Darwin's Paradox! hides 20 Discoveries across its chapters — newspaper clippings, posters, and other collectibles tucked just far enough off the main path to catch you off guard. Miss them on a first run and you might not even realize they exist. The good news: the game's Chapter Select menu means nothing is permanently missable, so you can clean up any gaps without starting over.
This guide covers every single Discovery location in order, chapter by chapter, with enough detail to get you in and out without wandering.
What are Discoveries and why should you collect them?
Discoveries are collectible items — think newspaper boards, ads, and posters — that flesh out the world of UFOOD Inc. and the conspiracy running through the story, as documented by TheGamer. There are exactly 20 to find across the full game. Collecting them earns you five trophies and unlocks new skins for Darwin at every five-Discovery milestone.
Here's the full trophy breakdown, according to the source guides:
New Darwin skins unlock alongside these achievements, so there's a cosmetic reason to push for completion beyond the trophies.
Chapter Select completion tracker
All Discovery locations
Down in the Dumps (Discoveries 1–3)
Discovery #1 sits right on the critical path at the start of the first chapter. You'll pass it naturally just by playing through the opening.
Discovery #2 requires a short detour. The game wants you to push a Ufood box to the right through a tunnel. Instead, climb on top of the box and take the upper-left opening. Jump onto the excavator shovel and keep heading left. The Discovery is waiting at the end of that route.
Discovery #3 becomes available in chapter five of this section. After the cutscene featuring Darwin and his friend, you gain the ability to stick to any surface. Immediately climb the left wall in that same room to find it.
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Discovery #3 is only accessible after the wall-stick ability is unlocked, so you cannot grab it on your first pass through the earlier parts of this chapter.
Things are Heating Up! (Discoveries 4–5)
Discovery #4 is in chapter four. At the start, use the bucket to reach the upper area. Rather than going left as the game directs, stick to the ceiling and move right. According to TheGamer's guide, you can survive a brief moment of heat from the pipe, so don't let that stop you.
Discovery #5 appears in chapter six while crossing a set of swaying Ufood boxes. Check the bottom-left side of one of those boxes — the Discovery sits in a small alcove tucked into the stack.
Hide and Sneak (Discovery 6)
Discovery #6 is the easiest one in the game. During the camouflage crawl sequence, pass under the building and look directly ahead. It's sitting right in front of you. Hard to miss, as confirmed across multiple sources.
Dang! This Stinks and Stings (Discovery 7)
Discovery #7 is in chapter four. After using the Ufood barrels to hide from the light, descend further until you spot mines and a pipe on the left side. Crawl through that pipe and follow it to the very end.
Kicking Cans (Discoveries 8–9)
Discovery #8 is at the start of chapter one. Head up the path, climb the Ufood box, and look right. There's an open window in the building — go through it.
Discovery #9 comes after the elevator section in chapter five. You'll pass through a classroom and come out near an elevator door. Before opening it, exit through the hole in the ceiling to the right and walk to the far end.
Out of the Pot and Into the Fire (Discovery 10)
Discovery #10 is the simplest detour in the game. The moment chapter two starts, turn around and run left on the first conveyor belt. The Discovery is right there.
Getting to the Bottom of Things (Discoveries 11–12)
Discovery #11 is in the wide ocean area at the start of chapter two. Swim to the bottom-right corner and find the wrecked ship. Swim through the large chimney stack in the center of the wreck to get inside.
Discovery #12 is in chapter three. After reaching the room with the large red button, look to the right.
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For Discovery #11, make sure you enter through the chimney stack specifically — there are other entry points on the wreck that won't lead you to it.
Wrecked ship Discovery 11 route
In Troubled Waters (Discovery 13)
Discovery #13 appears after you avoid the first sonar ship. Look for a mushroom cave that leads downward and swim into it.
Into the Abyss (Discovery 14)
Discovery #14 is at the very start of chapter one. The chapter opens with a long vertical tunnel — check the right side of that tunnel for a cave entrance.
Suiting Up! (Discoveries 15–16)
Discovery #15 is immediate. The moment you get into the robot suit in chapter one, walk all the way left through two sets of doors.
Discovery #16 is in chapter three during the moving platforms and red buttons sequence. Look to the very top-left of the screen — there's a doorway there leading to the Discovery.
Training Away (Discoveries 17–18)
Discovery #17 is the only time-gated collectible in the game. You must complete the timed assault course challenge in under 3 minutes. You can restart the challenge by heading down at any underwater checkpoint — you don't have to restart the entire chapter, which saves you from replaying the martial artist section.
Discovery #18 is in chapter two. When you reach the flooded room where the martial artists were training, check the small alcove directly above the right-side entrance you came through.
Really Weird Science! (Discovery 19)
Discovery #19 is in the large opening area. Instead of using the slingshot to progress, climb down the right-side wall underneath the slingshot section. The Discovery is at the bottom of that right-side section.
HQ or Bust (Discovery 20)
Discovery #20 is the final one. After climbing up through a ceiling vent, you'll come across a red carpet. Don't go under it. Instead, keep moving left through the ventilation duct to find the last Discovery at the far end.
How does Chapter Select help with completion?
The Chapter Select menu tracks which chapters still contain unfound Discoveries, so you always know exactly where to return. There's no penalty for replaying chapters, and you keep any Discoveries you collect on a return visit. The only Discovery that demands extra effort is #17, since it requires finishing the assault course under the time limit — but even that challenge has underwater restart checkpoints so you're not forced back to the chapter start.
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