Honestly, The Plucky Squire is one of those games that looks like a breezy Sunday afternoon stroll through a children's book, but if you’re hunting for that Platinum or 100% completion, it can turn into a bit of a headache. Don't get me wrong, the art is incredible and flipping between 2D pages and the 3D desk world feels like magic every single time. But the trophies? They’re finicky.
You might have heard that this is a 3/10 difficulty plat. That's true, technically. You can even toggle on invincibility and one-hit kills in the accessibility menu and the trophies will still pop. Easy, right? Well, sort of. The real challenge isn't the combat—it’s the fact that the game's chapter select was notoriously broken at launch, and while patches in late 2024 and 2025 fixed some of the worst "glitched" states, it’s still way safer to grab everything in one go.
The Plucky Squire Trophy Guide: Start Here
First things first: you have to play on Adventure Mode. If you start on Story Mode, you won't get the "Adventure Complete" trophy.
The good news is that if you find Adventure Mode too spicy, you can just go into the settings and turn on the "assist" features. It doesn't disable trophies. You can literally be an immortal squire. But if you're a purist, the "Challenge Mode" (added in a later update) is where the real teeth are. For the base Platinum, though? Adventure Mode is your target.
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Don't Skip the Lightbulbs
You need to buy all of Jot’s combat upgrades from Martina (the shopkeeper) for the Powerful Jot trophy. Early on, you might think bulbs are everywhere, but you actually need quite a few—around 1,400 to be safe.
Hit every bush. Smash every tree.
If you get to Chapter 1, there's a decent spot right at the start to farm some bulbs by just wrecking the scenery and reloading or moving between screens. It's better to be rich early than to be scrambling at the end of the game when Martina shows up for the last time.
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Those Pesky Missable Trophies
Most trophies in this game are story-related, but a handful will make you restart the whole game if you blink at the wrong time.
- Perfect Fish Grab: In Chapter 4, you’ll meet a fish named Floatio. You have to catch him on your first try. If you mess up the timing, immediately quit to the main menu and reload your save. The game autosaves when you enter the page, so you can keep retrying until you get it.
- Optimistic Explorer: This one is hilarious and easy to miss. When you’re out in the 3D world (on the desk), just walk off the edge. Jot will tumble, and you'll get a trophy for your curiosity.
- Bust Buster: In Chapter 9, there’s a diamond bust of the villain, Humgrump. You need to find the word "Broken" and swap it into the sentence to blow the statue up.
The Big Collectible Hunt
There are 50 Art Scrolls and 10 Glitchbirds.
The Glitchbirds are the real run-killers. Many players reported that if you miss a bird and try to go back via chapter select, the counter doesn't always update correctly, or worse, it wipes your progress. Always check behind trees and large objects. If you see a weird "glitchy" sparkle, that's your cue.
In Chapter 4, there’s a Glitchbird hidden behind a portal on a black page. Most people miss this because you have to leave the book, go back a few pages while in 3D mode, and find a hidden entrance. It's crafty.
Wordplay Trophies You Might Miss
The game rewards you for being a bit of a chaotic editor.
- Huge Frog: In Chapter 4, don't just solve the puzzle and leave. Take the word "Huge" and put it in front of the tiny frog.
- Cheese Everything: In Chapter 6, you can turn mushrooms and even massive pillars into cheese. Do it. Not only is it funny, but it’s required for Cheese Mushrooms and Cheese Pillar.
How to Handle the "Iron Squire" Update
If you're playing the updated version of the game from 2025/2026, you might see the Iron Squire mode. This is basically permadeath.
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Look, nobody likes losing a 6-hour save to a missed jump. If you’re going for the "Ironclad at Artia" achievement (which requires finishing the first four chapters in this mode), use the cloud save trick. Upload your save to the PS+ cloud or back it up to a USB after every chapter. If you die, just download the old save. It’s a bit "cheaty," but in a game where a physics bug can occasionally launch you into the void, it’s survival.
Final Strategy for the Platinum
- Start on Adventure Mode.
- Smash every tree for bulbs until your upgrades are maxed.
- Keep a checklist for Art Scrolls (there are 50, and Martina sells many of them).
- If you miss the fish grab or a mini-game requirement, Alt+F4 or Quit to Menu instantly.
The game is short—maybe 8 to 10 hours—but replaying it just because you missed one Glitchbird in the middle of a forest is a soul-crushing experience. Take it slow, enjoy the music, and keep your eyes peeled for those hidden portals.
Next Steps for You:
Check your collection menu right now. If you're past Chapter 4 and don't have at least 15 scrolls, you've likely missed some of Martina's shop items or hidden trees. Go back and scour the current area before you flip the page for good.