To unlock the complete Bugsnax map you'll need to do plenty of exploring, as there are nine separate regions to discover on your adventures. Although you'll need to visit all of these areas at different times to move the story forward, there are some that can't be accessed until certain points – and this can make it confusing to work out when you can actually go there and what you need to do so you can unlock it.
To answer that, we have explanations here for what each area on the Bugsnax map is about, which characters you find there, and how you can access them, to make sure you’re never completely lost in the world of Bugsnax. They’re listed here in the order they first become accessible, which should make it easier for any intrepid explorer to keep track of.
Full Bugsnax map
Above is the complete Bugsnax map, while we have breakdowns of each individual area below.
Flavor Falls
After the game’s prologue, you will arrive in Flavor Falls, where you will meet Filbo, the town’s mayor. This area initially acts as a basic tutorial on the world of Bugsnax, and will only contain a few Bugsnax when you first arrive. To catch ‘em all, you’ll have to return later on in the game. For now though, once you’ve done the basic tasks, Filbo will lead you to the next area of the game, Garden Grove.
Garden Grove
Garden Grove is the second half of the game’s tutorial, which explains luring Bugsnax with sauce and gives some tips on how to catch the less obvious Bugsnax. Again, only a fraction of the Bugsnax which live here will be present during your first visit. Here, you’ll meet Wambus and Beffica, although only Wampus will return to Snaxburg with you initially.
Snaxburg
Snaxburg is the game’s central hub. All of the characters on the island live here, and this is the link to several other areas. There are no Bugsnax to be caught here, but you will be here a lot, both as a central terminal on your way to other locations, and to talk to the villagers to pick up quests.
As this area has links to several others, we’ll call the entrance to Garden Grove, marked by the downed ship, as North, which makes it easier to give directions on all the other areas.
Simmering Springs
Keeping in mind that Garden Grove and the ship is North, Simmering Springs will be East. In Snaxburg, the South side has an opening with grey rocks and soft sand; this leads to Simmering Springs.
The entrance will open fairly quickly, after you have arrived in Snaxburg and gone through the conversations with Wambus and Filbo. In the Simmering Springs itself, you’ll meet Wiggle and Grumpus, the latter of which will give you Scout, a little baby Strabby in a hamster ball who can be used to lure Bugsnax. You’ll also briefly meet Floofty, but his quest does not complete until later and he’ll be gone as fast as he appears.
At the back of Simmering Sands, you will find a beached ship with a locked door; this leads to Boiling Bay, but you can’t reach it yet, so don’t worry about that now. As part of her questline, Wiggle will ask for a Poptick, which is what opens up the Scorched Gorge.
Scorched Gorge
Taking Garden Grove as North and Simmering Springs as East, Scorched Gorge is the South exit from Snaxburg. It is marked by a craggy archway, long wooden walkway, and red sands.
Here, you’ll first have to deal with creatures that are on fire, but you won’t be able to do anything about them initially. Instead, while trying to avoid any fire, you’ll meet Triffany and Cromdo here, the latter of which will give you a Launcher, which is another important tool for catching Bugnax; you’ll need it to catch several in the Scorched Gorge, in fact.
Cromdo spends his time trying to sell you a bridge, which leads to Sizzlin’ Sands, but even when you complete his quests, the bridge will be closed and Sizzlin’ Sands will remain inaccessible for now. Another thing Cromdo will do is ask you for two Big Bopsicles for his feet; this is what opens Sugarpine Woods, the last area accessible directly off Snaxburg.
Sugarpine Woods
With Garden Grove North, Simmering Springs South, and Scorched Gorge East, it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Sugarpine Woods is accessed via Snaxburg’s West exit, this time up a wooden ramp. Sugarpine Woods is by far the biggest area on the in-game map, but in practice it doesn’t appear to be that much larger than the rest. Here, you’ll meet the duo of Chandlo and Snorpy, both of whom you’ll need to return to Snaxburg in order to unlock Boiling Bay and Sizzlin’ Sands.
Here, you’ll get the Trip Wire and the Grapple Gun off Snorpy too, completing your set of tools.
Sugarpine Woods holds the exit to the game’s final area, Frosted Peak, but you can’t access until every other character has been returned to Snaxburg. In any case, it’s just an ice wall right now, so you likely wouldn’t see it anyway.
Boiling Bay
The Boiling Bay is accessible via that locked door in Simmering Sands mentioned above. Floofty has the key, but in order for him to be there, you need to bring Snorpy back to Snaxburg, interview him, and then speak to him again. This opens up Floofty’s quest, which begins at the door to the Bay.
In the Boiling Bay itself, there is even more fire than the Scorched Gorge, helped by a river of lava which leads to a lava lake inside a cave. Be careful, basically.
Sizzlin' Sands
Just like you have to retrieve, interview, and then speak to Snorpy for the Boiling Bay to become open, you need to retrieve, interview, and then speak to Chadlo to open the Sizzlin’ Sands. He’ll then be waiting where Cromdo was, and will repair the bridge to give you access.
In the Sizzlin’ Sands, you’ll face yet more fire, and will unlock Cheese sauce, which is needed for several earlier Bugsnax. You’ll also meet Shelda.
Frosted Peak
This is the final area of the Bugsnax map, and can only be accessed once everyone has been returned to Snaxburg (barring Eggbert and Lizbert). After everyone has been returned, you will have some quests for Filbo, which culminate in a mystery in Snaxburg. Once you find all six clues (they glow and are in a simple trail), you will be able to go to Frosted Peak.
Head to Sugarpine Forest and to the raised area with the Launchers Snorpy has laid out. You’ll see Wambus and Triffany deconstruct the ice wall, leaving you free to wander out to the Frosted Peak, to finally unlock the true mysteries of Bugsnax.
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