Your first run-in with the algae that’s spread throughout the various maps inMudborneis likely to be in the Spawning Pools, when you see an area to explore on your map that you can’t quite reach. That’s because there’s a massive bloom of algae blocking your path. What’s a frog to do?

Once you’ve gotten to the Kindergarten map in Mudborne, you’ll meet Ribbert, a mushroom-minded frog who is more than happy to trade for a Filter to help you clear the algae. Place a Filter in the water with the right frog inside and watch new pathways open.

Trading Ribbert for a Filter in Mudborne.

Use Filters To Clear Algae

While you’ll see bits of algae here and there around most of the maps in Mudborne (outside of Climate Control where most things have frozen over), clearing it is a central focus in theKindergarten map, which you’ll notice as soon as you access the area is absolutely infested with green algae. You’ll see a bit of it when you first meetRibbert, the frog witha mushroom headthat lives on the dock just beside the entrance from the Central Junction, but once you log the map of the Kindergarten, you’ll see just how much algae you’re up against here.

If you’re following the Compendium to unravel the story of Mudborne, you’ll need to clear this algae as part of theA Bite to Eatchapter, which walks you through the two simple steps for clearing algae blooms at a glance. To do this, you’ll first need totrade with Ribbert to get some Filters. When you speak to him back at the dock, among other items likebuckets of assorted compostsandfrog furniture to bring home, he’ll offerthree Filtersin exchange fortwo Flat Stinkhorns and three Waterproof Coatings.

A filter being used on the algae in Mudborne.

With Filters in hand, you’ve now got the first half of the equation for clearing algae, but the filter won’t work on its own - like most other machines in Mudborne, you’ll need to have a frog with the right traits on hand to put into the Filter to actually do the work of filtering. Since these areas of algae are quite massive,you’ll want to breed forafrog with a maximized Edacitystatistic, which means that this frog hasquitean appetite.

The first frog you’re likely to have created that meets this requirement is theFurious Lurker, whose Umbrage and Edacity are both maxed.

Equip your Filters into the hot bar andplace a Filter in the middle of a big portion of algae, someplace your frog would stillrealistically be able to reachif not for that pesky algae. You’ll see a dotted line outlining afive-by-five grid with the Filter in the center, so be sure you’ve got it placed someplace tactful that willallow your frog aclear path through the algae. If they’re able to walk onto solid ground or water on the other side, you’ve got a good placement.

Once the Filter is in place, all you’ll need to do isplace a high-Edacity frog into the Filterand give it a moment to chow down. As it hops around the area, you’ll watch as these blooms of green algae clear, allowing access to pathson several different mapsthat you couldn’t access without Filters. Once the Filter is finished, you can evenuse a hammer to take the Filter back, as well as re-catching the frog you were using to clear the algae - these voracious little guys never seem to fill up.