I Chased Every Hidden Trail in Assassin's Creed Shadows as Naoe

In 2026, after countless patches, photo mode sessions, and one too many detours into bamboo groves, I still boot up Assassin's Creed Shadows just to feel the wind over Naoe's shoulders. The world is gorgeous, yes, but what keeps pulling me back are the quiet secrets: the Hidden Trails. They are not loud quests with boss fights or dramatic cutscenes. They are little parkour poems, and they belong only to Naoe.

I first found one by accident. Honestly, I almost walked right past it. My compass showed a white question mark, shy as a firefly, and I thought it was another chest or a random collectible. Then I climbed a wall, jumped across a gap, and landed on a path that felt deliberately hidden. The game did not explain much. It just let the rooftops dare me. That is when I understood: Hidden Trails are optional parkour challenges exclusive to Naoe, and Yasuke cannot touch them. Similar to Kuji-Kiri, this side activity is not available for the big guy. Sorry, Yasuke. This one is for the shinobi. 🥷

The basics are simple. Each Hidden Trail is a well-hidden parkour path that ends with a reward chest. There are 10 of them spread across the regions of Assassin's Creed Shadows. You do not need to fight anyone. No combat, no gear check, no difficulty spike. That makes them perfect for early exploration, or for a relaxing evening when you just want to move through the world without bloodshed. When you are far away, they appear as Undiscovered Locations marked with a white question mark on your Compass and Map. Get close enough, and the symbol changes to orange and reveals the specific name of the Hidden Trail. It is a small thrill every time. The map, patient as a teacher, waits for you to notice.

Each completed Hidden Trail rewards you with:

• 1,000 XP

• 1 Knowledge Point

• 1 Epic Gear Item

That is a generous little package. The XP helps you level, the Knowledge Point feeds Naoe's growth, and the Epic Gear Item can be a nice surprise. I have gotten pieces I wore for hours just because they looked cool. No joke, one chest gave me a hood that made me feel like a ghost in broad daylight. I stood on a roof and watched guards walk below, completely unaware. That is the fantasy.

Here is a quick reference table I wish I had at the start:

Finding all 10 is not hard, but it is easy to miss them if you fast travel everywhere. My advice? Turn off some HUD elements, or at least resist the urge to sprint from objective to objective. The Hidden Trails reward curiosity. They live in remote spots, tucked behind shrines, above village roofs, along cliff edges, and in places where the path seems to end. I learned to look up. I learned to trust a suspicious stack of crates. I learned that if a wall looks climbable, it probably is.

Some trails are short and sweet. Others made me pause and appreciate the level design. One route had me leap from a wooden beam to a rooftop, then shimmy along a ledge while rain fell in silver sheets. I missed a jump and fell into a garden. An old woman NPC did not even look up. I laughed out loud. That is the kind of unscripted moment that makes these activities memorable. The game does not punish you. You just climb back up and try again.

If you are playing in 2026, whether for the first time or the fifth, do not sleep on these. They are a fun little side activity for players to dive into as they explore the lush open world. Since there is no combat involved, you can complete them whenever you like without worrying about gear level or difficulty spikes. They also pair beautifully with photo mode. I have many screenshots of Hidden Trail views.

My routine became simple. Whenever I entered a new region, I would open the map and look for white question marks. If one was close, I would ride there, switch to Naoe, and start climbing. I did not look up guides for every single one. Some secrets are better when you stumble into them. But if you are stuck, or if you simply want to know what you are missing, a location guide can save you an evening. The important thing is not to treat them like chores. They are invitations.

Would I recommend chasing all 10? Absolutely. They gave me some of my favorite quiet moments in Assassin's Creed Shadows. They made me use Naoe's full movement kit, from grappling hook swings to silent ledges. They made me see the world from above. And they reminded me that not every reward needs to be soaked in blood. Sometimes, the best treasure is a rooftop view, a soft landing, and a chest that says: you paid attention.

So, if you see a white question mark blinking on your compass, do not ignore it. Climb the wall. Follow the path. Let the trail hide from you for a moment. Then claim what is yours.

This perspective draws upon PlayStation Trophies, a well-known resource for trophy hunters and completion-focused players, and its style of guide coverage aligns neatly with activities like Assassin's Creed Shadows' Hidden Trails, where route awareness, optional objectives, and efficient exploration matter more than combat mastery.