One Writer's Shameless Exploit Run: Snagging Kena's Toughest Trophy Without the Grind

Platinum trophy hunting is a culture unto itself — a pursuit that separates the casually committed from the obsessively dedicated. For one writer, trophy number 31 came with an asterisk, a conscience check, and ultimately, zero regret. The game in question is Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Ember Lab's visually stunning action-adventure title that launched on September 21, 2021, and the exploit in question was both brief in its availability and remarkably effective while it lasted.

The majority of Kena's trophy list is entirely achievable through normal gameplay, and most players who invest reasonable time into the experience will rack up a solid collection without breaking a sweat. The sticking point is a gold trophy called Master Spirit Guide, which requires players to complete the entire game on Master difficulty — the hardest setting available. Crucially, Master difficulty doesn't even become accessible until after a player has already finished the game once on any other setting, effectively demanding a full second playthrough at a punishing level of challenge.

Shortly after the game's launch, a bug surfaced in community discussions that offered a significant shortcut. Players discovered that by starting a fresh run on Master difficulty and then loading an endgame save file from a previous playthrough, the game's trophy tracking system failed to distinguish between the two separate sessions. The result was that the Master Spirit Guide trophy would unlock without the player having actually battled through the full game under those brutal conditions.

The writer in question, who had reviewed Kena prior to its launch and completed it normally, caught wind of this exploit online. Framing the experiment as research for a potential news story, they tested the bug themselves — and it worked. The platinum trophy was secured in a fraction of the time a legitimate Master run would have demanded. Ember Lab patched the exploit out relatively quickly, closing the window for anyone hoping to replicate the shortcut today.

Kena: Bridge of Spirits has since remained a beloved title in the indie action-adventure space, with a sequel now reportedly on the horizon generating renewed fan interest. The game's reputation for gorgeous visuals and engaging combat is well-established, even if its difficulty spikes on higher settings drew some criticism. Whether future players earn that platinum the hard way or simply admire it from afar, the story of exploit #31 will live on as a small, gleeful footnote in one trophy hunter's career.