You’re probably stuck. Honestly, most people are. Tracking down all journals expedition 33 isn’t exactly a walk in the park, and if you’re trying to hit that 100% completion mark, you’ve likely realized the map doesn’t just hand them to you. These journals aren't just collectibles; they are the literal backbone of the lore. They explain why the world looks like a fever dream and what happened to the people who came before you.
It’s annoying. You miss one tiny glowing scrap of paper in a corner, and suddenly your archive is incomplete.
Let’s be real: "Expedition 33" (specifically Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) is built on the mystery of the Paintress. Every year she wakes up, paints a number on a monolith, and everyone that age turns to smoke. It’s a grim hook. The journals are the only way to actually understand the desperation of those previous expeditions. If you want the full picture, you have to be methodical.
Why You Keep Missing the Early Journals
The beginning of the game is deceptive. You’re learning the parry timings, you’re distracted by the incredible art style, and you just... walk past stuff. Most players miss the journals in the initial camp areas because they assume the "real" loot starts later. Wrong.
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The first few entries are tucked away near the edges of the starting paths. You’ve got to look for that specific visual shimmer. If you aren't hugging the walls of every cavern and checking behind every discarded crate, you're going to finish the prologue with a half-empty book. The developers at Sandfall Interactive clearly wanted to reward players who actually stop to look at the scenery instead of just rushing to the next turn-based scrap.
The Hidden Archives in the Flying Cities
Once the world opens up, the journals get harder to spot. It’s not just about "left or right" anymore. You have to think vertically. Some of the most critical entries regarding the 33rd Expedition's predecessors—the 32nd and 31st—are located on platforms that look like background assets but are actually accessible via a quick jump or a hidden ladder.
Take the flooded ruins section, for example.
There’s a journal entry there that explains the mental state of the lead researcher from a previous cycle. It’s tucked behind a pillar that requires you to backtrack after a major combat encounter. Most people just move forward because the game pushes you toward the next narrative beat. Don't do that. Stop. Look back. The journals are often placed where a person would actually sit down to write—near a campfire, under a tree, or tucked into a quiet corner away from the monsters.
All Journals Expedition 33: The Mid-Game Grind
Mid-game is where the "all journals" hunt becomes a bit of a nightmare. The environments get larger, the paths get more convoluted, and the enemy density spikes. It’s easy to get frustrated. You’re looking for a specific note about the "Lumière" or the mechanics of the Paintress’s curse, and you end up getting jumped by a pack of weird, surrealist horrors.
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One thing that confuses people is the numbering. You might find Journal 1, 2, and 4, and spend three hours looking for Journal 3 in the same area. Here’s a tip: they aren't always chronological. Sometimes, the "missing" entry is actually located in a later sub-zone because the character who wrote it was traveling, too.
- Check the Hub Area: People forget that the central base of operations evolves. New journals appear after major boss fights.
- Talk to Everyone: Sometimes an NPC won't give you a journal directly, but their dialogue triggers a change in the environment that reveals one.
- The Lighting Trick: Use your camera. If you’re in a dark area, pan the camera around slowly. The glow of a journal entry has a very specific "bloom" effect that stands out against the matte textures of the stone and dirt.
The Lore Payoff: Is It Actually Worth It?
If you're just playing for the combat, maybe not. But if you want to know why the Paintress does what she does, the journals are mandatory. They detail the failures of the previous expeditions in a way that the main cutscenes don't. You find out about the betrayals. You read about the parents who watched their children turn to ash because the number "12" or "20" was painted that year.
It’s heavy stuff.
There is a specific set of journals belonging to a character named Victor. Finding his entire collection provides a massive twist regarding the nature of the "numbers" that the Paintress uses. Without these, the ending of the game feels a bit more abrupt. With them, it’s a gut-punch.
Technical Glitches and Tracking
Look, no game is perfect. Some players have reported that even after picking up a journal, it doesn't always register in the menu immediately. Usually, a quick save and reload fixes the UI bug. If you’re following a checklist for all journals expedition 33 and you’re sure you picked one up but it’s not showing, don't panic. Check your "Key Items" versus your "Lore" tab. They are categorized differently.
Also, keep in mind that certain areas become inaccessible after major plot points. This is the biggest pitfall for completionists. If you leave a region before finding all the notes, you might be locked out until New Game Plus.
How to Systematicallly Clear Each Zone
To actually get this done, you need a system. Don't just wander.
- Enter a new zone and clear the fog of war immediately. Don't engage with the main objective marker yet.
- Follow the edges. Walk the entire perimeter of the map first.
- Identify "dead ends." In game design, a dead end almost always contains a chest or a journal. If you see a path that clearly leads nowhere, that is exactly where you need to go.
- Listen for the audio cue. There is a subtle humming sound when you are near a collectible. It’s faint, but if you turn the music down slightly in the settings, it becomes a literal radar for finding those last few scraps.
The 33rd Expedition is the last hope for humanity in this world. The journals you find aren't just collectibles; they're the legacy of everyone who died trying to reach the Paintress. Finding them changes the game from a standard RPG into a tragedy.
Your Next Steps for Completion
Go back to the very first campsite. Chances are, you missed the note sitting on the bench near the starting vista. Once you have that, head to the Great Hall in the second major city and check the balcony—there's an entry there that explains the political fallout of the 32nd Expedition. After that, focus on clearing the "side" paths in the forest area before you trigger the boss fight with the corrupted guardian. If you wait until after that fight, the environment changes, and that specific journal becomes much harder to find in the debris.