PEAK Biomes in Order: Every Biome and How the Map Rotation Works

A run in PEAK climbs through six stages, from the beach at the bottom of the island to the summit at the top. The first stage and the summit never change, but every stage in between rolls one of two biomes. That gives the game nine biomes in total, plus the Peak itself, and a different combination on most days.

Last checked: November 9, 2026.

PEAK biomes in order

Stages 4 and 5 come as a pair. A map with the Caldera always continues into the Kiln, and a map with the Gloom always continues into the Citadel. The developers described the Gloom and the Citadel as variants that "cycle out" with the Caldera and the Kiln.

The Kiln has no "climb past" badge of its own, but the 24 Karat badge is tied to it. The Citadel has the Medieval History badge, which asks you to climb past it without being hit by any traps.

How the daily map rotation works

The island changes every 24 hours. Everyone playing that day gets the same layout, so you can retry the same island as many times as you like until it rotates.

When the Tropics returned to the rotation in November 2025, the developers explained two rules for picking the daily map:

• The exact same map configuration can't appear two days in a row.
• You'll never see the same biome three days in a row.

With the October 2026 update, Team PEAK added 208 pre-made maps that will keep cycling indefinitely. That means the daily island keeps changing even though the game no longer gets regular patches. Offline players get the same rotation as online players, based on their computer's clock.

Want to practice one area? The Custom Run menu at the Boarding Kiosk in the airport includes Mini Runs, which let you play a single biome from today's map. Badges are disabled in custom runs, though.

Stage 1: Shore

The Shore is the beach where every run begins after the scouts' plane goes down. Luggage cases are scattered across the island, and the Shore is your first chance to grab food and climbing gear. The Shore always appears, and the Beachcomber badge for climbing past it is the most common badge in the game: Steam shows that 89% of players have it.

Stage 2: Tropics or Roots

Tropics

A jungle climb full of plants that can hurt you. The patch notes single out the bombshrooms, explosive mushrooms that the developers made more dangerous after launch. Some days roll a nastier variant with extra bombs. The fog that rises behind you moves a little slower here than it did at launch.

Roots

Added on November 5, 2025, the Roots is a dark redwood forest overrun by mushrooms and bugs. Expect strong winds that can knock you off a cliff, spore mushrooms, spiders, giant beetles and zombies. Spores matter: the Tread Lightly badge asks you to finish the Roots without ever going over 25% spores.

Mushrooms are also the best part of the Roots. Bounce Fungus can launch you upward, and Shroomberries give a random effect for each color. That effect changes daily along with the map, so a berry that helped yesterday might not help today.

If the Roots feels too harsh, there are options. Tenderfoot difficulty removes zombies completely, Custom Runs can turn them off, and Zombie Phobia Mode changes how they look. The Final Ascent update in August 2026 also toned the biome down: beetles are less aggressive, spore mushrooms have a smaller radius and windstorms come less often.

Stage 3: Alpine or Mesa

Alpine

A snowy climb where the cold is your main problem. Cold is a status that takes up part of your stamina bar, just like hunger or injuries. The Bundled Up badge asks you to climb past the Alpine without ever going above 20% Cold. You'll also find snow piles that you can roll into snowballs.

Mesa

The Mesa, added on August 11, 2025, swaps snow for desert and sun. The danger is Heat, which builds while you're out in the sun, so use shade wherever you find it. The Mesa update also added new items: the Parasol, Sunscreen and Aloe Vera, which suit the heat, plus Balloons, Dynamite and the Scout Cannon. The Glider, added later, also shields you from the sun's heat here.

Watch for scorpions and other creepy crawlies. If spiders and bugs bother you, turn on Bug Phobia Mode, which replaces arachnids with Bing Bong. The Mesa also hides a capybara oasis and a secret entrance, and some days roll a "Tornado Hell" variant. Related badges include Nomad, Cool Cucumber (never above 10% Heat) and Daredevil (cross the Mesa canyon in a Scout Cannon).

Stages 4 and 5: Caldera and The Kiln

Caldera

A volcanic climb over lava and hot rocks. Touching the hot rocks adds Heat, and since September 2026 condors also fly around the Caldera and can carry you off. Near the end of the biome there is a statue area that is guaranteed to have better luggage.

The Kiln

The Kiln is the climb up through the volcano. Here the lava rises behind you instead of the fog, so you can't take your time. Hot rocks hurt more if you touch them directly, and the September 2026 patch added petrifying rocks and hot rock bridges. Staying at a lit campfire pauses the rising lava, the same way campfires pause the fog lower down.

Stages 4 and 5: Gloom and The Citadel

The Final Ascent update on August 11, 2026 added these two biomes as the last major content for PEAK.

Gloom

A dark, foggy forest. Its best-known threat is a Big Ghost that can rise from the ground near you, so keep moving. The Gloom also has belltowers, and the Bellringer badge asks you to ring five of them in a single expedition. Climbing past it earns the Wanderer badge.

The Citadel

A huge castle reached by stairs up from the Gloom. It's full of traps, so slow down and look before you climb. The Medieval History badge rewards getting through the whole Citadel without being hit by a single trap.

Stage 6: The Peak

The summit is the goal of every run. Flares spawn at the Peak, and lighting one calls the rescue helicopter that takes surviving scouts off the island. Get the whole group to the top before you signal. The rescue starts an end-game countdown, and scouts who aren't there in time stay behind. Reaching it earns the Peak Badge, which about a third of players on Steam have.

The Final Ascent update also added a secret ending for very determined scouts, tied to a hidden badge. We won't spoil it here.

Campfires between biomes

Each biome ends at a campfire. Light it and you get a Morale Boost, a place to cook food, and a short break. Since March 2026, the fog and your hunger also stop while everyone stays near a lit campfire. Revive statues near campfires can bring back scouts who died on the way up.

Campfires are also where the game autosaves. If your group needs to stop, you can continue the run later from the last campfire. Our guide on how to play PEAK with friends explains how saves work when the host changes.

Frequently asked questions

How many biomes are in PEAK?

There are nine biomes plus the Peak: Shore, Tropics, Roots, Alpine, Mesa, Caldera, The Kiln, Gloom and The Citadel. Each map uses five of them, followed by the summit.

What is the order of biomes in PEAK?

The order is Shore, then Tropics or Roots, then Alpine or Mesa, then Caldera or Gloom, then The Kiln or The Citadel, and finally the Peak. Which variant you get depends on the daily map.

How often does the PEAK map change?

The map rotates once every 24 hours. Until it changes, every player gets the same island, so you can keep trying the same layout.

Can you choose which biome you play in PEAK?

Not in a normal run, because the daily map decides it. You can use Mini Runs in the Custom Run menu to play a single biome from today's map, but badges are disabled there.

What is the hardest biome in PEAK?

That depends on your group, but the developers themselves called the Roots an outlier in difficulty and made it easier in August 2026. The Kiln is also tough because the lava rises behind you.

Is Gloom always in PEAK now?

No. Gloom and the Citadel were the only option for the first few weeks after the Final Ascent update. Since September 2026, they rotate randomly with the Caldera and the Kiln.

PEAK is developed by Aggro Crab and Landfall. mgame.gg isn't affiliated with or endorsed by them.