How to get the Applied Esoterica badge in Peak

(Image credit: Aggro Crab / Landfall)

Unlocking the Applied Esoterica badge in Peak isn't exactly easy. You'll need a specific item to spawn in your run, not to mention requiring you to actually find the item on your adventure, which is often easier said than done. Luckily, it's not locked to a biome, so given you're making good progress, your chances of tracking it down are slightly higher, but there's no way to guarantee when or where it'll pop up.

You'll also only be able to unlock this badge by playing with someone else, as the item requires at least two players to make the most of. In fact, I'm not sure it'll even spawn if you're climbing solo. So once you've invited a friend and embarked on your expedition, here's how you can unlock the Applied Esoterica badge.

How to unlock the Applied Esoterica badge in Peak

You can unlock the Applied Esoterica badge by using the Book of Bones to revive a dead teammate. This is a mythical item which can only be found in ancient luggage or given as a reward by the ancient statue if all players make it to the campfire alive. It's purple and has curse marks floating around it, which is probably a sign that it's both quite powerful and evil.

Obviously, there's no way to guarantee the Book of Bones will spawn, so it's best to try and use it when you find it—even if that means sacrificing a player for the badge. It's also worth noting that the book won't work on fainted teammates, only those who are fully dead. If you attempt to use the book when no one needs reviving, you will turn into a skeleton. Which means if you take enough damage or status effects which would usually make you pass out, you'll just die instantly instead.

The Book of Bones is also a one-use item, which means only one player can revive someone and unlock the badge at a time. Since there's no way to guarantee that the book will spawn in a run, this can be a bit frustrating for your fellow climbers. But, at least it doesn't kill you instantly like the Cursed Skull in favour of helping your teammates.

Kara is an evergreen writer. Having spent four years as a games journalist guiding, reviewing, or generally waffling about the weird and wonderful, she’s more than happy to tell you all about which obscure indie games she’s managed to sink hours into this week. When she’s not raising a dodo army in Ark: Survival Evolved or taking huge losses in Tekken, you’ll find her helplessly trawling the internet for the next best birdwatching game because who wants to step outside and experience the real thing when you can so easily do it from the comfort of your living room. Right?

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