An updated achievement guide for Heartbound . This guide will be revised as the game develops and new achievements are added.This guide has been updated for Game Version 1.0.9.632.
Introduction
How to Edit Save Files
If you haven’t already, create a save file by clicking “Continue” on the main screen.
Locate the save file at:
C:\Users\<name>\AppData\Local\Heartbound
Note: The AppData folder is hidden by default. To view it, go to the View tab and check Hidden Items.
Or by accessing it through these following steps:
- Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type appdata, press Enter or click OK.
- Open the Local folder, then the Heartbound folder.
- Find the save file named heartbound_save<#>.thor.
- Right-click the save file, select Open With, and choose Notepad.
IMPORTANT: Before editing any save files, it’s highly recommended to create a backup by copying the file to a different location. This ensures your game progress and story choices are preserved in case of errors or corruption.
To check the current version of the game, visit the link below or view the patch number on the bottom left corner at the game menu page:
Steam Community News for Heartbound
Story Progression and Choices
Act 1 – Homeworld (finished)
Act 2 – The Tower (finished)
Act 3 – Animus (mostly finished, currently walking the Mossbacks to their picnic)
Act 4 – Jotunheim (under development)
Act 5 – ??? (under development)
There are 2 main story paths: Glowbringer and Darksider. These paths are influenced by Fear.
Triggered by low Fear and positive choices (usually the top options, opposite of what the Artifact instructs).
Act 1:
- Feed Baron Viking Feast Dog Food.
- Throw away the garbage.
- Do not pick up the axe.
- Do not steal Binder’s apple.
Act 2:
- Tell Bird Binder the truth on Floor 1 after drinking from the sink.
- Do not steal the stapler in Cubicle 4D on Floor 2.
- Lore does not say no to Joe when asked to fetch coffee on Floor 2.
- During the boss fight, answer correctly based on all the decisions made above.
Act 3:
- Make the bed in Cirsi’s house.
- Forgive Emelio.
- Help Emelio home and get him to sleep.
- Do not break the Whale statue.
- When confronted by the Skull and Leaf sprites, wait and do not choose to hit them. This will happen once in the cave and again in the deep forest.
- Play along with Emelio’s squire role.
- Be patient with Fern.
- Encourage Fern or Rhode to follow their feelings. If Fern is selected for lunch, choose to hang out with Fern and tell her about Rhode’s feelings towards her; OR if Rhode is selected for lunch, choose to hang out with Rhode and tell her to follow her heart.
- Chill with Avocado and say it’s not awkward.
- Do not interact with Avocado’s bed and get him mad.
- Do not steal from Shelly’s picnic basket.
Acts 4-5: Work in progress, currently unplayable.
Triggered by high Fear and negative choices (usually the bottom options, aligning with what the Artifact wants).
Act 1:
- Feed Baron garbage.
- Throw away Viking Feast Dog Food.
- Pick up the axe.
- Steal Binder’s apple.
Act 2:
- Lie to Bird Binder after drinking from the sink.
- Steal the stapler in Cubicle 4D.
- Say no to Joe when asked to fetch coffee.
- During the boss fight, answer incorrectly based on all the decisions made above, and choose the opposite options.
Act 3:
- Do not make the bed in Cirsi’s house.
- Do not forgive Emelio, hurt him instead.
- Do not offer to help Emelio home, leave him in the cave.
- Break the Whale statue.
- Hit the Skull and Leaf sprites once in the cave and again in the deep forest (either option will work).
- Be annoyed with Fern.
- Do not encourage Fern or Rhode’s feelings towards each other. If Fern is selected for lunch, choose not to hang out and keep quiet about Rhode’s feelings; OR if Rhode is selected for lunch, choose not to hang out and say you don’t like Fern.
- Do not chill with Avocado on the docks and decline him all 3 times.
- While in the Dark World, choose that you want things to be this way with Emelio and Fern/Rhode, then choose to go through Avocado.
There are 2 paths for Act 4: Niflheim or Muspelheim. These paths are influenced by Curiosity. It remains unclear whether players are restricted to one location or can visit the other afterward.
- Niflheim: Activated by low Curiosity.
- Muspelheim: Activated by high Curiosity.
Achievements
- Glowbringer Path
- Darksider Path
- Game File Editing
Laughing Man
Requirement: As soon as you open the game to the main menu, enter [←←↑↓→↓↓↓←→→↑↑] with your arrow keys and you will gain this achievement. You will hear a faint laugh and it will enable you to read Guardian Glyphs in-game.
This code originates from the Heartbound ARG: Don’t Hit That Button[heartbound.fandom.com]
Insider Baseball
Requirement: At the start of the game, do not equip Lore with his jumper (this is done by repeatedly interacting with the door after turning on the light). Then, do not pick up the axe. Proceed with the story and during the fight with the Barghest (purple goo monster), make sure to take no damage in both encounters. After defeating the Barghest for the second time, you will unlock this achievement. Additionally, be sure to miss your final throw against the Barghest to unlock a later achievement. Note: this does not count as taking damage.
If you take damage during this fight, close the game and reload your last save. Waiting until you die will create a new save point, making the achievement more tedious as you’ll need to start a new game.
Short Circuit
Requirement: When you first leave Lore’s Room, repeatedly flip the light switch in hallway until it burns out.
Shoe Gaskets
Requirement: Find all 5 Socks in Act 1 – Homeworld.
Sock 1:
After going down the stairs, the sock is located at the bottom-left of the living room, below the couch.
Sock 2:
After exiting the house, you’ll find the sock to the top-left, behind the house.
Sock 3:
After being rescued by Binder, the sock is at the top-left of his house, hidden between the topmost bookshelf and a stack of books. After entering Binder’s grandfather clock, before proceeding to the next sock and solving the first light puzzle, the Engage Claws achievement can be found along a hidden path nearby.
Sock 4:
After reaching the second light puzzle, the sock will be located at the bottom-left of the platform.
Sock 5:
After solving all three light puzzles, the next sock will be located at the bottom of the middle branch in the Dark World maze.
Engage Claws
Requirement: To find Windup Gizmo, the player must walk off-screen to the left before pushing the left pillar into place during the first light puzzle, after stepping into Binder’s grandfather clock.
Code Breaker
Requirement: In Act 2 – The Tower break room, find the desk in the bottom-left corner. Interact with the white piece of paper to reveal a keypad. Enter the following code to unlock the achievement and gain the ability to read Darksider Glyphs:
Code: 583221496
This code originates from the Heartbound ARG: The Choice[heartbound.fandom.com]
Counting Clues
Requirement: Using the same keypad as the previous achievement, enter the following code to unlock this achievement:
Code: 1998124494
This code originates from the Heartbound ARG: Another Place[heartbound.fandom.com]
Repurposed Code
Requirement: Using the same keypad as the previous achievement, enter the following code to unlock this achievement. Once this code is entered, the door leading out of the room will unlock, and the keypad will become inactive. Ensure this is the last code you input.
Code: 8913
Shoe Gaskets 2: Electric Boogaloo
Requirement: Find all 5 Socks in Act 2 – The Tower.
Sock 1: In the break room, pinned to the notice board.
Sock 2: Found in Cubicle 3A on Floor 1.
Sock 3: Found in the basement (or Floor 0), on the right path near the servers.
Sock 4: Found in the leftmost gym locker on Floor 2. The gym is accessible by entering the bottom right corridor on Floor 2.
Into The Deep
Requirement: Interact with the heart in the basement (or Floor 0).
To access the basement (Floor 0), go to the Janitor’s Closet by heading right on the second row and drinking from the sink. After the cutscene with Bird Binder, he will give you a key. Use this key to unlock the leftmost door in the Mailshroom room.
On The Loose
Requirement: Find the Goose on Floor 1 and give it to Phish.
After entering the Server Room on Floor 1 and receiving a task from Phish, find all 5 ducks and follow the hidden path to discover the Goose, all while keeping the ducks on your head. The ducks are listed in the most efficient order to collect.
Duck 3 is located on the right wall of Cubicle 4C, opposite the entrance.
Duck 1 is located to the right of Cubicle 5C, behind the water cooler.
Duck 5 is located to the right of Cubicle 3A, inside the water cooler.
Duck 4 is located to the left of the doorway of Cubicle 5A and must be picked up from inside the cubicle.
Duck 2 is located in the Boardroom, under the right corner of the table.
Once you have all 5 ducks, exit the Boardroom, hug the northern wall, and follow the secret path north until you find the Goose. Return to Phish with all 5 ducks and the Goose.
Master Chef
Requirement: Complete Lunch Rush in the Cafeteria by serving all 30 Faceless without dropping any food and within the invisible time limit.
Make a save beforehand and restart if necessary. The video below (not made by me) demonstrates how to complete it.
Industry Equine
Requirement: After Oscar assigns the fourth task, remain in Cubicle 4C on Floor 1 for 2–3 minutes.
Lawnmower Man
Requirement: On Floor 2, talk to the Faceless in Cubicle 4B, then to the Faceless in Cubicle 3A. Exit the cubicle and wait a few minutes until all the papers are cleared, then finally interact with the computer in Cubicle 3A.
Salamurder
Requirement: Step on the salamander found in Cubicle 2A on Floor 2 after looking in the drawer.
To unlock the achievement, go to Cubicle 2A on Floor 2 of The Tower. After interacting with the desk drawer, a salamander will scurry across the room. Quickly interact with the drawer and race across the room to squish the salamander. Timing and button smashing are key to success.
Pocket Siphon
Requirement: After entering the Boss Room and either being “terminated” by OScar or unplugging him, walk to the bottom right corner. Follow the secret path to the right until you hit a wall, then walk up. This will lead you to Nekane’s secret room, unlocking the achievement.
While here, make sure to grab a potion from the left table (any of the 3 will work) to use later.
Bird Up
Requirement: Scare 100 birds in Act 3 – Animus by walking close to them. You will need to walk back and forth between maps to allow the birds to respawn.
Shoe Gaskets 3: Why are you doing this to me?
Requirement: Find all 4 Socks in Act 3 – Animus.
Sock 1: Located at the Frog Pond north of Cirsi’s House
Sock 2: Located in the Iron Mines, in the top-left section of the path where Emelio was standing.
Sock 3: Located behind Fern and Rhode’s house, in the top-left corner.
Sock 4: Located to the right of the Mossback’s house, next to the water bucket beside the laundry line.
Vaporwave Is Dead
Requirement: Enter the Vapor Cave in Animus and interact with the Aesthetic statue.
This can be achieved by exiting the game, manually setting your computer time to 20:07, relaunching the game, and heading north to the Frog Pond after exiting Cirsi’s house. At EXACTLY 20:08, a lily pad path will appear. Walking into the mushroom circle will then transport you to the Vapor Cave.
Amphibious Magician
Requirement: First, go to lunch in the woods with either Rhode or Fern (it doesn’t matter which). In the area north of the save file book, stick to the left wall to find a hidden path. Follow it, talk to the frog on the stump, and when it asks if you want to see a magic trick, reply ‘yes‘.
It’s advisable to choose Rhode for lunch, as it will unlock a later achievement. The hidden path is only available before the minigame.
Frogbound
Requirement: After witnessing the magic trick from the frog, press the ESC key to open the Settings menu. A frog will fly across your screen; click on the frog 15 times as it passes by.
Frying Times
Requirement: Play Rhode’s chicken minigame without getting hit. To access the minigame, choose Rhode (the mountain lion) as your lunch companion while inside Fern’s house.
It’s advisable to save before attempting the minigame. If you get hit by an obstacle, close the game immediately and try again. Focus on avoiding obstacles rather than collecting eggs, as more than enough eggs will drop throughout the run. The minigame consists of three stages, and you’ll need to collect a total of 24 eggs (6 + 8 + 10) to complete it and catch the chicken.
Good Friends
Requirement: Follow the Darksider path in Act 3 – Animus and ensure you are on the false path. Listen to and follow The Artifact’s negative choices dialogue to eliminate the following characters in order: Emelio, Rhode or Fern, and Avocado.
It is advisable to pick Rhode as the person to have lunch with and save your progress before the Dark World confrontation. Make a copy of the save file to prepare for the next two achievements.
Frozen Fear
Requirement: During the Darksider path in Act 3 – Animus, allow Rhode to defeat you without moving in the Dark World confrontation.
Outsider Baseball
Requirement: During the Darksider path in Act 3 – Animus, defeat Rhode in the Dark World confrontation without taking any damage.
The Champion
Requirement: Requires save file editing; change the value of line 245 to 42, then interact with the toaster in Lore’s house kitchen.
Before starting, make a copy of your current save file. Start a new game and proceed to Lore’s kitchen, then exit the game. Open your new save file in Notepad, press Windows Key + G, type 245 to proceed to that line, press Enter, and change the value to 42. Proceed to the kitchen again and interact with the toaster.
This code originates from the Heartbound ARG: Second Breakfast[heartbound.fandom.com]
Hidden Hideaway
Requirement: Requires savefile editing; visit Basil’s hideaway by replace the second line with animus_basil. The path to Basil currently doesn’t have a legitimate storyline route to access.
Slinky Sock
Requirement: Requires save file editing; you need to obtain a snake warmer in order to exchange it for the slinky sock inside the snake terrarium at the foot of the bed in Avocado’s house.
In order for this to work, a save file from the Glowbringer Path will be used—one that has either naturally reached Avocado’s home or progressed to Act 3 – Animus. Then interact with the snake terrarium twice to exchange the snake warmer for the slinky sock. There currently isn’t a legitimate way to receive the snake warmer.
Replace line 2 with animus_molehome
Replace line 3 with 318
Replace line 4 with 295
Replace line 281 with 1
Lines 2, 3, and 4 will only need to be changed IF you’re not already in Avocado’s Home.
Engage Headbutts
Requirement: Speculation of only getting hit by a specific attack from Rhode during the Dark World confrontation at the end of Act 3 – Animus on the Darksider path. This is unconfirmed.
Shoe Gaskets 4: Please Stop No More
Requirement: Speculation of collecting all socks in Act 4 – Jotunheim. Currently unobtainable.
Over Achiever
Requirement: Unknown and currently unobtainable.
Conclusion
And that wraps up our share on Heartbound: The Ultimate All-Inclusive Achievement Guide. If you have any additional insights or tips to contribute, don’t hesitate to drop a comment below. For a more in-depth read, you can refer to the original article here by Kuri, who deserves all the credit. Happy gaming!