanity. Recruiting and promoting one or more missionaries will grant the Strong Mind perk, providing an additional base sanity increase. Having a missionary companion will also allow you to recoup sanity for free at missions. British soldiers also make for good companions as the Combat Spirit perk will grant you a sanity boost each time you win a battle.
 
 
When choosing a perk after an expedition, focus on those which decrease the sanity cost of travel (Impetus, Desert Explorer, Jungle Explorer), increase base sanity/gained sanity (Pure Mind, Fresh Air Fanatic) or allow you to locate the golden pyramid more quickly (Navigator, Cartographer). The Occult Visions perk can also be useful, as stone circles can be used to reveal camp points.
 
 
 

The Reanimator

Revive 10 trek members at altars.
 
 
Altars can be found in jungle, desert, and polar worlds in Expedition and Certain Death mode. When you mouse over the expedition options, a small picture of an altar will be present if there is an altar somewhere in that world.
 
 
When you explore an altar, you will have the option to sacrifice some of your items. Doing so fills a bar at the top of the screen. When the bar is full, you can look into the water and choose a former companion to resurrect. The companion does not have to be explicitly dead to be resurrected; a companion who was abandoned as the party fled from combat will also be retrievable. Goods purchased from London are worth very little at altars; sacrificing animal teeth and other hunting trophies is much more cost-effective.
 
 
Achievement Strategy Guide - Curious Expedition - The Reanimator - BEB338CFB
 
 
 

Triple Trouble

How many abominations can you handle?
 
 
Start as H.P Lovecraft or Alisteir Crowly. (See Curious Explorer for information on unlocking these characters). This achievement can be completed on any difficulty level. You do not need to complete the run to unlock the achievement.
 
 

Lovecraft Strategy

 

 
Tedious but sure.
 
 
Use the Necronomicon to generate tome pages until you have three tome pages of Abomination. Each use of the Necronomicon costs 35 sanity. Rest at the ship between uses to restore sanity; Lovecraft can use the Necronomicon twice in a row if he’s at full sanity, but this is not recommended as it increases the risk of adverse random events occurring during rest. Each time you rest at the ship, five days will elapse and you will gain 40 sanity. Do not use the Necronomicon if it will bring your sanity below zero, as this will result in the book combusting. When you have three tome pages of Abomination, simply use them in succession, then take a single step and voilà, you have the achievement and your party is doomed!
 
 
Some tips:
 
 

  • The ship’s captain will express annoyance that you’re hanging around. This is background dialogue and doesn’t affect anything.
  • You don’t need to recruit a third companion before starting. If you wait at the ship long enough a native party will visit and you will have the option recruit one of them. You will occasionally get a random event in which you can opt to defend a native from a tiger, leading to that native joining your trek.
  • You’re going to be spending a lot of time with your companions, and negative random events are inevitable. H.P Lovecraft is unfortunately prone to racist tirades, leading non-native companions to acquire the racist perk – not great for group unity. Inevitably, your companions will eventually lose loyalty and gain the angry ailment. Fortunately, they won’t actually abandon the trek until you start moving, so there’s no need to worry about keeping everyone happy.
  • If you do get fed up with one of your companions, feel free to give them the boot.
     
     
     
    They’ll inevitably return later, contrite and occasionally bearing a small gift. If you take them back their loyalty will be reset to two hearts. They will have lost the angry ailment, but any other ailments, as well as any promotions, will remain.
  • Your companions will occasionally set fire to the surrounding area. The fire won’t spread unless you’re moving, so don’t worry about it. You will likely acquire several tome pages of teleportation as you use the Necronomicon so this shouldn’t trouble you.
  • Don’t worry about being overburdened or having too many trek members; this only matters when you’ve moving.
  • This is a good opportunity to experiment with some tome pages! Keep in mind the the tome page of Portal Traversal will take you away from your ship and into a portal world, but you can simply go back through the portal or use a second page of Portal Traversal to return quickly. Curiously the tome page of Homebound does not seem to work in portal worlds.
  • Remember that you have to travel with the abominations in your party before the achievement is triggered – a single step is all it takes.

 
Achievement Strategy Guide - Curious Expedition - Triple Trouble - C83E89D20
 
 
It is possible to acquire this achievement and get the golden frame on the same run. If you plan to continue the expedition:
 
 

  • You can’t dismiss your Abomination companions without a fight, but you don’t have to defeat them. Simply select the fight option, then flee before they can attack. They will continue to wander around the area, but you can teleport using one of your extra tome pages and quickly be rid of them.
  • Consider promoting one of your companions (using the many tome pages of Wisdom you’ve acquired) and dismissing him or her before you use the tome pages of Abomination. After you’ve rid yourself of the Abominations, you can teleport out of the area and wait for him/her to rejoin you. Alternately, you can teleport to a village and recruit a new companion.
  • Consider saving some of your tome pages for Expedition 6 as this is where they are most helpful.

 

Crowly Strategy

 

 
Chaotic but fun.
 
 

  • Cultists will turn into abominations when your sanity is low. Start by stockpiling raw meat. This is trickier than it sounds, as your party has only red dice and cannot produce powerful dice combos during combat. Recruit a companion with blue or green dice, stock up on first aid kits, and focus on weaker enemies. Try not to let your sanity drop too low until you have plenty of meat; if a cultist transforms too early and is not provided with raw meat every 20 turns, it will attack one of your other party members.
  • As you stockpile meat, search shrines and shaman huts for tome pages of abomination and collect any that you come across. Consider sticking close to shaman huts, as stressed cultists are prone to cannibalism and may turn on your party before becoming abominations. Thankfully, you should be acquiring plenty of hunting trophies with which to pay for cleansing and purchase green mushrooms.
  • Once you’re ready, travel until your sanity drops. If you’ve collected a tome page of abomination, wait until the other two cultists have turned to use it to maximize your odds of getting three at once.
  • If you plan to continue the expedition after earning the achievement, consider dismissing your non-cultist companion before letting the others transform. If you manage to rid yourself of the abominations and make it back to the ship alone, you can rest there until they reappear and rejoin you.

 
 
 

Anthropologist

Create 50 anthropological studies.
 
 
Explorers with the Anthropology perk can create anthropological studies when resting in villages. The explorer Johan Huizinga starts with this perk. Studying a village has no effect on standing. Each village can only be studied once, but studies of multiple villages will stack in a single inventory slot.
 
 
If you are short on inventory space, consider selling the study back to the tribe (apparently someone in the village can read English!) Anthropological studies are also highly valued in London, where they can be traded in for a generous 70 fame.
 
 
 

Pattern Recognition

In every world, there is a group of stick circles which form an equilateral triangle (circled in orange in image below). Digging at the center of the triangle will yield 2-3 random objects (often treasures or tome pages) and a hidden achievement.
 
 
Carrying a treasure pendulum in your inventory will cause an X to appear over the location of the treasure.
 
 
Achievement Strategy Guide - Curious Expedition - Pattern Recognition - D41B098D7
 
 
 

A tribute to Yama

[In progess]
 
 
 

Obsessive explorer

Obtain 19 platinum frames.
 
 
Good luck!
 
 
 

Acknowledgements

The secret explorer codes and the unverified yeti offering info come from the Curious Expedition Wiki page:
 
 
https://curious-expedition.fandom.com/wiki/Curious_Expedition_Wiki – [fandom.com] 
 
 

Written by Wriken

 
 
Here we come to an end for the Achievement Strategy Guide – Curious Expedition guide. I hope this guide has helped you with your gameplay. If you have something to add to this guide or believe we forgot some information to add, please let us know via comment! We check each comment manually by approving them!
 


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