At a glance
Returnal Trophy Guide Quick Info
Browse the complete PlayStation trophy guide hub for more checklists and Platinum roadmaps.
Plan the cleanup
Trophies at a Glance
The complete trophy list, grouped into scan-friendly routes before the full walkthrough.
Efficient route
Returnal Trophy Guide and Platinum Roadmap
Follow these phases in order to protect the missable work and keep the Returnal Platinum cleanup efficient.
Phase 1: First run, with two hard rules
Before anything else, find Scout Log 09 in Biome 1 and do not pick up the Atropian Blade until you have it.
Play online so Activity Card survey tracking works, and back up your save to the cloud before finishing any act or house sequence.
There are no difficulty settings, so there is nothing to configure. Everyone plays the same game.
Learn the Biome 1 to 3 loop. Dying is the mechanic, not a failure state, and bosses stay beaten once you clear them.
Phase 2: Act 1 surveys, Biomes 1 to 3
Work the Overgrown Ruins, Crimson Wastes and Derelict Citadel surveys. Each needs every Cipher, Scout Log and Xenoglyph in that biome.
Collectible spawns are randomised, so this is a matter of repeated runs rather than one clean sweep. Set the expectation honestly.
Check the minimap every room. Scout Logs show as a radio wave symbol, Xenoglyphs as blue triangles.
Collect the Xeno-archive tableaus per biome as you go, but note a full set needs the grapple beam first.
Phase 3: Act 2, and the Scout Log 35 trap
At the very start of Act 2, take Scout Log 35 before progressing past Biome 4. That room does not respawn, and without it Finish Echoing Ruins Survey cannot be earned.
If you have already missed it, the only fix reported is deleting your save and replaying to that point. Say this plainly, it is the single most expensive mistake in the game.
Work the Echoing Ruins, Fractured Wastes and Abyssal Scar surveys the same way as Act 1.
Complete the house sequences. Back up your save first, these are among the reported glitch cases.
Phase 4: Cleanup and the platinum
Finish the remaining combat and progression trophies. Weapon Proficiency level 30 for Adapting to Circumstance can be farmed in Biome 6 on the endlessly spawning enemies.
If a boss, act or survey trophy did not pop, refight the boss or reload a backup save to re-trigger it.
For most players the last trophy is a survey straggler rather than a skill check, so keep the per-biome checklist open.
This is where a long RNG grind becomes a real time commitment. One soft mention of DamnModz boosting fits here, no more.
Phase 5: Ascension, for 100 percent only
Not required for the platinum. Lead this section with that so nobody grinds it by accident.
All 7 trophies come from the Tower of Sisyphus. Co-op adds no trophies and cannot be used in the Tower.
Climb to stage 3-20 and beat all three forms of Algos, and complete all four hospital sequences by watching for poppies.
Disgorgers appear from your second Tower run onward, found behind locked doors and chests, and can be stacked against Algos.
No new RNG collectible trophies and no new missables were added, which is worth stating as reassurance.
Guide notes
The Two Scout Log Traps
Placed directly after the Quick Info box, before the roadmap. Scout Log 09 in Biome 1 must be found before you pick up the Atropian Blade. Scout Log 35 at the start of Act 2 must be taken before you move past Biome 4, because that room never respawns and the Echoing Ruins Survey becomes unobtainable without deleting your save.
Guide notes
Backup Saves and Glitched Trophies
Boss, act, survey and house sequence trophies plus Adapting to Circumstance have been reported as not unlocking. Cover cloud save backups before major acts, and note that bosses can be refought to re-trigger a trophy. Dated, refreshed at each re-verification.
Efficient route
The Six Biome Surveys
, an H3 per biome. Each biome has a Survey trophy covering its Ciphers, Scout Logs and Xenoglyphs. Include the practical rules, check the minimap for the radio wave and blue triangle icons, never more than one Cipher per room, and most are not behind yellow melee doors.
Tracking Progress with Activity Cards
PS5 Activity Cards show survey progress, but reports say they may not track offline, so stay connected.
Xeno-archives
One per biome, found beyond side path doors, and a full set cannot be completed until you have the grapple beam. Note the Tower of Sisyphus set is excluded.
Guide notes
Act 1 and Act 2 Structure
The two hard checkpoints, what resets when, and the fact that bosses stay dead once beaten. Newcomers to roguelites need this before the roadmap makes sense.
Guide notes
The Ascension Update
7 trophies, Tower of Sisyphus only, not required for the platinum. Algos across three forms, the four hospital sequences, the Disgorger weapons and the poppies. State clearly that co-op adds no trophies and cannot be used in the Tower.
Every requirement
Full Returnal Trophy List
Track all 38 trophies below. Each checkbox updates the live counter and can be exported for another browser or device.
Track your trophy progress
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Platinum Trophy
Collect all trophies
Story and Ending Trophies
Finish Crimson Wastes Survey
Collectibles and Completion
Unlock all translation tiers of a Xenoglyph
Complete all House sequences
Challenges and Difficulty
Complete a daily challenge in Simulation Mode
Achieve 200% Max Integrity
Miscellaneous Trophies
Learn the basics of survival on Atropos
Finish Overgrown Ruins Survey
Finish Derelict Citadel Survey
Finish Echoing Ruins Survey
Finish Fractured Wastes Survey
Finish Abyssal Scar Survey
Defeat Phrike
Defeat Ixion
Defeat Nemesis
Defeat Hyperion
Defeat Ophion
Finish Act 1
Finish Act 2
Finish Act 3
Returned by an artifact
Scan a Xenoglyph
Perform 5 successful Overloads in a row
Achieve Weapon Proficiency level 30
Finish Calculated Risk
Achieve maximum Adrenaline Level
Have 5 Parasites simultaneously
Experience a new cycle after death
Retrieve 10 Scout Logs
Complete the first House sequence
Complete a Xeno-archive set (excluding Tower of Sisyphus)
Die and return in the Tower
Defeat Algos' first form
Defeat Algos' final form
Kill 100 Hostiles with Disgorgers
Complete the first Hospital sequence
Open the Locked Door
Gain a moment of peace
Guide notes
Returnal Missable, Glitched, and Difficulty Notes
- Two effective missables, both Scout Logs, and both far more punishing than a normal missable because the fix is deleting your save.
- Scout Log 09 in Biome 1 must be collected before you pick up the Atropian Blade.
- Scout Log 35 must be collected at the start of Act 2 before you move past Biome 4. That room never respawns, which makes Finish Echoing Ruins Survey unobtainable on that save.
- Difficulty does not affect trophies because Returnal has no difficulty settings. There is nothing to select and nothing to lock yourself out of.
- Multiple trophies have been reported as glitched, including boss, act, survey and house sequence trophies, and Adapting to Circumstance for Weapon Proficiency 30. Keep cloud backups before major milestones and refight bosses if a trophy does not pop.
- Activity Card survey tracking has been reported as unreliable offline, so stay connected while hunting collectibles.
- The 7 Ascension trophies contain no missables and no RNG collectible trophies, and none of them are required for the platinum.
Quick answers
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to platinum Returnal?
Around 50 to 60 hours, which is more than double the time needed to simply finish the story. The collectible surveys are randomised, so the figure varies more than in most games.
How hard is the Returnal platinum?
It is an 8 out of 10. Strong action players report closer to a 7, while players who struggle to finish the game once are looking at a 10.
Are there missable trophies in Returnal?
Two, both Scout Logs. Scout Log 09 must be taken before the Atropian Blade, and Scout Log 35 must be taken at the start of Act 2 before you leave Biome 4, or the Echoing Ruins Survey becomes unobtainable.
Do you need the Ascension trophies for the Returnal platinum?
No. All 7 Tower of Sisyphus trophies sit outside the platinum requirement. You need them only for full 100 percent completion.
Does difficulty affect trophies in Returnal?
No. Returnal has no difficulty settings at all, so every player faces the same game and no trophy is difficulty gated.
Which Returnal trophies are glitched?
Boss, act, survey and house sequence trophies have all been reported as failing to unlock, as has Adapting to Circumstance. Keep cloud backups and refight bosses to re-trigger a missed pop.
Are there co-op trophies in Returnal?
No. The Ascension update added co-op for the main story but no trophies for it, and co-op cannot be used in the Tower of Sisyphus at all.
What is the hardest trophy in Returnal?
Ascending the Mountain, for the Crimson Wastes Survey, sits near 2 percent rarity. The difficulty is the randomised collectible spawns rather than the combat.
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