You’re wandering through the neon-soaked, radioactive ruins of Nuka-World. You’ve got a Thirst Zapper in one hand and a bottle of Nuka-Cola Quantum in the other. Life is good. Then, you look at your achievement list. There it is. Fallout 4 All Sugared Up. It looks simple enough on paper. Kill 40 Nuka-World creatures while under the effects of any Nuka-Mix flavor.
Easy, right?
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Wrong.
Actually, it's one of the most frustratingly bugged and specific achievements in the entire game. Most players finish the DLC, kill hundreds of ants and bloodworms, and realize the counter hasn't moved an inch. It's annoying. It feels broken because, honestly, the game doesn't explain the "hidden" rules behind what actually counts as a valid kill. If you’re trying to 100% the game or just want that sweet trophy notification, you need a strategy that bypasses the junk coding.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Nuka-Mixes
The biggest mistake is thinking any soda works. It doesn't. Standard Nuka-Cola, Nuka-Cherry, or even the rare Nuka-Quantum won't trigger the achievement. You have to use the Nuka-Mixer Station. These are the custom blends you create using recipes scattered across the park.
But wait, there's a catch.
Not all mixes are created equal. Some last for a decent amount of time, while others wear off before you can even find a target. If the effect isn't active the exact millisecond the killing blow lands, the game ignores it.
The Creatures That Actually Count
Don't waste your ammo on Raiders. Don't go hunting for Feral Ghouls in the Burrows. They aren't "Nuka-World creatures" in the eyes of this specific achievement. You need to target the native wildlife introduced in the DLC. We're talking:
- Cave Crickets (The absolute worst, honestly)
- Bloodworms
- Ants
- Rad-Rats
- Gatorclaws
- Brahmiluffs
If you kill a standard Commonwealth Radroach that just happened to wander across the border? Zero progress. It has to be the specific Nuka-World variants. This is why the achievement feels like it takes forever; the pool of valid targets is smaller than you think.
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The Secret to Making This Easy
The duration of the buffs is your worst enemy. Most of the powerful mixes like Nuka-Cide or Nuka-Bombdiere have short windows. You want something that lasts. Nuka-Power or Nuka-Sunrise are generally the go-to choices here. Nuka-Power is particularly great because it boosts your carry weight and strength, but more importantly, it stays in your system long enough to actually find a group of enemies.
Wait.
There is a better way.
If you really want to cheese this—and let’s be real, we all do—you need to head to the Shovel Museum or the areas surrounding Dry Rock Gulch. These spots are infested with Rad-Rats and Ants. They go down in one hit.
The strategy is simple: find a cluster of enemies, pop your Nuka-Mix, and go to town with a fast melee weapon or a combat shotgun. Do not use V.A.T.S. if you can help it. Sometimes the slow-motion animation can actually eat up the remaining seconds of your drink’s effect, leading to a wasted kill. Just aim and fire.
The Bug That Stops Progress
Let's talk about the "internal timer" issue. Bethesda games are famous for their quirks, and Fallout 4 All Sugared Up is no exception. There is a known bug where if you have multiple Nuka-Mix effects active at once, the game gets confused and stops counting kills entirely.
Stick to one drink at a time.
Drink a Nuka-Power. Kill five ants. Wait for the effect to wear off completely. Drink another. This sounds tedious because it is, but it’s the only way to ensure the script triggers correctly in the game’s back-end code.
Where to Find the Best Recipes Early
You can't do this without the recipes. While you start with a few basics, the best ones for this achievement are hidden.
- Nuka-Power: Found in the Nuka-World Power Plant, specifically in the office section on a desk.
- Nuka-Ray: Located in the Galactic Zone, specifically in the RobCo Battlezone on the ground near the bleachers.
- Nuka-Void: Found in the Starlight Interstellar Theater on a counter in the theater area.
Actually, the easiest one to get is Nuka-Love. You get it just by talking to Evan, the guy living on the far south side of the map who is just "chilling." He gives it to you for free. It’s a decent mix and easy to craft.
Farming Locations That Aren't a Waste of Time
If you’ve already cleared the main parks, you might think you’re out of luck. You aren't. Enemies in Nuka-World respawn faster than in the Commonwealth.
The Nuka-Station exterior often spawns Rad-Rats.
The World of Refreshment (the beverage bottling plant) is a goldmine for Nukalurks. While Nukalurks are tougher, they definitely count toward the 40 kills. Just make sure you’re actually "Sugared Up" before the shell cracks.
Another pro tip: check the outskirts of the map, near the Safari Adventure. Gatorclaws are beefy, but if you’ve got a high-level character, you can soften them up with a regular rifle and then finish them off with a pistol while the Nuka-Mix is active.
Technical Nuances and "Kill Stealing"
If you are traveling with a companion like Gage or Nick Valentine, they are going to steal your kills. It’s what they do. For Fallout 4 All Sugared Up, the killing blow must come from the player. If Gage headshots a Bloodworm while you're busy drinking your soda, that kill is gone. It doesn't count.
Tell your companion to wait at the entrance of whatever area you’re clearing. Go in solo. It’s safer for your progress, even if it’s more dangerous for your health bar.
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Why the "New" Versions of Drinks Matter
People often ask if the "Ice Cold" versions of Nuka-Mixes work. Yes, they do. If you put your mixes into a Buddy bot (the drinking buddy) and get them chilled, the achievement still tracks. However, it doesn't extend the duration of the effect that matters for the achievement, so don't feel like you have to go through the extra step of cooling your drinks.
Actionable Steps to Finish This Today
If you are sitting at 0/40 and want to knock this out in twenty minutes, follow this exact sequence:
- Craft 10-15 Nuka-Power or Nuka-Sunrise drinks. These have some of the longest durations.
- Travel to the Shovel Museum. Kill the Rad-Rats there while buffed.
- Head to the Morton Residence. This place is usually crawling with pests.
- Clear the house. If the counter isn't moving, sleep in an in-game bed for 48 hours to reset the spawns.
- Check your Pip-Boy. Go to the "General" tab in your statistics. It won't show the achievement progress directly, but you can track your "Nuka-World Creatures Killed" stat to see if the total is rising as you kill things while buffed.
Don't overcomplicate it by trying to use the fancy, expensive mixes. The game doesn't care if you're using a mix that requires five different rare sodas or just a basic two-ingredient blend. A kill is a kill.
Once you hit that 40th kill, the notification should pop immediately. If it doesn't, keep going to 45 or 50. Sometimes the game's registration of "Nuka-World creature" is a bit finicky depending on which patch version you are running.
Stop wasting your Quantum. Start mixing the cheap stuff. Get the trophy and get out of the wasteland.
Next Steps for the Sole Survivor:
Check your inventory for Nuka-Power recipes immediately; if you don't have it, head to the Power Plant. Once you have a stack of at least 10 mixes, fast travel to the Safari Adventure and clear the exterior perimeter first, as these Gatorclaws provide the most reliable "hit detection" for the achievement progress. Use a semi-auto weapon to ensure you don't accidentally waste the buff duration during a reload or a missed spray.