The newly released Cool Cucumber Badge in PEAK rewards players for one thing: unflappable poise. To snag it, you’ve got to walk the Mesa Campfire trail while keeping your Heat bar below 10%. That’s the sadistic itch behind the award; the bar may seem generous, but the Margin is a silent killer since even a single, careless bump climbs it to a forbidden level.

Desert dangers offer bait on the path. Sandstorms block visibility, glass-crystal eyes watch from caves, and mirage-spawns can suck you into consuming unnecessary stamina. Heat creeps even without visible in-game indication. Be mindful: behind every mile a Heat-crystal spawn huffs like a coal-black spoiler. The journey quickly unearths the folly in underestimating tempo, rationing hydration, even budgeting a scrap of luck.

The Mesa biome is brutal because everything in it is working against you. The biggest threat is the scorching sun, which constantly pushes your Heat higher. Even standing still, your bar rises unless you’re in a shaded area.

On top of that, Mesa is filled with environmental hazards:

• Tornadoes can appear out of nowhere and force you off course.
• Dynamite traps hidden in the sand can set you back or even knock you into danger.
• Antlions will ambush you if you’re not paying attention.

With all this going on, managing your Heat becomes a balancing act. Every second in the open matters, and if you’re not careful, your Heat can shoot past the 10% cap before you know it.

Strategy 1: Travel at Night

The safest method to earn this badge is to time your run with Mesa’s day/night cycle. At night, the sun isn’t burning down on you, which means your Heat bar rises much slower.

Here’s how to make the most of this strategy:

• During the day, find a shaded area where you can safely wait. Don’t try to push forward too far under direct sunlight.
• When night falls, use that window to move quickly through exposed areas.
• Be efficient with your pathing. Even though night helps, it doesn’t last forever, so you’ll need to make steady progress.

This strategy requires patience, but it’s the most reliable way to keep your Heat under 10%.

Strategy 2: Use Heat-Protection Items

If you don’t want to waste time waiting around, then you’ll need to rely on items to help you stay cool. These can be found in luggage bags scattered across Mesa, so exploring a little can really pay off.

The two most important items are:

• Sunscreen – Slows down how fast your Heat bar rises, giving you more breathing room in the sun.
• Parasol – Works like portable shade, letting you move across exposed areas without overheating as quickly.

Using these items smartly is the key. Don’t pop them too early, save them for the stretches where you’re forced to cross large open areas with no cover. Combining items with smart pathing is the best way to survive a daytime run.

Unlocking the Badge

Once you finally reach the Mesa Campfire with your Heat bar still under 10%, the Cool Cucumber Badge unlocks instantly. There’s no cooldown, no extra requirement the moment you make it safely, the badge is yours.

Limited-Time Only

One last thing: the badge is tied to the Mesa biome itself. Right now, Mesa has replaced Alpine in the rotation, but this is temporary. When Alpine returns, Mesa will disappear until the next rotation. If you don’t get the badge while Mesa is active, you’ll have to wait until it cycles back in.

Earning the Cool Cucumber Badge is one of those true wow moments that makes the grind shine. It begs you to play with a careful, deliberate rhythm, turning every small choice into a strategy art piece. Will you brave the day’s furnace equipped with Parasol and Sunscreen, or slip into the moonlit desert like a wisp of cool air? Either choice is fine, but the badge demands one constant: chill. Breathe and let the clock tick, because nerves spilled like spilled and wilting Sunscreen. Every step counts and only the composed, the truly cool, step across that virtual finish.