There are quite a lot of secrets to be found in Back 4 Blood, one of those secrets comes in the form of golden skulls. Golden skulls are items hidden in each chapter of the game, and finding them can be a challenge if you're also being swarmed by ravenous special infected.
The golden skulls on each map don't give players an added edge over gameplay, but they can earn achievements from collecting them. Players who have unlocked Back 4 Blood's secret characters will be reminded of a caveat, however: Players have to play co-op to earn the golden skull achievements.
Players don't need to do anything special to gather the skulls. They simply need to hunt them down throughout the campaign. Once a golden skull is collected, players need to walk up to the skull and hover their crosshair over it.
Collecting All 10 Golden Skulls in Back 4 Blood
Once reaching the yacht that's been driven into the bridge in The Crossing, turn left and walk downstairs. On the bottom floor of the ship at the right, players will see a window. By climbing out of the window, they'll find the golden skull inside a briefcase straight ahead, tucked against the right corner of the platform. It can be easy for players to get pinned and incapacitated by zombies while on the ship, so they'll need the help of their teammates to keep the zombies away. Once the skull is collected, players simply need to get back onto the ship and continue the mission. Players should equip a few Back 4 Blood cards that increase movement speed for collecting many of these skulls.
When players reach the Haven Apartments building in the Book Worm level, they'll want to use the staircase outside to get inside the basement. Once inside, players will need to head upstairs and go into the room on the left. They'll find the Back 4 Blood golden skull hidden underneath the desk in the office space at the very right corner of the room. Again, the apartment can easily get crowded and swarmed with zombies.
To access the third golden skull in Special Delivery, players need to progress through Back 4 Blood's Act One until they reach the lumber yard, near the safehouse. Players need to climb onto the dumpster just outside the lumberyard, then jump across the wooden pallets. Eventually, they'll find the golden skull. It's difficult for zombies to swarm the player once they climb the dumpster, so players shouldn't have a problem accessing it.
Once players reach the forest section of Hell's Bells, they'll find a small wooden shack next to a trailer. In between the two buildings is a large rocky hill that players can climb. At the top, they'll be rewarded with a golden skull.
After leaving the safe house in A Call to Arms, players need to turn left and follow the street until it ends. After climbing the staircase to the right, players need to turn left and go to the backyard of the first house on the left. Players will find the skull inside the chicken coop. Getting to this skull is relatively easy. The road leading to it is wide, and it's easy to take care of any zombies that may follow the player before they reach the chicken coop. Players can take a moment of rest to practice their pot-shot skills with their favorite Back 4 Blood weapons.
Before players reach the bridge in Back 4 Blood's Hinterland level, they'll need to jump down a rocky hill with a waterfall. By going inside the waterfall, players can help themselves to a stash of copper and a golden skull waiting for them. Zombies will spawn above the waterfall, on the river, and on the sides of the valley. This makes it easy to get surrounded by a horde, so players will want to try to clear the area before stopping to get the golden skull.
Once players begin approaching the church in Grave Danger, they'll need to head right, towards the crypt. Once inside the graveyard, players will need to find the shrine located in the very back, near the right. The golden skull is hidden inside the shrine. While much of the map is open space, the skull is located at a dead-end. Players will want to make sure they don't get cornered by a horde after they collect the skull. This level in Back 4 Blood can be unforgiving to players if they haven't been clearing zombies out along the way.
In the Garden Party level, players will walk through a maze before reaching the level's safe house. By walking past the safehouse and heading to the very last path on the left, players can find the golden skull on a small statue. As this golden skull is hidden inside a maze, it can be difficult to find.
Once players exit the gym in the Making the Grade level, they'll be directed toward the building's roof. Following the right side of the building, players will find a large space just above the next staircase. Two tents are leaning against the building, and the skull is hidden in the rightmost tent. Zombies spawn in high amounts around the building once players reach the roof. They'll need to grab the skull quickly before they're surrounded by a zombie horde. Players will also want to keep an eye out for Back 4 Blood's special infected, as many of them will have easy access to the player while they're on the roof.
Once the timer reaches 1:59, in Back 4 Blood's final level, The Abomination, the final boss will cross a bridge with many other bridges branching off of it. Players need to step onto the bridge, then follow the first branch on the right. Hidden right next to a fleshy sack is the golden skull. Players are timed during the boss battle, so they'll need to rush grab the skull quickly if they intend to finish the level after collecting the skull.
By collecting every golden skull in the game players will unlock the following Back 4 Blood achievements: Port Man Toe?, Bell Hop, Pallet Cleanser, Easily Mist, Cooped Up, Dangerous To Go Alone, Cryptozoologist, Night Of The Living Hedge, Extra Credit, and Mind Your Step.
Back 4 Blood is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.