If any achievements fail to pop for you, go to your settings and return your Walking Speed and Running Speed to their default values before you reattempt them (or do this with all of your settings if that still doesn't work). This is a known issue that has persisted as of the time I'm writing this (04/21/2025), and I doubt it will be fixed any time soon.

"POOLS" is a 1985 action-roguelike/dating sim by Peter Molyneux. In this game, you traverse through six seven stages with the goal of, uh... err... traversing.

With the game being as cryptic and uncanny as it is, there are naturally plenty of secrets to be found, and players have naturally struggled to uncover those secrets. After playing through the levels multiple times, prowling the discussion boards, and testing a few ideas myself, I'm confident I can provide advice for... most of the achievements in this game. So, that's what I'm going to do.

Before we start, lemme say a few things to avoid ruining the intrigue of this game for people. All jokes aside, this guide is overflowing with spoilers. If you're interested in the achievements but would rather receive subtle hints than outright solutions, this isn't the place for you. Instead, I recommend peeking at a few of the discussion posts for this game, especially this one. The first few messages in this thread contain chapter locations and clues from several players, including one of the devs.

Also, please give this game a blind playthrough before using any guides or resources. It's worth it. I'm going to structure my advice around the assumption that you kind of know where you're going, so there won't be any detailed maps or step-by-step instructions on where to go (not that I'm talented enough to provide those).

The achievements in this game are chapter-specific, so of course, let's start with Chapter 1.

#1
Chapter #1 Completed

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Every chapter has an achievement like this. I'll be posting them here for the sake of leaving no stone unturned.


Not Afraid of the Dark
Heard the ominous bellowing

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This one's fun if you are, in fact, afraid of the dark. The quickest way to get here is to take the alternate path at the start of the level and then take a left in the room with a large round pillar (the illuminated archway). If you get lost, don't sweat it. Keep exploring until you reach a rectangular room with multiple ways to go. Take the path closest to the white archways to make it back to this room:



You see the hole that looks like death? Yeah, that hole. Walk in there. All the way to the back. Stand still until your vision shakes and a howling noise plays. After that awful experience, you should get the achievement.

#2
Chapter #2 Completed

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Alright, there's a lot to unpack here. This chapter contains the second-most achievements in the game, split across multiple branching paths. Thankfully, navigation here is made easier in the form of markers shaped like triangles and circles. After working through the start of the level, you'll find yourself in this round chamber, which you should treat as your central hub.



Both paths end in a drop into a room with a large spiral staircase. Do not drop down until I tell you, since you can't go back. For now, head down the circle path (the one on the right), since we'll find two achievements there.


Whisper In The Dark
Did you hear that?

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If you have a better memory than a goldfish, you'll remember doing something similar to this in the previous chapter. You'll find this wide staircase into nothingness on the circle path. It connects to two areas, one containing a twisting set of ramps and the other containing a hallway filled with water and two chairs. If you find either of those areas, you're on the right track.



Once you find the staircase, march fearlessly into the void and you should hear a whispering sound right away. You'll get the achievement soon after. You can continue walking down the stairs if you wish to meet an untimely fate, but it's not necessary.


Anatidaephobia
Made close contact with the residents of a dark place

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Anatidaephobia is the fear that a duck could be watching you at any time or place. The hint here is pretty obvious, but this achievement is surprisingly annoying since there are several areas with rubber ducks in this chapter. Even more annoyingly, the correct place has a chance not to spawn the ducks at all.

If you've just done "Whisper In The Dark," you can get here quite easily. Head down the path that leads to the water-filled hallway with chairs. Continue down the hall and you'll find yourself in a dark area with round pillars. I adjusted the gamma in the image to make it clearer; it's much darker in the game.



Now, if you're lucky, you'll find a few large rubber ducks in the area. Give one of them your best football tackle for the achievement. If the ducks didn't spawn, you'll have to restart the level and come back here. From my testing, the ducks will not spawn if you exit the level and resume where you left off. You need to start the level from the beginning and make your way here without quitting to the menu. I've never had to reset more than once to make the ducks spawn, but there's a chance you might have to.

Art Appreciator
Restored a layer of the scattered art piece

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Art Connoisseur
Restored all layers of the scattered art piece and greeted a newborn being

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Alright, here's where things get doubly cryptic. Throughout all of Chapter 2, there are five rings hidden on various surfaces. Focusing your view on a ring causes it to shake and fade away, adding it to the "scattered art piece." The scattered art piece is past the spiral staircase, but all of the rings are found before it. Don't drop down until you have all of them.

Like any good achievement, your ring progress doesn't save if you exit the level. Do not restart or quit to the menu until you collect all of the rings AND view the art piece at the end.

You'll find two rings on the circle path and three on the triangle path. Since we're already on the circle path, let's start with those rings.

If you're still in the area for "Anatidaephobia," then navigate through there to the statue of a person holding a box. Continue down the path through a locker room until you're in a large area with an orange slide in the middle. You'll find Ring #1 on the side of an alcove in this area, the one leading to a slit in the wall.



Turn back and make your way to the twisting ramp I mentioned near the "Whisper In The Dark" area. Walk partway up and look down at the ramp leading into the water. Ring #2 is hidden between the beam above the ramp and the water.



Now, return to the central hub with the circular pool in the middle. Remember, you have to walk back here from where you are. Don't reload the level. Head down the triangle path and take the first right. Turn around; Ring #3 is on the opposite side of the archway you just walked through.



Ring #4 is located further down the triangle path within a grid of water-filled tunnels. Both archways beside the long red water slide will lead you to the area you're looking for. Make your way to the middle of the grid; the ring will be in one of the square alcoves there. It used to be in a hard-to-see spot under the water, but an update on December 2024 had it moved onto the wall above.



Finally, for Ring #5, go through the triangle path until you make it to a striking room with a swing suspended above the water. The ring is on the ceiling, tucked behind a round pillar to the left of the railing.



Now that you've collected all five rings, you have my permission to drop into the room with the spiral staircase. Go down to the water and you'll (hopefully) find the finished art piece on the wall near two large rubber ducks. Look right at the Looney Tunes circle and claim your prize, and your achievement.

#3
Chapter #3 Completed

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Thankfully, there's nothing else in the game as complex as "Art Connoisseur," so we can take it easy from here on out. The next three chapters have one miscellaneous achievement apiece, and the achievement for Chapter 3 occurs close to the end.


I did it my way
You don't follow the most obvious path

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The area for this achievement is impossible to miss. It's on a linear path, just after the hallway filled with mannequins (I hate that I had to walk through here twice for this guide). The hall leads to a large bright room with three pathways that curve up the wall. To get the achievement, simply walk down the left or right path, not the middle one.

#4
Chapter #4 Completed

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This stage is quite easy to get lost in, but the extra achievement here happens to be one of the quickest. And, in case you miss it, I have a surefire way to make it occur for you.


I Said, Look Behind You
Caught a glimpse of a timid being

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This freaky fella appears in the dark areas of Chapter 4 if you flick your camera behind you. He only appears for a second before sinking into the floor, but that's all the time you need for the achievement to pop. There's a fair chance you might get this achievement randomly while playing the level; I got it when I was barging into the washroom stalls.

Now, I had a Bigfoot moment when I tried to get a picture of this dude. He appeared once when I wasn't prepared, and then I spent 20 minutes trying to get him to spawn again. However, in my efforts, I found a way to guarantee the achievement.

Here's the method: restart the level and get through the sauna, just past the steaming doorway. Quit out of the level, and then close the game. Now, reload the game and reenter Chapter 4. Walk to the end of the hallway, shortly after entering the water, and then turn around. If you don't see him, walk a little further and try again.

This method worked five times in a row for me, returning to the steaming doorway each time, so it's foolproof as far as I'm aware. If this doesn't work for you, please let me know and I'll update this guide to reflect that.

#5
Chapter #5 Completed

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There's a high chance you won't have to come back to this chapter, but in case you're one of the unlucky ones, I've got your back.


Døds Diver
Performed a dive worthy of an award

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You can grab this achievement pretty close to the start of the level, past the left-most exit of the room with three slides. You'll find a room with two pools and a brick staircase ascending through the middle. There are two diving boards at the top; take a running fall off the end of either one for your achievement.



People in the comments have reported getting this achievement in other areas of the game, including places without diving boards. However, this is the quickest and most obvious spot to nab it in.

#6
Chapter #6 Completed

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It's been a hell of a ride! Unfortunately, as good as this final level is, the two extra achievements here might trap you here for longer than you were expecting.


Dripping With Style
Witnessed unfathomable elegance

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Your goal is to find a rubber duck in a top hat and bow tie, who I'll affectionately refer to as the "Dapper Duck." You'll find the Dapper Duck just past the giant sauna, in a square staircase leading down. The duck has a chance to spawn in the second window you can look inside — the one below the window with the slide. After a patch that made the spawn chance way more common, you should be able to get it as long as you remember to look in the window.



In case the Dapper Duck doesn't spawn for you, apparently it's also possible to continue through the level, go through the tunnel past the bottom of the stairs, and then go back to the window to make the duck spawn, no level reloads necessary. Many thanks to "A JANITOR" for providing this method for the achievement.


Error In Production
May contain small amounts of swimming toys

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This achievement wasn't attainable when the game first launched, but now it's straightforward as long as you know what to expect. The goal is to enter the factory room, where you'll find a line of mannequins on moving hooks, and wait until one of the hooks contains a flamingo-shaped swimming tube.

Getting to the factory seems to be the hardest part for some people, which I can help with. Partway into Chapter 6, you'll make it to a water-filled maze with pipes along the ceiling. This area leads to a giant chessboard, which is the way through the level, but it also leads to the factory. Keep exploring the maze until you find a path with an antique chair in the water. You'll know you're on the right track when you find a sheep lying on a couch (it's not a joke this time, I swear).

When you make it to the factory, simply stand by the railing and wait. I saw three flamingos within a couple of minutes, so they're not too uncommon. Once you spot one, follow it with your camera until the achievement pops!

#0
Chapter #0 Completed

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Surprise! This used to be the end of the guide, but the arrival of a new chapter in the 04/21/2025 update has brought me back from the dead to demystify its achievements. There's a lot to cover here, but none of it is as complex as something like Art Connoisseur, so let's dive back into the waters one last time. Hopefully, this chapter completion achievement doesn't take you three attempts like it did for me! (Haha... ha...)


Number of the Beast
Noticed a glitch on an elevator floor display

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This is currently the rarest achievement in the game, which is funny since you don't even have to move to unlock it. Just don't step out of the elevator at the start of the chapter; instead, keep your eye on the seven-segment floor display. The numbers will briefly flash from "000" to "666," and the achievement should pop shortly after.




Custodian
Observed a gesture from something wishing you to enjoy your stay

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Partway through the level, you'll step through a set of wooden doors into a hallway with old-fashioned wallpaper and a series of hotel rooms. In the room across and to the left of you, you'll find a red couch. This is not to be mistaken with the red couch tucked into an alcove in the starting area, which you can't sit on.



Mosey on over to this inviting-looking sofa and sit down by walking into it. Keep your view on the doors you entered through and stay sitting until the doors automatically shut. Congrats — you're trapped! (Just kidding, but you should have another achievement to your name)


Room Service
Stepped into many rooms in the hotel area, whether you were invited or not

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The achievement description is remarkably candid for this game—simply walk into different hotel rooms until you've got a shiny new achievement. If you fall into the submerged maze, there's a staircase that takes you back to the hotel area, so don't fret. I got the achievement when I was two rooms short of checking them all; the screenshot shows where I got it, in case it's significant.




Misplaced
Explored a pathway in the depths that wasn’t a part of the itinerary

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The next two achievements are found in an underwater cavern containing a sunken ship and a glowing face at the bottom. Ignore the ugly mug beneath you for now and swim toward the red-lit porthole in the ship, which you can find easily by following the water currents.



After entering the porthole, you can find the staircase leading to this achievement by taking this route through the ship: right, left (this turn is easy to miss), straight to the end of the hall, left, and then another left. If you get lost, just don't enter the doorway surrounded by blue lights, since this path will take you to the next area.

Hopefully, you'll find the staircase leading out of the water. From here, it's a straight shot to the only open door on this deck, which leads to an out-of-place hallway with a huge spinning device suspended above a pit. Either dive into the pit or stare at the device for a while and you'll teleport back to the now-closed door, netting you this achievement.




Crimson Pools
Did somebody mix paint with the water? There’s a weird odor in the air...

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For this next achievement, you'll have to swim back out of the ship. It's annoying, I know, but just remember not to swim through the door surrounded by blue lights. Once you exit the ship, look down toward the face in the rocks. Remember him? Yeah, I'm gonna need you to swim into his mouth.



After paddling deep inside and getting plenty of red spit all over your body, you'll emerge in a brightly lit area with crimson water. Joy! Climb up the ladder and explore a bit, and the achievement should pop. This area will take you to the next part of the level like the normal route, so don't feel as if you need to reset.


Warden of Waters
Discovered a submerged diorama depicting the actions of an unseen force

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Any route you take will return you to the hotel area, except this part is flooded with our favourite ol' aqua. Continue until you find a rocking chair in front of a hatch in the floor. Climb down the ladder here and swim through the submerged hotel. You'll quickly encounter a room with a tube slide (this slide will be important in a moment), and following it deeper will lead you to a statue in an alcove. The fellow seems to be in a poor set of circumstances, so swim toward him and pilfer your precious achievement from his corpse. You animal.




Solace
Entered a place where a warm sense of belonging washed over you

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From the Warden of Water, continue through the submerged hotel floor until you climb back up. Head into the hall and enter the next room on your right to find a cream-coloured water slide you might recognize. If you skipped the submerged section, you can backtrack through the hotel to this same room. If you encounter a black icon of a person raising a finger to their lips, you're going the wrong way.



Have a fun ride down the slide and you'll enter a serene area with a black, square structure in the middle. Like with Crimson Pools, this missable area will take you to the same place as the normal route, so don't panic. Once you traverse through the black structure, you should earn the last missable achievement you need!

Return to the sheep. She misses you.