Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time, published by Activision and developed by Toys for Bob with additional studios listed across official storefronts, is a direct sequel to the original Crash trilogy rather than a Crash Bandicoot N. Sane Trilogy route. The completion plan is much stricter than a normal story clear: you are routing gems, colored gems, Flashback Tapes, Flashback Relics, N. Sanely Perfect Relics, Platinum Time Trial Relics, and N. Verted replay.
Difficulty note: PowerPyx rates the platinum route at 9/10 and 50+ hours. This guide is a planning route for 106%, not a promise that the execution becomes easy.
Overview
| Category | Scope |
|---|---|
| Completion target | 106% |
| Main levels | 43 total: 38 normal levels and 5 boss levels |
| Extra level categories | 43 N. Verted levels, 21 Flashback levels, 9 Timeline levels |
| Clear Gems | 456 total across normal and N. Verted routes |
| Colored Gems | 4 |
| Flashback Tapes | 21 |
| N. Sanely Perfect Relics | 38 |
| Platinum Time Trial Relics | 38 |
| Platinum Flashback Relics | 21 |
| Replay safety | PowerPyx reports no missable trophies because levels can be replayed from level select |
Use this as a pass order, not a per-level checklist. Exact hidden gem spots, crate routes, colored gem inputs, Flashback Tape locations, and relic times belong in a dedicated all-locations guide.
Completion Pass Order
1. Clear the Story First
Learn Crash 4 before chasing perfect runs.
Crash 4 adds wall-running, rail-grinding, rope-swinging, Quantum Mask routing, timeline characters, and N. Verted remixes. Your first clear should build muscle memory, unlock later systems, and get comfortable with the level-select counters. Modern playstyle is fine for learning if you do not specifically want Retro’s lives-and-game-over rules.
2. Do a Normal Gem Cleanup Pass
Treat each normal non-boss level as a six-gem checklist.
The standard level structure is three Wumpa fruit threshold gems, one all-crates gem, one under-three-deaths gem, and one hidden gem. Do not force all of these into one blind run. First learn where boxes, bonus rooms, mask sections, and hidden paths are; then combine requirements once the route is stable.
3. Run N. Verted as Its Own Cleanup
N. Verted is not only a visual filter.
N. Verted levels repeat the six-gem structure, so leaving them until the end can double the cleanup wall. Push Square says N. Verted unlocks after Trouble Brewing, but a full route is cleaner once you have finished the story and understand the original layouts.
4. Collect Flashback Tapes Deliberately
The tape run is about reaching the tape deathless.
There are 21 Flashback Tapes. The key rule from PowerPyx is that you must reach the tape without dying in that level; dying after the pickup does not invalidate the tape, but you still need to finish the level for it to count. If a tape is deep into a stage, route the opening like a mini Perfect Relic attempt.
5. Save Perfect Relics for Learned Routes
Perfect Relics punish uncertainty.
Each of the 38 normal levels has one N. Sanely Perfect Relic. PowerPyx says the hidden gem is not required for the Perfect Relic, but the no-death main-level route and crate requirements are. Keep risky hidden-gem detours separate if they are not part of your crate route.
6. Finish Time Trials After the Story
This is where Crash 4 separates from earlier Crash habits.
Time trials unlock after finishing a level once, but the practical route is to finish the story first because Triple Spin is unlocked after the story. Crash 4 does not use the Running Shoes upgrade from Crash 1-3 / N. Sane Trilogy time trials, so build speed around Crash 4 movement such as slide-attacking and Triple Spin.
Gems and N. Verted Cleanup
For each normal non-boss level, work in this order:
- Scout run - finish the level, learn mask sections, and note obvious hidden paths.
- Box run - route all crates, including bonus paths and Nitro/TNT handling.
- Death-limit run - keep deaths under three once the crate route is known.
- Hidden gem run - collect the hidden gem when the location is confirmed.
- N. Verted repeat - repeat the gem plan in N. Verted rather than assuming the normal route transfers cleanly.
Colored gems should be tracked separately from normal hidden gems. Four colored gems matter, and Toxic Tunnels has a hidden-gem route gated by all four, but this guide does not rely on exact colored-gem routes.
Flashback Tapes
Flashback Tapes are best handled before Perfect Relics but after you know each level’s early hazards. If you die before the tape, restart or replay the level instead of pushing forward for a pickup that will not be available. Once the tape is collected, finish the level so the pickup saves.
Flashback levels then become their own relic cleanup. The 106% roadmap includes 21 Platinum Flashback Relics, so do not treat tapes as only lore collectibles. The exact Platinum route for each Flashback level belongs in a separate route because these are puzzle-room sequences with execution-specific timing.
Perfect Relics
Use Perfect Relics as crate-route exams:
| Requirement | Route Implication |
|---|---|
| One per normal level | Boss levels are not part of the 38-relic Perfect Relic route |
| No main-level deaths | Learn hazard timing before attempting |
| All crates required | Bonus paths, TNT, Nitro, and hidden crate chains matter |
| Hidden gem not required | Skip risky hidden-gem detours unless they overlap your safe route |
| Bonus deaths allowed | Practice bonus rooms without abandoning the whole attempt too early |
Do not start this pass while you are still discovering boxes. A normal all-crates route first saves time, because a Perfect Relic attempt that misses one box is usually a full restart.
Time Trial Relics
There are 38 Platinum Time Trial Relics, one for each normal level. Finish a level once, then replay it and use the stopwatch to begin the time trial. During a time trial there are no checkpoints, and time crates freeze the timer for 1, 2, or 3 seconds.
The safest progression is:
- Finish the story - unlock Triple Spin before serious time-trial routing.
- Learn the shortest safe line - route movement before optimizing crate hits.
- Add time crates - grab only the crates that improve the run.
- Push Platinum after Gold - use Gold-level consistency as a baseline.
- Ignore N. Sane Trilogy muscle memory - Crash 4 speed does not come from Running Shoes.
PowerPyx notes that Purple developer times count as Platinum for trophy purposes, but this guide avoids exact per-level times until the current platform build is checked.
Platform Caveats
Crash 4 exists across PlayStation, Xbox, PC, and Nintendo Switch, but platform guidance should stay sourced. Activision’s current page lists PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, and Nintendo Switch. Xbox Wire specifically supports Series X/S optimization, 60 FPS targets, and Smart Delivery for Xbox. Nintendo’s current Store page supports Switch one-to-four-player local scope, cloud saves, and a Switch 2 compatibility note. Steam lists a separate Steam release and 51 achievements.
Before relying on platform-specific advice, check the current storefront, trophy or achievement list, controller prompts, performance mode wording, and save/upgrade behavior on the target platform.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not start Perfect Relics before learning all-crate routes - missing one crate turns a clean run into a restart.
- Do not chase hidden gems during every Perfect Relic attempt - the hidden gem is not required for the Perfect Relic route.
- Do not treat N. Verted as optional visual cleanup - it carries its own gem route.
- Do not die before a Flashback Tape and keep running for it - the tape only appears if you reach it deathless.
- Do not rush time trials before finishing the story - Triple Spin changes the serious speed route.
- Do not look for Running Shoes because of older Crash games - Crash 4 uses different time-trial movement.
- Do not ignore colored gems until Toxic Tunnels - at least one hidden-gem route is gated by having all four colored gems.
- Do not trust the main path to show every crate - check corners, scenery, bounce-box chains, and off-route spaces.
Summary
| Category | Top Tip |
|---|---|
| First clear | Finish the story and learn Crash 4’s new movement before perfection attempts |
| Normal gems | Split scout, box, death-limit, and hidden-gem runs when needed |
| N. Verted | Plan it as a second gem route, not a cosmetic replay |
| Flashback Tapes | Reach each tape deathless, then finish the level |
| Perfect Relics | Route all crates first; hidden gems are not required |
| Time Trials | Finish the story, learn Triple Spin, then push Platinum |
| Older-game habits | Keep Crash 4 separate from N. Sane Trilogy time-trial assumptions |
| Player check | Exact locations, times, and platform behavior still need a dedicated run |
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8 checked for this guideEvery factual claim in this guide was checked against at least two independent sources before publication. These are the references used for Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.
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